99designs vs Upwork: Which Graphic Design & Freelancer Platform is Better?

As a small business owner, deciding where and how to find quality freelance graphic designers and other creatives can be difficult. 

There are so many freelance marketplaces out there that it’s hard to know where to start. Two of the top platforms that many turn to are 99designs and Upwork. Both offer ways to find and hire skilled freelancers for various projects. 

However, each platform has its own unique approach. In this post, I will break down the key differences between 99designs and Upwork so you can determine which is a better fit depending on your specific business needs and budget. 

Through my experiences posting projects on both platforms and insights from other entrepreneurs, I’ll provide a detailed analysis of their respective designs, cost structures, freelancer quality, and overall pros and cons.

By the end of this post, I want to help you choose the right platform to bring your creative visions to life!

Brief Overview: 99designs vs Upwork

First, I’ll give you a quick overview of 99designs and Upwork:

99designs

99designs is a specialized platform built entirely around graphic design. Clients source designs through contests, where multiple designers offer concepts,  or by working directly with individual freelancers.

Key Selling Points:

• Design-Focused Platform: Tailored specifically for design projects, ensuring specialized talent.
• Design Contest Model: Offers a unique way to source creativity by hosting contests.
• Dedicated Design Categories: Wide range of design services from logo and brand identity to web and app design.
• Quality Guarantee: Promises high-quality design work with a money-back guarantee.

Upwork

Upwork is a comprehensive platform that connects businesses with freelancers from various fields, including graphic design, writing, IT, and more. It offers a flexible way to find and hire talent for both short-term tasks and long-term projects.

Key Selling Points:

• Broad Range of Services: Not limited to graphic design; covers virtually any freelance service.
• Flexible Hiring Models: Allows hiring by project, hourly, or long-term contract.
• Global Talent Pool: Access to a wide array of professionals worldwide.
• Enhanced Collaboration Tools: Provides tools for communication, project management, and payment processing.

Quick Verdict: 99designs vs Upwork

This platform connects clients with a global community of graphic designers specialized in various fields. The contest feature sparks creativity and provides clients with diverse design perspectives, making it easier to find a style that perfectly matches their vision.

With a focus on design quality and customer satisfaction, 99designs guarantees a productive and satisfying design experience backed by a money-back guarantee.

The marketplace model is excellent for those with well-defined budgets seeking graphic designers alongside other professionals  (like web developers or copywriters). Upwork’s comprehensive hiring system includes detailed freelancer profiles, client reviews, and a robust messaging system, facilitating informed hiring decisions.

The platform’s flexibility in hiring models (project-based, hourly, or long-term contracts) caters to various project needs and budgets. This broad range of services, combined with practical collaboration tools, makes Upwork ideal for businesses looking for a one-stop shop to meet all their freelance hiring needs.

Product Overview: 99designs vs Upwork

What is it?

99designs is a specialized platform connecting businesses with graphic designers. Clients can launch design contests to explore multiple creative concepts or work directly with individual freelancers.

Upwork is a vast freelance marketplace offering professionals in various fields, including graphic design. Clients post projects or search through freelancer profiles to find the right fit.

Who is it for?

99designs is ideal for businesses seeking high-quality graphic design with the potential for unique, unexpected outcomes. The platform caters to those needing logos, branding, web design, and similar creative assets.

Upwork is suited for a wider audience that needs professional services beyond graphic design, such as writing, programming, or marketing. It’s perfect for those who require flexibility in hiring for different tasks or projects and value having access to a global talent pool.

What makes it special?

99designs stands out due to its contest model, which incentivizes multiple designers to submit their best work, ensuring clients have a rich selection of designs. This model, combined with a focus on design services, provides high-quality, creative solutions tailored to client needs.

Upwork differentiates itself with its comprehensive service offerings and flexible hiring models. Its platform is designed to facilitate seamless collaboration between clients and freelancers across various service categories, making it a one-stop shop for all freelance needs.

What does it do?

99designs allows clients to launch design contests in several categories, including logos, websites, and packaging design, or to work directly with experienced designers through project contracts. Clients provide a brief, receive submissions, provide feedback, and ultimately select a winner or hire a freelance designer.

Upwork enables clients to post job descriptions, receive bids from freelancers, review profiles and portfolios, and hire based on their specific project requirements. The platform includes features for messaging, project management, and payment processing to support smooth collaboration and project completion.

