The Starters vs. Upwork

Early-stage e-commerce businesses typically leverage freelancers to help drive marketing, creative, and digital product initiatives forward. This is especially true for bootstrapped businesses or those that are <$10M in annual revenue.

The go-to platform for these businesses to find freelance talent has historically been Upwork. However, there have been several reported issues with using the platform, like:

1. Unqualified talent
2. Fake reviews
3. Fake identities 
4. Lack of english proficiency
5. Hard to find the right fit

Because Upwork is a massive, generalized freelancer marketplace, it’s hard for e-commerce businesses to find freelancers that have specific industry expertise. Additionally, Upwork does not have a proper vetting process for its talent.

That’s where The Starters comes in— we help early-stage e-commerce businesses find vetted freelance marketers, creatives, and technologists.

Let's delve into a comparison between The Starters and Upwork, exploring elements like the vetting process, speed to hire, and pricing.

Vetting Process

We recognize the importance of having the right people helping you build your business. Because of this, we’re focused exclusively on the e-commerce space. 

From the onset of sourcing to the final stages of freelancer onboarding, we ensure the freelancers on our platform are seasoned in the e-commerce industry. Our freelancers (we call them Starters) hail from top brands like The Farmer’s Dog, Nike, and Wayfair.

Upwork, by comparison, is a broad platform that onboards freelancers from every possible industry, and from all over the globe. While a broad range of talent is incredibly helpful in certain use cases, it certainly doesn’t provide the industry-level focus and expertise e-commerce businesses need to grow.

Additionally, our vetting process encompasses multiple steps, including things like:

• Experience review
• Application process
• Interview
• Skills assessment
• Professional references

We’re committed to having only the cream of the crop of e-commerce talent, even if it takes a lot of heavy lifting on our end.

Upwork, due to its open marketplace model, doesn’t have a rigorous vetting process like ours. Our strict vetting process, in-depth focus on e-commerce, and ongoing quality assessments set us apart, promising better freelance talent for your team.

Cost

Here’s the deal: the average freelancer on The Starters costs more (~$85/hr) than the average freelancer on Upwork (~$40/hr). However, the rates on The Starters are direct freelancer rates that are higher because of the level of talent we attract and onboard, not because we take a large % of the deal (in fact, we take nothing). The fees you pay The Starters are significantly less than what Upwork would take from an engagement.

That’s because The Starters operates on a flat membership model. For $195/mo, you get full access to our entire roster of vetted talent that you pay directly. We don’t take any fees or commissions from brands or Starters on freelance engagements, even if you end up hiring them as a full-time employee. We champion absolute transparency, with no hidden fees, ongoing commissions, or rate markups. 

On the other end, Upwork takes ~15% commissions from freelancers, forcing them to mark up their rates to account for their fees. It applies a sliding service fee based on the lifetime billings with each client. This fee ranges from 20% for the first $500 billed to 5% for billings over $10,000. While this model may work for occasional hires, it can become expensive and less transparent for long-term collaborations.

You can use this calculator to see how much you’d save using The Starters

Time-to-Hire

We know that finding the right freelance talent quickly is important for e-commerce businesses.

As soon as you sign up for a Starters membership, you get immediate access to our entire roster of curated talent profiles. You can browse the profiles, evaluate fit, and directly connect with freelancers that align with your needs. Our process ensures you can engage with the ideal freelancer in minutes or hours, not days or weeks.

Conversely, Upwork's hiring process is more time consuming. It typically involves posting a job, reviewing numerous proposals (most of which are automated and/or irrelevant), and conducting dozens of interviews before you can hire a freelancer. While Upwork's wide pool of talent can be an advantage, the time and effort needed to sift through numerous applications can be daunting.

In essence, The Starters provides a fast track to connecting with freelancers, while Upwork follows a more traditional hiring pathway. If speed, efficiency, and control over the selection process matter to you, The Starters is a better choice for your e-commerce business.

Wrapping Up

We've dissected key aspects - from talent quality to cost and timeline - in this comparison between The Starters and Upwork.

For e-commerce brands seeking high-quality freelance marketing, creative, and technology talent, The Starters is the best choice. However, businesses not specific to the e-commerce sector or that are looking for lower-level work (e.g., data entry) may find the extensive reach of Upwork more beneficial.

Here’s a summary of why The Starters stands out for e-commerce brands:

• Unparalleled Talent Pool: Our strict vetting process ensures only top e-commerce freelancers are on our platform.
• Rapid Hiring Process: With immediate access to our selection of e-commerce experts, The Starters gets you connected with the perfect freelancer in minutes, not weeks.
• Transparent & Cost-Effective: Our straightforward pricing leaves no room for hidden fees or commissions. We ensure that more of your budget is spent on acquiring top talent.

While Upwork is a large platform with a wide range of talent, our unwavering commitment to e-commerce-focused experts makes us the go-to choice in the space.

Whether you're an emerging e-commerce startup or an established brand seeking to scale, your success is heavily influenced by the talent you onboard. The Starters provides you access to an extraordinary pool of e-commerce freelancers, coupled with transparency, cost-efficiency, and outstanding support.

If you're interested in hiring a Starter for your business, you can learn more about why we're the best option in the e-commerce space here, and when you're ready, sign up for an account.