If you’re new to freelancing, figuring out how to land your first client (and your second… and your third) can be a little tough. Do you cold-email prospective clients offering your services? Do you focus on networking and hope for a referral? Or do you pour your energy into building your online presence and generate interest that way?

Well, those are all great options, actually. But let’s be real: When you’re facing down your next rent payment and scowling at your dwindling bank account, the priority is finding freelance work fast. Fortunately for all of us, a lot of other people have faced this problem in the past. And some of those people have built entire freelance marketplaces and communities to help solve it.

Below, we’ll share some of the best sites to explore if you’re looking to land your next freelance gig quickly or you just want to keep the doorway open to new clients. These sites are categorized by specialty, from general freelance sites to sites focused on marketing, writing, design & more. Further down, we’ve also featured several international sites that feature freelance jobs in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe & the UK, and Latin America.

Let’s dive in!

General Freelance Job Boards & Newsletters

For freelancers in all regions and all specialties

Harlow

Yours truly. The Harlow Freelance Job Board is chock-full of new gigs for freelancers across industries and verticals. You can filter by skill, company & more to find the right role. We include pay when it’s available and encourage you to pitch your rate when it’s not. We also highly recommend signing up for the Harlow freelance newsletter to get a shortlist of the hottest jobs delivered to your inbox every week, plus inspiration as you build and grow a sustainable business.

Cave Jobs

Cave Jobs manually combs the internet daily to find and upload freelance gigs and remote jobs posted by Team Leads, Founders, CMOs, Heads of Content, and even business owners on their feeds.

The Daily Lead

Get fresh freelance leads every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from The Daily Lead — a Substack with over over 3,000 subscribers.

Founder Gigs

Founder Gigs by Alex Friedman is a newsletter that curates fractional roles for founders who want to supplement their income while continuing to build other businesses and revenue streams.

Freelance Opportunities

Make space in your inbox every Friday for Kaitlyn Arford’s Freelance Opportunities newsletter. It’s chock-full of opportunities for journalists, copywriters, social media managers, and more.

Mylance

Get fractional jobs delivered to your inbox as soon as they’re posted directly from the company’s website. Get on Mylance’s list.

NoDesk

Work from anywhere. NoDesk specializes in remote freelance jobs and gig work all over the world, primarily in the tech industry. Add “freelance” or “contract” to the search bar to find roles that suit your needs, or search by function/specialty.

Remotive

Similar to NoDesk, Remotive features vetted tech jobs all over the world, and you can explicitly search for freelance or contract roles to find a solid selection of quality opportunities.

Surely + Work

Surely + Work has hundreds of open freelance jobs across professions, industries, and locations. You can find some great niche roles here. Dig in!

We Work Remotely

We Work Remotely is one of the largest remote work communities in the world and is jam-packed with a diverse set of freelance opportunities. From graphic design gigs to engineering positions and everything in between – they’ve got you covered.

General Freelance Marketplaces

For freelancers in all regions and all specialties

Freelancer

If you’d prefer to browse gigs, Freelancer is a great option. They feature freelance job listings, so you get a bit more info about the project up front, and you can submit quotes to “bid” on them if you’re interested. Like Fiverr, you’ll still create a profile to attract people looking to hire, and you’ll be paid when the client marks the job as complete. Unlike Fiverr, Freelancer offers flexible pricing options and lower fees.

Membership Fee: $0
Pricing Options: Fixed Price or Hourly
Transaction Fees: 10%

Freelancing Females

Functioning as a community, directory, job board, and resource hub, Freelancing Females is a haven for self-identified women who work for themselves. You can browse their job listings and resources for free and sign up for their membership to get listed in their directory, join their Slack channel, and gain access to live workshops and exclusive discounts. On their site, they also feature a rad rate sheet where you can see what other women are charging around the world.

Membership Fee: $18/quarter or $59/year
Pricing Options: N/A
Transaction Fees: N/A

FreeUp

Another player in the freelance marketplace, FreeUp offers more flexibility with pricing and more consistency with payments. You can charge whatever rate you’d like (the fees are on the client) and you’ll be paid out weekly for your work through PayPal or Payoneer. FreeUp practices a bit more discretion with their “hires”—you need to apply to join as a freelancer, interview with a team member, and pass a test in order to be accepted. But once you’re in, you can enjoy access to their community benefits, like 24/7 support and vetted, high-caliber jobs.

