The High Cost of Connects on Upwork: Investing More Than Earning?

[#1]

Dear fellow Upwork community members,

I wanted to share my recent experience with bidding on Upwork projects. As you may already know, every job posting on Upwork now costs 4 to 8 connects to bid. For those who are unfamiliar with connects, they are basically the virtual currency that Upwork uses to determine how many jobs you can bid on. As a freelancer, we buy these connects from Upwork at a cost of 1.50 USD for a set of 10 connects.

While I understand the need to charge for bids, I can't help but notice that I am investing more in buying connects than actually earning from projects. It seems that 99% of clients view our proposals but never reply. This can be very frustrating, especially when you are trying to establish yourself on the platform or simply trying to make a decent living as a freelancer.

I am sure many of you have experienced similar challenges, and I believe it is time for Upwork to consider some changes. Perhaps they can re-evaluate the cost of connects or create some alternative system that would allow freelancers to bid on projects without having to spend so much money upfront. After all, we are all here to provide our skills and services to clients, and it can be discouraging when we are not even given a chance to showcase our abilities.

I hope this post can spark some discussion and encourage Upwork to listen to the voices of its freelancers. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I wish you all success in your freelance endeavors.

[#2]

It's not Upwork's job to manage your finances. If your ROI is low, you should rethink how you use your connects, be more careful about which jobs you apply for, write better proposals, and whether or not this is the right platform for you.

[#3]

Thank you but its not about proposal or getting project its all about connecs, two bidding costs me 1.5 usd per bid required 4 or 6 connects

[#4]

I don't think you're looking at it as a freelancer. You invest, and you get returns. If you're not getting enough returns to justify your investment that means you're not managing your freelance business properly.

[#5]

Upwork has been listening to freelancers for years, but changes typically occur when it benefits Upwork, not when freelancers make requests.

Freelancing should be viewed as a business. A business has to spend money to make money and if you're spending more than you earn, the changes must come from you--not the clients or third-parties you work with.

Besides, Upwork recently re-evaluated the cost of Connects and decided the amounts required to apply to a job should be 2 to 8 Connects. I don't see them making another re-evaluation and adjustment anytime soon. If they do, it might increase.

[#6]

From 2? I saw minimum 4 last time.

[#7]

3-8

[#8]

As far as I know, the minimum is still 2 Connects. The announcement from early March still says 2 to 8 Connects and I still see jobs requiring 2 Connects. I haven't applied for jobs lately, but I just searched and discovered quite a few jobs that only require 2 Connects:

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[#9]

budget more than 25 or 30usd costs 4 to 8 connects for every category.

[#10]

Maybe i just ignore $5 jobs so missed it.

[#11]

Thank you

[#12]

Freelancing is a business, and Upwork is a business. Businesses have to spend money to make money. This was the single mindset that drove me from providing business advice; owners/management only want to make money. Don't we all?

Sure, it's possible, but if the foundation is not solid and maintained, the business will collapse from within. The business may not go under entirely, but their reputation and earnings will eventually take a major hit.

I would like to know where these self-employment opportunities exist, outside the mind of people who just want money. If people don't understand business basics, and freelancing in particular, they should not be online looking for jobs.

How does anyone think they can just show up and start making money? Fact: most businesses fail. Fact: most businesses fail in the first year. Fact: when starting a new business, plan on not clearing a penny for at least a year. Fact: it's recommended to have three years of funding. Fact: freelancing is a business. 

If freelancers want to do small jobs on their phone, that's fine. If you want to make money, you're going to have to do more than that. Every successful freelancer I know has considerable expenses. From the Internet, to computer programs to subscriptions, to hardware, it's a long and varied list.

As for Upwork listening to the freelancers, or the clients, I'm struggling to remember a single instance this was true. Upwork will ask for input, tell us they value us, and then do the same thing they intended. It has happened so often, I find nothing to convince me of sincerity. 

[#13]

Everyone keeps regurgitating "You have to spend money to make money."

Yes, I know that.

I spend money every month to be a pro member. I spend 20% of every contract dollar on Upwork's share. I spend money every week to purchase extra connects. I spend money to improve the quality of my work through memberships like Grammarly Pro, Semrush, and others.

Trust me…I spend money to make money.

I've been here for 4 years and have made a decent income for most of that time. (So no, I DON'T think that I "can just show up and start making money.")

BUT...

2022 was my best year yet. Then, in November, everything stopped. I went from an average 40-50% response rate (yes, no, maybe) to my applications, to 5-6% response and have stayed here for nearly 6 months.

Frankly, the only reason I can still work here at all is that I have a handful of long-term, loyal clients that keep me limping on. 

Look, the boosting feature is ridiculous. Sorry, but it's true. It benefits neither the freelancer nor the client, and over-complicates what was an otherwise well-thought out system.

It doesn't help the serious, long-term contractors get jobs (because we can't afford to spend 8 bucks on every application submission, especially with the nosedive in response rates), and it does nothing to help clients find the best writers for their projects.

The only one that benefits from boosting is Upwork, by selling more connects.

Either get rid of the boosting program, or add "Pro Plus" membership levels that allow qualified freelancers earlier access to jobs, higher view rankings, or exclusive access based on the client’s request (they want "experts", they only SEE "experts.")

I'd happily pay a higher monthly membership fee if it means I don't have to grind my teeth wading through projects with 75-90 boosted connects for a $25/hr job.

Put a cap on your number of available contractor memberships, too. more isn't better if the work is mediocre (or worse), and the clients are being overwhelmed with bids.

