1st priority: Upwork

2nd priority: [Link]

For your business model — full project from scratch to launch — Upwork is better
because it supports more serious project-based work, agency profiles, verified work history,
payment protection, and higher-trust client relationships.

Upwork officially allows an agency profile where you can showcase agency name,
overview, hourly rate, skills, awards, portfolio, team, and verified Upwork performance. That
matches your team model well.

Simple comparison
Area Upwork [Link]

Best for Serious clients, long-term projects, Fast bidding, many small
agency work projects, budget clients

Good for your Yes, better Use as secondary

team?

Competition High Very high

Client quality Usually better Mixed, many low-budget clients

Payment safety Strong Good, but more bidding-style

Agency Stronger Weaker than Upwork

branding

Cost Connects + service fee Project fee after award

Best use Full website, AI integration, Small starter projects and testing
branding + marketing projects offers

Fees you should know

On Upwork, Connects cost $0.15 each, and freelancer service fees range from 0% to 15%
per contract. Upwork also lists payment protection and dispute resolution support as part of
the platform.
On [Link], freelancers usually pay 10% of the project value or $5 USD,
whichever is greater, for fixed-price projects. Hourly projects also have a 10% fee on
payments received.

So [Link] may look easier to start, but the client quality can be more
price-sensitive.

My recommendation for your team

Use Upwork as your main platform.

Use [Link] only as a testing platform.

Your platform strategy should be:

Platform Investment

Upwork 70% effort

[Link] 20% effort

m

LinkedIn 10% effort minimum, but should grow later

Actually, I would still keep LinkedIn active, because full-project agency clients often need
trust before buying.

How to use Upwork properly

Do not apply to random jobs like:

Need website designer​

Need logo​
Need developer​
Need social media manager

Apply to jobs that match your full-service offer:

Need complete website design and development​

Need startup website from scratch​
Need branding and website launch​
Need AI chatbot integrated into website​
Need landing page and marketing funnel​
Need SaaS/web app UI and frontend development

Your proposal should say:

 We are a launch team, not only designers. We can handle branding, UI/UX,
development, AI integration, and launch marketing in one workflow.

How to use [Link] properly

Use [Link] for smaller entry projects, such as:

Service Example

Landing page “Design and develop one-page business website”

UI redesign “Modernize homepage UI”

Branding starter “Logo + brand guideline + landing page”

AI feature “Add chatbot to website”

Marketing setup “Meta Pixel + Google Analytics + lead form setup”

Do not try to win big full-launch projects there at first. Use it to collect reviews and
understand client behavior.

First investment plan

Start with this:

Upwork

Create an agency profile, add team members, add 3 case studies, buy small Connects, and
apply only to high-match jobs.

[Link]

Create a profile, bid on small but clear projects, avoid extremely low-budget clients, and do
not waste time on contests unless the prize is worth it.

Final answer
For your team:

Invest first in Upwork. Keep [Link] as secondary.

Upwork is better for your full-service agency because your offer needs trust, project value,
and long-term client relationships. [Link] can help you get early small projects, but
it should not be your main business platform.
Best platforms for your agency
1. General freelance marketplaces
These are like Upwork and [Link].

Platform Best for Should you use it?

Upwork Serious projects, agency profile, long-term Yes, main platform

clients

[Link] Many small and medium projects, fast bidding Yes, secondary
m

Guru Web, development, admin, business services Maybe

PeoplePerHou Hourly work, small business clients, UK/EU Maybe

r clients

Truelancer Lower-budget international projects Maybe, but not

priority

Upwork should still be your main one because it has strong support for agency profiles and a
big freelance project marketplace. Upwork’s own 2026 list includes platforms like Upwork,
Freelancer, Fiverr, Toptal, Guru, and PeoplePerHour among major freelance websites.

2. Gig-based platforms
These are better for small fixed services.

Platform Best for Should you use

it?

Fiverr Small packages, quick service selling Use carefully

Fiverr Pro Higher-quality service packages Good later

Legiit SEO, marketing, website, small digital services Maybe

SEOClerk SEO and digital marketing micro-services Not priority

Agency directory platforms
These are better when you want to look like a real agency, not only freelancers.

Platform Best for Should you use it?

Clutch B2B agency credibility and reviews Yes, after 2–3

projects

DesignRush Web design, branding, marketing agency Yes, later

listing

GoodFirms Software, app, web agency listing Yes, later

The Manifest Agency directory and business services Maybe

Sortlist Agency matching, marketing/web projects Maybe

Clutch is very relevant for your business because it helps companies discover and compare
B2B service providers, including advertising, marketing, web design, and digital agencies. It
also has Bangladesh-specific digital marketing agency listings, so it can work for local and
international credibility.

But do not start with Clutch first. Use it after you have real testimonials.

4. Premium vetted platforms

These are harder to enter but can bring better clients.

Platform Best for Should you use

it?

