A major way freelancers and clients connect is through online platforms. In fact, Payoneer reports that 70% of freelancers find work through websites like Upwork, Fiverr or Freelancer. While these platforms can be a useful solution for companies seeking talent, how effective are they, and how do they compare to working with specialised agencies?

Let’s compare Upwork, a global freelance platform, with Mediaforta, a managed marketplace for content marketing talent, to discover which option is the better fit for your business.

What is Upwork?

Upwork is one of the largest freelance platforms in the world, with over 18 million registered freelancers as of 2024. Its low barrier to entry, user-friendly interface and broad talent pool make it popular with businesses of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune 500 firms. Companies can quickly source talent for a wide range of projects in almost any industry, from one-off assignments to long-term collaborations, and with all budget levels. Upwork also handles contracts, deadlines, payment and communications, all within its platform.

What is Mediaforta?

Mediaforta is a global managed marketplace for the top 5% of content creators and marketing talent, also offering agency services at clients’ request. It connects companies with highly skilled, experienced freelancers. Mediaforta focuses on B2B clients, primarily in IT, manufacturing, finance and creative agencies.

The company places a strong emphasis on quality, carefully selecting top freelancers to join its international network and helping businesses assemble entire specialised content teams. Mediaforta’s platform also includes freelancers with complex technical expertise, making it an ideal partner for companies that require niche knowledge.

Mediaforta vs. Upwork comparison

Platform registration

Getting started with Upwork is pretty straightforward: all you need is your name and email. Then you can create a job posting with a project description and budget, along with other details like deliverables, expectations and timelines. Upwork’s AI assistant, Uma, can help generate a job description and estimate a budget. Clients can also pay to promote their listing with Featured Jobs to increase visibility and attract talent faster.

Mediaforta doesn’t require formal registration. Its process is more personalised: interested clients can get in touch through a contact form or book an appointment directly with one of Mediaforta’s content specialists. During this call, the specialist will get acquainted with your industry, needs, challenges, goals and target audience. Based on this information, Mediaforta will select professionals to work with you on a trial basis. If you’re not satisfied with the freelancer’s work during the trial, you won’t be charged, and Mediaforta will suggest an alternative profile.

Project matching

Anyone can join Upwork, which means anyone can bid on projects, too. Freelancers sometimes have to pay to apply using Connects, Upwork’s internal tokens.

After posting a job, clients must sort through applicants themselves, reviewing proposals, profiles, qualifications and portfolios. Upwork’s AI assistant, Uma, suggests top matches for the project and sends personalised invitations to up to eight freelancers. Uma can also do an initial screening and even conduct brief interviews, providing recordings, summaries and candidate scores. Relying too heavily on AI for recruiting can be risky, though – there’s no guarantee it won’t make a mistake or select the best match. Once you’ve made your pick, the platform generates a contract with set hours, pay rate and deadline. All transactions, payments and communications are done through the Upwork platform.

Mediaforta has a more hands-on approach to project matching. Its team searches within the network to find freelancers with the right skillset, language proficiency and technical knowledge required by the client. It then presents a shortlist, allowing the client to choose without doing the heavy lifting. In addition, all freelancers are pre-vetted, representing the top 5% of content marketing professionals. Once a professional is chosen, the client can work directly with the freelancer, or opt for Mediaforta to act as a full-service agency and manage the collaboration on their behalf.

Specialisations

Mediaforta is a global managed marketplace for content creators and marketing talent, so every freelancer in its network is connected to this field. The network is organised in three core areas:

• Content strategy: content marketers, email marketers, SEO strategists, social media specialists, automation specialists and more;
• Content creation: copywriters, blog writers, translators, editors, technical writers, graphic designers, UX writers, video producers and more;
• Content promotion: lead generation specialists, campaign managers, paid media specialists, email marketers and more.

Upwork’s marketplace is more general, with freelancers in virtually all areas, from engineering to translating. Its talent pool includes:

• Writing  translation: copywriters, content writers, editors, translators, ghostwriters, proofreaders and more;
• Sales and marketing: social media managers, SEO specialists, paid media experts, sales reps, market researchers and more;
• Design and  creative: graphic designers, UI/UX designers, art directors, video editors, animators, voice artists and more;
• Development and IT: Java developers, generative AI experts, data scientists, QA engineers, iOS developers and more;
• Admin and customer support: virtual assistants, data entry specialists, project managers, customer service reps, tech support specialists and more;
• Finance and accounting: accountants, financial analysts, management consultants, bookkeepers, tax consultants and more;
• HR and training: HR managers, HR consultants, recruiters, compensation specialists, instructional designers and more;
• Legal: professionals in corporate law, tax law, contract law, employment and labour law, paralegals, regulatory compliance specialists and more;
• Engineering  architecture: mechanical engineers, civil engineers, architectural designers, 3D modellers, industrial designers and more.