Membership Fee: $0
Pricing Options: Hourly
Transaction Fees: 0% (client pays fees)

Guru

If you’re looking for a lot of flexibility and a powerful system to back you, Guru knows what’s up. This freelance marketplace is free to join, but they offer a range of membership options that can cater to varying needs and support you as you scale your business. Their free plan limits you to sending 10 quotes per month, which is fine for most freelancers anyway, so you can skate by at no cost (besides transaction fees) unless you want more powerful features, like Premium Quotes and boosted rankings to help you stand out.

Membership Fee: $0 to join, costs to upgrade
Pricing Options: Fixed Price, Task-Based, Hourly, or Recurring
Transaction Fees: 9% on their free plan (but you can agree to split up to 5% with the employer)

Shoutt

Looking for creative, marketing, or technical work? Shoutt is a commission-free marketplace featuring over 1,000 open roles (all added within the last 7 days — so they’re guaranteed fresh). Sign up for a free account to browse or become a paid member to apply and create contracts.

Membership Fee: $0 to join; $19.99 to apply to jobs
Pricing Options: N/A
Transaction Fees: N/A

Toptal

Similar to FreeUp, Toptal extensively vets its freelancers, conducting interviews to assess your skills and matching you with relevant jobs. Their clients range from Fortune 500 businesses to Silicon Valley startups, so you’re guaranteed high-quality projects with top companies around the world. Best of all, they don’t take a cut from your pay, so you get the rate you want. If you’re looking to make a career of freelancing and you have a strong resume, joining Toptal is a great move.

Membership Fee: $0
Pricing Options: Hourly or Weekly
Transaction Fees: 0% (client pays fees)

Twine

Twine is a freelance marketplace for creatives, developers, and marketers. You can build a one-page website on their platform to showcase your work and apply for jobs in just one click. It’s free to get started, but they do charge transaction fees for some payment processors. And you can upgrade to their Pro plan to unlock more features.

Membership Fee: for Free plan: $0; for Pro: $7.49 per month (billed yearly) or $13.99 monthly
Pricing Options: Lump Sum or “Vault” payments
Transaction Fees: variable

Freelance Design Job Boards & Newsletters

For freelance designers in all regions

Authentic Jobs

Authentic Jobs is a job board for designers, developers, and other creatives. They feature solid listings from reputable companies, and you can browse and apply free of charge. Check out their listings today if you’re looking for leads.

Smashing Magazine

If you’re looking for a simple place to find and get the job done, look no further than Smashing Magazine’s job board. Clients post jobs and gigs here regularly, so you can scan the list on your own time and apply as you wish. There are no fees or memberships—just a handy collection of opportunities.

Freelance Design Marketplaces

For freelance designers in all regions

99designs

99designs has been helping designers find work since 2008. Their unique platform allows you to work 1:1 with clients or participate in design contests to win a job. Designers are vetted and receive more perks as they take on more projects, ascending from Entry Level to Mid Level to Top Level as they gain experience on the platform. As your level increases, your fees decrease, making it a platform worth investing in.

Membership Fee: $0
Pricing Options: Fixed Price, Task-Based, Hourly, or Recurring
Transaction Fees: 15% at Entry Level, 10% at Mid Level, and 5% at Top Level, plus a 20% client introduction fee applied to your first $500 of income (which is waived if you win a client contest)

Dribbble

Acting as both a freelance job board and a membership marketplace, Dribbble is a flexible option for designers to find work. You can scan their list of opportunities for free or join their Pro Business plan to get their daily leads newsletter—AKA high-quality gigs in your inbox daily—so you don’t have to chase down opportunities.

Membership Fee: $15/month paid annually or $20/month paid monthly
Pricing Options: N/A
Transaction Fees: N/A

Freelance Marketing Job Boards & Newsletters

For freelance marketers in all regions

Content as a Career

Get work-from-anywhere marketing roles delivered to your inbox every Friday by Content as a Career. The opportunities are hand-selected by one of our favorites, Tamilore Oladipo.

Top of the Funnel

This free Slack community for content marketers and SEO specialists features fresh job opportunities, resources & more. Join TOFU today.

Yentalist

Yentalist by Olivia Dreizen Howell and the Fresh Starts Registry crew features a curated list of great remote marketing jobs. It’s updated a couple of times a week with the latest and greatest.

