Upgrading to Freelancer Plus: Your Guide

When joining Upwork as a freelancer, the basic membership is free. With it, you’ll have payment protection, receive 10 free Connects each month, and be able to access the Talent Marketplace™, among other tools and services that will help you start and grow your freelance business. 

Freelancers who want to focus on growing their business through Upwork can upgrade to Freelancer Plus to access additional features. Freelancer Plus is a paid subscription that offers exclusive perks to help you land more of the right work faster. Unlock full access to Uma, Upwork’s Mindful AI, 100 Connects each month, and other tools so you can stand out and reach top opportunities. 

This guide will explore the benefits of Freelancer Plus and how it compares to the basic membership. 

Basic membership

When you first create your freelancer account on Upwork and set up your profile, you'll have the free basic account until you decide to upgrade to Freelancer Plus. This membership is helpful when you're just starting out and building your freelance business, as well as for freelancers who find their business growing how they want without the need for extra support or tools. 

The basic plan includes:

• 10 free Connects each month
• Hourly payment protection 
• Fixed-price payment protection
• Standard access to select Uma tools (about 10 messages per week)
• 5% Freelancer service fee for Direct Contracts

Freelancer Plus membership

As you look for ways to grow your business and take on bigger clients and contracts, you may consider upgrading to a Freelancer Plus membership. This plan gives you access to exclusive Upwork tools and perks, helping you work faster and smarter. 

Freelancer Plus subscribers, on average, have a 50% higher chance of being hired.

The perks you get with a Freelancer Plus membership are designed to help you be more strategic, make the most of your work hours, and develop and scale your business. Memberships cost $19.99 per month, with annual payments available in some cases. Check your plan pricing to see your options.

You can also increase your reserve balance to up to $250 to help manage your Freelancer Plus subscription and Connects. Once you set a reserve balance amount, a portion of your earnings will be automatically set aside until you reach that amount at each scheduled withdrawal. You can use this reserve to pay for your membership and Connects. 

When you upgrade to Plus, you get these exclusive benefits: 

• 100 Connects per month
• Full access to Uma
• Proposal insights
• Job alerts
• No service fee with new clients that you bring
• Profile customization 

100 Connects per month

Every month, you'll receive 100 Connects with the Freelancer Plus plan (90 with your plan purchase and 10 free from Upwork). You can buy additional Connects for $0.15 + tax each. Connects are like a virtual token on Upwork and are needed to submit proposals and run ads. Your Connects remain valid for one year after they’re issued. 

Using ads on Upwork can help you get noticed, from getting more job invites to increasing the visibility of your proposals. If you want to use ads to stand out, you have three options:                                                                       

• Boosted Proposal. Increase the chance that clients will see and click on your proposal. 
• Availability Badge. Signal to clients that you're ready to take on work right now.
• Boosted Profile. Show up first in the results list when clients search for talent in your category.

Connects are an investment in your freelancing business. You can use Connects to show clients you’re committed to building a working relationship with them by submitting proposals and promoting your profile. The Connects Calculator can help you create a budget for your Connects so you spend them wisely. 

Full access to Uma

Freelancer Plus membership includes full access to Uma. Built directly into Upwork, Uma has been fine-tuned using proprietary data from the platform to give you personalized responses and recommendations that will help you succeed. Uma uses context about your experience with Upwork, for example, in job posts and proposals, to offer personal, relevant assistance.

This integrated AI tool is tailored to the needs of the freelancers and clients who use Upwork. It can help you be more productive and efficient in your day to day. Think of Uma as a powerful work companion that’s ready to answer questions, create rough drafts, and help with time-consuming tasks you don't need to be hands-on for.

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Uma is continuously being improved as we integrate it into more products and features to help you accomplish your goals. All you have to do is click the Uma icon whenever you need additional support. 

You can use Uma to:

• Speed up repetitive tasks
• Brainstorm new ideas
• Review work
• Debug code
• Draft content 
• Improve proposals 

Proposal insights

Upgrading to Freelancer Plus unlocks Proposal insights. Strategize your bid with these proposal details. You’ll be able to see the client’s hiring activity, average bid amounts, and competitor stats. These insights can help you maximize your bids and focus on high-intent clients. 

