GRAPHIC DESIGN TOP WEBSITES FOR FREELANCERS
Looking for the top websites for independent graphic designers? It's not just you. Finding websites for freelance designer employment is a challenge for many skilled designers.
Because not all freelance sites for graphic design are made similarly, it might be difficult. There are several things to think about, including cost, job alignment, usability, and other crucial elements.
This well-researched guide will teach you about the top 8 websites for freelance graphic designers. Move along!
In a hurry?
We advise signing up for Upwork! It offers a large talent pool and is free to join.
THE BEST WEBSITES FOR FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGN
Some of the top websites are listed here!
- UPWORK
Upwork is an excellent way for graphic designers seeking employment to get their foot in the door and begin working one-on-one with clients.
You'll adore Upwork's simple-to-navigate design. Searching the platform for graphic design jobs you may bid on is quite simple. Here is the procedure in action.
WHERE DOES UPWORK FIT IN?
First, register as a freelancer on Upwork. You'll go through the process of setting up your account, answering questions about your location and skill set as well as adding your bio photo and other information.
You'll have full access to the site once you've registered and are set up on the marketplace and can begin looking for graphic design projects to bid on.
On Upwork, clients that need to employ will submit their assignments/job needs. As you look through each project, you'll discover crucial details like:
- The number of proposals received.
- Verified or unverified payments.
- Client address.
- Estimated spending.
- Estimated workload (for example, more than 30 hours per week).
- Skill level necessary.
- Project duration.
- Project outline.
- Customer/client details.
From this data, you may infer a lot about how competitive the listing is for placing bids. Additionally, you can check to see whether your level of expertise aligns with the client's expectations, the project's scope, the budget, and other crucial information that will help you determine whether or not to submit a bid for the project.
From this point on, you can put your bid to submit a proposal, and if you qualify for the job, the customer will contact you with the next steps and perhaps an interview.
FAQs
Applicants: Anyone can apply.
Earnings: Determined by the project.
Process for Applying: Free registration.
- FIVERR
Fiverr is a marketplace for gigs where gig buyers and sellers may connect for employment. Creating gigs on Fiverr allows you to package and price your services while also earning money when customers choose and buy your design package.
Top producers are generating full-time incomes on Fiverr, such as ghostwriter Alex Fasulo, who earns $387,000 a year, and Jennifer Marie, earning over $50,000 as a voice-over artist.
Many freelancing jobs, including graphic design, are catered to by Fiverr!
Working on Fiverr is a legitimate way to earn money, and it may present you with the chance to go from freelance graphic design to full-time employment!
FIVERR: HOW DOES IT WORK?
Sign up as a freelancer on Fiverr first. Create your profile next, and then add your gigs. You'll start gaining more visibility on the platform once your gigs are approved and may accept gig orders for graphic design services.
FAQs
Applicants: Anyone can apply.
Earnings: Starting at $5 depending on the job.
Process for Applying: Free registration
- FREELANCER
A freelancing marketplace like Upwork is called Freelancer. It brings clients and independent contractors together to cooperate on projects.
Projects will be posted by clients, and freelancers can browse the work that is available and submit bids on the projects that interest them. The projects, design competitions, freelancers, and bookmarks may all be searched by independent graphic designers.
You can view all of the projects that are offered on the site by browsing by projects. Search results can be filtered by project type, talents, and other criteria.
Design competitions provide you the chance to enter a running contest, such as a logo design competition with a potential prize of $200.
You can browse other freelance jobs on the platform thanks to the platform's freelancers, who also display their hourly rate, experience, and other profile details. This might help you assess the competition and provide ideas for how to strengthen your Freelancer profile.
Finally, you can evaluate your bookmarked projects and competitions in the bookmarks section.
FREELANCER, HOW DOES IT WORK?
First, register as a freelancer with Freelancer.
After creating your profile, you may immediately enter the platform and begin searching for jobs using the options we stated above, including contests and more.
FAQs
Applicants: Anyone can register.
Earnings: Determined by the project.
Process for Applying: Free registration.
- 99DESIGNS
You can discover clients to work with as a freelance graphic designers via the design-based website 99Designs. Following your registration, you may customize your profile to showcase your greatest design work and draw in clients.
99Designs was made especially for design-based jobs, unlike some of the freelance websites on this list that are receptive to graphic design. As a result, finding graphic design assignments won't require you to search through dozens of freelance gigs. It's all dependent on the design!
They provide 90 distinct design categories, including those for landing pages, business cards, websites, and logos. This is excellent for designers who specialize in a certain area or for generalists who can handle different kinds of tasks.
HOW IS 99DESIGNS SET UP?
By clicking "Become a Designer" at the bottom, you can sign up to be a designer on 99Designs. They are able to connect you with clients and freelance assignments from a range of industries.
Joining the platform is free, and your earnings will depend on the design job. Depending on your designer rating, they promise a swift refund within three business days or sooner.
FAQs
Applicants: Graphic designers with talent.
Earnings: Determined by the project.
Process for Applying: Free registration.
- GURU
Guru is a freelance website that links freelancers and clients to work together on a range of diverse skill-based projects, including graphic design, engineering, illustration, and virtual support.
GURU, HOW DOES IT WORK?
Create a free Guru account, then start setting up your profile. You can highlight your abilities as a designer in your profile. You will have the ability to:
- Embrace your offerings.
- Write about the type of work that you do.
- Establish a portfolio.
- Design an avatar.
Once you've registered on the platform, you can start browsing jobs and looking for the graphic design jobs that interest you by job category or keyword.
FAQs
Applicants: Anyone can apply.
Earnings: Determined by the project.
Application Procedure: Free sign-up followed by a monthly limit of 10 job applications.
