Top 10 US Platforms to Get Long-Term Freelance Work

Riten Debnath

31 Dec, 2025

Top 10 US Platforms to Get Long-Term Freelance Work

In the shifting landscape of 2025, the most successful US freelancers are moving away from the "gig-a-day" grind and focusing on high-retention platforms. These ecosystems are specifically designed to foster multi-month retainers and long-term project stability, providing a more predictable income stream. By targeting platforms that vet their clients as strictly as their talent, you can secure engagements that last years rather than days.

I’m Riten, founder of Fueler - a skills-first portfolio platform that connects talented individuals with companies through assignments, portfolios, and projects, not just resumes/CVs. Think Dribbble/Behance for work samples + AngelList for hiring infrastructure.

1. Upwork (The Enterprise Engagement Hub)

Upwork has evolved into a powerhouse for long-term US contracts by introducing features that reward "Expert-Vetted" talent with direct access to Fortune 500 companies. Their 2025 focus is on "Relationship Value," meaning the longer you stay with a single client, the more the platform prioritizes your profile in search results, effectively turning a simple marketplace into a long-term career engine.

Variable Service Fee Structure: Starting in 2025, Upwork has moved to a variable 0% to 15% fee system based on contract complexity and your membership level, allowing for more flexible negotiations on large-scale, multi-month projects.
Long-Term Badge System: Earning the "Top Rated Plus" status signifies that you have successfully managed large-budget, long-duration contracts, which acts as a massive green flag for high-tier US corporations looking for stable remote partners.
Upwork Payroll Integration: For freelancers who essentially become remote employees, Upwork Payroll allows your US client to hire you as a W-2 worker through their third-party staffing partner, providing legal stability while keeping your admin on one platform.
Available Now & Boost Features: You can use "Connects" to buy a badge that signals your immediate availability for long-term roles, ensuring you are seen by clients who need dedicated 40-hour-per-week talent right away.
Comprehensive Time Tracker: Their desktop app provides built-in dispute protection and transparent logging for hourly contracts, ensuring that every minute of a long-term engagement is accurately billed and paid without friction.

Pricing: * For Freelancers: 0% to 15% service fee per contract; $20/month for Freelancer Plus (includes 100+ Connects and competitor bid insights).

For Clients: 5% for Direct Contracts or standard project fees; $49.99/month for Plus plans.

Why it Matters: Upwork offers the highest volume of long-term work in the world. If you can move past the initial entry phase, the platform essentially acts as a permanent sales team that keeps you booked for 6-12 months at a time with professional American firms.

2. Toptal (The Elite "Top 3%" Network)

Toptal is not a marketplace; it is a high-end talent agency that matches the world's most skilled freelancers with the world's most demanding companies. Because their vetting process is so exclusive, the clients who use Toptal are typically well-funded and looking for "dedicated" talent, meaning you are often hired to work 20 to 40 hours a week for a single client for the foreseeable future.

White-Glove Matchmaking: Unlike bidding sites, Toptal’s internal team manually reviews your profile to match you with a client, ensuring that the project is a perfect fit for your long-term career goals and technical expertise.
Standardized Weekly Commitments: Most Toptal engagements are structured as "Full-time" or "Part-time" blocks, which naturally leads to longer, more stable relationships compared to the piecemeal tasks found on cheaper sites.
Two-Week No-Risk Trial: Toptal offers clients a two-week period to work with you; if they stay (which they usually do), it signifies a high-trust bond that almost always leads to a multi-month or multi-year partnership.
Guaranteed Payment Cycles: Toptal invoices clients bi-monthly and pays freelancers promptly, removing the "chasing payments" aspect of freelancing that often ruins long-term working relationships.
Exclusive Peer Community: Being a member gives you access to a global network of elite peers who frequently pass along high-ticket, long-term referrals that never even hit the public job boards.

Pricing: * For Freelancers: $0 (No commission is taken from your set hourly rate).

For Clients: $500 refundable deposit to start; blended hourly rates typically range from $60 – $200+ depending on the role and region.