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Ideally, you don't want to be the highest or the lowest-priced service. Try to fall in between the highest and average bids to make it more likely the client will click and view your proposal.

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Job alerts

All freelancers on Upwork can create up to 30 saved searches and customize their job feed. You can filter jobs based on factors like: 

• Category
• Job type
• Hourly rate
• Number of proposals
• Client history
• Project length

Freelancers who earn Talent Badges also get Job Digest emails sent up to three times a week. These emails spotlight recent, relevant job posts with low proposal counts. 

Freelancer Plus subscribers can additionally set up job alerts. These real-time customizable alerts notify you instantly when a job matches your skills, so you can be one of the first to apply and get noticed faster by clients.

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No service fees with new clients that you bring

You can work with clients that you found outside of Upwork and use the platform for payment through Direct Contracts. Bringing your clients to Upwork can help you stay organized, keeping all of your work in one place. Access Upwork tools and stay protected when working with clients. 

Direct Contracts benefits include: 

• Escrow protection
• Simple contract management 
• Dispute assistance if needed

Freelancers with basic memberships pay a 5% freelancer service fee for earnings through Direct Contracts. Freelancer Plus subscribers enjoy 0% freelancer service fees on all earnings through Direct Contracts with an active membership.  

Profile customization and perks

All freelancers on Upwork can create profiles with comprehensive portfolios. This is how clients evaluate talent for their projects. Freelancer Plus plans allow you to customize your profile further to fit your business better.

Custom URL 

Upgrading to the Freelancer Plus membership gives you the option to create a custom profile URL. Where basic accounts have auto-generated URLs, Freelancer Plus lets you build your brand and choose a URL that includes your name or your business's. A custom URL is easier for clients to remember and search for. Think of your URL as your business card. 

Keep your earnings private

Another benefit of Freelancer Plus is the ability to keep your earnings private. You can hide previous contract rates and total billing on your profile's work history. Clients will still be able to see your public hourly rate, but your earnings will only be visible when you're actively bidding on jobs. 

Take a break and come back 

As a Freelancer Plus member, you can take a break from Upwork and keep your profiles active. Established freelancer profiles with basic plans will go "private" after two years or more of inactivity. New freelancer profiles who don't submit a proposal or have any earnings will become inactive after 90 days. 

This allows you to take time off without having to worry that you're missing out on job invites or other opportunities. 

Frequently asked questions

How much does Freelancer Plus cost?

Upgrading to Freelancer Plus costs $19.99 per month. You can use available funds or the primary billing method to pay for your membership. 

How do I upgrade to Freelancer Plus? 

Freelancers can upgrade to Freelancer Plus by going to Membership plan and selecting “Change plan.” 

What is the difference between Freelancer Plus and basic (free)? 

Upgrading to Freelancer Plus gives you 100 Connects per month, personalized job alerts, proposal insights, 0% service fee through Direct Contracts, full access to Uma, and the ability to customize your profile. Basic freelancer membership subscribers receive 10 Connects per month, limited reports and functionality, hourly protection, and a 5% service fee for Direct Contracts. 

Is upgrading to Freelancer Plus worth it? 

Upgrading to Freelancer Plus is an investment in your freelancing business. You have more Connects every month to promote your services and win more work. Unlimited access to Uma, your work companion, allows you to be more productive and effective as a freelancer. Additional perks like proposal insights help you bid strategically to maximize your Connects and effort. 

Grow your business with Freelancer Plus 

Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your freelance business to the next level, Freelancer Plus offers additional tools, insights, and support to help you succeed on Upwork. Freelancer Plus is an investment in your freelancing business. Unlock tools designed to help you win more work and stand out from the competition. Take advantage of the additional Connects each month by running ads and be more productive with full access to Uma. Upgrade to Freelancer Plus and reimagine what's possible.