Is FreeUp Legit or a Scam? (Full Review + Rating)

FreeUp is a website that claims you can find freelance work from it. So, if you are looking for a job or a side hustle, then you might be thinking about joining it.

But is FreeUp legit or a scam?

This FreeUp review will address that concern and more. It will show you the full details of what it offers so you will know exactly what to expect. Then, you can decide if you should commit to it or not.

So, let’s go ahead and find out what FreeUp is all about, shall we?

What is FreeUp, and what does it offer?

FreeUp is a website that specializes in connecting employers with freelancers. And yes, it is a legit site because you can really find freelance opportunities from it.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is the right opportunity for you. To find out if you should go for it, you must figure out how it works first. That way, you’ll have a clear idea of how much time and effort is needed to earn from it.

So, here’s how to earn from FreeUp.

The earning opportunity – Jobs

To earn from FreeUp, you must apply for the jobs it offers. When you go to the website, you can immediately see all the available job offers by clicking on the “Apply as a Freelancer” link.

Most of the jobs offered by FreeUp are full-time positions, but you can find part-time positions from time to time. If you see a job you are interested in, just click the Apply button. Now, here’s the important part you need to know.

When you apply for a job, what you will actually be doing is that you’ll be applying for a freelancer position for FreeUp. You won’t exactly be applying for the job position posted, which is quite weird, in my opinion.

You see, FreeUp is very strict on who they introduce to clients, so they need to vet every freelancer they connect with their clients. Later, I will explain the whole application process. But for now, let’s just say that you’ve been accepted as a FreeUp freelancer.

Once you are accepted as a freelancer, you will be able to log in to its member dashboard and see all the open projects you can work on. If you see a project you are interested in, just apply for it, and you will be introduced to the client.

Just make sure you apply for projects that are suited to your skill set. FreeUp can also match you with existing projects if they think that you are the perfect fit for it.

Once you are accepted into the project, all that’s left to be done is do the work it is asking you to do. Now, when working on a project, you will have to log your time using FreeUp’s software. The instructions on how to do this will be given to you when you get accepted as a FreeUp freelancer.

You can track the billable hours from the member dashboard. Now, it is important to note that you get to set your hourly rate when working on projects. Of course, the client has to agree to the rate before they accept you into their project. So, you also have to make sure that you don’t set an hourly rate that is too expensive because you might lose potential clients.

That’s how the earning opportunity of FreeUp works. To recap, your main goal really is to get accepted as a FreeUp freelancer. Once that happens, you will begin to find opportunities to earn through the jobs/projects offered. In the next section, I will discuss how you will get paid.

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How do you get paid?

When working on projects, you will be paid by the hour. As explained above, you will see all your billable hours on the member dashboard. Then, FreeUp will pay you every week for all the billable hours you accrued. This also means you don’t have to earn a specific amount to withdraw your earnings.

Just take note that there is a one-week delay, so your earnings for the first week will be credited on the third week of the month. You have the option to get paid via PayPal or Payoneer.

However, you will only receive 80% of your earnings because FreeUp will take a cut from what you will earn. Consider this a service fee since it offers this service to you for free.

Overall, I would say FreeUp's payment system is relatively straightforward.

How much money can you make?

You’ll be able to earn a good amount from FreeUp since you get to set your hourly rate. However, its service fee is quite high, in my opinion.

The good thing though is that there are a decent number of projects available at any given time, so you will most likely find opportunities to earn consistently. However, the real challenge of FreeUp is becoming one of its freelancers. But once you get your foot on the other side of the door, it’ll be a lot easier to earn decent money.

Plus, as mentioned earlier, you will most likely find full-time positions once you become a member of FreeUp. Overall, I would say its earning potential is quite decent, in my opinion.

Can you use it on mobile?

FreeUp doesn’t have a mobile app you can download, but its dashboard can be accessed using a mobile device. However, the work that needs to be done will require the use of a laptop or a desktop. So, accessing the dashboard using a mobile device is quite useless, in my opinion.

The only thing you can do with its dashboard when you are on a mobile device is to check your billable hours or to see if there are available projects.

Who can join FreeUp?

FreeUp is open to freelancers worldwide, so you can apply for a freelancer position regardless of where you live. But as I’ve mentioned earlier, this is the hardest part of earning from FreeUp since it is very strict with who it accepts into its platform. They only accept the top 1% of freelancers who apply. That’s a very low acceptance rate, in my opinion.

Based on what I observed when testing FreeUp, it seems to favor experienced freelancers over newer ones. So, if you are new to freelancing, you might find it challenging to get accepted as one of their freelancers.

When you apply as a FreeUp freelancer, you’ll have to undergo a vetting process, which will include an interview. But before you can do that, you have to fill out the application form (refer to the photo below)

The application form is quite long, and you must provide your work experience. But if you are a member of Indeed, you can use your Indeed profile to apply. You also have the option to use your LinkedIn profile when applying.

After submitting your application, it can take a couple of business days for the FreeUp Freelancer Success Team to review your information, so you have to be patient. If you pass the initial screening process, you'll receive what they call the FreeUp Culture & Community course.

This course will help you figure out if FreeUp is a good fit for you before you take time out of your busy schedule to interview. There will be a few questions at the end of the course about what you've read. If you pass the course, you will receive an invitation to schedule an interview with one of their recruitment specialists.

The interview will be done through Zoom. As for when you will know if you get accepted or not, some decisions are made directly at the end of the interview. If a decision is not made then, you will be informed by email letting you know that you passed the final round together with instructions on setting up your FreeUp Account.

As you can see, it’s quite a long application process, so if you are looking to earn immediately, then this is not for you.

Can you get support?

If you have questions about the site or your account, you can check out the FAQ page for freelancers. If you can’t find the answers you need, you can get in touch with the support team instead.

You can easily do that through the member dashboard. You can also use the Live Chat button found in the lower right of the website. This will let you chat with a support representative during business hours.

Overall, I would say FreeUp provides decent support to its members since it offers a couple of convenient ways for you to get in touch with its support team.

Final Verdict

FreeUp is a legit freelance site that will let you find freelance opportunities to earn extra cash or even a full-time income. It has a couple of great features, but it also has certain limitations you need to consider.

Let me summarize its pros and cons to wrap up this review so you can get a clear overview of what it offers. Then, you can decide if this is a good fit for you or not.

In my opinion, FreeUp is a decent freelance site to earn from. However, getting accepted as one of their freelancers is harder than you might think because it is very strict with whom they accept. You have to be an experienced and skilled freelancer to even be considered.

So, if you don’t fit the bill, then FreeUp is not for you. But if you do fit the bill, then you can potentially earn a full-time income from it.

Now, if you want to earn a full-time income on your own, working as a freelancer, I suggest you check out how to build your own online business. This course will help you build your own freelance business, so you don’t have to rely on 3rd party websites to find work.

If you have any comments, questions, or experiences with FreeUp, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.