SolidGigs
Cost: 14-day free trial, then $35/month or $350/year.
Model: curated external opportunities.
Freelance platform comparison · Last checked September 4, 2026 · Refresh due October 4, 2026
SolidGigs vs Workana: external lead curation or an escrow-backed project marketplace?
Choose SolidGigs when finding external opportunities is the bottleneck and you already run your own client workflow. Choose Workana when you want proposals, project contracts, fixed-project guarantee deposits and mediation/arbitration inside a marketplace.
AlreadyChecked Verdict
No universal winner: choose external lead curation or an escrow-backed project marketplace.
SolidGigs fits freelancers who already run their own client workflow and mainly need more external opportunities. Workana fits freelancers who value proposals, project contracts, guarantee deposits/escrow and arbitration inside one marketplace and accept approval, commission, withdrawal and relationship rules.
Best for you if… you decide whether external discovery or marketplace transaction protection solves the more important constraint in your freelance workflow.
| Choice | Best for | Current cost | Biggest advantage | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| External discovery SolidGigs | Freelancers who already manage contracts and payments and want more external opportunities. | $35/month or $350/year after a 14-day free trial. | Fixed-cost external opportunity curation without a marketplace commission on earnings. | Downstream contracts, payment and dispute protection depend on the original source or client. |
| Escrow marketplace Workana | Freelancers who want proposals, project contracts, guarantee deposits and arbitration inside one marketplace. | Profile creation and proposals are free subject to approval; freelancer commission is currently 20% through $300 paid by that client, 10% from $301–$3,000, then 5% above $3,000. | Marketplace project, escrow/guarantee-deposit and dispute infrastructure. | Profile approval, scheduled withdrawals, security-review delays and a 2-year off-platform relationship rule can materially affect fit. |
Research receipt
SolidGigs price/model checked
Workana commission tiers checked
Profile-approval boundary checked
Escrow/arbitration checked
Withdrawal/relationship rules checked
Commercial custody checked
Checked September 4, 2026. This receipt summarizes evidence already present on this page; it is not an A✓/CHECKED automated-verification badge.
No universal winner. Workana’s freelancer commission changes with cumulative payments from the same client, so $35 versus “20%” is not a universal break-even answer.
Trust boundary: This is a manually researched editorial comparison. It is not an A✓/CHECKED automated verification record and carries no A✓/CHECKED approval badge. This support page contains no direct merchant affiliate destination.
At a glance
Workana
Entry: profile creation and proposals are free, subject to profile approval.
Freelancer commission: 20% through $300 paid by that client, 10% from $301–$3,000, then 5% above $3,000.
Free proposals do not mean instant access or fee-free work
Workana requires freelancer profile approval. Fresh moderation guidance says the standard pending queue can run roughly 15–30 days and openings in a specialty can affect approval. Paid plan benefits do not guarantee approval, work, replies or earnings.
The commission falls with the client relationship
Current public help describes freelancer commission as 20% through $300 paid by that client, 10% from $301 through $3,000, and 5% above $3,000. Fixed, hourly, extensions and direct-hire payments can contribute to the relationship total. Do not apply the 5% tier to a brand-new client.
Workana uses escrow—but escrow is not universal guaranteed payment
Covered fixed-price/direct-hire flows use a guarantee deposit / escrow. If a dispute reaches arbitration, Workana can decide what percentage belongs to the freelancer and what returns to the client. That is payment infrastructure, not a promise that every disputed project pays the freelancer 100%.
Arbitration protection depends on keeping evidence inside Workana
Fresh August 31 guidance says agreements, scope changes, communication and deliverables must stay in the official Workana project chat. External WhatsApp, email or outside work records do not preserve the same platform protection, and exchanging outside contact details can cost arbitration rights.
Security review can still delay or reverse funds
Workana’s fresh security policy says it can request documents, temporarily limit account functions, retain or delay fund release and reverse transactions during security or compliance review. Escrow and verification therefore should not be described as immunity from fraud review.
Withdrawals are scheduled, not universally instant
Current withdrawal help lists PayPal or Payoneer depending on country. The free standard cycle processes between the 1st and 5th of the month, and Payoneer currently requires at least $30 accumulated balance. Paid plans can increase withdrawal frequency.
Current Workana documentation conflict: the September 1 Benefits article says Professional includes Wednesday withdrawals, while the August 31 withdrawal article says weekly Wednesday processing is only for Explorer or Master. We therefore do not claim one exact weekly-plan threshold as settled.
A Workana-origin relationship is not freely portable off-platform
Fresh policy states a 2-year exclusivity rule from completion of the last shared project. A client can request voluntary exclusion and, once authorized after payment, take the relationship outside Workana. The current client-paid fee is the greatest of $2,500, 15% of expected future work, or the specified first-24-month commission-plus-interest calculation.
Which fits you?
I already manage contracts and payments
SolidGigs fits better when you mainly need external opportunity discovery.
I want marketplace escrow and disputes handled on-platform
Workana fits better when that infrastructure is worth commissions, moderation and relationship restrictions.
I expect repeat clients
Workana’s commission can fall as cumulative payments from the same client cross the current thresholds. Model actual repeat-client economics.
I need unrestricted off-platform relationships
Workana is a weaker fit because current policy imposes the 2-year exclusivity rule unless the client completes voluntary exclusion.
Sources checked
- SolidGigs service/pricing
- SolidGigs Terms
- Workana commission
- Workana arbitration
- Workana withdrawals
- Workana off-platform rules
- Workana voluntary exclusion
SolidGigs fit? Our complete SolidGigs review contains the governed commercial handoff.
Publication status: Last checked September 4, 2026. Refresh due October 4, 2026. Workana fees, plan benefits, escrow and relationship policies can change. Production deployment remains separately unproven under issue #369.