Freelance Marketing Marketplaces

For freelance marketers in all regions

Advisable

Similar to MarketerHire, Advisable hooks you up with tailored opportunities based on your experience and preferences and puts great care into vetting the freelancers before accepting them as “Advisable Specialists.” You can join for free, and if you make it through the application process, you’ll enjoy a steady flow of new work. If you want extra benefits, like higher-quality clients, greater exposure, and even custom lead gen campaigns, you can apply to join their Advisable Elite program, which is also free.

Membership Fee: $0
Pricing Options: Hourly
Transaction Fees: 20% for payments <$10,000; 10% for payments >$10,000; 5% for payments >$25,000

MarketerHire

For seasoned marketers seeking freelance work, MarketerHire is a game-changer. They qualify clients for you and take care of contracts and payments, so you can skip the business management and still enjoy a full pipeline. Oh, and it’s free. MarketerHire carefully screens and vets all the freelancers on their site, accepting less than 5% of applicants, so if you’re an expert who only wants the top jobs available, this site is for you.

Membership Fee: $0
Pricing Options: Hourly
Transaction Fees: N/A

Freelance Writing Job Boards & Newsletters

For freelance writers in all regions

The Career Design Newsletter

The Career Design Newsletter by Dan Marzullo brings you weekly freelance writing gigs and advice on building a creative business doing work you love.

Freedom With Writing

Freedom With Writing is a website that acts as a matchmaker for freelance writers connecting them with editors and publishers who are seeking their work. In addition to e-books, case studies, and other resources, they also send reviews of companies that hire freelancers and sites to help you find the freelance writing gig that works for you.

Freelance Framework

Get daily freelance writing gigs delivered straight to your inbox from Freelance Framework, a newsletter by content marketer Chris Bibey.

Freelance Writing Jobs

Freelance Writing Job Board is updated with fresh freelance writing and blogging jobs every day. If you’re seeking online writing jobs, part-time on-site jobs, internships, or more – they’ve got them for you.

The Freelance Writing Network

The Freelance Writing Network has paid and free versions of their Substack, all aimed at helping writers find the best new gigs. Their paid subscription includes early access to weekly jobs, high-paying gigs, and a weekly round-up of bonus opportunities, like fiction & poetry submissions, retreats, and more.

Kat Boogaard’s Newsletter

Kat Boogaard is a freelance writer who has a weekly newsletter full of not only awesome freelancing gigs, but tips, advice, and other content to help you expand your freelance business. Subscribe to her newsletter today to get job leads sent directly to your inbox every week.

Peak Freelance

Peak Freelance is another ripe community for freelance writers to find jobs, connect with other writers, and bolster their skills by learning from showcased experts. You can browse their job board or sign up for their newsletter for free access to top job leads, contribution opportunities, and writing tips. And if you want more, you can become a member or join their Slack to connect and grow with other writers.

ProBlogger

For content writers on the hunt for gigs, ProBlogger is a great place to start your search. They feature all sorts of freelance writing projects (not just blog posts) so you can pick and choose and apply based on your preferences. Plus, ProBlogger offers a cool hub of resources for bloggers looking to grow, so if you’re into that, sign up for their free newsletter to get the latest and greatest.

SuperPath

SuperPath offers a much-needed community to freelance writers who are looking to network, connect, and find job leads. Their Slack channel is the place to find like-minded writers who are navigating the same ups and downs as you, and their job board is an awesome spot to nab new writing gigs fast. You can create a job seeker profile to seamlessly apply to jobs on their site.

The Writer’s Job Newsletter

The Writer’s Job Newsletter is a newsletter that delivers some of the best paid writing jobs directly to your inbox every week. Oh, and did we mention that it’s free? If you’re a writer looking for your next gig, we highly recommend subscribing – while you’re at it, give them a follow on Twitter, too!

Freelance Writing Marketplaces

For freelance writers in all regions

Draft

Want a steady stream of freelance content writing work? Draft is the spot. If you’re accepted to the platform, you can browse and claim writing jobs—no proposals, no hassles. You just need to deliver the work by the deadline, and you’ll get paid out by Draft at the end of the week. It’s a great way to get consistent income without the pressure of searching for work and managing operations. To join, you’ll need a strong portfolio.

Membership Fee: $0
Pricing Options: $0.05-$0.30 per word for writing; $0.03-$0.10 per word for editing
Transaction Fees: 0%

Freelance HR Marketplaces

For freelance HR specialists in all regions

HR Lancers

HR Lancers is a freelance marketplace dedicated to connecting HR professionals with great work. If you’re in the US or Canada, you can become a member for free to search their marketplace or pay a fee to feature your profile.