Quick Comparison: 99designs vs Upwork

Key Features	99designs	Upwork
#1) Pricing	Tie	Tie
#2) Free Plan		Winner
#3) Design & Functionality	Winner
#4) Hiring the Best Talent	Tie	Tie
#5) Wide Range of Services		Winner
#6) Review & Rating System		Winner
#7) Secure Payment Options	Tie	Tie
#8) Hourly or Fixed Price Contracts		Winner
Overall	Graphic Design	Variety of Projects & Jobs

Feature Comparison: 99designs vs Upwork

Let’s compare the features of these graphic design and freelancer platforms so you can make the right decision for you and your business.

#1) Pricing

99designs operates with a fixed pricing model for various design services, offering packages that range from essential to premium, tailored to every designer level of design complexity and client needs. This structure provides upfront clarity and predictability in costs, allowing clients to select a package that best fits their budget and project requirements.

Upwork, however, features a more flexible pricing approach where clients post jobs and freelancers bid with their rates, which can vary widely based on the freelancer’s experience, expertise, and the project’s scope. This model offers the potential for competitive pricing but requires more effort in selecting the right freelancer and negotiating rates.

Considering the different approaches to pricing, the better platform depends on the client’s preference for cost predictability or flexibility. Clients who prefer knowing their expenses upfront may find 99designs more appealing, while those looking for customizable rates and are willing to navigate the freelance hiring process may lean towards Upwork.

Verdict: It’s a tie for pricing, as the choice largely depends on individual preferences for cost predictability or flexibility.

#2) Free Plan

99designs does not offer a free plan, but instead, it provides a platform where clients can launch contests for their design needs, requiring a minimum budget that aligns with the package selected. This setup ensures that all participating designers are compensated for their efforts, even if it doesn’t include a no-cost option for initiating projects.

Upwork allows clients to sign up and post jobs for free, charging only when they hire a freelancer. This model enables clients to explore the talent pool, review proposals, and engage with freelancers without an initial fee. It makes it accessible for those looking to understand the market before committing financially.

When evaluating the availability and benefits of a free plan, Upwork stands out for offering a gateway to its services without upfront costs, making it more accessible for individuals, and connecting businesses together to explore hiring options and connect with freelancers before making any financial commitment.

Verdict: Upwork is the clear choice for the free plan due to its accessible approach that allows clients to post jobs and interact with freelancers without an initial fee.

#3) Design & Functionality

99designs boasts a highly intuitive interface specifically tailored for design projects, making it easy for clients to start contests, browse portfolios, and communicate with designers. The platform’s focus on visual projects translates into a user-friendly experience emphasizing design elements, ensuring that clients can effortlessly navigate through design options and find the right match for their needs.

Upwork’s broad focus on various freelance services offers a versatile platform that caters to various projects, from graphic design to web development. While its interface is designed to accommodate diverse job postings and freelancer profiles, the experience is more generalized, aiming to support a variety of project types without a specific emphasis on design.

For the design-centric user experience and platform functionality, 99designs has the upper hand due to its specialized nature, offering a platform that’s crafted with the specific needs of design projects in mind. The targeted approach towards design services ensures a smoother process for those seeking design talent.

Verdict:  For design and functionality, 99designs offers a clear advantage. The platform’s design-centric focus translates to a smoother experience for businesses seeking graphic design expertise.

#4) Hiring the Best Talent for a Project

99designs streamlines the process of finding top-tier design talent through its contest-based system, where multiple designers submit their work in response to a design brief, giving clients diverse creative solutions. This approach showcases the skills of various designers and allows clients to pick the best match based on actual project submissions, ensuring a high-quality outcome.

Upwork provides a broad platform where clients can search for freelancers across various fields, including graphic design. The platform offers detailed profiles, reviews, and previous work samples, enabling clients to assess and select freelancers based on their specific project needs and freelancer expertise. This open marketplace model allows clients to directly negotiate with and hire professionals who meet their project criteria.

Deciding which platform is superior for hiring the best talent hinges on the project’s specific needs. For those looking for a wide array of design options and enjoy selecting from multiple submissions, 99designs offers a unique advantage. Conversely, Upwork’s versatile marketplace is ideal for clients who prefer a direct approach to evaluating and hiring freelancers based on their individual qualifications and past work experiences.

Verdict: For hiring the best talent for the project, it’s a tie, as the decision largely depends on the client’s hiring preference and project requirements.

#5) Wide Range of Services

99designs specializes in design services, offering a focused range of options, including logo design, web and app design, business and advertising design, and more. This specialization ensures that clients seeking design work have access to professionals who are specifically skilled in various design domains, providing a concentrated and quality-driven selection.

