Compare · VirtualWorkers.Asia vs Freelancer.com
Freelancer.com charges both of you, on every project and every hour. We charge a flat fee, and only you.
Freelancer.com is a bidding marketplace: post a project, take bids, pay through the platform. It charges the employer 3% and the freelancer 10% on every payment, and sells memberships for more bids and lower fees. VirtualWorkers.Asia is a staff board: post the role, shortlist real individuals from the right Asian country, hire direct. US$65 a month while you recruit, nothing after, no commissions.
No commissions, no lock-in. Compare plans
- Flat US$65 a month while you recruit — US$0 after you cancel
- Individuals only, from five Asian countries matched to the role
- You hire direct and pay direct. The worker keeps 100%.
- Freelancer.com · your 3% project feeUS$324
- Freelancer.com · taken from the worker (10%)US$1,080
- Freelancer.com · optional membershipsextra
- VirtualWorkers.Asia · one month of OptimisedUS$65
- Taken from the workerUS$0
Where the money goes
Same worker, same US$900 a month. Follow the dollars.
Minimums apply: US$3 on your side, US$5 on the worker’s. Paid memberships and bid packs are extra. 15% on Recruiter projects.
Cancel the subscription once you’ve hired. Nothing changes for the worker.
A project that attracts forty bids in an hour is being priced, not staffed. We don’t run bids. You read the profile, check the references and interview the person — then agree a rate that both of you can live with for a year.
Freelancer.com vs VirtualWorkers.Asia, side by side
Figures are the published fees on each site. Both change — check before you decide.
| Freelancer.com | VirtualWorkers.Asia | |
|---|---|---|
| What it’s for | Projects and contests on a bidding marketplace | Hiring one person for an ongoing role — part-time or full-time |
| Employer fee | 3% (or US$3 minimum) on fixed-price projects · 3% on every hourly payment | Flat US$65/mo Optimised · US$95/mo Elite · US$0 on Free |
| Taken from the worker | 10% (or US$5 minimum) on every payment · 15% on Recruiter projects | Nothing. The worker keeps 100%. |
| Memberships | Free plus paid plans for more bids and lower fees | Free for workers, always. Employers: one flat plan. |
| How you choose | Bids on your project, contests | Profiles, applications, messaging and interviews |
| Who’s listed | Global freelancers, agencies and teams | Individuals only. Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Malaysia. |
| Paying the worker | Milestone payments through Freelancer.com | Direct — we’re never in the money flow |
| Cost after you’ve hired | Fees on every payment for as long as you work together | Cancel the subscription. US$0 a month. |
| Screening | Verification badges, exams, reviews | ID document check, EF SET English level, dated speed test (Elite) |
| References | Client reviews | References and referees, checked by our team (Elite) |
| Time tracking | Desktop app on hourly projects | Time tracker, free on every plan |
| Built for | Global clients | EU, UK, US, Australian and New Zealand employers |
Sources: Freelancer.com fees and charges and VirtualWorkers.Asia pricing, checked 26 August 2026.
How hiring works on VirtualWorkers.Asia
Post a free job, or browse profiles
Post the role for free and see who applies. Or search the profiles by country, role and skills. Every profile is one person — a name, a location, a rate, and what they’ve done.
No card, no fee, no quota to post.
Free job postLive- Role
- Customer Support Specialist
- Country
- Philippines
- Rate
- US$900 / month, full-time
- Applicants
- 14 so far
Shortlist, message and interview
When you want to talk to someone, go Optimised (US$65 a month). You get full resumes, contact details, messaging and interviews. Elite adds ID, English and speed-test screening plus checked references.
- Message and interview inside your dashboard
- Elite: ID document, EF SET English level, speed test
- Elite: references and referees, checked by us
Shortlist · Customer SupportMaria ReyesCebu · EF SET C1 · 48 MbpsJomar SantosDavao · EF SET B2 · 35 MbpsAngel LimManila · not yet screenedHire direct. Pay direct. Cancel when done.
You agree the rate with the worker and pay them directly, in whatever way suits you both. We’re never in the money flow, so there’s nothing for us to take a cut of. Once you’ve hired, cancel the subscription — the worker stays yours.
- Paid to Maria (direct)US$900
- Commission to usUS$0
- SubscriptionCancelled after hire
Which one is right for you?
Honest answer: it depends on what you’re hiring for.
Freelancer.com is the better fit when…
- You want to run a contest — a logo, a name, a design — and pick a winner
- It’s a short project and you want competitive bids on price
- You want milestone payments held by the platform
- You need someone outside Asia, or an agency rather than one person
VirtualWorkers.Asia is the better fit when…
- You’re hiring a person for an ongoing role, not pricing a project
- You want to know who they are: individual, ID checked, references spoken to
- You don’t want 3% from you and 10% from the worker going to a platform every month
- You’d rather pay a flat US$65 for the month you recruit and nothing after
The right country for the role
One account, five countries. Each one is on the board because it’s strong at something specific.
Philippines
Vietnam
Indonesia
India
MalaysiaQuestions employers ask
Why not just post on Freelancer.com and pick the lowest bid?
You can. You’ll get a lot of bids fast, and the lowest one is rarely the person you want on the team in six months. We don’t run bids. You read profiles, check references, interview, and agree a rate that holds. Then you pay them direct with nothing skimmed on either side.
How do I pay a worker without Freelancer.com milestones?
The same way you’d pay any overseas contractor: bank transfer, Wise, PayPal or a payroll service, on the schedule you agree. We don’t hold or move money, which is why there’s nothing for us to take a percentage of.
What happens to the 10% Freelancer.com takes from the freelancer?
On VirtualWorkers.Asia there is no worker-side fee, so it stays with the worker. Same rate on paper, more in their pocket — which is a large part of why good people prefer direct arrangements.
Do I keep paying you after I hire?
No. Subscribe while you recruit, hire, cancel. Your arrangement with the worker is yours, not ours.
Do workers pay anything to be listed?
No. VirtualWorkers.Asia is free for workers, always — no memberships, no bid credits, no exam fees.
Stop paying on both sides of every payment.
Post a free job, shortlist real individuals and hire direct. US$65 for the month you recruit, US$0 after.
Post a Free JobReady to hire? Compare plans