Why it Matters: Toptal eliminates the "race to the bottom." By vetting you once, they allow you to skip the bidding war forever and go straight into high-stakes, long-term leadership roles at some of the biggest tech companies in the US.

3. Contra (The Commission-Free Professional Network)

Contra is a modern, visual-first platform that is rapidly becoming the favorite for US "solo-preneurs" who want to build a brand rather than just a profile. Their 2025 model is built entirely on transparency and zero commissions, making it the most profitable place for freelancers to host their long-term monthly retainers.

Zero Commission Payments: Contra is one of the only major platforms that takes 0% of your earnings, meaning if you sign a $10,000/month retainer, you keep every penny, significantly increasing your long-term profit margins.
"Service-First" Portfolio: You can list specific long-term service packages (e.g., "Monthly Growth Lead") that clients can purchase instantly, bypassing the long proposal process and getting straight to the work.
Unified Contract Management: Their built-in contract tool allows you to sign legally binding, US-compliant agreements for long-term work, protecting both your intellectual property and your right to get paid on time.
Identity & Skill Verification: Contra uses a robust verification system to "vouch" for your skills, which builds the high level of trust necessary for a US client to commit to a long-term, high-budget contract with a remote worker.
Direct Stripe Integration: By linking directly to your Stripe account, Contra ensures that your long-term payments are processed through a professional financial infrastructure, making tax season much easier for US-based freelancers.

Pricing: * For Freelancers: $0 (Free version); $29/month for Contra Pro (includes portfolio customization and search priority).

For Clients: $0 to post; $29 per contract (one-time or monthly) to use the platform's secure workspace and payment tools.

Why it Matters: Contra is for the freelancer who wants to own their client relationship. By removing commissions, they encourage you to build long-term "partnerships" rather than "gigs," allowing you to scale your business without the platform taking a growing cut of your success.

4. Wellfound (The Startup Specialist)

Formerly AngelList Talent, Wellfound is the premier destination for freelancers who want to work with innovative, high-growth startups. Startups rarely want "one-off" help; they want "fractional" team members who can join their Slack, understand their mission, and stay with them as they scale from Seed to Series D.

Fractional Leadership Focus: Wellfound is the top site for "Fractional" roles, where you work 10-20 hours a week for a startup in a long-term capacity, often acting as their only expert in a specific niche like SEO or DevOps.
Salary & Equity Transparency: Every job post includes a clear salary and equity range, which helps you identify which startups are serious about long-term commitment and which ones have the budget to support your rates.
Direct Founder Access: The platform prioritizes direct communication between you and the company's founders or hiring managers, allowing you to build the personal rapport required for a multi-year engagement.
"Curated" Talent Lists: High-performing freelancers can be added to Wellfound’s "Curated" lists, which are sent directly to the inbox of top-tier VC-backed startups looking for long-term contractors.
Vetted Startup Culture: You can research a company’s funding history and culture before applying, ensuring you only enter into long-term contracts with companies that are financially stable and well-managed.

Pricing: * For Freelancers: $0 (Completely free for job seekers and contractors).

For Clients: Free for basic posts; $499/month for Recruit Pro (access to advanced filters and Curated talent).

Why it Matters: Wellfound is the "innovation" hub. It’s the best place to find work that is not only long-term but also high-impact, often giving you a "front-row seat" to the next big thing in the American tech ecosystem.

5. FlexJobs (The Vetted Professional Board)

FlexJobs is a subscription-based platform that manually vets every single job listing to ensure it is legitimate and professional. For the US freelancer, this is the best way to find long-term "contract-to-hire" or steady freelance roles with established corporations like Dell, CVS, and Salesforce.

