Upwork Fees Explained — How Much Does Upwork Take? (2026)

Updated October 2026 · 4 min read

Upwork simplified its fee structure in 2023. There is now a single flat service fee for freelancers, plus a separate Marketplace Fee for clients. Here is exactly what each party pays.

Freelancer Service Fee: Flat 10%

Upwork charges freelancers a flat 10% service fee on all earnings — regardless of how much you have billed a client historically. This replaced the old tiered structure (20% / 10% / 5%) in May 2023.

Client Marketplace Fee

Clients pay a separate Marketplace Fee of 5% on top of the freelancer's quoted rate. So if you quote a client $1,000, they are actually charged $1,050. The fee is automatic and shown in the invoice summary.

This means the total Upwork take from a transaction is about 14.3% of the gross amount paid by the client (10% from freelancer + 5% from client, combined on a grossed-up basis).

Upwork Plus and Enterprise

Upwork Plus (freelancer subscription, ~$14.99/month) reduces the service fee to 10% — the same as the free tier now, so it no longer provides a fee benefit. Its value is in boosted profile visibility and more Connects. Enterprise clients negotiate custom fee structures directly with Upwork.

How to Quote to Account for Fees

If you want to take home exactly $X, quote the client:

To take home $900, quote $1,000. Upwork deducts 10% ($100) and you receive $900. The Upwork Fee Calculator handles both directions: "what will I earn?" and "what should I charge?".

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