Upwork vs 99designs by Vistaprint
Side-by-side from the Top 11 ranking of The 11 Best Freelance Platforms for Hiring Talent. Last verified June 17, 2026.
The short answer
Upwork ranks higher on Top 11 (#2 vs #9) for Startups and SMBs hiring freelancers for design, dev, and marketing. The biggest marketplace with the widest talent variety and budget flexibility.
At a glance
| Upwork | 99designs by Vistaprint | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 11 rank | #2 / The 11 Best Freelance Platforms for Hiring Talent | #9 / The 11 Best Freelance Platforms for Hiring Talent |
| Score (out of 9.4) | 9 | 7.6 |
| Best for | Largest talent marketplace | Contest-based design work |
| Pricing | $$ (5% fee on payments) | $$ (Contests from $299) |
| HQ | San Francisco, USA | Melbourne, Australia |
| Founded | 2015 | 2008 |
Upwork
The biggest marketplace with the widest talent variety and budget flexibility.
www.upwork.comSee full entry in The 11 Best Freelance Platforms for Hiring Talent
99designs by Vistaprint
Top platform for running design contests for logos, branding, and websites.
99designs.comSee full entry in The 11 Best Freelance Platforms for Hiring Talent
Methodology and scoring weights live at /methodology. No vendor pays for placement — see about.