How to Get Your First Client on Fiverr or Upwork

To get clients on Fiverr, you publish a narrowly focused gig with a clear title, specific packages and real samples, then wait for buyers to find and message you. Knowing how to get clients on Fiverr and Upwork comes down to one difference: on Fiverr clients come to you, while on Upwork you go to them with proposals.

This guide covers both, with the fees, levels and credits that apply as of 2026. It's honest about the hard part: new profiles have no reviews, competition is heavy, and the first order often takes weeks or longer. For the bigger picture beyond marketplaces, see our guide to making money freelancing.

How do Fiverr and Upwork differ for beginners?

Fiverr is a storefront where you sell packaged services; Upwork is a job board where you pitch for client projects. The skills that win on each overlap, but the daily work is different.

Both platforms change rules often. Treat the numbers above as a snapshot and confirm them on the official help pages listed in our sources.

How to get clients on Fiverr with no reviews

Make your gig easy to find, easy to understand and low-risk to try. Since you can't reach out first, every part of the gig page has to work for you.

Pick a narrow gig

"I will write blog posts" competes with a huge number of sellers. "I will write product descriptions for Shopify home decor stores" competes with far fewer and speaks directly to a buyer. Narrow gigs also make your samples look more relevant.

Write the title and packages for the buyer

• Title: the deliverable and the client type, in plain words.
• Three packages: a small starter, a standard and a larger option, each with a clear quantity, delivery time and revision count.
• Description: who it's for, what they get, what you need from them and what's not included.

Show real samples

Fiverr lets freelancers at every level add a portfolio. Use three to five samples made for the gig's exact client type, and label personal projects honestly.

Respond fast and deliver carefully

Response rate and ratings feed into Fiverr's level system, so early habits matter. New sellers can have up to 4 active gigs, which rises with level.

How to get your first client on Upwork

Apply to fewer jobs, and make every proposal about the client's problem. Proposals cost Connects, so spraying generic applications burns money.

Choose jobs you can realistically win

Good signs for a beginner:

• A clear description with specific deliverables.
• A budget that matches the work.
• A client with a verified payment method and a history of hiring, when shown.
• Few proposals so far, if you can see the count.

Skip jobs that ask for free test work beyond a small sample, want you to communicate or get paid outside the platform, or have vague descriptions like "need help ASAP".

Write a short, specific proposal

A simple structure that respects the client's time:

1. First line: restate their need in your words, so they know you read the post.
2. How you'd do it: two or three concrete steps.
3. Proof: one relevant sample, linked.
4. A question: something that shows you're thinking about their project.

Keep it short. Clients often skim many proposals, and the first two lines decide whether yours gets opened.

Know what Connects cost you

Upwork says the Connects needed vary by job and can change while the job is posted. Connects cost $0.15 each and are sold in bundles. Some freelancers receive 10 free Connects each month, and Upwork awards 30 Connects for each talent badge, such as Rising Talent and Top Rated. Track how many Connects you spend per interview so you know whether your targeting is working.

What about Freelancer.com and Contra?

They're worth knowing about, but most beginners do better mastering one main marketplace before adding another. Both work differently from Fiverr and Upwork.

• Freelancer.com is bid-based, like Upwork. Its fees and charges page lists a project fee of 10% or $5, whichever is greater, on fixed-price projects and 10% of payments on hourly projects, as of 2026. The $5 minimum makes very small projects relatively expensive.
• Contra is built around your profile and portfolio and advertises commission-free payments for freelancers. Its pricing page lists some per-payment fees on the free plan and a Pro plan at $29 a month or $199 a year. It tends to work best when you bring your own clients or audience.

Whichever you choose, the same rules apply: a narrow offer, relevant samples and short, specific pitches. For a side-by-side of fees across six platforms, see our freelancing websites comparison.

What should you charge for your first gigs?

Price modestly but not at rock bottom, and build fees into the number. A slightly lower starter price can help win the first reviews, but a price that doesn't cover your time trains clients to expect it.

Two platform facts to account for:

• Fiverr: you receive 80% of the cleared payment, so a $50 order puts $40 in your balance.
• Upwork: the service fee is set per contract, from 0% to 15%. Upwork's own example: to take home $20 an hour at a 10% fee, bill $22.22 an hour.

Rather than cutting your price to win, cut the scope: a smaller starter package at a fair rate. Our guide on how to price freelance work shows how to work out your floor.

How do you turn a first order into repeat work?

Over-communicate, deliver on time and make the next step obvious. A good first review improves your odds on every future proposal or gig.

• Confirm requirements before starting, in writing on the platform.
• Share a draft or progress update if the project runs more than a few days.
• Deliver with a short summary of what you did and anything the client should check.
• Ask for feedback, then suggest a relevant follow-up project.
• Keep everything on-platform for clients you met there; both platforms have rules about taking work and payments elsewhere, and breaking them can cost you your account.

Using AI in delivery? Tell the client how you use it, keep their files out of tools that may train on them, and check everything yourself. Fiverr's guidelines say freelancers must honor a client's explicit request for non-AI work. Our guide to AI for freelancers explains a safe workflow.

What if you're getting no orders or replies?

Change one thing at a time and give each change a fair test. Silence usually points to one of four problems.

Don't rely on marketplaces alone. Direct outreach to your own network or to businesses in your niche often produces the first client faster, and it's covered in our roadmap on how to start freelancing.

Next steps

Pick one platform, write one narrow gig or three tailored proposals this week, and track what happens. If you want the full path, from gigs and proposals to pricing and finding clients off-platform, see our step-by-step freelancing with AI guide. For other ways to earn online, start with our guide to making money online.