Freelancing is an incredible and a popular activity  at this time and age. In fact there are over 1.1 billion people who engage in freelance work across the globe. As cumbersome as this figure may look, getting into the freelance world is not a simple walk around. Not only are there many people in serious search for freelance opportunities, thereby raising lots of competition, there are also certain skills you ought to have acquired.

The Question is: What is a Freelance Job? (Meaning of Freelancing)

Generally Speaking, a freelancer is a person who works for themselves from the very comfort of their home without any form of formal employment to an organization or individual. A freelancer may belong to an agency, get work from several  convincing word-of-mouth recommendations or join a job website to search for jobs.

The most Popular and Common fields that freelancers work in Are: web and graphic design, writing, film and media production, software development, Web development, translation and several others.

Since the advent of the internet and it is the largest avenue a freelancer or freelancers use to rate gurus, We will be focusing  on the best freelance websites according to your skills and location in this fine piece; the most sorted skills for freelance jobs in 2021 amongst several others.

Top 20 Best Freelance Job Websites in 2021 & how to Get Remote Freelance Jobs in 2021

Mean While there are several other websites that list free jobs irrespective of the category they fall, there are some that out rightly post certain job fields and there are others that post on others. Whatever skill set you have or career field you are in, Either of the following Top 20 Best Freelancing Job Websites In 2021 will serve your purpose.

Websites To Find General Freelance Jobs

1 Indeed

Indeed is undoubtedly one the largest job website in Across the globe. Indeed has over 250 million visitors a month. It is the perfect place to look up and place freelance jobs.

2. Freelancer

Freelancer has over 48 million active users, Freelancer is one of the largest job directories for freelance jobs, which includes: web developers, graphic designers and several more. One of the key market strategy of Freelancer is affordability.

3. Upwork

This website functions widely than freelancer. The website fends for large numbers of freelancers. All you need to do is sign up for a category that you are best geared up for and if you are a business owner, you can easily look up any freelancer you want to render their services to you.

Upwork ensures a secure financial transactions between freelancers and customers, thereby improving a healthy business transaction.

4. Flex Jobs

flexibility is one assured process this website offers just as the name implies. They have over 50 career categories, which creates at least something for someone. The freelance job openings are listed from a large pool and as such, you would almost always find something to apply for.

5. Fiverr

Fiver is one the widely acceptable and popular freelancing job websites across the globe. The website takes inclusiveness to a new level by incorporating different price points, which means you can find freelancers that would provide services for several of your budget. The procurement process is also fast-paced and payment is likewise secure .

6. Guru

Another top freelancing website is Guru. With many categories and subcategories, the website has a wide range of services and freelancers willing to offer them. It also provides payment calculations services as well safe payment options.

7. Toptal

One thing Toptal offers that is different from the wide range of freelancing websites, payment management and so on is exclusivity. With industry experts recruited by Toptal, freelancers you request for will be hand picked  to ensure satisfactory and topnotch service.

8. Simply Hired

Simply hired is a platform for freelancers that offers tailored job search, salary estimation and several others. If you are a freelancer that signs up on it, you would be applying on a platform that largely fends for your skill set.

9. People Per Hour

This is an easy to use Freelance Job website which has the most self-explanatory name. It has a work history section that gives those hiring an idea of your skills, work rate and dependability.

10.LinkedIn

Linkedin is one of the most popular freelance job websites in the world. LinkedIn allows you search for job openings, build relationships, expand your network, stay connected with colleagues, read up career and world news, and share industry trends and information. There is an abundance of freelance job on LinkedIn. Build an intriguing and topnotch Profile to help increase your job search.

11. Remotive

Remotive has several freelance Gigs in lots of categories which includes: education, engineering, HR, marketing, sales, product, and customer support.

Once you register and verified as a freelancer, you will be notified of openings in fields you qualified for.

12. Twine

Twine is a freelance job board where freelancers are matched with clients seeking their help for projects in exchange for a fee.

With over 350,000 freelancers, Twine runs a veritable hiring system that includes payment protection and quality assurance.

13. Solidgigs

Solidgigs is one of the leading freelance websites. This is due to their hand-picked freelance pros that are updated daily. Their Modus Operandi is to put forward the best 1% of freelance openings carefully searched by the solidgigs teams.

14. Golance

goLance is a primarily freelance job board. To use the website, you will upload your project on it and a list of freelancers that match your description will be provided. As a freelancer, you can personalize your search by sifting through categories and using keywords that would make you noticeable.

15. Genuinejobs

Genuine Jobs is an international job platform that offers both full-time and part-time jobs as well as remote on-site ones. It especially lists many freelance openings frequently.

List Of Top 20 Best Freelancing Job Websites In 2021 To Get Freelance Jobs That Sooths Your Skill set.

If you are interested in skill-specific freelance websites, below is an extensive list of them.

Freelance Jobs For Software Developers 

16. Valily

Valily is a platform primarily for the software industry. A wide range of IT professionals provide services ranging from graphic designing, software engineering, CSS, project management, open-source software, social media and son on.

17. StackOverflow

Stack Overflow is a meeting place for developers. It is not surprising that there are various developer job openings, from data engineering to C# Senior Developers (both full and part-time).

All you need do is register, upload your portfolio and enter your desired keywords ( to boost your chances). Since it is a standard job board, the openings tend to follow suit.

18.Codepen

CodePen is a platform aimed at matching front-end developers and designers that to organizations recruiting professionals for their services in both remote and location-based jobs.

19. Krop

If you have been paying close attention, you would notice that a large number of freelance websites provide for tech talents. Krop is one of them. Here, you can access many  website templates, creative portfolios, and tech jobs such as software development, graphic designing, data analysis, data mining and so on.

