32 Effective Remote Job Websites To Land Your First Freelancing Gig

The concept of being location independent and making money online has always appealed to me.

I don’t hate working 9-5 in the office, but I am going to start working remotely soon so I can spend more time with family and also get some travelling done.

Thanks to technology and corporations warming up to the concept of working nomads, it’s actually becoming more feasible for people in a variety of fields to find remote jobs. In fact, as of 2019, 66% of companies allow remote work according to a study by Remote.co.

If you have ever wanted to ditch the office and turn to a work from home job to sustain yourself, you need to check out this list of the top remote job websites!

1. Working Nomads

If being a digital nomad sounds like a dream come true to you, Working Nomads is hands down the job board you need to be looking at.

Working Nomads curates 100% remote jobs that can be done from anywhere on earth, with thousands of jobs currently listed under a variety of fields. Some of the most popular industries on Working Nomads include development, marketing, design, freelance writing, and management.

Setting job alerts or applying to jobs is very straightforward, and Working Nomads is definitely a great place to start in your job hunt!

2. Flex Jobs

Flex Jobs is a well-known platform, and offers plenty of full and part-time opportunities for freelancers in many industries.

If you’re looking for a website that has sheer volume in terms of the job listings, Flex Jobs is it. The website was created in 2007 and currently hosts over 37,000 job listings for over 50 categories, showcasing companies from around the world that are looking for telecommuters.

Now, Flex Jobs does charge a membership fee of $14.95/month or $49.95/year, but the price is worth it if you are serious about being a working nomad.

A Flex Job subscription unlocks the entire job board, email alerts, and the ability to create a personalized profile that lists your skills, experience, and resume.

3. Remote OK

If you want a simple but straightforward remote job website, Remote OK is a great contender to add to your list.

Remote OK states it is the #1 remote job board in the world that is trusted by 1,000,000+ digital nomads and freelancers, and the site is certainly packed with companies looking for fresh talent. It also costs $299 to post a job on Remote OK, which I find immensely appealing from the freelancer side of things…you won’t be getting any spam or low-baller job offers if you apply through Remote OK.

You can also signup for a daily or weekly report of new jobs on Remote OK, so this is a nice feature to stay on top of new companies that are looking to hire.

4. Jobspresso

With more than 10,000+ freelancers on the platform, Jobspresso is one of the leading job boards for digital nomads and anyone looking to escape the office.

Jobspresso hosts job offers in a variety of industries such as tech, marketing, and customer support, and many major companies work with the website; Shopify, Stripe, WordPress, and Indeed.com are just a few that I noticed when browsing.

Like Remote OK, it costs $249 to post a job for 90 days on Jobspresso, so the quality is certainly there.

Jobspresso is free for freelancers, and you can even upload a resume to your profile page to stand out to potential employers.

5. Remotey

While Remotey might only post 5-15 jobs a day, this is still a reputable remote job site that offers ample opportunity to find work.

Remotey lists ‘vacancies’ for companies that are solely looking for telecommuters, covering industries like sales, IT, human resources, and customer service. Remotey primarily serves the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia, so keep this in mind when considering your eligibility to work for foreign companies.

As a plus, Remotey offers a mixture of full and part-time work, so this can be a great way to generate extra income if you can’t commit to 40 hours a week.

6. Solid Gigs

If you want to land a contract job instead of a full-time position, you need to check out Solid Gigs.

Solid Gigs is a membership based platform that curates the top remote contract jobs and sends them right to your inbox. No need to waste time searching hundreds of sites or replying to terrible leads!

If you want to get the top 1% of freelance gigs sent to your inbox everyday, this is the best way to accomplish that. Solid Gigs costs $2 for your first month and $19 every month afterwards, so it’s definitely worth trying out for at least 30 days!

7. Remotive

Remotive is another robust job board where you can find your usual array of remote jobs: IT, marketing, customer support, and development offers are aplenty.

Unlike other websites that may charge mothly fees, Remotive is a one time payment of $99.

This fee unlocks all features of the job board, and it also grants access to the Remotive community, which is a hub of informative webinars, resources, and friendly digital nomads who can lend a helping hand and offer advice.

8. HubStaff Talent

Hubstaff Talent is a mix between LinkedIn and a freelance job board, but it’s a great way to become a freelancer if you’re relatively new to this type of work.

On Hubstaff Talent, users can create profiles and access a healthy job board where many major companies look for talent.

Hubstagg Talent is free to use, and currently lists more than 600 jobs across 195 countries!

9. CloudPeeps

CloudPeeps is an excellent option for freelancers with some experience to expand their network. Rather than endlessly searching through job listings, CloudPeeps focuses on having employers seek out the right person to fill their open roles.

Joining CloudPeeps is similar to creating a profile on Upwork, although this platform doesn’t accept everyone who applies. If you already have a portfolio under your belt, you might find that CloudPeeps is one of the best freelance websites around.

