Upwork alternatives for app and SaaS development (2026)
If you are looking for an Upwork alternative for an app or SaaS project, the main differences are who pays fees, how applying works and when money is released. ErdiBuilds is free for clients and funds each milestone before work starts. This page lists six options with facts from their own pages, checked on 6 November 2026.
Last updated:
The platforms below are different kinds of marketplaces. Some are built around posted projects, some around matching, some around individual listings. We only state what we could read on each platform's official pages, and we link the source. Where we could not confirm a fact, we leave it out.
ErdiBuilds
**Best for:** apps, SaaS, websites and games where you want fixed price milestones, each funded before work starts.
ErdiBuilds at a glance
- How you pay
- Each milestone is funded before work starts and runs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 weeks.
- Fees
- Free for clients. Developers pay 8 percent plus payment processing.
- Applying
- Applying is free, with no paid bids.
- Developers
- Developers come from the 27 EU countries. Developers are independent professionals, not our employees.
Upwork
**Best for:** clients who want to hire on hourly or fixed price contracts and are comfortable with a marketplace fee.
Upwork at a glance
- How you pay
- Fixed-price and hourly contracts
- Fee for clients
- A marketplace fee of 7.99% on the Basic plan or 10% on Business Plus, plus a one-time contract initiation fee of $0.99 to $14.99 per contract on Basic
- Fee for freelancers
- A service fee of 0% to 15% per contract, shown before a proposal is sent
- Applying
- Freelancers use Connects to submit proposals. Connects cost $0.15 (USD) each, and the number needed varies per job
Sources: Upwork pricing for clients, Upwork Help: Freelancer Service Fee, Upwork Help: Understanding and using Connects. Checked on 2026-11-06. Compare directly: ErdiBuilds vs Upwork.
Freelancer.com
**Best for:** clients who want to post a project and receive bids from freelancers, where placing a standard bid is free.
Freelancer.com at a glance
- How you pay
- Fixed-price and hourly projects
- Fee for clients
- 3% of the awarded bid or $3, whichever is greater, on fixed-price projects, and 3% of each payment on hourly projects
- Fee for freelancers
- 10% or $5, whichever is greater, on fixed-price projects, and 10% on hourly projects
- Applying
- Placing a standard bid is free. Free members receive 6 bids per month initially, and a minimum balance of $20 is required
Source: Freelancer Fees and Charges, checked on 2026-11-06. Compare directly: ErdiBuilds vs Freelancer.com.
Toptal
**Best for:** clients who want talent matching with a trial period and are happy to pay for the time worked.
Toptal at a glance
- How you pay
- Clients are billed for the time worked and are typically invoiced twice a month with Net 10 terms
- Fee for clients
- A flat monthly subscription fee of $79, charged if you decide to proceed with talent matching
- Trial
- Toptal offers a trial period of up to two weeks, and clients are not billed if they are not completely satisfied
Source: Toptal FAQ, checked on 2026-11-06. Compare directly: ErdiBuilds vs Toptal.
Malt
**Best for:** clients who plan to work with freelancers in Europe and want a plan based fee structure.
Malt at a glance
- Fee for clients
- Service fees of 10% on the Starter plan and 15% on the Advanced plan, with custom fees on Enterprise (the English and German help pages agree, other regions can differ)
- Fee for freelancers
- Service fees of 5% excluding tax, with certain projects in France, Spain and Belgium starting at 10% and dropping to 5% after 6 months
Sources: Malt Help: service fees and offers (English), Malt Help: service fees for freelancers. Checked on 2026-11-06. Compare directly: ErdiBuilds vs Malt.
Fiverr
**Best for:** buyers who like to browse listed services.
Fiverr at a glance
- Fee for clients
- A service fee of 5.5% of the purchase price, plus a fee of $3.50 on orders under $200
Source: Fiverr Help: Managing payments and billing, checked on 2026-11-06. We could not confirm what Fiverr charges sellers, so that is not listed. Check the fee breakdown at checkout.
Compare directly: ErdiBuilds vs Fiverr. Operator named in its terms: Fiverr International Ltd.
Contra
**Best for:** freelancers who want to work without a commission, as stated by Contra.
Contra at a glance
- Fee for freelancers
- Contra states it is commission-free for all creatives
Source: Contra pricing, checked on 2026-11-06. Compare directly: ErdiBuilds vs Contra.
How to choose a platform for your project
- Write down what you want to build and what done looks like. A clear scope makes any platform work better. The project brief guide helps.
- Decide how you want to pay: by the hour, a fixed price, or in milestones. The guide on fixed price versus hourly shows the trade offs.
- Add up what the platform charges you on top of the price. Fees, subscriptions and payment costs differ.
- Check when money is released and what happens if the work is not what you agreed.
- Check who owns the result and from which moment. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
ErdiBuilds is not affiliated with any platform on this page. Brand names belong to their owners. This page is a factual overview and not a rating.
Frequently asked questions
Which Upwork alternative fits an app or SaaS project?
It depends on how you want to work. If you want fixed price milestones that are funded before work starts and no fees for you as a client, look at ErdiBuilds. If you prefer to post a project and collect bids, or want talent matching with a trial, other platforms on this page may suit you.
Link to this answerIs there an Upwork alternative without client fees?
Free for clients. Developers pay 8 percent plus payment processing. The other platforms on this page list their own client fees where we could confirm them.
Link to this answerCan I hire developers from the EU?
Developers come from the 27 EU countries. Clients can join from anywhere in the world.
Link to this answerHow do I start on ErdiBuilds?
Describe your project, review proposals and fund one milestone at a time. See how it works and pricing.
Link to this answerWhere do the facts about other platforms come from?
From each platform's own help, pricing and terms pages. Every value links its source and shows the date we checked it. Facts we could not confirm are left out.
Link to this answerRelated pages
- ErdiBuilds vs Upwork: fees and how it worksA factual look at fees, applying and payment on ErdiBuilds and Upwork, with sources and check dates, for people hiring an app or SaaS developer.
- ErdiBuilds vs Freelancer.com: fees comparedEmployer fees, bidding and payment on ErdiBuilds and Freelancer.com, side by side with sources and check dates.
- Upwork alternatives for developersErdiBuilds for developers: apply to app, SaaS, website and game projects for free, with every milestone funded before you start. Open to the EU.
- PricingWhat ErdiBuilds costs for clients and developers.
- Freelancer vs Agency vs MarketplaceA neutral comparison of hiring a freelancer, an agency or a marketplace for your app, SaaS, website or game: cost, speed, risk and control.