# Upwork alternatives for developers: find clients without paying to apply

> On ErdiBuilds, developers apply to projects for free and without a limit. Developers pay 8 percent plus payment processing. Every milestone is funded before work starts, and projects cover apps, SaaS, websites and games.

Canonical: https://erdibuilds.app/compare/upwork-alternatives-for-developers
Last updated: 2026-11-06 (November 6, 2026)

If you are a developer looking for a place to find clients, the questions that matter are what it costs to apply, what you pay when you get paid, and whether the client's money is committed before you start. This page answers them for ErdiBuilds.

## What developers get on ErdiBuilds

- Applying is free, with no paid bids.
- Developers pay 8 percent plus payment processing.
- Each milestone is funded before work starts and runs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 weeks.
- Milestones are from 50 to 2,000 each in your project currency.
- Projects for apps, SaaS, websites and games.
- Developers come from the 27 EU countries.
- Developers are independent professionals, not our employees.

## How getting hired works

1. Show what you have shipped: add the apps, SaaS products, websites and games you have launched.
2. Get verified. Verified means an ErdiBuilds admin has reviewed the developer and approved the profile by hand.
3. Apply to projects that fit. You need a match score of at least 40, and you see what would raise it.
4. Get paid per milestone. The client funds the milestone first and you are paid after approval.

## Matching, in plain words

You pick the kinds of help and projects you offer and list your technologies as Expert in (The technologies you are truly best at, at most 6 in total.) or Also works with. Clients see proposals sorted by match score and read the reasons for each score. Read more in the [guide to writing a winning proposal](https://erdibuilds.app/guides/how-to-write-a-proposal-that-wins).

## Who can join

Developers come from the 27 EU countries. Developers are registered businesses, sole traders included. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is it free to apply?

Applying is free, with no paid bids. Developers pay 8 percent plus payment processing.

### What exactly do developers pay?

Developers pay 8 percent plus payment processing. Nothing else: no membership and no paid bids. See [pricing](https://erdibuilds.app/pricing).

### When is the client money committed?

Each milestone is funded before work starts and runs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 weeks. You start work only after the milestone is funded.

### Who can join as a developer?

Developers come from the 27 EU countries. Developers elsewhere can join the waitlist.

### Do I work as an employee?

Developers are independent professionals, not our employees. Your contract is with your client, and ErdiBuilds handles the payment.

## Related

- [For developers](https://erdibuilds.app/developers): How independent developers join and get hired.
- [Find App Clients Without Paying to Apply](https://erdibuilds.app/guides/find-app-development-clients-without-paying-to-apply): How freelance developers find app, SaaS, website and game clients: where to look, how to cost channels fairly and why a free application model helps.
- [How to Write a Proposal That Wins](https://erdibuilds.app/guides/how-to-write-a-proposal-that-wins): How developers can write a proposal clients choose: read the brief, answer the real problem, split the work into clear milestones and show relevant proof.
- [Upwork alternatives for app and SaaS builds](https://erdibuilds.app/compare/upwork-alternatives): Upwork alternatives for app, SaaS, website and game projects: ErdiBuilds, Fiverr, Toptal, Malt, Freelancer.com and Contra, with sourced facts.
- [Pricing](https://erdibuilds.app/pricing): What ErdiBuilds costs for clients and developers.