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Stafka vs Upwork

Upwork is a marketplace where you find and screen freelancers yourself and pay a percentage on every payment. Stafka is a recruiting service: we screen, you hire the person directly and pay one fee. Here is where each one wins.

7.99%[1]Upwork's maximum fee on each payment
13.5%[2]to move a freelancer off Upwork within 24 months
$2,500–3,000[3]our one-time fee, only if you hire
0%taken from the person's pay on our route

Side by side

ComparedStafkaUpwork
How it worksRecruiting service. You send a brief, we send three vetted profiles, you hire the person directly.Freelance marketplace. You post a job or search profiles, review proposals and hire through the platform.
What you pay the service$2,500–3,000 once, on the start day[3]Up to 7.99% of every payment[1], plus a contract initiation fee of $0.99–$14.99[1]
Taking the person off the platformNothing extra: they are your contractor from day oneWithin 24 months: 13.5% of 12 months of estimated earnings, from $1,000 to $50,000[2]
ScreeningEvery candidate passes a written English task and a recorded voice answer at C1 level before you see themYou review proposals and profiles and run your own tests
Where people areGeorgia, Armenia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, UTC+2 to UTC+5[4][5]Freelancers worldwide
Time to candidatesThree profiles within 5 business daysDepends on your post and how fast you screen
Contract and paymentsDirectly between you and the person; pay in USD through Deel, Wise or PayoneerThrough Upwork, which handles payments while you work on the platform
If it does not work outFree replacement within 90 days[3]End the contract and hire again
Best forA long-term, full-time assistant, support or finance hireProjects, short tasks, specialist skills and hourly work

What the fees add up to

Example: an executive assistant paid $950 a month, the middle of our $800–1,100 band. The person's pay is the same on both routes and is left out. Upwork's year one includes the highest contract initiation fee. Upwork is shown at its maximum rate and Wise at its lowest, so read the rows as estimates.
Fees onlyYear oneYear twoThree years
Upwork, at its 7.99% maximum$926$911$2,748
Stafka, paying through Deel$3,088–3,588$588$4,264–4,764
Stafka, paying through Wise$2,526–3,026$26$2,579–3,079

On fees alone, Upwork costs less for a long time. With Wise (from 0.23% per transfer[6]) our route catches up after about 3 years. Through Deel ($49 a month[7]) the totals meet after 8–9 years. If you later move the person off Upwork within 24 months, this example adds a conversion fee of $1,539[2]. The pay band comes from our open vacancy[8].

When Upwork is the better choice

  • The work is a project with an end date, not an ongoing role.
  • You need a few hours a month. A percentage of small payments costs far less than a $2,500–3,000 fee.
  • You want developers, designers or other specialists we do not place.
  • You want to choose from a worldwide pool and are happy to screen applicants yourself.

When Stafka fits better

  • You want a long-term, full-time person and no platform fee on every payment.
  • You want English checked in writing and by voice before you spend time on calls.
  • You need hours that overlap with Europe, or US hours covered by an evening shift.
  • You want a free replacement if the hire does not work out within 90 days.

Questions

Is Stafka cheaper than Upwork?

Not on fees alone. Upwork charges up to 7.99% of each payment; our fee is $2,500–3,000 once, on the start day. For a person paid $950 a month, Upwork's fees stay below ours for about 3 years if you pay through Wise. What our fee buys is the screening, three vetted profiles in 5 business days and a free replacement within 90 days.

Can I hire someone I met on Upwork directly?

Yes, but Upwork's terms charge a conversion fee if you move a freelancer you met there off the platform within 24 months: 13.5% of 12 months of estimated earnings, at least $1,000 and at most $50,000.

What roles does Stafka place?

Office, support and finance roles: assistants, customer support, e-commerce, bookkeeping and payroll, HR, recruiting, marketing, sales development and project coordination. For developers, designers or one-off projects, a marketplace like Upwork is the better tool.

Who pays the person, and how?

You do, directly, in US dollars through Deel, Wise or Payoneer. We take nothing from their pay.

What if the hire does not work out?

If it does not work out within 90 days, we find a replacement at no extra fee.

Want to see three profiles first?

Free to request. $2,500–3,000 once, only if you hire.

Request profiles

Other comparisons

Sources

  1. Upwork Client Marketplace Fee: https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/4660220468499-What-is-the-Client-Marketplace-Fee
  2. Upwork User Agreement, sections 7.1 and 7.3: https://www.upwork.com/legal
  3. Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
  4. timeanddate.com, time zone of Kyiv: https://www.timeanddate.com/time/zone/ukraine/kyiv
  5. timeanddate.com, time zone of Almaty: https://www.timeanddate.com/time/zone/kazakstan/almaty
  6. Wise Business pricing (US): https://wise.com/us/pricing/business
  7. Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/
  8. Silkstaff vacancy: executive assistant, monthly pay: https://silkstaff.com/jobs/executive-assistant/

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Data checked 2026-10-16.