20 Best Writing Websites for Freelance Writers
With more and more people leaving their 9-5 jobs behind to pursue a freelance writing career, competition for paid writing gigs can be fierce.
Whether you are a new freelance writer looking to turn your side-hustle into a long-term career, or a seasoned pro wanting to find more clients, you need to be on top of the different ways to find new writing jobs online.
This list of the 20 best websites for freelance writers will give you plenty of options to get started. Find new clients, develop your portfolio, and get the money rolling in.
1. Upwork
Upwork is one of the biggest and best-known freelance platforms out there. Employers post opportunities and writers pitch for those that fit their skills. Everything is then managed through the platform. Upwork takes a 20% commission on your first $500 with any new client and 10% after that.
2. Freelancer
Freelancer works very similarly to Upwork – employers post jobs and freelance writers pitch for any they are interested in. One key difference is that freelancers can see one another’s bids, including the amount, which can mean it becomes a race to the bottom. They take a 10% commission on anything you earn through the platform and paid memberships are available for those wanting to bid on more work.
3. Fiverr
Fiverr works a little differently – instead of responding to job adverts, you create a gig and set your availability. Then businesses can buy your services. Fiverr take a 20% commission from your earnings.
4. People-per-Hour
People-per-Hour connects freelance writers with businesses using an artificial intelligence system that matches jobs with writers that fit the criteria. The jobs that fit your skills will show up on your search feed and you can send up to 15 free proposals a month, then buy additional credits if you want to submit more. Commission fees change depending on the amount of money you earn with that client.
5. Guru
Guru is another all-in-one freelancing platform, allowing writers to find clients, submit work, and get paid all in one place. They charge a 9% commission on any earnings you make through the platform. The amount of work you can bid for each month depends on whether you take out a paid membership or not.
6. Contentfly
For new freelance writers and anyone who hates pitching to new clients, Contentfly is a great option. Instead of applying for jobs directly, writers have access to a dashboard where writing opportunities are posted and can choose to claim the ones they would like to complete. You’ll need to be comfortable working as a ghostwriter, as pieces written for Contentfly won’t carry your byline.
7. Contently
Contently act as a middleman between writers and clients. You’ll need some existing experience to meet the criteria to set up a profile and it can take a while to be matched with a project. On the other hand, they work with some well-known clients and will assign you an editor to help you improve your writing. They also pay well.
8. NewsCred
For experienced freelancers, especially those with a background in journalism, working through NewsCred allows you to write for some big-name companies. Their selection criteria are strict, so you’ll need to have clear expertise in your chosen writing niche to work with them.
9. Textbroker
Textbroker works specifically with freelance writers and editors and aims to make remote working easy. Writing assignments go into a central pool and writers can claim jobs that interest them. The availability of opportunities will depend on your rating. When you write via Textbroker you are working as a ghostwriter, so don’t expect to see a byline on your finished pieces. Pay can also be lower than other platforms.
10. iWriter
iWriter works very similarly to TextBroker. When you sign up with them as a writer, you can accept jobs displayed on your dashboard. There are different levels that get you access to higher-paid content. iWriter takes a 35% commission on all earnings.
11. WriterAccess
WriterAccess is another ghostwriting platform where you pick up jobs from a dashboard. The availability of jobs and the rate of pay both depend on your rating, which is set initially when you complete a writing task on registration and then varies depending on your performance. Pay tends to be low, especially at level 3 and below, but you don’t have to rely on pitching and winning clients.
12. Constant Content
On Constant Content, freelance writers post their articles to the project catalog and companies buy the ones they want. Clients can also publish a request, and writers can submit their pre-written content if it meets the brief. Then the client picks their favorite and purchases it. You can set your own prices, but Constant Content takes a big cut – there’s a 35% commission on every piece you sell via the platform.
13. Flexjobs
Flexjobs is a membership site that features remote working opportunities, including both freelance writing work and employment. You have to pay a membership fee to get access to job listings, but there is no commission and no limit on how many roles you can apply for.
14. Contena
Contena works on a membership basis. Membership starts from $40 per month. This gets you access to a wide range of paid writing job adverts. It also allows you to attend Contena’s training courses.
15. BloggingPro
If blogging is your preferred niche, BloggingPro is a great option. It is a jobs board featuring remote working opportunities from around the world. It is completely open and free to use – no need to register, although you might want to subscribe to their emails to get jobs straight to your inbox.
16. ProBlogger
ProBlogger is another free jobs board that features paid blogging opportunities. Most roles are remote, although some are specific to the country where the company is based.
17. Freelance Writing Jobs
As the name suggests, this site features freelance writing opportunities. New jobs are posted daily on the jobs board and a daily roundup is also published as a blog post. Access is free and open to anyone.
18. Freelance Writing
Started in 1997, Freelance Writing has been around a good long-time. It specializes in job postings for freelance writers, although you’ll sometimes find other roles on there too. It is free to access and you don’t need to register to see jobs.
19. LinkedIn
Although not solely a jobs platform, LinkedIn is a good option for freelance writers who are comfortable pitching their services, as many companies have a presence there. It is also possible to find remote working opportunities via LinkedIn’s job listings.
20. Medium
If you don’t like the restriction of writing for clients, it is possible to make money via Medium’s partner program. Publish your articles (or stories, as Medium calls them) and you’ll receive payment based on how many Medium members read them. You can also pitch stories to Medium publications to help your stories gain more traction.
With this wide-ranging list of freelance writing sites, there should be options to suit every remote worker, from experienced writers to those who have never earned money from their writing before. Good luck and happy job hunting!