Yes, Freelancer.com is a real marketplace run by Freelancer Limited, which its about page says trades on the Australian Securities Exchange as ASX:FLN. Its site says clients release milestone payments only when they're satisfied, but its terms add identity checks, withdrawal delays and a 24 month rule on hiring people off the site, so read them first.
Most reviews of Freelancer.com treat everyone who lands on it as the same person. They aren't. A business owner posting a logo job and a designer bidding on that job sign the same terms, but different clauses land on each of them, and the parts that worry one side barely touch the other.
So this page works like a fork in the road. Pick your branch first: the short version for clients, then the short version for freelancers. After that I've gone through the clauses in its terms that matter most to each side, quoting what the company itself says rather than what forums say about it. I haven't run projects on it myself, so everything here comes from its own pages.
Quick context before the fork. Its about page describes Freelancer.com as a freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace where employers hire freelancers for work such as software development, writing, data entry and design. Its how-it-works page boils the service down to three steps: post a project, compare bids and profiles, then release payment when the work is complete. Its terms call buyers and sellers independent contractors, so nobody becomes anybody's employee.
Branch one: you're the client posting a project
The headline promise for clients is the milestone system. Its site says you deposit funds into a milestone before work starts, and you only release that payment once the milestone is completed to your satisfaction. If you and the freelancer can't agree, its site says you can use its dispute resolution process. That's a sensible structure for a first job with a stranger: the work comes before the release, not after.
The catch for clients sits further down the terms. Once you've been introduced to a freelancer through the site, you agree not to engage them outside it for 24 months unless you follow its non-circumvention clause, which involves asking first and, if it agrees, a conversion fee. If you're hoping to find someone good and then move them onto your own books, factor that in before you post.
Branch two: you're the freelancer bidding for work
For freelancers the attraction is a steady stream of posted projects and a payment held in a milestone before you start. That second part matters. You can see the client has put funds aside, which is more than a cold email from a stranger gives you.
The friction is on the way out. Its terms say you may be asked for identification documents, that unverified accounts may not be able to withdraw funds, and that your first withdrawal of earned funds may be delayed for up to fifteen days for security reasons. Its terms also say a seller must hold a minimum account balance, set in its fees schedule, before submitting any bid. None of that makes it shady. It does mean your first payout won't be instant, and you'll want your ID sorted before you need the funds.
Clauses in the terms that land on clients
These are the parts I'd read before posting a first project. Each one is the company's own wording, summarised.
| Clause | What its terms say | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Milestone release | Funds go into a milestone before work begins and you release them once you're satisfied | You stay in control of when the freelancer gets the funds |
| Disputes | Milestone disagreements go through its dispute resolution process, and refunds of milestone funds go through that process too | You can't simply ask support to reverse a milestone; there's a set route |
| Non-circumvention | For 24 months after an introduction you agree not to hire that seller off the site without following the clause | Taking a good freelancer direct early needs its approval and a conversion fee |
| Platform role | It describes itself as matchmaking and platform services only and says it isn't a party to disputes between buyer and seller | The contract for the work is between you and the freelancer |
| Funds in your account | Funds aren't held separately, may be mixed with its operating funds and earn you no interest | Top up for the job in front of you rather than parking a large balance |
The last two rows are the ones people skim past. Its terms say plainly that funds in your account are an unsecured obligation, not a ring-fenced pot. For a client that's a reason to fund milestones as you go, not months in advance.
Clauses in the terms that land on freelancers
- Identity checks. Its terms say it can close, suspend or limit your account if it can't verify the information it asks for. Have your documents ready from day one.
- Withdrawals. If you're not Verified by Freelancer you may not be able to withdraw funds, and a first withdrawal can be held for up to fifteen days.
- Minimum balance to bid. Its terms say sellers need a minimum balance in their site wallet before bidding, and it can refuse or postpone withdrawals that would take you below it.
- Fees for services. Its terms list introduction fees for projects, listing upgrades and memberships in a Fees and Charges schedule it may change. Check that schedule yourself; I'm not quoting figures here because they change.
- Inactive accounts. Accounts that haven't been logged into for a period can incur a monthly maintenance fee, with the period set in that schedule. If you drift away from the site, withdraw what's yours first.
- Feedback belongs to the site. Its terms say feedback ratings belong to the company and can't be used for anything other than its own service, so your star rating doesn't travel with you.
If you're new to this kind of work, my guide on getting started as a freelancer covers the groundwork that makes any marketplace easier, from positioning to your first portfolio pieces.
The rules both sides share
Some clauses apply whichever branch you're on. You have to be at least 16 and able to form legally binding contracts. You're responsible for any taxes, including goods and services or value added taxes, that apply where the work happens. You can't advertise an outside website or service on the site unless it agrees. And if you're involved in a dispute, its terms say it may place a temporary limit on funds in your account to cover a potential liability, lifting it if things go your way.
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For support, its contact page lists [email protected] and a contact form. Its terms say refund requests for funds loaded into an account, other than milestone funds, go through its support site or that same address.
How it compares with other marketplaces
Freelancer.com isn't the only place to hire or find work. Upwork, Fiverr, PeoplePerHour and Toptal all run their own versions, each with different rules on fees, vetting and off-platform hiring. I've written a long piece on how freelancing on Upwork works if you want to compare how another big marketplace handles the same questions. Whichever you pick, read the non-circumvention and withdrawal sections before your first job, because those are the clauses that surprise people most.
My call, side by side
If you're a client hiring for a defined, one-off job, the milestone system gives you a sensible amount of control, and I'd use it if you're happy for the relationship to stay on the platform. I'd skip it if your plan is to find someone and bring them in-house within two years, because the non-circumvention clause is built to stop exactly that.
If you're a freelancer, it's a legitimate place to win work, but go in with your eyes open: get verified early, expect your first withdrawal to take a while, keep an eye on the fees schedule, and don't leave earnings sitting in the account. My practical tips for working freelancers cover the habits that keep invoices settled on time wherever the work comes from.
Frequently asked questions
Is Freelancer.com a real company?
Yes. Its about page says Freelancer Limited trades on the Australian Securities Exchange under the ticker ASX:FLN, and its contact page gives a registered office in Sydney, Australia.
How do milestone payments work on Freelancer.com?
Its site says the client deposits funds into a milestone before work starts and releases them only once that milestone is completed to their satisfaction. Disagreements go through its dispute resolution process.
Can I hire a freelancer off the platform after finding them there?
Its terms say that for 24 months after an introduction you agree not to engage that seller off the site unless you follow its non-circumvention clause, which means asking first and, if approved, a conversion fee.
Why might a Freelancer.com withdrawal be delayed?
Its terms say a first withdrawal of earned funds may be delayed for up to fifteen days for security reasons, and users who aren't Verified by Freelancer may not be able to withdraw at all.
What happens if a Freelancer.com account goes inactive?
Its terms say accounts that haven't been logged into for a period can incur a monthly maintenance fee. The length of that period is set in its Fees and Charges schedule.
