The short version
The short version: Fiverr takes 20% of every order from the freelancer. Open Lance takes 0% for Ultra members, which is $20 a month, and 5% for standard accounts. Fiverr is built around fixed gigs that buyers come to you for. Open Lance lets you both list ready-made services and actively bid on posted work, gives you four ways to work, and clears your money in a fraction of the time. Here is how they compare.
| Open Lance | Fiverr | |
|---|---|---|
| Commission on earnings | 0% on Ultra ($20/month), 5% standard | 20% of every order |
| How you get work | List Drop-Ins and bid on posted jobs | List gigs, buyers come to you |
| Cost to apply | Flat $1 per bid | No bidding, gig listings are free |
| Ways to work | Fixed-price, hourly, monthly retainer, Drop-Ins | Mostly fixed-price gigs |
| When you can withdraw | Instant release after a short cool-off | Funds clear 14 days after completion, 7 for Top Rated |
| Bring your existing stats | Yes, from Fiverr, Upwork, and others | No, levels stay on Fiverr |
| Payment protection | Escrow with milestone release | Order-based, funds held then cleared |
Fees cited are Fiverr's published rates at the time of writing. Always check a platform's current terms.
Commission: the 20% question
Fiverr takes 20% of every order. On a $1,000 order the freelancer keeps $800. On Open Lance an Ultra member keeps the full $1,000 and a standard member keeps $950. That 20% cut is the single biggest difference between the two, and it comes out of the freelancer's pay on every job, not just the big ones.
How you get work: gigs plus bidding
Fiverr is a storefront. You list gigs and wait for buyers to find you, which works well once you rank but is slow when you are new. Open Lance gives you both sides. You can list ready-made services as Drop-Ins, the same idea as a gig, and you can also bid on jobs that clients post, so you are not only waiting to be found. Bidding is a flat $1 per proposal.
Four ways to work, one platform
Most platforms give you one or two ways to engage. Open Lance gives you four, so the model fits the work instead of forcing the work to fit the model:
- Fixed-price projects, paid by milestone.
- Hourly contracts, with a tracked work diary so hours are clear on both sides.
- Monthly retainers, for ongoing work at a set monthly rate.
- Drop-Ins, ready-made services a client can buy directly, with no back-and-forth needed.
You can list a productized service, take on an hourly contract, and hold a monthly retainer without ever leaving the platform.
Bring your track record with you
Starting on a new platform usually means starting from zero. Open Lance does not work that way. You can bring your stats from Upwork, Fiverr, and other platforms into your Open Lance profile, and they count toward your standing here, your rank and your talent level, not just a line in your bio. Your remote work journey is portable, so the reputation you already earned keeps working for you instead of being locked to one site.
Getting paid, and protected on both sides
This is where the gap is widest. On Fiverr your money clears 14 days after an order is marked complete, or 7 days if you are a Top Rated Seller. For anyone living on freelance income, waiting two weeks for every payment is the difference between steady cash flow and always playing catch up.
Escrow is the starting point, not the whole story. On hourly work, Open Lance protects the freelancer and the client at the same time.
For the freelancer: the client funds a weekly buffer in advance. Your hours go into a weekly work diary, and once that week is settled you are paid for the work you logged, even if the client goes quiet afterward. You are not left chasing an unresponsive client for money you already earned.
For the client: a freelancer can never add hours you have not approved. There is no runaway billing and no surprise invoice at the end of the week. You only pay for the hours you agreed to, and the weekly buffer is the ceiling, not a blank cheque.
And when it is time to withdraw, you do not sit through a fixed hold every single week. Once a short cool-off period passes and the client agrees, funds can be released instantly. On fixed-price work the same idea applies through milestones: fund, approve, release, with instant release available once the cool-off clears.
Hiring: what clients pay
Open Lance is free to hire. You post the work and hire without a marketplace fee added on top. You see any transparent fees before you commit, and Open Lance never takes a hidden cut of your escrow.
Who each is best for
Fiverr has enormous buyer traffic and a simple gig model, so it can suit someone selling a productized service who wants that volume and does not mind the 20% cut or the wait to withdraw. Open Lance suits freelancers who want to keep far more of each order, get paid faster, work more than one way, and bring their reputation with them.
Where Fiverr may still fit
Fiverr's buyer traffic is large and its gig format is genuinely easy to start with. If you have a highly productized service and a strong Fiverr ranking already, that traffic has real value today. Open Lance is newer, so its buyer volume is still growing, though you can list the same services as Drop-Ins and keep far more of what you earn.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Open Lance take compared to Fiverr?
- Fiverr takes 20% of every order. Open Lance takes 0% on Ultra ($20/month) or 5% standard.
- How fast do I get paid versus Fiverr?
- Fiverr clears funds 14 days after completion, or 7 days for Top Rated Sellers. Open Lance can release instantly after a short cool-off, if the client agrees.
- Can I sell ready-made services like Fiverr gigs?
- Yes. Open Lance has Drop-Ins, ready-made services clients buy directly, and you can also bid on posted jobs.
- Can I bring my Fiverr level or reviews?
- You can bring your stats into your Open Lance profile, and they count toward your rank and talent level here.
- Is it free to list a service?
- Yes. Listing a Drop-In is free. Bidding on posted jobs is a flat $1 per bid.