Just note that CloudPeeps has monthly plans ranging from $0-$29/month, and there is also a 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee on transactions.

10. We Work Remotely

We Work Remotely is one of the largest remote job sites according to their website, and hosts a variety of listings for freelancers working in programming, design, finance, copywriting, and much more.

Posting a job to We Work Remotely costs employers $299, so you’ll find the same level of quality in job posts as you would with other premium freelance websites. Members of We Work Remotely also gain access to some nifty community resources, like this list of the top 100 remote companies that are hiring, a slack group, and a job RSS feed.

11. Remote.Co

While Remote.co isn’t the largest player in the freelance website space, it’s still a robust platform that receives plenty of job postings every day. Jobs are organized into easy to use categories, and timestamps are included (so you can truly know if you are one of the first applicants in the pool).

Remote.co works with many major companies, and their blog hosts plenty of informative articles that can assist people on their path to becoming a freelancer.

12. Skip The Drive

If you’re a fan of filtering out job results and receiving curated emails to assist you in your job hunt, Skip The Drive might be a perfect fit.

Remote jobs are organized into categories, and the internal search engine on Skip The Drive makes finding your dream job that much easier. Additionally, the platform is free to use, and offers both full and part-time listings. Jobs are also syndicated from other major job boards like ZipRecruiter, so you won’t have an issue with volume.

13. Virtual Vocations

With over 680 jobs added every day and 18,000+ companies/job boards searched for curation, Virtual Vocations is a great tool for anyone looking for freelance work or full time employment.

Virtual Vocations offers a ‘freemium’ model. Free members can browse and apply for some jobs, but paid members gain features such as unrestricted access, email alerts, online courses to help with securing a job, and the ability to create a profile/upload a resume. Virtual Vocations costs $15.99/month, or $59.99/year.

14. Angel List

If you want to find remote work at a startup, Angel List in the website to turn to.

Angel List isn’t explicitly for people looking to become a freelancer, and the platform has plenty of in-office jobs. However, many startups aren’t afraid of hiring telecommuters, and Angel List has an impressive array of companies to choose from.

Users can also see salary and possible equity information upfront when applying for jobs, and you can apply privately to job postings without other employers knowing.

15. Outsourcely

Speaking of startups, Outsourcely is another resource you can use to find full-time freelance work with startups.

Creating a profile on Outsourcely is free, and you can craft the perfect freelancer profile to attract interest or apply directly to job postings. Additionally, payment arrangements are decided by both the remote worker and employer, not Outsourcely. So, instead of paying steep transaction fees that cut into your hourly wage, you keep 100% of the money you earn for your work.

16. Remote4Me

Remote4Me is an aggregation of remote job opportunities in tech and non-tech roles, helping to simplify the job search process for freelancers.

Since Remote4Me pulls data from over 40 other job boards, you’ll find there’s a decent inventory of open positions at any given time. Jobs are categorized for easy lookup, and every listing is 100% remote; no occasional or “work from home friendly’ offices on the list.

Remote4Me is also free to use, so be sure to bookmark this one!

17. Workew

Workew is a free remote jobs website that has listings from major companies like Spotify, WordPress, Amazon, and more.

Everything you need for finding freelance work is on Workew…you can create a profile, post a resume, and easily browse for job opportunities. Plus, you can join the Workew Facebook group for helpful tips or setup Twitter alerts to be notified when jobs matching your search criteria are posted!

18. Remote Jobs Club

If you’re looking for a curated list of freelance job opportunities delivered right to your inbox, Remote Jobs Club is for you. Remote Jobs Club only has 3,500 members, but it’s a nice community that is dedicated to helping digital nomads find work. Emails are sent out on a bi-weekly basis, so this can be a nice laid-back way to start contemplating your future career path.

19. Authentic Jobs

While Authentic Jobs isn’t a pure remote job board, you can still find plenty of freelance opportunities on this site. Plus, Authentic Jobs is primarily designed for developers, designers, and anyone with a creative touch, so this is a great resource for anyone in those specific fields.

Authentic Jobs has listings from plenty of Fortune 500 companies, and you can easily enable a remote job filter to find out of office work.

20. Dribble

Dribble is another website that caters to designers and creative freelancers, so if you have a portfolio to showcase, this is a great way to get started. You can find both in-office or remote jobs on Dribble, and you can even create or join ‘design teams’ if you’re part of a larger organization.

21. Stack Overflow

Stack Overflow caters exclusively to web developers looking for in-office and freelance work, and this should be one of the first websites you look at if you’re in the space. With a QA forum and plenty of job offers to choose from, Stack Overflow is a fairly robust site with ample opportunity.

Plus, some jobs are posted with salary/equity information, and you can easily setup email alerts to notify you of new postings that match your criteria.

22. Gun.IO

If you’re on the lookout for freelance software engineering work, Gun.io is a perfect place to begin your job search.

