New Upwork fees are coming. 0% to 15%. News and what do I think

Upwork just launched a new fees policy article https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/39620058162963-Variable-Freelancer-Service-Fees

I read it and here what do youy need to mainly know:

What's changing?

Originally, Upwork had a tiered system: 20% on the first $500, 10% from $500 to $10,000, and 5% beyond $10,000 — but that system was phased out in 2023.

After that, it was simple: a flat 10% fee on all earnings.

Now — it's a variable fee. It will depend on the type of work and client demand for that work. It does not depend on the contract amount(at least they say so).

The fee is locked for the entire duration of the contract — so if it's set to, say, 7%, it will stay at 7% for the whole contract.

My take: who wins, who loses?

🟢 Small projects — win.

Previously, small projects (like a $100 job) had a 10% fee, meaning $10 was taken. If the new fee is lower (say, 5–7%), the freelancer will earn more. This encourages beginners and short-term tasks.

🔴 Large, long-term contracts — potentially lose.

Because let’s be honest — who really believes the contract amount won’t play a role?

🔴 High-demand niches — may lose.

Those working in high-demand categories might end up paying more, because Upwork clearly states that client demand will influence the fee.

🟢 Low-demand or niche specialists — likely win.

Freelancers with rare skills might benefit, because Upwork will be motivated to attract clients to post and fill those jobs.

So, what are we gonna do?

Come on, guys 😎

We’ll either take a small first milestone and then 💨🏃‍♂️

or

We’ll just kindly ask the client to rename the contract to something super niche and innocent 😉

or we will do many small projects ;)

No worries — we’ll find a way to use it for our profit:)

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