Both platforms help you find freelancers. But they're built for very different situations. Here's an honest breakdown.

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Upwork is the default answer when people Google "how to hire a virtual assistant." It's huge, it's established, and it has millions of freelancers. So why would you look anywhere else?

Because big doesn't mean right for everyone. Here's how the two platforms actually compare for founders and small business owners specifically.

Cost structure

Upwork charges clients a 5% service fee on all payments. Freelancers also pay a fee (up to 20% on early earnings with a client), which means many freelancers price their rates higher to compensate. What looks like a $15/hr rate often costs more once fees are calculated and the freelancer's effective cut is factored in.

Delegatoo charges a flat $9/month subscription. No commissions, no percentage fees, no per-hire charges. You pay the VA directly, off-platform, at whatever rate you agree on.

Scale and noise

Upwork is massive. That's genuinely useful if you need a specialist — a specific niche developer, a translator for a rare language, an industry-specific consultant. But for VA work, the volume of applicants can be overwhelming. Posting a job can return 50–100 proposals within 24 hours, and sorting them is a job in itself.

Delegatoo is smaller and intentionally focused on VA work. The directory is curated — every profile is reviewed before it's listed. You browse at your own pace instead of managing a flood of applications.

Upwork gives you volume. Delegatoo gives you signal. For founders who don't have time to sift, that distinction matters.

Control and relationship

Upwork manages the payment relationship and keeps the work history, contracts, and reviews inside its system. That's protection — but also lock-in. If you want to hire the same person off-platform eventually, there are rules around that.

Delegatoo connects you and then steps back. Once you find a VA you like, you work with them however makes sense. No contracts through the platform, no payment routing, no exit fees.

Which one is right for you?

Use Upwork if you need a specialist skill, one-time project, or want the security of a managed payment system with dispute resolution.

Use Delegatoo if you're a founder or small team looking for ongoing VA support, want to build a direct working relationship, and don't want to pay platform fees every time you pay someone.