According to their website, Gun.io has a tough vetting process which includes a professional review, a technical/character assessment, and a reference check. If you have the skills to be in the top percentile of software engineers, Gun.io might be an appealing option since the competition level will prevent the platform from being saturated with applicants.

23. Ruby Now

Ruby Now is a job website that caters to Ruby developers (big surprise), and while this is certainly a niche website, it’s the place to be if you’re in the space. Ruby Now aggregates hundreds of job postings across many top job boards, so you’ll never have a shortage of companies that you can apply to.

24. 99Designs

99Designs is one of the most popular platforms for hiring graphic designers, and this website is a great way to get hired for logo work, design gigs, branding help, or other projects. While many of the ‘jobs’ listed on 99Designs are gig jobs, you can find longer contracts on the website or high paying jobs, at the very least.

99Designs has grown in popularity over the past few years so the platform is quite competitive. I’d suggest building up your portfolio before posting your services on 99Designs to ensure you can stand out from the crowd!

25. Media Bistro

One of the first freelance writing jobs I ever landed was through Media Bistro, so I definitely have a soft spot for this platform.

Media Bistro enables freelancers to ‘build their media career,’ and lists a variety of jobs for marketing, writing, editing roles, and more. A free membership on Media Bistro enables you to browse and apply for job, and a paid membership unlocks a variety of online courses and resources for aspiring freelancers.

26. Upwork

Upwork has a plethora of fans and haters, and that’s to be expected from one of the largest freelance marketplaces on the internet. I’ve only used Upwork from the hiring side, but the platform is certainly a straightforward way to get your foot in the door for the world of remote work.

From graphic design to content writing, Upwork has plenty of industries where companies are looking for work. Building up a solid profile and testimonials is paramount for being discovered by employers, so you may have to price yourself competitively to gain experience/clients. Just note: Upwork takes a percentage of all transactions, so this is a major downside compared to negotiating directly with employers.

27. Fiverr

On Fiverr, a ‘gig’ is sold every 4 seconds. That’s absolutely insane.

If you aren’t looking for a full-time remote job, Fiverr might be the perfect platform to supplement your income. There are plenty of Fiverr buyers and room to make money in almost any industry, and you can even turn to some creative money making ideas and build out your own niche services on Fiverr.

As with Upwork, developing your reputation will be important, so you’ll have to market yourself accordingly. Be sure to checkout this list of the best Fiverr gigs for more inspiration on how to get started!

28. LinkedIn

LinkedIn might be your go-to website for networking, but did you know LinkedIn is also a great job search engine?

You can use the LinkedIn search bar to look for companies hiring within your area or abroad, and you can also add a ‘remote’ filter option to narrow down the list. Considering you already have a decent LinkedIn profile that highlights your accomplishments and previous experience (if you don’t, get on it), LinkedIn is an effective option for finding your next remote job.

29. Indeed.Com

Indeed.com is one of the largest job engines in the world, and while it doesn’t explicitly serve people looking to become freelancers, there are still plenty of work from home opportunities.

On Indeed you can upload a resume, easily find salary information, and create email alerts to notify you of potential job matches. Using the ‘remote’ filter on the Indeed sidebar will still return hundreds of job opportunities for most industries, so it’s easy to start your job hunting process on Indeed.

30. Guru

Guru is a popular freelance marketplace where companies can post job offers for free and browse from 3 million+ workers. Signing up for Guru is free, and when you find a job offer you like you can send the employer a quote for your work.

Guru does take a 2.5% transaction fee on any completed invoices, but this isn’t anything out of the ordinary when you compare the pricing model to websites like Upwork. If you like the idea of sending quotes to your potential employer, check out Guru!

31. Reddit R/ForHire

Reddit’s r/ForHire is without a doubt my favorite under-the-table way to get into freelancing. With 136,000 members and dozens of job listings/offers posted every day, r/ForHire is a surprisingly active community with ample opportunity to find work.

Employers have to post payment information on their listing, and any posts that pay under $15/hour or have ridiculous requests/expectations for their payment terms are promptly removed. You will need a Reddit account with some history to comment on posts, but this is a useful anti-spam measure. Just be sure to be wary of scammers on the sub and to review a user’s post history before proceeding with work.

32. Your Own Network

If none of the aforementioned remote jobs websites pique your interest, you can always turn to your network for opportunity.

Up to 28% of hires are done internally and 48% are done through employee referrals according to a 2017 Global Recruiting Trends report, and this isn’t likely to change. People prefer to work with people they trust, so reaching out to your network can be an effective way to land an interview with a potential employer at the very least.

Using my own network to secure freelance writing gigs was a vital part of how I made money during college, and all it took was a few emails and some hard work.

Final Thoughts:

Well, there you have it! If you have ever wondered how to become a freelancer, you now know how to begin the process! Work hard to gain some experience, build up your portfolio, and gradually apply to higher paying jobs with recognizable companies to grow your online income.

Before you know it, you might just be a full-time digital nomad!

Catch you guys in the next one!

Tom.