Quality and vetting

As mentioned before, anyone can join Upwork and offer their freelancing services, so there is no formal vetting process. The platform is commonly used by experienced professionals, but also by side hustlers, students and new freelancers. That means candidates’ skill level and the quality of their work can vary widely, and it’s up to clients to choose the best fit. You’ll find plenty of freelancers offering rock-bottom rates, but there are no guarantees about the quality—you get what you pay for.

On the other hand, quality is one of Mediaforta’s core principles. All freelancers in its network undergo a recruitment process, where Mediaforta verifies their credentials, qualifications, experience and past work to ensure only the top creative talent can join. Due to this thorough process, clients don’t have to worry about vetting and recruiting—as soon as a freelancer is selected, the client can kick off the project with the peace of mind that they are in good hands.

Pricing

Mediaforta offers customised pricing based on each client’s size, industry, budget and needs. Prices are also determined by freelancers’ day rates, which are set by the freelancers themselves, to ensure fair compensation based on skills and experience. In general, projects start at €5,000, making Mediaforta a good choice for clients who want to invest extensively in high-quality content marketing.

Upwork doesn’t use fixed pricing; instead, it charges a percentage on top of the fee you pay freelancers. It operates with three pricing tiers: Marketplace, Business Plus and Enterprise, each with a different percentage:

Upwork also takes a flat fee from freelancers. For instance, if you hire a freelancer for a €1,000 project, the freelancer receives €900 (after a 10% fee), and the client pays €1,050 (€1,000 + 5% fee on the Marketplace tier). You can post a job at any budget, so Upwork is better for smaller or one-off projects.

Tools and support

Upwork offers several built-in tools for tracking, communication and collaboration. Clients can directly message candidates and freelancers, as well as share files and make voice and video calls. There is also a dashboard for project tracking, time logging and reporting. Customer support is available to all users through a self-service help centre, chatbot assistant and support tickets. Business Plus and Enterprise clients have premium 24/7 customer support, and Enterprise clients also have a dedicated account manager.

Mediaforta relies less on automation, preferring a human-led, personalised process for support and collaboration. Clients and freelancers can contact Mediaforta directly for assistance or to resolve disputes. Both parties can collaborate and share files through tools like Dropbox, Google Drive, Zoom or Slack. However, Mediaforta also offers its own content management platform, ContentRockr, to streamline the entire content workflow. On ContentRockr, users can build content calendars, submit briefs, provide feedback, review and publish content.

Which content partner should you choose?

When to choose Upwork

You have a tight budget

For small or one-person businesses, cost can be a significant factor. Upwork has relatively low starting costs, making it a good option if your budget for freelancers is limited.

You need a fast turnaround

Upwork is ideal for urgent, one-off projects,their tagline is “Post a job today, hire tomorrow”. If you’re facing tight deadlines and need on-demand talent—or if the work involves simple tasks—there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find someone to jump in quickly.

You need someone outside of content marketing

Mediaforta specialises in all things content marketing, so if your needs are in other areas—like software development, accounting, IT, legal services or even engineering—Upwork has a large pool of talent to choose from.

When to choose Mediaforta

Quality and experience are paramount to you

Mediaforta ensures all freelancers in its network are experienced, qualified professionals. If you want to avoid the stress of recruitment while still guaranteeing high quality, Mediaforta handles the entire process for you.

You’re looking for frequent collaborators

Mediaforta specialises in complex, high-value work for clients. If you’re thinking beyond one-off projects and want freelancers who can make a significant impact on your organisation, Mediaforta can help you find long-term partners who are a good match for your team and brand.

You want to build a high-powered content marketing team

If you want to invest heavily in content marketing, Mediaforta can assemble a dream content marketing team—from planning to promotion—to fulfil your needs in a holistic, strategic manner.

You value a human touch

From the initial conversation to project completion, Mediaforta’s process is tailored to each client and led by humans. If you prefer real conversations over bot interactions and appreciate direct contact with your business partners, Mediaforta is the right fit for you.

Mediaforta vs. Upwork: Summary

	MEDIAFORTA	UPWORK
Platform registration	Clients must get in touch for a one-on-one introduction	Quick registration with name and email address
Project matching	Highly customised and curated by the team	Done manually by client, or with help from AI
Specialisations	Content marketing	Several
Quality and vetting	High	Low – clients must vet candidates themselves
Pricing	Projects from €5.000	Variable – depends on the project budget
Tools & support	Content management platform ContentRockr; personalised customer support	Built-in collaboration and tracking tools; automated support

Boost your content marketing

Whether you need a single expert or an entire content team, Mediaforta connects your company with top freelancers tailored to your needs. Get in touch today to schedule an introductory call and take the first step to elevate your content marketing.