This is a numbers post. No pitch until the end, and we’ll tell you when it starts.
Every platform that moves money between a client and a freelancer takes a cut. The cuts are all published, they’re just published in different places, in different units, on different pages. Here they are side by side, using each platform’s official rates as of August 2026. Fee structures change; always verify current figures on each platform’s own site before making decisions.
One thing to keep straight throughout: these platforms sell different things. Upwork and Fiverr are marketplaces, their fees pay for finding you clients. Omnivoo is work and payment infrastructure for clients you already have, it doesn’t find you anyone. Whether a fee is “worth it” depends entirely on which of those you need. This post just shows you the math.
In this guide
- Upwork, Fiverr, and Omnivoo fees in 2026
- Fees on a $3,000/month client
- How much each platform takes at $12K–$120K/year
- Can you take clients off Upwork or Fiverr? (24-month rule)
Upwork, Fiverr, and Omnivoo Fees in 2026 (Published Rates)
Fiverr (sellers)
- 20% commission on every order, flat, no tiers, no volume discounts. Applies to gig extras and tips as well.
- Buyers additionally pay a 5.5% service fee on top of your gig price (plus a small-order fee on low-value orders), which affects what buyers are willing to pay you.
- Withdrawal and currency-conversion charges apply depending on payout method.
Upwork (freelancers)
- Variable service fee of 0–15% per contract, set when you submit a proposal and fixed for that contract’s life. This replaced the old flat 10% in May 2025. Most freelancers report landing around 10%.
- Connects (proposal credits) cost $0.15 each; typical proposals consume several, so active bidding is a real recurring cost.
- Clients separately pay a marketplace fee (5% on the standard plan, more on higher tiers) plus a contract initiation fee per new contract.
- Withdrawal and currency-conversion charges apply depending on payout method.
Omnivoo (contractors)
- 1% of the invoice amount, charged on withdrawal. That’s the contractor-side fee.
- Your client pays $49/month per contract (for 1–5 contracts; lower per-contract rates at higher volumes), this covers the compliant contract, invoicing, and payouts. We show this openly because it’s part of the total cost of the relationship, even though it isn’t deducted from you.
- FX is competitive, lower than market competitors, and bank transaction fees are passed through at cost, per payout method.
- No proposal credits, no bidding costs, because there’s no marketplace.
Upwork vs Fiverr vs Omnivoo: Fees on a $3,000/Month Client
Gross billed: $36,000/year. Platform-side percentage fees only, before withdrawal, FX, and payout-method charges, which vary by person and method on all three platforms.
| Fiverr | Upwork | Omnivoo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee model | 20% flat | 0–15% per contract (~10% typical) | 1% on withdrawal |
| Fee on $36,000 | $7,200 | $0–$5,400 (~$3,600 typical) | $360 |
| You keep | $28,800 | $30,600–$36,000 (~$32,400 typical) | $35,640 |
| Client pays the platform | 5.5% buyer fee on orders | ~5% marketplace fee + initiation fee | $49/month flat |
Three honest observations about this table:
- The Upwork range is real. If Upwork’s algorithm assigns your contract a 0% fee, Upwork is the cheapest option in this table. Most freelancers report rates around 10%; you’ll see yours at proposal time.
- Fiverr’s 20% buys the most discovery. Gigs are inbound, buyers come to you. If your pipeline depends on that, the fee is buying something.
- Omnivoo’s 1% assumes you bring the client. There is no job feed. The comparison is only meaningful for work you sourced yourself or relationships free of any marketplace’s terms.
How Much Each Platform Takes at $12K–$120K/Year
Annual percentage fee only, at typical rates (Fiverr 20%, Upwork ~10%, Omnivoo 1%):
| Annual billing | Fiverr | Upwork (~typical) | Omnivoo |
|---|---|---|---|
| $12,000 | $2,400 | $1,200 | $120 |
| $36,000 | $7,200 | $3,600 | $360 |
| $60,000 | $12,000 | $6,000 | $600 |
| $120,000 | $24,000 | $12,000 | $1,200 |
The pattern is simple: marketplace fees scale with your success. Infrastructure fees don’t have to.
Want to check your own numbers? Use the contractor payment fee calculator, see the full breakdown on Omnivoo pricing, and read how the contractor management platform handles the contract, invoicing, and payouts.
Can You Take Clients Off Upwork or Fiverr? (The 24-Month Rule)
If you met a client through a marketplace, that platform’s terms govern the relationship, Upwork, for example, requires payments to stay on-platform for 24 months from first contact unless you pay a conversion fee. Honour whatever you agreed to.
The math above applies cleanly to clients you found outside any marketplace, referrals, LinkedIn, past employers, and to relationships past your platform’s exclusivity window. That is exactly why freelancers leave Upwork after finding long-term clients once discovery stops being the thing they are paying for.
Okay, here’s the pitch (as promised)
If you’re keeping $28,800 of $36,000, the missing $7,200 didn’t just disappear, it was the price of discovery you may no longer need.
On Omnivoo, the client you already have signs up in minutes, you get a compliant contract for your country, and you keep 99% of what you invoice. Then the part no marketplace offers: money that stays in your wallet earns daily interest, Auto-Save moves a slice of every invoice aside automatically, and you can invest in US stocks and ETFs straight from your balance, fractional shares, no separate brokerage, no extra KYC. Withdraw through 8 methods, from bank transfer to mobile money to crypto.
No business registration needed. Individuals welcome.
Fee figures reflect each platform’s published rates as of August 2026 and may change. This is general information, not financial or legal advice, verify current terms on upwork.com, fiverr.com, and omnivoo.com.