PeoplePerHour is a legitimate option for freelancers and buyers that have been used for more than a decade. Payments are protected for both parties because they are placed in escrow.

Some of the red flags:

• Many reviews mention that there is not enough protection for the money of both buyers and sellers—the buyer protection costs a sizeable amount of money if a buyer needs to request a refund from a freelancer who has not delivered and is not responding.
• Secondly, high fees of 20 percent are taken out of a freelancer’s payment, plus extra fees, if there are payment disputes by them or the buyer—plus, a 10 percent service charge, might later be taken out of the buyer’s payment.
• Buyers are overwhelmed by the number of applications they receive, while freelancers are frustrated by the high level of competition.
• There are also concerns about the quality of work—some freelancers will work for much less, but plagiarize content or steal data.

At the end of the day:

All freelance websites will have advantages and disadvantages—and many of them will be similar. For instance, no website is fully immune to infiltration by scammers. Upwork might attract the most scammers because it is such a well-known site, but Fiverr and other freelance websites occasionally have problems with scams as well as dishonest freelancers, even with careful vetting. There are also service fees on virtually every freelance website in one form or another, so the amount you are willing to pay will determine which site is best for you.

As long as you are selecting clients and freelancers carefully and following the recommended safety procedures, PeoplePerHour is a reliable site for connecting businesses with talented individuals.