Free tool
Upwork fee calculator
What you keep after Upwork’s freelancer service fee, or what to bill so you keep what you want. Updated for the 2026 fee of 0% to 15% per contract.
Updated 2026-10-01
You take home
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For clients you find yourself. Check Upwork’s terms before moving any client you met on Upwork.
Bill your own clients with tab, freeHow Upwork’s freelancer fee works in 2026
Upwork charges freelancers a service fee of 0% to 15% per contract. It’s set for each contract, shown when you send a proposal or receive an offer, and locked once the contract starts. It comes out of what the client is charged at your rate: at a 10% fee, a $100 hour pays you $90.
To end up with a set amount, divide by what’s left after the fee. Upwork’s own example: to take home $20 an hour at a 10% fee, bill $22.22.
Other Upwork costs
- Connects to send proposals cost $0.15 each, and each job asks for a different number.
- Withdrawals: direct to a US bank is free with a US tax address; a wire costs $50.
- Hourly protection only covers time logged in Upwork’s desktop app, which takes screenshots of your screen (six per hour) and records activity.
Sources: Upwork Help Center, Freelancer Service Fees, Connects, US bank withdrawals, read October 1, 2026.
Questions
What is Upwork’s freelancer fee in 2026?
A service fee of 0% to 15%, set per contract and shown before you commit. It’s taken from what the client is charged at your rate.
How do I make sure I take home my rate?
Divide the amount you want by (1 minus the fee). At 10%, to keep $90 an hour, bill $100.
Does Upwork’s fee apply to clients I find myself?
Upwork’s Direct Contracts have a reduced fee. For clients who never came through Upwork, you can invoice them yourself with any tool, including tab, and pay only payment processing.
Your own clients, your whole rate.
For clients you find yourself: track the hours, show the work without screenshots, and get paid by bank transfer with a $5 cap on Stripe’s fee.
Start freeFree to startNo cardNo screenshots, ever