Fiverr vs Upwork
Business model, scale, and a side-by-side Litmus framework score — which model wins, and for whom.
Fiverr wins for fast, fixed-price SMB work; Upwork wins for complex, ongoing, hourly enterprise projects.
At a glance
| Metric | Fiverr | Upwork |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $430.9M (FY2025, +10.1% YoY) | $787.8M (FY2025, record, +2% YoY) |
| Profit | ~$21.0M GAAP net income (FY2025) — third consecutive profitable year (2023: $3.7M, 2024: $18.2M, 2025: $21.0M) | Record 29% adj. EBITDA margin (FY25) |
| Active users | 2.9M active buyers (Mar 31, 2026, down 17.8% YoY); 3.1M as of Dec 2025 | 785,000 Active Clients |
| Employees | ~500-550 (est.) after Sept 2025 cut of ~250 roles from a ~762-employee base — exact current headcount not disclosed by Fiverr | ~630 (as of Dec 31, 2025), cut by ~24% (~145 roles) in a May 2026 restructuring — roughly ~450-490 post-cut |
| Founded | 2010 | 1999 |
| HQ | Tel Aviv, Israel | San Francisco, CA |
LLitmus Framework Score
Overall: Fiverr 78 · Upwork 85
Customer Segment
80
90
Value Proposition
84
95
Marketing Channel
78
85
Engagement
76
80
Income Source
80
90
Asset Validation
80
92
Core Operations
80
80
Strategic Alliance
68
85
Expense Validation
78
85
Fiverr leads 0 modules, Upwork leads 8. Overall edge: Upwork.
Head to head
| Dimension | Fiverr | Upwork |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Productized fixed-price gigs (browse & buy) | Proposal-and-bid, hourly/milestone contracts |
| Take rate | 27.7% (20% seller + 5.5% buyer) | Mid-teens (sliding service fee) |
| Scale | 3.1M active buyers (Dec 2025) | 800K+ active freelancers |
| FY2025 revenue | $430.9M (+10.1%) | Larger revenue base, enterprise-weighted |
| Best for | SMBs, solopreneurs, one-off tasks | Enterprise, long-term hourly engagements |
FAQ
Is Fiverr or Upwork a better business?
Fiverr wins for fast, fixed-price SMB work; Upwork wins for complex, ongoing, hourly enterprise projects. It depends on what you optimise for — see the module-by-module breakdown above.
What is the difference between Fiverr and Upwork's business model?
Fiverr operates in Marketplace (Find the right freelance service, right away), while Upwork is Marketplace / SaaS / Technology (How work should work). Their revenue, scale and Litmus scores are compared in detail above.
Which is more profitable, Fiverr or Upwork?
Fiverr: ~$21.0M GAAP net income (FY2025) — third consecutive profitable year (2023: $3.7M, 2024: $18.2M, 2025: $21.0M). Upwork: Record 29% adj. EBITDA margin (FY25).