PeoplePerHour Review: Is PeoplePerHour Worth It?
Jason Quey
Updated:
February 1, 2021
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In the freelance world, there are dozens of websites offering to act as the middleman between remote workers offering their services and clients. There are several benefits of being a freelance worker, such as setting your own hours and working from home, but It can be difficult to choose the right platform with so many options.
One of the more popular freelance websites is PeoplePerHour.com. As one of the longest-running services for freelancers in the UK, PeoplePerHour is a high-quality site where you can find remote workers and outsourcers in your area. It was launched in 2007 and has since posted more than 11 million jobs in over 89 countries.
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PeoplePerHour primarily works to connect freelancers and businesses. Businesses advertise the projects they are looking for someone to work on, and freelancers can apply for such projects by sending in proposals.
All of the proposals are collected in a single place for business owners to review and compare. They come with offers set as a fixed bundle, and businesses can choose to work with the freelancer who has the right skillset and offers a great price.
When a business accepts a proposal, they can begin the process by putting down a deposit. The instant messaging feature allows freelancers and businesses to communicate about a job with ease. Attachments, notes, and feedback can all be shared in the project stream.
When the work is complete, businesses can leave reviews, which will then be displayed publicly on the freelancer’s profile. Freelancers can add endorsements from non-PeoplePerHour clients to boost their profile.
Based on your profile and skills, the A.I. system on PeoplePerHour matches freelancers with the most applicable projects. They can narrow it down based on language, skill area, and interest. There are 15 categories for freelancers and buyers to choose from, which include marketing, IT, SEO, social media, writing, translation, video, design, administration, and tutorials, among others.
Freelancers can search manually or save their search history to receive notifications of new projects that fit the same categories. You can also send 15 proposals per month for free, and any additional proposals cost credit.
PeoplePerHour is known for its trustworthy services and convenient communication process. You can acquire projects safely with a deposit that is protected by Escrow. Other pros of this site are:
Due to the popular nature of PeoplePerHour, getting projects as a freelancer can be competitive. The amount of work you receive can also be unpredictable and fluctuate, causing little to no job security. Some users have also found the UX logic difficult to understand and the support services slow. Other cons include:
PeoplePerHour charges service fees of 20% for all freelancers on each project less than 250 pounds, or $350. The service fee decreases to 7.5% for projects ranging between 250-5,000 pounds, and then 3.5% for over 5,000 pounds. There is another fee per invoice, which is about 2.5 pounds. Depending on how you withdraw or transfer your earnings, there is another fee to expect.
If freelancers go over the monthly 15 free proposals, they can buy more in different package sizes. Five more proposals cost 5.95 pounds, ten costs 8.95 pounds, twenty-five is 14.95, and fifty is 19.95 pounds.
On TrustPilot, PeoplePerHour has a consumer rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars from 3,758 reviews. Though they have 64% excellent reviews, they also have 22% bad reviews. Many users found the freelancing platform easy to use. They found the high volume of new jobs to be beneficial for freelancers. Some consumers reported that they found it easy to communicate, and others mentioned they enjoyed the extra protection from Escrow.
One user found PeoplePerHour to be an excellent platform for new freelancers as the AI service actively helps freelancers find initial projects. Others found it to have a great variety of freelance work for different areas of expertise. Many users also found the interface to be easy to use and navigate through.
However, some consumers found the quality of jobs lacking and the fees to be poor. They reported that buyers use the site to find the cheapest workers possible, while others reported that none of their freelance services were completed. Many freelancers also reported that the withdrawal period for their funds was a lengthy process, particularly with PayPal transfers.
Many freelancers found PeoplePerHour to be an effective service but slow in responding to customer complaints. Others found the A.I. service to be lacking and sending projects unrelated to the freelancer’s skill. Buyers and freelancers also report that PeoplePerHour does not seem to screen for scammers on their platform.
PeoplePerHour has a 3.5-star rating out of 5 on G2. The users rate its Ease of Use to be 6.8, which is far below the 9.2 average of other freelance platforms, and the Quality of Support to be 4.9, also much lower than the 9.1 average.
From the buyer’s end, one mid-market business user found it “very easy to use” and “suitable for those who are medium enterprises.” Many other users liked the ease of communication between buyer and freelancer and the invoicing process. Some found the UX easier to understand and navigate, while others had trouble with the modern interface.
Most users reported that they did not like the extra fees. One small business owner disliked “the 10% hidden free they don’t tell you about. Even on the checkout page.” Buyers have also reported that “PPH will take some of your money if you keep it in the wallet… for a while.”
Poor customer service is another disliked feature of PeoplePerHour. One user reported that “when you have an issue with PPH, they are not the best at responding to your queries… you might be waiting a week just to get an initial response!” Another stated that “the Support team are not the best as they appear to have difficulty understanding your problem.”
On Quora, some users found PeoplePerHour a helpful website for freelancers and while many others reported that it is not a good freelancing platform to use.
While PeoplePerHour provides good opportunities for freelancers in various skill areas, some users found the payments to be a problem. A business analyst freelancer reported that though they can “find the work related to our skills and expertise… it takes… time to process payment transactions.” One user found that PeoplePerHour has issues with PayPal, making it difficult if disputing any transactions with the financial service platform.
For the buyer, requesting refunds costs more money, according to one user. They also mentioned that the number of proposals overwhelms buyers “while freelancers are frustrated by the high level of competition.” Several other reviewers reported that they disliked the high 20% commission and hidden 10% fee taken out of a freelancer’s earnings.
The “appalling customer service options” is another disadvantage, according to one entrepreneur. Other freelancers found PeoplePerHour “does not monitor the performance of their sellers.” Since the number of scams on PeoplePerHour has been high, according to some reviews, one freelancer recommends approaching this freelancing platform with caution.
All freelance sites have their pros and cons, many of which are similar. Service fees are on virtually every website for freelancers, and there are many scammers on these sites as well. PeoplePerHour is excellent for those looking to start building their portfolio or seek expensive projects to avoid the 20% commission fee.
If users follow the recommended procedures and carefully select their clients, PeoplePerHour is a reliable site. It connects professional freelancers with the right businesses and fosters working relationships with personal contact.
It also has a unique location-based feature, allowing buyers to hire freelancers located in their area. However, if the high competition and service fees are not what you are looking for, other freelance websites might better suit your needs.