20. Dice

Dice is freelancing Dice offers personalized job openings in tech by tailoring the openings to your skill set, location and pay rate. In addition, it also offers a free Dice profile that gives an insight into career trends and suggests ways to add to your skill set.

Things You Need Know To Get Started As a Freelancer

Even if you have zero experience or knowledge in freelancing, here are a few guide to go about it before you get Started.

1: Check Genuinely whether freelancing is for you or Not.

There is an excitement that comes with freelancing which enables you get to work at your own time; there is flexibility that comes with it knowing that you’re not permanently signed to anyone or organization. Although these points (and others) sounds great, bear in mind that there are also downsides to it. Which are

What if you go through a dry season? What if you can’t do with out an on-site work and direct supervision? You should weigh both sides of the freelance scale to see if it truly your thing.

2: Locate a platform

Although there are Numerous Freelancing job websites out there but Not all the platform would cater for you or skill set. Be thorough and judicious in researching what website would work best for you.

3: Have well Built your profile

There are lot Freelance jobs which are increasingly getting popular and it comes with lots of competition for openings, therefore in this regard you need to build an outstanding profile that speaks positively on the sites. include keywords, use a professional picture.

4: Create a perfect portfolio

Build your portfolio to a top notch level that will draw clients to you while assuring them of your efficiency & reliability.

5: Set your price

You should be flexible with your fees to an extent, it is advisable to a have a standard rate card. It makes you appear professional and guides clients in their negotiations with you.

6: Search for work

Finding freelance gurus online by signing up on websites, building your profile and uploading your portfolio is key but the traditional recommendation model is not out-of-style, either. Explore both to improve your chances.

7: Keep a Healthy client relationship

There’s nothing like having a satisfied client or customer  return. They also become loyal to your services, Not only does it help create a relatively steady source of income, it is also a proof of your skillfulness and professionalism. Be friendly, focus, reliable and professional. Execute the projects you are assigned to efficiently and turn them in swiftly to build trust and relationships with them.

 Top Popular demand Freelance Skills 

There are certain skills that are highly demanded for freelance workers in 2021. They are:

• Graphic Design
• Content Writing
• Social Media Management
• Virtual Assistant
• Sales Acquisition
• Blockchain
• Video Production
• Excel management
• Accounting/Bookkeeping
• Digital Marketing
• Software Development
• Web Development/Design

Best Freelancing Websites for Nigerians

Have you ever dreamt of making money online? then freelancing is the best way to make your dream a reality. Freelancing makes online money making a lot easier, all you have to do is:

• Find out the solution you would like to proffer through your Skill set.
• Locate people that need your skills.
• Get the job.
• Then, Get paid.

The fun thing about freelancing is that you can achieve everything just from the comfort of your home with Ease. Isn’t that cool/Good?

In this section, we are going to look at two major things:

1. 3 Factors to consider before choosing a freelance website in Nigeria.
2. Best 2 Freelance websites that accept and pay Nigerians in 2021.

 Below are Factors to consider before choosing a freelance website in Nigeria  

There are lots of freelancing websites to get jobs, which we have taken out time to outline some of the best 20 freelance jobs websites. One thing is to find a freelance websites that works best for you.

1. Security

When it comes to choosing a freelance job website, security is the major challenge you should keep in Mind. When people talk about freelance job websites security, all they want to know is if they will get paid after doing the job. Of course, money is important.

Why should you take security seriously as a freelancer?

It is good to take security seriously as a freelancer because there are scammers everywhere. It is possible for a client to register on a platform, buy your gig or offer you a job, you finish the job, then the client closes its account on that platform just to avoid paying you.

To prevent this from happening, you have to make sure the freelance website have a secured system that will prevent this situation from happening.

Some websites set-up something called escrow. With escrow, clients are required to pay the full money of the project into the escrow account of the freelancing website before the freelancer starts working on the project.

As soon as the project is complete, the freelancer will ask the client to approve the job then the freelancing website will send payment.

2. Trustworthiness

Another important factor to consider before choosing a freelancing website is the website’s reputation. You should consider picking a website that has built its credibility over the years.

It really makes sense to think that for a website to have built a positive reputation over the years, then they must be getting something right that others are not aware of or getting wrong.

3. Connection of clients and freelancers

Another important factor to consider before choosing a freelance website is the connection between clients and freelancers. Since you want to eventually get money, then you have to consider the volume of clients using the platform to hire freelancers.

So you have to consider how popular the website is among clients that hire freelancers online. You also have to consider how many freelancers are using the platform to get jobs. The truth is; if a freelance website is not popular among freelancers, then there must be something they are not doing right.

There are many freelance websites, but the goal of this section is to help you choose the one that works best for you as a Nigerian.

Best Freelance websites that accept and pay Nigerians in 2021

When it comes to making money online, freelancing is one of the surest ways to do that. Just like we said earlier, there are lots of factors you will have to consider if you want to make money, especially as a Nigerian freelancer.

If you are an aspiring Nigerian freelancer, then you would have to consider the following questions to choose the website that is right for you:

• Do they accept Nigerians on the freelance website?
• Do I need to pay to get registered as a Nigerian freelancer?
• How easy is it for me to get paid as a Nigerian?

As a result of some “negative reputation” that Nigeria has especially internationally, you have to critically ask yourself some questions before registering on any freelance website. The questions above are some of the most asked questions among Nigerians online.

From the experience of my friends that are freelancers, research on online communities, and even from my own experience I have come up with this conclusion; “Every freelancer or aspiring freelancer simply needs a freelancing website that is perfect for them”.

I have worked, researched and been with people that have worked with a good number of the freelance websites that are listed above. From my experience, research and the experience of others I have come up with the best 2 freelance websites that work best for Nigerians.

In no particular order, these are the best 2 freelance websites that accept and pay Nigerians:

1. UpWork
2. Fiverr