Toptal Premium designers, developers, product Good later

managers

Braintrust Tech, product, design, remote work Later

[Link] Developers and remote tech talent Later

[Link] High-level product teams Later

[Link] Software developers Later

Toptal positions itself as an exclusive network for top developers, designers, marketing
experts, product managers, and project managers. This is not the easiest place for a
first-time team, but later it can be valuable if your team becomes strong.
5. Portfolio and direct-client platforms
These are very important for UI/UX, branding, and web design.

Platform Best for Should you use it?

LinkedIn Business owners, founders, B2B clients Must use

Behance Visual portfolio and UI/UX case studies Must use

Dribbble UI visuals, branding, creative work Good

Contra Modern freelance profile, creative Good

services

Instagram Branding, design, local business visibility Good

Facebook Local clients, small businesses Good in

Groups Bangladesh
For your full-service team (UI/UX + Web Dev + AI Integration + Digital Marketing +
Branding), here are the most suitable freelance marketplaces in 2026.

Top Recommendations (Prioritized for Efficiency & Lower Competition)

Platform Best For Competiti Efficiency Fees Where to Verdict
Your on Level for Full Spend
Team Projects Money

Upwork Full High High Up to Freelance Best

end-to-end overall, (proposals 15% r Plus starting
projects, medium in , (sliding) (~$20/mo point –
long-term specialize hourly/fixe for Highest
clients, d d, connects, volume
foreign AI/full-stac contracts) insights, of
(US/EU) k 0% on quality
direct foreign
contracts) clients

[Link] (or Vetted Low (strict Very High Platform Time on Excellen
similar tech + AI + vetting) (they margin application t for
vetted: web match (you get + strong higher
[Link], projects you) good portfolio rates &
Toptal) rates) better
clients

Fiverr (Pro) Packaged High for Medium-Hi 20% Promoted Good for
full-service basic, gh gigs, Fiverr quick
gigs, lower for (gig-based Pro wins &
branding + Pro/AI ) building
marketing bundles reviews
bundles

Contra Commissio Low-Medi High 0% Optional Strong

n-free full um (portfolio + commissi boosts for
projects, (curated direct) on keeping
creative + feel) more
tech earnings

Freelancer.c Bidding on High but Medium ~10% Contests/b Seconda

om full sometimes ids ry option
projects less
crowded
than
Upwork
Why These & Strategy for Low Competition

●​ Upwork remains the king for volume and foreign clients (US, EU, Australia, etc.).
Full-project categories like "Web Development," "AI/ML," "Digital Marketing Strategy,"
and "Branding" have steady demand. Competition is fierce in general gigs, but lower
in niche full-service proposals (e.g., "AI-powered web app with branding & launch
marketing"). Use their AI assistant (Uma) for proposals.
●​ Vetted platforms like [Link], [Link], Toptal — Lower competition because of
screening (acceptance ~2-10%). They attract serious startups needing full-stack + AI.
Rates are higher ($50-150+/hr). Apply with a strong portfolio showing complete
projects.
●​ Niche/curated (Contra, PeoplePerHour, specialized boards) offer less noise and
better client quality.
●​ Avoid over-saturated pure bidding wars; position as a full-service team/agency for
end-to-end projects — this differentiates you.

Where to Spend Money Wisely (Prioritize ROI)

1.​ Upwork Freelancer Plus (~$20/month) — Worth it once active (100 connects,
insights, better visibility). Start without it, upgrade after 10-20 proposals.
2.​ Strong Portfolio & Profile — Invest in professional case studies, video
walkthroughs, testimonials. This is your highest-ROI "spend."
3.​ Promoted Gigs/Proposals — On Fiverr/Upwork, selective boosting for
high-potential services.
4.​ Personal Website + LinkedIn — Build your own site (showcase full projects) and
use it to drive inbound. Low ongoing cost, high long-term value.
5.​ Avoid — Heavy ad spends early; focus on organic profile optimization first.

Actionable Launch Plan

1.​ Week 1-2: Optimize profiles on Upwork + Fiverr + Contra. Create 3-5 service
packages (e.g., "MVP Web App with AI Features + Branding & Marketing Launch" —
$3k-$15k+).
2.​ Apply to vetted — [Link], [Link] (prepare for technical/soft skills interviews).
3.​ Proposals: Customize every one. Highlight end-to-end capability (one team
handles everything — big selling point for clients).
4.​ Niche down initially — e.g., AI web apps for e-commerce, SaaS MVPs, or specific
industries to reduce competition.
5.​ Track & Iterate — Aim for 10-20 proposals/week on Upwork. Build reviews fast with
smaller gigs, then move to full projects.

Long-term tip: Combine platforms (Upwork for volume + vetted for quality + your own
site/LinkedIn for direct high-value clients). Many successful teams use 2-3 platforms while
building their brand.

Your team’s full-stack strength (development + marketing + branding) is a major advantage

— most freelancers are specialists. Market yourselves as a reliable one-stop solution for
foreign clients who hate managing multiple people.
Start with Upwork + profile optimization, and let me know if you want help with:

●​ Profile/bio templates
●​ Proposal examples
●​ Service package pricing
●​ Portfolio structure

🚀
We can build this step-by-step. What's your first priority platform or service to launch? Let's
get you those foreign projects!