Compare · VirtualWorkers.Asia vs Upwork
Upwork charges on every payment. We charge a flat fee and never touch the salary.
Upwork is a global project marketplace — escrow, time tracking, 18 million freelancers. It’s built for projects, and it takes a percentage on both sides for the life of the contract. VirtualWorkers.Asia is built for hiring one person, part-time or full-time, direct: no fee on your payments, nothing taken from the worker, no platform sitting between you.
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%.
- Upwork Basic · your 5% marketplace feeUS$540
- Upwork · contract initiation feeUS$0.99–14.99
- Upwork · taken from the worker (0–15%)up to US$1,620
- 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.
Plus a one-off contract initiation fee of US$0.99–14.99. Fees apply on every payment for as long as the contract runs.
Cancel the subscription once you’ve hired. Nothing changes for the worker.
Escrow, payment protection and dispute resolution are real value on a one-off project with a stranger. We don’t hold money and we don’t arbitrate. What we do instead is make sure you know who the person is before you hire them — and then get out of the way.
Upwork vs VirtualWorkers.Asia, side by side
Figures are the published plans on each site. Both change — check before you decide.
| Upwork | VirtualWorkers.Asia | |
|---|---|---|
| What it’s for | Projects and contracts on a global freelance marketplace | Hiring one person for an ongoing role — part-time or full-time |
| Employer fee | 5% of every payment (Basic) · 10% (Business Plus) · plus US$0.99–14.99 per new contract | Flat US$65/mo Optimised · US$95/mo Elite · US$0 on Free |
| Taken from the worker | 0–15% service fee, fixed per contract | Nothing. The worker keeps 100%. |
| Who’s listed | 18 million+ freelancers and agencies across 180 countries | Individuals only. Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Malaysia. |
| Paying the worker | Through Upwork escrow and billing | Direct — your bank, Wise, PayPal, whatever you both agree |
| Cost after you’ve hired | Fees on every payment for the life of the contract | Cancel the subscription. US$0 a month. |
| Screening | ID and location verification, reviews, badges | ID document check, EF SET English level, dated speed test (Elite) |
| References | Client reviews on the profile | References and referees, checked by our team (Elite) |
| Time tracking | Work Diary on hourly contracts | Time tracker, free on every plan |
| Payment protection | Escrow and dispute resolution | None — you hire direct, like any employee or contractor |
| Job posts | Free to post; invites and messages capped by plan | Unlimited on every plan |
| Built for | Global clients, US-centric | EU, UK, US, Australian and New Zealand employers |
Sources: Upwork client pricing, Upwork freelancer service fee 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.
Upwork is the better fit when…
- It’s a one-off project with a defined deliverable and an end date
- You want escrow, payment protection and a dispute process with someone you don’t know
- You need talent outside Asia, or a whole agency rather than one person
- You want to pay by the hour with a tracked work diary
VirtualWorkers.Asia is the better fit when…
- You’re hiring a person, not buying a project — someone who’ll be on the team next quarter
- You want to know who they are before the first call: individual, ID checked, references spoken to
- You don’t want 5–10% of every payment going to a platform, or 15% taken from the worker
- 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
Isn’t hiring direct riskier than going through Upwork?
Different risk. Upwork protects a single payment on a single project. We reduce the risk that matters for an ongoing hire — knowing who the person is. On Elite every shortlisted profile carries an ID document check, an EF SET English level, a dated speed test and references our team has verified. After that you interview and run a paid trial, exactly as you would with a local hire.
How do I pay a worker without Upwork?
The same way you’d pay any overseas contractor: bank transfer, Wise, PayPal or a payroll service. You agree the rate and the schedule with the worker. We don’t hold or move money, which is why there is nothing for us to take a percentage of.
What happens to the 15% Upwork 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.
Can I use Upwork for projects and VirtualWorkers.Asia for staff?
Plenty of employers will. Upwork for a logo or a one-off build; VirtualWorkers.Asia for the customer support person, the WordPress developer or the bookkeeper who is there every week.
Stop paying a percentage of every hour.
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
