Elance vs oDesk (Now Upwork) vs Guru: Which Platform To Post a Project

Freelancing platforms like Upwork (formerly Elance-oDesk) and Guru provide access to talent from around the world. Although they're prominent freelance websites, you'd have to compare Elance vs oDesk (now Upwork) vs Guru to see which service can deliver. 

Several companies choose to hire a freelancer for various reasons, such as the following reasons cited by Finances Online:

1. 62% of companies say it's faster to complete a project.
2. 55% want to reduce costs.
3. 49% need to access specialized skills.
   

If you're also looking to have a freelancer work on your project, consider how Upwork (formerly Elance-oDesk) compares to Guru. While both freelance platforms are good choices, they differ in what they can provide. Here are the profiles of Upwork and Guru and their key differences.

How Did Elance and oDesk Merge to Upwork? 

Upwork, the well-known freelancing platform today, was previously composed of two companies - Elance and oDesk. Both companies had a similar marketplace platform where a business can hire a remote worker, but the two entities had separate operations and also had different office locations. 

What started separately as Elance and oDesk then combined to form Elance-oDesk in 2013. Two years later, in 2015, the Elance-oDesk merger rebranded into what is now known as Upwork.

When the two companies became Upwork, they integrated the technology behind their platform. The merger resulted in a more robust platform, which the majority of freelancers use to find jobs.

Upwork processes 2 million unique projects with its freelancers numbering in millions. Their freelancers can accommodate anything from customer support, accounting, IT-related tasks, and other work from over 90 categories. With more freelancers and a large variety of skills, clients choose to go to Upwork, making them one of the top channels to source freelance talent.

How Do I Hire a Freelancer on Guru? 

Around 800,000 employers choose Guru for their projects - ranging from design, marketing, development, and many other tasks. Guru has two options to hire a freelancer onboard. You can either initiate the project posting or choose from a marketplace of available freelancers.

Post a project

Instead of an initial registration page, Guru allows you to input project details first. Only then will they require you to log in or create an account. Doing this makes it easy to focus on your requirements. The registration process is also easy. You can immediately use an existing Gmail, Linkedin, or even Facebook account to sign up with Guru.

Get project quote

Another option with Guru is to get quotes straight from the freelancer. Although in this method, you would already need to have an account first. This method is a suitable choice if you prefer to be hands-on when selecting a freelancer. Individual profiles in Guru already include their capabilities, hourly or annual rate, and project feedback.

Which Is the Better Freelance Marketplace Platform? 

Each platform provides different features when you compare Elance vs oDesk vs Guru. It's all about using a freelance website that is more attuned to your requirements. Let's see which from Elance vs oDesk vs Guru is more suitable based on the pricing, hiring, and available freelancers.

Pricing and Payment

The pricing of Elance vs oDesk vs Guru works for different needs. Upwork, formerly Elance-oDesk, provides the estimated hourly rate of a freelancer. The format is the same in Guru with an hourly rate. Although with Guru, there's a price indicating per-project work or a long-term annual rate.

Formerly Elance-oDesk, Upwork provides flexible pricing charges to hire a freelancer on short-term projects. The fees will depend on how much the freelancer bids on a project. For every payment you'll make, Upwork charges a 3% fee. They also have a secured payment method to ensure that you're hiring legitimate freelancers.

Guru, on the other hand, can give a one-year estimate of how much the freelancer charges. If you prefer not to hire every time you have a project, Guru is suitable for a full-time commitment. As for payment, Guru has a SafePay payment system that protects your financial transactions, with a 2.9% fee per invoice.

Hiring Process

Both Elance vs oDesk vs Guru almost have similarities in the hiring process. There is the usual bidding process where interested candidates send their proposals. You can then review which quote matches your needs and budget.

In the former Elance and oDesk company, you'll post a project and receive bids from freelancers. Alternatively, there are also fixed-price projects you can buy right away from Upwork. If you need a recruiter to hire the right candidate, Upwork assists via their Talent Scout feature.

For Guru, they may only have a few candidates available. However, most of the profiles there are companies, which means you'll have access to a team. Although, there are also individual freelancers you can hire from Guru. If you want to hire based on where they are, Guru lets you sort the freelancers according to their country or city location.

Available Freelancers

Upwork is mainly a marketplace for choosing an individual freelancer. The former Elance and oDesk company provides a security feature to authenticate the profiles on their platform. Guru, on the other hand, has options to hire either an individual or a company. Guru publicly displays the name of the company or the individual on their marketplace.

While Upwork has more freelancers, it also becomes a problem as to the legitimacy of these profiles. This is why the company implemented a more stringent process of verifying freelancers before they can get paid. Upwork is known for freelancers competing to give the most affordable rate with the same service. Depending on what you need, Upwork can be advantageous if you want the lowest price possible.

For Guru, they may only have a few candidates available. However, most of the profiles in Guru are companies, which means you'll have an entire firm or team working on a project. Although, there are also individual freelancers you can hire from Guru. If you want to hire based on where they are, Guru lets you sort the freelancers according to their country or city location.

What Are Alternatives to Elance vs Odesk (Now Upwork) vs Guru?

While they're the most common platform to hire a freelancer, choosing between Elance vs oDesk vs Guru may not have the complete service you need. Here are some alternatives to the usual freelancing websites if you want a full-fledged staff or project capability for your business.

Outsourcing agencies

Outsourcing your project is possible through various agencies that provide specialized services. You can transfer some of the workloads in your business with these agencies. This practice is typical in advertising agencies that handle branding and marketing. Other agencies as well provide services ranging from marketing to development and customer service.

On-demand subscription services

Third-party firms providing on-demand access to a dedicated staff is also an alternative for the Elance vs oDesk (now Upwork) vs Guru platforms. Instead of hiring in every project, subscription services allow you to have a staff who can work on your projects as needed. You don't have to post the project details and hire now and then. These subscription firms will provide you with staff and the project management tools you need for your organization.

On-demand subscriptions also provide specific services, such as graphic design or web development. They specialize in one skill to give clients access to expert staff. Instead of sorting through various profiles or bids, they already choose the most qualified candidate to work on a project. This reduces the time it takes to hire a freelancer or part-time worker.

Among the on-demand subscription firms that can help you with graphic design, development, and SEO content is Delesign. The cloud-based subscription provides an unlimited number of projects and revisions, allowing you to create as many tasks as needed. Delesign doesn't require a contract and only charges a standard monthly fee regardless of the number or difficulty of work. As soon as you subscribe, Delesign will then provide a dedicated staff to work on your projects.