How this calculator works
Two things stand between the price your client pays and the money that lands in your bank account: the platform's service fee (a percentage of the order) and the withdrawal fee (a flat charge per payout, which depends on the method you pick). The calculator applies both in order:
effective fee % = (amount − net) ÷ amount × 100
Reverse mode solves the same equation for the amount, so you can price from your target instead of guessing:
The withdrawal fee is per payout, not per order — if you batch several orders into one withdrawal, it is charged once. The calculator assumes one withdrawal for the amount entered, which is the worst case for a single project and the honest case for comparing platforms.
Fiverr fees in 2026
Fiverr's seller side is simple and unchanged for years: a flat 20% service fee on every order — including tips — at every seller level, with no volume discounts (FreelancerCalculator, HireEcomExperts). You are credited 80% of what the buyer pays for your gig. Buyers additionally pay their own service fee of about 5.5% plus a small-order fee on low-priced orders (South) — that money never reaches you, but it does raise the total on the buyer's card.
Withdrawal fees on Fiverr's side (Fiverr Help Center, Wise):
| Method | Fiverr fee | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| PayPal | $0 | PayPal's own currency conversion, commonly 2–4% if your balance isn't USD |
| Fiverr Revenue Card (Payoneer) | ~$1 | Payoneer exchange markup (~2%) when converting currency |
| Direct deposit (US only) | ~$1 | — |
| Bank transfer via Payoneer | $3 | Payoneer/bank exchange markup on non-USD accounts |
Upwork fees in 2026
Upwork's freelancer fee is no longer a flat number. The 10% flat rate introduced in May 2023 was replaced on May 1, 2025 by a variable service fee of 0%–15%, set per contract and shown to you before you submit a proposal or accept an offer; once the contract starts, the rate is locked for its duration (Upwork Help, goLance). Most freelancers report rates at or near 10% on typical contracts, and contracts signed before May 1, 2025 keep their original structure — which is why the calculator lets you type the rate your contract actually shows instead of assuming one.
Clients pay their own costs — a one-time contract-initiation fee of $0.99–$14.99 per new contract plus a client marketplace fee (South) — and you spend paid Connects (~$0.15 each) to bid on jobs, a real cost of winning work that no percentage calculator captures.
Withdrawal fees on Upwork's side (Upwork Help, GigRadar):
| Method | Upwork fee | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Direct to U.S. Bank (ACH) | $0 | US tax address only; a $2.99 fee for international tax addresses was announced effective Sept 1, 2026 |
| Direct to Local Bank (outside US) | $0.99 | Your bank's receiving/conversion charges |
| Payoneer | ~$1 | Payoneer exchange markup (~2%) |
| Instant Pay (US debit card) | $2 | — |
| PayPal | $2 | PayPal conversion markup, commonly 2–4% |
| USD wire transfer | $50 | Almost never worth it below several thousand dollars |
Worked example 1: the same $500 project on both platforms
Fiverr — service fee 20%: $500 × 0.80 = $400.00 credited. Withdraw to PayPal ($0): net $400.00, effective fee 20.0%. Withdraw by Payoneer bank transfer instead ($3): net $397.00, effective fee 20.6%.
Upwork — contract shows the typical 10%: $500 × 0.90 = $450.00. A US freelancer using free ACH nets $450.00 (effective fee 10.0%); a non-US freelancer using local bank transfer ($0.99) nets $449.01 (effective fee 10.2%). On this project Upwork leaves about $50 more — but remember the Upwork rate is per-contract and could be anywhere from 0% to 15%, and you likely spent Connects to win the job.
Worked example 2: reverse mode — "I want to net $1,000"
Say you need $1,000 in hand from a Fiverr order, withdrawing by Payoneer bank transfer ($3 fee):
Price the gig at $1,253.75 (realistically $1,254) and you clear your target. The same target on an Upwork contract at 10% with the $0.99 local-bank fee: (1000 + 0.99) ÷ 0.90 = $1,112.21. Notice how the percentage fee dominates: the $3 withdrawal fee moved the answer by under $4, while the platform's cut moved it by hundreds.
Honest ways to reduce fee drag
Most "avoid the fees" advice online is either against the platforms' terms of service or trivially wrong. What actually works:
- Batch withdrawals. Flat fees are per payout. Ten $1 withdrawals cost $10; one costs $1. Withdraw monthly, not per order.
- Pick the cheap rail for your country. US freelancers: free ACH on Upwork, PayPal ($0) on Fiverr. Outside the US, compare the flat fee plus the conversion markup — a $0 PayPal withdrawal that loses 3.5% on conversion is worse than a $3 transfer at a better rate for anything over ~$90.
- Price fees in. Use reverse mode and quote gross. The fee is a cost of customer acquisition — treat it like one instead of absorbing it silently.
- On Upwork, mind the per-contract rate. Since the rate is shown before you accept and then locked, a 15% contract deserves a higher bid than a 5% one for the same net.
- Don't take clients off-platform to dodge fees. Both platforms detect and ban for it, and you lose payment protection on the work — a 10–20% fee is cheaper than an unpaid invoice.
FAQ
How much does Fiverr take from a $100 order?
Fiverr keeps a flat 20% seller service fee, so on a $100 order you are credited $80. Any withdrawal fee comes out after that: $80 stays $80 to PayPal (Fiverr charges $0), becomes $79 to the Fiverr Revenue Card or US direct deposit ($1 fee), or $77 by bank transfer via Payoneer ($3 fee).
Is Upwork's freelancer fee still a flat 10%?
No. The flat 10% fee (in place since May 2023) was replaced on May 1, 2025 by a variable service fee of 0% to 15%, set per contract and shown to you before you submit a proposal or accept an offer. Once a contract starts the rate is locked for its duration. In practice most freelancers still report rates at or near 10%, and contracts signed before May 1, 2025 keep their original fee structure.
Does Fiverr take 20% of tips too?
Yes. The 20% seller service fee applies to everything a buyer pays you through the platform, including tips. A $20 tip credits you $16.
What is the cheapest way to withdraw my earnings?
On Fiverr, PayPal carries no Fiverr-side fee ($0), the Revenue Card and US direct deposit are about $1, and bank transfer via Payoneer is $3. On Upwork, Direct to U.S. Bank (ACH) is free for US freelancers, local bank transfer outside the US is $0.99, Payoneer about $1, PayPal and Instant Pay $2, and USD wire transfer $50 — almost never worth it. Note that PayPal and Payoneer can add their own currency-conversion markup (commonly 2–4%) on top of the platform's flat fee if your account isn't in USD.
Which platform leaves me more take-home, Fiverr or Upwork?
At the typical rates — Fiverr's flat 20% versus an Upwork contract at about 10% — Upwork leaves noticeably more from the same project price: on $500, roughly $449–$450 versus $397–$400 depending on withdrawal method. But the platform fee is only one input: what clients are willing to pay, how you win work (Fiverr gigs vs paid Upwork Connects), and your Upwork contract's actual rate (anywhere from 0% to 15%) all move the real number.
Do buyers and clients pay fees as well?
Yes, on both platforms. Fiverr buyers pay a service fee of around 5.5% plus a small-order fee on low-priced orders. Upwork clients pay a one-time contract-initiation fee of $0.99–$14.99 per new contract plus a client marketplace fee. None of this comes out of your credited earnings, but it raises the total your client pays, which can affect what they are willing to spend.
Platform fees change — Upwork's did in May 2025, and Upwork has already announced a $2.99 ACH fee for international tax addresses from September 2026. Check the verified date below and the platforms' own fee pages before pricing anything important.