Freelancer.com

Freelancer.com is a colossal, fiercely competitive, and massively global open marketplace that serves as the absolute primary historical rival to Upwork. Based in Australia, it boasts staggering numbers (often claiming over 50 million registered users globally). It is heavily renowned for its incredible global reach and its fierce, highly aggressive bidding environment, making it heavily utilized by cost-conscious businesses seeking highly competitive pricing. The absolute core differentiator of Freelancer.com is its "Contest Model." Beyond standard hourly or fixed-price jobs, a client can launch a "Contest." A startup needing a logo can post a $200 prize. Instantly, 100 different freelancers from around the world will submit actual, completed logo designs. The client reviews the massive gallery of finished work, picks their absolute favorite, and only pays the winner. This crowdsourcing model is phenomenally powerful for creative/design work. Furthermore, the standard bidding system is incredibly fast and highly competitive, often resulting in incredibly aggressive pricing from freelancers in emerging markets. It offers deep milestone tracking and secure escrow payments. For small businesses, bootstrapped startups, and entrepreneurs who want massive volume, aggressive pricing, and powerful crowdsourcing contests, Freelancer.com is a massive engine.