Why does nobody talk about how Fiverr's buyer request system is basically a race to the bottom?

So I've been on both platforms for about a year now. Upwork I got a few decent gigs but man the fees are brutal. Fiverr though? I keep seeing people post these $5 gigs for full website builds. I tried the buyer request thing on Fiverr last week and got 47 responses in 10 minutes. How is anyone supposed to stand out when you're competing with people offering to do a logo for $3? I ended up going with Upwork for my last project because I could actually write a proposal and have someone read it. But then Upwork took 20% of my $200 job. So which is worse - wasting time on Fiverr's spam pile or losing a chunk of your check on Upwork? Has anyone found a happy middle ground?

3 comments

3 Comments

michael_williams5d ago

Man, I'd argue the real hidden cost nobody adds up is all the wasted time sorting through lowball offers.

ruby_bell475d ago

Wait wait wait, you mean people are actually sending offers so low it's not even worth your time to read? That's insane to me. Like, are we talking $5 for a custom painting or $20 for a handmade dress that took 8 hours to make? I've seen people brag about scoring deals that cheap and it makes my blood boil. Sorting through that garbage must feel like a second job nobody asked for. Total disrespect for the seller's time, honestly.

danielowens5d ago

Can't believe people are really out here offering $5 on $200 work.