Top 12 Legit Gig Sites Paying More Than a 9-5 Job in 2025

Upwork

Upwork can be considered very niche for some, however I would argue its the best gig site for beginners. You can explore so many different types of gigs from freelance writing, web development, design consulting, virtual assistance, and so much more. 

I worked as a part-time freelancer for four years, and I was able to land gigs that paid me up to $60 an hour. It took me about three or four months to start landing gigs that paid me more than $400 a month, however to get a solid $100 a month for your first few gigs is an easy win using Upwork. 

The platform can be highly competitive for beginners, so I suggest learning how to create an eye catching Upwork profile. Here are some of my suggestions for video tutorials that helped me get started.

Upwork is great if you are looking for some solid online jobs that could pay you for the long-term. Its a great way to tap into some of the largest startups and be an early bird to their success. 

Fiverr

Similar to Upwork, Fiverr is a highly praised gig site that has been known to have some of the easiest gigs. You will need to start rather small on this platform, offering around $5 per project. However, once you have a few good five star reviews, raising the prices gradually haas been known to show better results for beginners. 

I tried out Fiverr myself, and I still prefer Upwork because they have lower fees than Fiverr. Overall, I did like Fiverr for the fact that I didn't need to search for hours on some good gigs, the gigs would simply find me. I ended up making around $200 to $300 a month on Fiverr alone.

To really succeed on Fiverr, I would recommend optimizing your gig listings, reflecting clearly what kind of service you provide and what the client should expect. Use high-quality images and/or videos, and make sure to maintain positive reviews.

Freecash

One of my favorite sites to earn money on the side. While not directly a gig site, Freecash offers multiple tasks that can feel and pay like any other gig or project. Freecash offers hundreds of offers by playing games, completing surveys, and testing out products. You can spend hours on their platform either micro-tasking or taking on a large gaming quest to reach the highest level.

Rewards are actually good too, I have managed to easily make on average $25 an hour. The more you spend on tasks, the more you can earn, however I would say I spend an average two to three hours on Freecash daily. You can do more or less, there are no restrictions and you can make money whenever you want. 

Here is how I got started:

To really earn your maximum potential here, I suggest focusing on high-paying surveys and daily-streaks, and also leverage referral bonuses. 

Freelancer

If you are wanting an alternative to Upwork and Fiverr, that offers a more professional appraoch while also being acceptable for beginners, Freelancer is my top choice. You can earn from $10 to $100 an hour depending on the type of work you provide. Here are the most common side gig professions you can find on Freelancer:

The competition here is rather moderate, making it an easier spot to find gigs compared to more popular sites like Upwork and Fiverr. I got into Freelancer a bit later, however I really wish I started on this platform first. Learning this platform took me a bit more time than others, where you bid for gigs and clients pick you based on your profile reviews. 

To really succeed here, bid on the smaller projects, make some rather detailed proposals, and overdeliver to exceed client expectations. This really boosts your performance on Freelancer and has been the core to my success there so far as well. 

Crowd Content

Focused solely for content writers, Crowd Content is heavily niched towards copywriters, ghostwriters, and blog writers. You can earn from $0.03-$0.10 per word, as premium assignments pay you more than the common assignments. There is always steady work available on this site, while you do need to focus on earning five star reviews. 

To succeed at Crowd Content, I would suggest following the basics.

You won't earn much in the beginning, but if you build a large profile here, you will start getting gig requests from the higher valued clients. 

Guru

While similar to other niche freelance websites, Guru is a great alternative for programmers, architecture or even engineering. You also have writing and transaltion here, but it is a bit saturated so I would rather recommend any of the other options above. 

I really liked how Guru categorizes all of their gigs, that way you can easily find what you need, without digging or creating some sort of algorithm. 

At Guru, many freelancers earn from $20 to $150 an hour, however you need to bid very smartly and not waste any bids on older gigs. The more bids they have, the lower your chances are to get the project. I would recommend completing your profile and display certifications to catch clients eye.

Toptal

This one is a bit more niched down, however if you are in the right line of career, this is one of my highest recommended gig sites. Toptal gigs can pay up to $250 an hour, with high-valued clients who regularly are looking for talents within the software development, finance, project management, and design categories. 

