⚠ Significant Concerns
Fiverr's dispute process heavily favors buyers. Sellers report that order cancellations are granted with minimal evidence, damaging seller metrics and resulting in unpaid work. The combination of high fees and buyer-favorable policies creates an unbalanced marketplace.
Score Breakdown by Category
How Fiverr's terms rate across my evaluation categories.
Why this score: Fiverr takes a flat 20% commission on every order per Payments Terms Section 4—no volume discount ever. Add the 14-day clearance period before withdrawal (Section 5.1), plus additional withdrawal fees ($1-$3 depending on method). A $100 order nets approximately $78-79 after all fees.
Industry comparison: Upwork: 40/100 (sliding 5-20%, rewards loyalty) | Toptal: 55/100 (transparent rates) | Freelancer: 32/100 (10% + contest fees) | Category avg: 39/100
Why this score: Fiverr's dispute process heavily favors buyers. The r/Fiverr subreddit documents numerous cases of cancellations granted with minimal evidence. Per Section 7, Customer Support has broad discretion to refund buyers. Cancellations damage your completion rate and search ranking, regardless of fault.
Industry comparison: Toptal: 60/100 (professional clients, direct resolution) | Upwork: 45/100 (mediation + evidence-based) | Freelancer: 35/100 (milestone disputes common) | Category avg: 42/100
Why this score: IP transfers to buyer upon completed delivery per Section 6.4. Fiverr claims a broad license to display your work in marketing materials (Section 9). Gig packages define scope, but revisions included in packages can be exploited for scope creep. Commercial use rights typically included by default.
Industry comparison: Toptal: 58/100 (custom contracts available) | Upwork: 45/100 (custom terms possible) | Freelancer: 38/100 (contest IP unclear) | Category avg: 45/100
Why this score: The monthly level evaluation system (New, Level 1, Level 2, Top Rated) per Seller Standards can demote you based on metrics beyond your control. Account suspension triggers include: response rate drops, cancellation rate increases, or "Community Standards" violations (broadly defined). Years of progress can vanish with a few problematic orders.
Industry comparison: Toptal: 52/100 (stable once vetted) | Upwork: 38/100 (JSS algorithm, suspensions) | Freelancer: 30/100 (arbitrary restrictions) | Category avg: 39/100
Why this score: Limited protections exist: order requirements feature helps define scope, revision limits can be set, and Custom Offers allow upfront pricing. However, no protection against bad-faith buyers—cancellation requests are often approved regardless of seller evidence. Review manipulation is prohibited but enforcement is inconsistent.
Industry comparison: Toptal: 65/100 (vetted clients, professional environment) | Upwork: 48/100 (Payment Protection for hourly) | Freelancer: 35/100 (milestone escrow only) | Category avg: 48/100
Analysis