▸ Comparison · Freelance marketplace
Haystack vs Upwork
Upwork is huge, cheap and unvetted. Haystack is curated, vetted and built for real hires.
Upwork is the biggest freelance marketplace on the internet. Great for one-off tasks, prototypes and small fixes.
For real engineering hires - permanent, embedded, or serious long-term contract - the quality bar is uneven and you carry all the vetting yourself. Haystack does the vetting up front, so your shortlist is interview-ready.
Side-by-side
Haystack vs Upwork - the honest breakdown
| Area | Haystack | Upwork |
|---|---|---|
| Vetting | Verified skills, salary and notice period | Self-reported, client vets everything |
| Quality bar | Consistent - one bar for every candidate | Wildly variable |
| Hire type | Permanent, embedded, contract | Freelance and short-term |
| Time to first shortlist | < 24 hours from job live | Same day but unvetted |
| Pricing | Flat subscription or pay-on-success | Hourly, Upwork takes 5-10% |
| Best for | Any real tech hire | One-off tasks, prototypes, small fixes |
Which one is right for you?
Pick Upwork if
One-off, low-commitment tasks under £2k.
Common questions
- Can I hire a permanent developer on Upwork?
- Technically yes, but Upwork is designed around freelance contracts. Vetting, salary bands and notice periods aren't part of the workflow. Haystack is purpose-built for permanent hiring.
- Is Upwork cheaper than Haystack?
- Per hour on small tasks, yes. Total cost for a permanent hire once you factor in your own vetting time, bad hires and rework, Haystack is dramatically cheaper.
Keep exploring
Compare Haystack with
Other tech hiring platforms
Skip the cold outreach
Get a vetted, interview-ready shortlist inside 24 hours.