And, for God’s sake, some minimum qualification standards for contractors to JOIN Upwork!  Nobody benefits when the only thing that someone brings to the table is a functioning email address.

Minimums for the clients to POST jobs, as well. You’re not going to get “Professional” quality work for $10/hr, so why give them that option?

Penny-a-word projects encourage crap writing and lots of it, and nobody makes any money... especially when clients get tired of wading through AI-written garbage trying to find a quality content provider!

Let the clients see the best freelancer’s for their jobs first by the only demographics that MEAN anything: experience, ratings, and customer reviews. 

I love Upwork (I really do!) I've made it my business to create a business here, and I think it’s the best site of its kind available - or I’d be somewhere else right now, lol. 

(…and I daresay that I've made this platform a fair amount of coin, as well, over the years,)

I just need them to meet us halfway. 

Please.

[#14]

"Everyone keeps regurgitating, "You have to spend money to make money."

This is because it is true. Also, understand the majority of responses are to new freelancers who feel life is so unfair because they have to spend a $1.00."

"I spend money every month to be a pro member. I spend 20% of every contract dollar on Upwork's share. I spend money every week to purchase extra connects. I spend money to improve the quality of my work through memberships like Grammarly Pro, Semrush, and others"

I'm curious. As a writer for thirty years, what do you use Grammarly for?

"The only one that benefits from boosting is Upwork, by selling more connects."

This is not news. Connects, memberships, whatever, the business needs money. I'm willing to pay a fee if only it will stop people from whining about connects.

"And, for God’s sake, some minimum qualification standards for contractors to JOIN Upwork! Nobody benefits when the only thing that someone brings to the table is a functioning email address."

The line is at that any impediment to placing a job will chase away clients. I have never believed this to be true. Verifying an email is not going to chase away legitimate clients. Will it eliminate the ones who are casting for the cheapest possible amount on a dozen platforms? Probably, but there is no loss there, except for Upwork. When those fake jobs are posted, many freelancers will spend connects, not knowing it's a waste of time. The connects are the thins. Fake jobs create more income. Sure, connects are cheap, but if you multiply connects x boosting x20 million freelancers, that's income.

How isn't obvious to everyone it's the money??????? Either get rid of the boosting program, or add "Pro Plus" membership levels that allow qualified freelancers earlier access to jobs, higher view rankings, or exclusive access based on the client’s request (they want "experts", they only SEE "experts.")

Upwork apparently refuses to do this because they want someone to hire the freelancers that aren't going to be hired.

The "best match" and listings mix everyone up so much, it's a nightmare. I used to be a "plus" member until I realized I was spending more for connects and had no benefits. I'm not convinced my 100% JSS does me any good at all. When I am mixed in with people with a 64% JSS and not in the field, listed pages before I am, why bother?

Penny-a-word projects encourage crap writing and lots of it, and nobody makes any money... especially when clients get tired of wading through AI-written garbage trying to find a quality content provider!

Garbage is good enough for some. Sad, but true. You only need to look at the online books and E-Books for horrible quality, or many websites. There are always people willing to pay pennies for crap work. Upwork does not care about the quality. The money is the thing. Another business so short-sighted for cash, they refuse to acknowledge the long-term damage to the entire business.

[#15 · Accepted solution]

The advertised Motion Graphics jobs on Upwork are so low value. I haven't been applying to many recently because the budgets quite honestly pathetic. $20, $30. $75 if you are lucky.  So I can understand the frustration of buying connects. 

You have done well to get off the mark if you are a new freelancer. There some good clients on Upwork, that pay a bit better, if you can stick it out. I personally haven't bought any connects since being a member, as I think it  is more luck as well as hard work. If I do get the odd free connects, I might just 'lump it all on' a proposal that I like the look of.  I feel the outside world, (more specifically) my local business community pays better. 😞

[#16]

I think that every job should cost just 1 connect. And all freelancers should have daily 10 connects, no cumulative. This system would improve a lot things on Upwork.

I don´t see any reason why some jobs costs 2 and others 8. I saw jobs that costs 8 with a budget of $20. This is ridiculous! While other jobs pays $150 and costs 4 connects.

-  What would happen if every job costs just 1 connect and freelancers has 10 daily connects no cumulative?

1 - Freelancers could do proposals just on 10 jobs per day. This is enough for any freelancers.

2 - As there is a limited ammount of proposals for all, there is no chance of someone buying connects to spamm every job.

3 - Jobs that pays more would have more proposals. Jobs that pays less would have less proposals. Of course this is natural. Most of freelancers would spend their proposals trying to get jobs that pays high ammount. No this isn´t bad for clients. Clients would have too much more choices. Yes, some unskilled freelancers would try to do proposals too. This is natural. But they won´t get the job anyway (suposing the client is smart and knows how select the best choice for his project.). When they see they aren´t getting jobs, they will try to do proposal on jobs that pays less. this is called "natural selection".

4 - More jobs that pays, at least a fair ammount, would appears. As the low-paying jobs wouldn´t attract freelancers, clients would offer more money to attract more freelancers.

5 - When a freelancer gets a job, of course he won´t be bidding anymore (or at least not so much) until he finishs his job. So other freelancers would have more chances on new jobs posted.

[#17]

cost of connects went up recently.  Yet another unwise move by upwork - raising the number of connects to bid, raising the cost of connects and charging people to post ads.  It's almost as if they are daring freelancers to go elsewhere.