- TWINE
Twine provides approximately 250 distinct freelance services, including animation, graphic design, and marketing. It solely serves independent contractors that operate in the marketing, development, and design fields, and its main objective is to assist clients in finding contractors to work on their projects.
HOW DO TWINE PROCESSES WORK?
Independent designers can sign up for Twine, develop their portfolios, and begin landing design jobs.
You can communicate and network with other freelancers in Twine's community. You'll be able to find design jobs in your area of expertise through their job search, and you'll be able to solicit business from potential clients.
They prevent fraud by requiring upfront payment from the client, and Twine will only pay you once your work has been delivered and accepted.
FAQs
Applicants: Designers, marketers, and web developers are eligible to apply.
Earnings: Determined by the project.
Process of Application: Free signup is required for the application procedure, and you are allowed to pitch up to 15 jobs every month.
- DESIGN HILL
A design marketplace called Design Hill assists its customers in finding independent graphic designers to meet their demands. On the site, clients have a variety of alternatives for working with independent graphic designers, including:
- Staging a design competition.
- The uses of a particular designer.
- Directly posting a job to the market.
- Direct hiring of freelance designers.
- Buying customized print-on-demand goods.
WHAT IS DESIGN HILL'S PROCESS?
For independent graphic designers looking for work, Design Hill is a helpful resource.
Once you sign up for Design Hill, you can proceed with setting up your profile. You can utilize the capabilities available here to display your design work, share your portfolio, post an avatar photo, and describe the services you do.
There will be many of options for you to book design work, like those mentioned above, because Design Hill is solely for graphic design work.
FAQs
Applicants: Graphic artists.
Earnings: Determined by the project.
Process for Applying: Free registration.
- TOPTAL
Toptal works with clients to help them locate the ideal freelancer talent match (and you'll probably find our comprehensive Toptal review to be very helpful).
After you join and are approved as a freelancer, they will assist in connecting you with clients and tasks that best suit your skill set.
WHERE DOES TOPTAL FIT IN?
Toptal only collaborates with the best freelancers (read more about this in our Toptal vs. Upwork comparison). They take pride in only hiring the top 3% of independent contractors in their niche market.
There is a rigorous vetting procedure, so passing it and being hired says a lot about your experience and breadth of knowledge in the field of graphic design.
FAQs
Applicants: Anyone can apply.
Earnings: Determined by the project.
Process for Applying: Free registration.
WEBSITES FOR FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGN: PROS AND CONS
What are the advantages and disadvantages of signing up for and taking part in these freelance graphic design websites? We have your back.
PROS
- Instantaneous labor and design projects are available.
- Free to sign up.
- Low entrance threshold.
You'll like that these websites for independent graphic designers give you immediate access to paid employment. That means you can stop looking for work on the internet, pestering your clients for recommendations, and struggling to get design clients.
There are many projects available on these websites. Your chances of landing a design project will increase if you're reliable and active on the website.
Next, it's free to sign up for these top freelance websites and marketplaces. These websites are a risk-free method to start earning money online as a graphic designer, even though there may be fees for using the website's services after booking a project.
Any freelancer, from novice to seasoned designers, can easily join due to the low barrier to entry.
CONS
- High prices.
- Limitations on your participation.
- Restrictions on how you can be paid.
Many freelance designers neglect to consider the actual fees associated with joining sites like these. Although they may be free to join, once a job is booked, they may charge up to 30% or more on the backend, which means less money from graphic design ends up in your wallet.
After then, you'll have to abide by the platform's guidelines. These guidelines might limit the number of positions you can apply for, keep some features hidden till you're more senior or experienced, or impose other limitations. Simply said, you won't have the same freedom when working with clients not found on freelance platforms.
Finally, there will be restrictions on how you can be paid. Every platform might not accept your preferred payment method, and some might not support the payment features you choose, such as deposits, milestone payments, etc.
The top freelance websites like these are therefore not flawless, but it may still be worthwhile to use them to get design employment.
THE BEST WEBSITES FOR FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGN
Which of these freelance websites is the best for helping independent graphic designers find additional graphic design work?
My best pick is Upwork. Upwork is a go-to site for people trying to hire skilled graphic designers.
Upwork's user-friendly interface makes it simple to look for jobs and communicate with clients online. They have a ton of built-in features that assist independent contractors plan their job search, establishing an online presence, and developing specific profiles based on the work they do.
For instance, you can make a profile page for a graphic designer, a web designer, a social media designer, etc.
It provides you with a variety of payment options, including milestone payments, and gives additional options as well. You may easily withdraw money from Upwork at any moment, and they collaborate with a number of payment processors to promptly get your earnings into your bank account.
WHAT WORKS ONLINE FOR FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNERS?
The freedom to set your own hours and work online is one advantage for independent designers.
How do graphic designers work online?
You'll be conducting your design work online if you work with clients through websites like these that serve as freelance marketplaces. You'll have access to a computer and your own workspace, and you may plan your time around the tasks you've reserved.
Based on the project deadline, the client generally won't care if you work at 9 am or 9 pm as long as you provide the work on time.
WHAT SITES CAN FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNERS SELECT?
You can sign up for all of these websites for independent graphic designers if you're truly eager to get started. We do, however, advise that you pick your top three websites and start there.
Becoming proficient with the platform, creating a script and cover letter, and getting at ease pitching potential clients and working online can take some time. The freelance websites vary slightly from one another.
Look at the features to see which sites appeal to you the most in order to decide which are the greatest.
For instance, you might lean toward Toptal and similar sites on the list if you dislike the idea of pitching clients and would like to be matched with clients based on your talents.
Alternative options include marketplaces like Fiverr and Design Hill if you choose to package your services for gig-based work.
Which websites for independent graphic designers will you start with? I hope this guide helps you answer this query.