Upwork covers a broader spectrum of services beyond graphic design, including writing, marketing, software development, and consulting, among others. This extensive variety allows clients to find freelancers for nearly any type of project, making it a one-stop shop for all freelance needs. The platform’s diversity caters to businesses looking for multiple services in addition to design work.

When comparing the range of services, Upwork stands out for its comprehensive offerings that span multiple industries and specialties. This breadth makes it a more versatile choice for clients with diverse project requirements. Meanwhile, 99designs provides a curated selection of design services, making it the go-to for clients seeking dedicated design expertise.

Verdict: For a wide range of services, Upwork is the preferable platform due to its extensive variety of freelance offerings, accommodating a broader array of project needs.

#6) Review & Rating System

99designs implements a review and rating system that allows clients to rate designers based on their project experiences, providing feedback on the design process, communication, and final deliverables. This feedback system is crucial for maintaining a high-quality pool of designers, as it helps future clients make informed decisions based on past project outcomes and the graphic designer performance.

Upwork’s review and rating system covers a wide range of freelancer services. Clients rate freelancers on several metrics, including work quality, adherence to deadlines, communication, and cooperation. These reviews are public, aiding in building a transparent and trustworthy environment where future clients can gauge potential hires based on detailed historical performance data.

Both freelancing platforms offer robust systems designed to ensure quality and reliability through client feedback. However, Upwork’s broader application across various service categories and detailed feedback metrics provide more granular insight into a freelancer’s overall performance across different project types. This detailed feedback mechanism is invaluable for clients looking to hire in diverse categories.

Verdict: For the review and rating system, Upwork has a slight edge due to its comprehensive and detailed feedback mechanism that applies across a wide range of services, providing deeper insights into freelancer performance and reliability.

#7) Secure Payment Options

99designs ensures financial transactions are secure and straightforward, offering a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, PayPal, and other localized options depending on the client’s location. Payments are held in escrow until the project is completed to the client’s satisfaction, providing an added layer of security and trust in the transaction process.

Upwork also prioritizes secure payments with a system that supports credit cards, PayPal, and bank transfers, among others. Like 99designs, Upwork uses an escrow system, ensuring freelancers are paid after completing work safeguarding both parties’ interests. Upwork’s platform facilitates automatic billing for hourly projects, further streamlining the payment process.

Both platforms demonstrate a solid commitment to secure and flexible payment options, ensuring clients and freelancers can transact confidently. The choice between the two may come down to the specific needs of the project or personal preference regarding payment processing features.

Verdict: For secure payment options, it’s a tie, as both 99designs and Upwork provide robust, secure payment mechanisms that cater to a wide range of preferences and needs, ensuring safe and efficient transactions.

#8) Hourly or Fixed Price Contracts

99designs primarily focuses on fixed-price contracts through its contest format and direct hire projects, where the price is agreed upon upfront based on the scope of work. This model suits clients who prefer a clear, upfront cost without the need to track hours or manage timesheets, offering a straightforward way to commission design work.

Upwork accommodates both hourly and fixed-price contracts, providing flexibility for clients and freelancers to choose the payment structure that best fits their project’s nature and scope. The platform’s built-in Work Diary for hourly contracts helps ensure transparency and trust by allowing clients to verify work progress.

When comparing the two in terms of contract flexibility, Upwork stands out for its ability to cater to diverse project requirements and preferences through its support for both hourly and fixed-price agreements. This flexibility is particularly advantageous for projects where the scope may evolve or for clients and freelancers who prefer the granularity of hourly billing.

Verdict: For hourly or fixed-price contracts, Upwork is preferable due to its versatile approach that supports both types of contracts, offering greater flexibility to accommodate a wide range of project sizes and scopes.

Final Thoughts on 99designs vs Upwork

Both 99designs and Upwork offer unique opportunities for businesses and freelancers alike, it ultimately comes down to what works best for you. 

Whether you value a competitive marketplace or a personalized matchmaking process, both platforms have their strengths and can provide valuable resources for your project needs. 

Choosing the right freelance platform depends entirely on your specific needs:

• 99designs is the clear winner for exceptional graphic design. If top-notch logos, marketing materials, or web design are your priority, its design competitions and focused talent pool deliver outstanding results.
• Upwork offers an unbeatable variety of freelancers. When your project has needs beyond design (think development, copywriting, etc.) or budget is a driving factor,  Upwork’s marketplace grants unparalleled access to diverse freelancers.

Drawing on my research and experience, if you are looking for specialized graphic design solutions, you should go for 99designs. However, if you need broader project needs, you will find Upwork’s comprehensive offerings better.