This is an extremely competitive website, and you will need to face a screening process to prove that you offer what it takes to apply for these gigs. If you have the right profile, getting the gigs becomes easy, its just the intial screening and qualifications that make this gig site difficult. 

To really succeed on Toptal, here are a few tips I would recommend following:

If you are a professional who is taking freelancing to the next level, Toptal is my highest recommendation. 

PeoplePerHour

If you are learning how to code, or want some small gigs to help you with improving your web development skills, PeoplePerHour is a very popular option. While you also writing, marketing, drawing, and voice-over gigs, web development seems to be the highlight of their opportunities. 

PeoplePerHour functions similarly to Fiverr, however with a bit less competition. Just make sure you offer well-crafted "hourlies" that are a good deal while not ripping yourself off. Luckily, a majority of clients pay starting from $15 an hour, however whatever you offer in each hour will determineif they choose you.

If you are a web developer, and you want to stand out, I would personally recommend creating your own websites alone and creating a decent porfolio. I know many developers who do this, and find some decent gigs or full time jobs. 

Uber

While an aging and oversaturated gig site, Uber is still one of the best gig sites earning the big bucks. Uber has a variety of ways you could make money, whether its delivering fast food, groceries, or even driving someone from one point to another. I personally would recommend this site if you are new at gigs or maybe don't have any particularly niche skill to offer. 

You can easily make $15 to $30 an hour driving for Uber,  and I have seen hundreds of drivers make well over $1,000 a month doing this. If I was not such an introvert, this would probably be my top pick. However going to peoples apartments or making sure the rider feels pleasant can be intimidating. 

If you are someone who finds Uber driving a possible option, I highly recommend giving it a shot. Here are some tips Ive known has helped a majority of drivers. 

If you want to earn more money by driving or advertising on your car, you can earn some good passive income from Uber since driving is what you do for the whole job.

DoorDash

Similar to Uber, but just as popular. DoorDash is a great online app and gig site that offers food delivery gigs in local areas. You can earn a very similar range as Uber, from $15 to $25 an hour, however I would recommend running both Uber and DoorDash while working so you can optimize earning potential and not missing any high value clients. 

I would recommend DoorDash if you live somewhere with less population or if you live in the city and do not want to travel far for an order. Uber tends to send you out about 10 to 15 minutes to pick up a rider or a food order, while DoorDash attempts to offer more options that are closer to your location. 

All in all DoorDash is a highly recommended gig site by thousands, and you will never run out of gigs. Just remember to try to work during peak hours and maximize multi-app driving. 

TaskRabbit

A bit different that my previouslly suggested gig sites, TaskRabbit is for those looking for a more physical side gig that still pays more than the average 9-5 job. I foudn TaskRabbit to be the best when it comes to variety and overall pay. You can get paid for handyman tasks, cleaning, furniture assemby, or even helping someone move. 

The pay is rather decent, sitting from $25 to $80 an hour depending on how hard each task is and how long it could take to be finished. It can be hard though to find gigs, as you will need to prove specific skill sets and each city offers more or less. Typically the more popular your city is, the more gigs you tend to find. 

To really stand out on a platform like TaskRabbit, I would suggest completing a profile that offers unique skills, be quick at responding, and gather som esolid sclient reviews.

Lyft

If you like to taxi or want to be a driver, Lyft is a widely popular app alternative to Uber. If I was to pick between Lyft or Uber, I personally prefer using Lyft simply because they offered much better deals, with much more responsive drivers who were overall friendlier. 

Lyft pays typically more to their drivers, around $15 to $30 an hour, with a large chance of bonuses and tips. Lyft is super easy in urban areas, or even outside of them. I am from Oklahoma, and I would find way more Lyft than Uber drivers outside of the city who were willing to drive me the farthest distances. 

The trick with Lyft is to be a friendly driver, maintaining a clean vehicle, and go above and beyond to make sure the passenger feels taken care off. If that means maybe driving a bit farther for a passenger, sometimes that means a large tip incoming. So maybe keep Uber and Lyft running, and see how much you can earn!