Membership Fee: $0 to join, $7/month to feature your profile
Pricing Options: N/A
Transaction Fees: N/A

International Freelance Job Boards

For freelancers in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe & the UK, and Latin America

The freelance job sites below are focused on specific regions of the world. If you’re an international freelancer looking for gigs in your field, you can start your search below. We’ve included a combination of international job boards and marketplaces serving Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe & the UK, and Latin America. For some sites, you may need to add specific search criteria (e.g. “freelance” or “contract”) in order to filter out full-time and part-time work. Happy hunting!

Africa – Freelance Job Boards & Marketplaces

AfriBlocks

A growing marketplace for Pan-African freelancers in design and tech, AfriBlocks offers an abundance of resources in addition to their job board. Become a member of their community to create a freelance profile and begin browsing their job listings.

Elharefa

Elharefa is a freelance marketplace serving Egypt exclusively. They have jobs in design, media, writing, translation, marketing, sales, and more. Check out their current opportunities and register to create a profile.

JobVine

JobVine is freelance marketplace based in South Africa. They connect freelancers with businesses seeking quality support across an array of functions, from design and development to marketing and project management. Create a profile to get registered and listed, and begin receiving client leads. It’s worth noting — on their free plan, you do have to pay per lead. You can upgrade to a paid plan for access to unlimited leads and more.

RemoteAfrica

Want to work from anywhere in Africa? Explore the RemoteAfrica job board for a wide variety of roles across verticals and industries. Though their job board primarily caters to full-time, part-time, and contract work, you can find freelance roles by adding “freelance” to your search query. RemoteAfrica also has an active freelance Slack community if you’re interested in networking.

Asia – Freelance Job Boards & Marketplaces

Glints

Looking for freelance work in Singapore? Glints is one of the top job boards in the country and they feature a selection of freelance roles across an array of industries. Filter by “Job Type > Freelance” to see their latest additions. You can scope pay, required experience, and more, and apply for roles that fit the bill.

Tech in Asia

If you’re seeking remote freelance work in Asia, check out the Tech in Asia job board for the latest opportunities. At the time of publishing, they have a dozen listed freelance gigs in Indonesia, ranging from admin work to content creation to sales.

World in Freelance (Japan)

Find new clients, land exciting projects, and bolster your portfolio. World in Freelance (Japan) features remote freelance opportunities with funded Japanese startups and larger, established companies. Explore their job listings today to see if there’s a match.

Australia – Freelance Job Boards & Marketplaces

Rachel’s List

Rachel’s List is one of the top freelance marketplaces in Australia. It’s a hot spot for businesses to find reputable freelance journalists, copywriters, and content specialists. You can register to get listed and upgrade to a paid plan for full access to their job board. Or, stick with their free plan and purchase a 24-hour pass to apply to any gigs that catch your eye.

SEEK

Land your next freelance gig via the SEEK job board. They break down pay, experience requirements, and more. You can search for freelance roles to find the latest and greatest. You’ll just need an account to apply.

Europe & UK – Freelance Job Boards & Marketplaces

EU Remote

Seeking freelance work in a European time zone? The EU Remote job board features 100% remote opportunities from companies around the globe, with working hours that suit European & UK applicants. They also offer special access to their freelance community — the largest in the region.

Faruse

Find an English-speaking gig in Europe on Faruse — a job board with hundreds of open freelance roles across every imaginable vertical. Type “freelance” into the search bar to whittle it down to roles that meet your needs.

Freelance UK

Get listed on the Freelance UK marketplace to match with credible businesses seeking expert support in your industry. You do need a premium membership to access their job listings, but they don’t take a cut from your pay, and they don’t charge hidden fees.

Major Players

Major Players is an international talent agency with offices in London, Amsterdam, and Berlin. They feature hot, vetted, high-paying roles with established companies, primarily in Europe and the UK. As of posting, they have 16 open freelance opportunities in engineering, marketing, project management, and sales. Scope them today.

Latin America – Freelance Job Boards & Marketplaces

SoyFreelancer

If you’re looking for Spanish-speaking freelance roles in Latin America, check out the SoyFreelancer job board. They offer a huge range of roles across an array of functions and industries.

Workana

Workana is the largest freelance and remote work site in Latin America. They connect freelancers with startups, entrepreneurs, and established companies looking for seasoned virtual support. Register for an account to explore their open roles.