Hand-Screened Listings: Their team of researchers spends over 100 hours a day vetting jobs, so you never have to worry about the "ghost jobs" or scams that plague free boards, saving you weeks of wasted time.
Niche "Long-Term" Filters: You can specifically filter for "Long-Term Freelance" roles, which are often multi-year contracts that offer the same stability as a full-time job but with the freedom of being an independent worker.
Exclusive Career Resources: A subscription gives you access to professional resume reviews and career coaching, helping you polish your "Proof of Work" to land the highest-paying US contracts.
Direct Corporate Connections: Many US companies only post their flexible long-term roles on FlexJobs to ensure they get a higher caliber of applicants who are serious enough about their careers to pay for a subscription.
Skills Testing & Validation: You can take over 200 different skills tests that appear on your profile, giving cautious US hiring managers the external validation they need to sign a long-term agreement with you.

Pricing: * For Freelancers: $9.95/week, $24.95/month, or $59.95/year for full access to vetted listings and application links.

For Clients: Varies by corporate package (typically free to post, but companies are heavily vetted).

Why it Matters: FlexJobs is a "time-saver." It is for the freelancer who values their safety and professional dignity, providing a curated list of high-quality US companies that actually have the budget and intent to hire for the long term.

Continuing with Title 1, here are the remaining 5 platforms that are dominating the US landscape for long-term, high-ticket freelance engagements in 2025.

6. Guru (The Project Management Powerhouse)

Guru has carved out a niche as the "professional's platform" by prioritizing long-term workflow stability over quick gigs. Its unique "WorkRoom" feature acts as a centralized command center where US freelancers can manage complex milestones, multiple stakeholders, and recurring monthly billing, making it the preferred choice for independent consultants who operate like mini-agencies.

Milestone and SafePay Protection: Guru’s "SafePay" system requires US clients to fund specific milestones in advance, which is critical for 6-month or 12-month projects where you need absolute financial certainty before starting the next phase of work.
Recurring Milestone Payments: You can set up "Repeating Agreements" that automatically trigger invoices and payments every week or month, providing the consistent cash flow of a salary while maintaining your freelance autonomy.
Comprehensive WorkRooms: The platform provides built-in team management tools within each project, allowing you to bring in other freelancers or subcontractors under your own umbrella while keeping all communications and files in one secure, legal environment.
Professional Transaction Data: Unlike other platforms that hide your history, Guru displays your "All-Time Earnings" and "Largest Single Job," which serves as massive social proof when pitching for $50,000+ annual contracts to US enterprises.
Low Transaction Fee Tiers: For high-earning freelancers, Guru offers membership levels that drop the platform fee as low as 5%, ensuring that as your long-term contracts grow in value, you keep more of your hard-earned revenue.

Pricing: * For Freelancers: 5% to 9% job fee; $11.95 – $49.95/month for paid memberships (higher tiers offer lower fees and more "Bids").

For Clients: 2.9% handling fee per invoice (refundable if paying via eCheck or Wire Transfer).

Why it Matters: Guru is designed for "repeat business." It is the best place to move your established US clients because the fee structure and WorkRoom tools are built to support a relationship that lasts for years, not days.

7. Gun.io (The Elite Developer’s Agent)

Gun.io operates differently than almost any other site; they act as a "talent agent" specifically for senior software engineers. They don't just host a job board; they actively represent you, negotiate your rates, and match you with US companies like Tesla and Amazon for high-stakes, long-duration engineering roles that often last 12-24 months.

Expert Representation & Negotiation: A dedicated Gun.io agent handles the "awkward" parts of the sale, ensuring you are placed in roles that meet your target hourly rate (typically exceeding $100/hr) and align with your technical growth goals.
"Pro-Developer" Contract Terms: Their legal agreements are famously developer-friendly, including strict "non-solicitation" protections and clear terms regarding intellectual property, ensuring you are protected during long-term technical engagements.
Automated Payroll & Compliance: Gun.io manages all the heavy lifting of global payroll, tax compliance, and cross-border regulations, so you can focus entirely on shipping code for your US client without worrying about administrative overhead.
Vetted High-Budget Client Pool: The platform only works with companies that have been vetted for financial stability and professional management, virtually eliminating the risk of "scope creep" or payment delays during a long-term project.
Niche Professional Matching: Using a combination of AI and human recruiters, Gun.io matches you based on your specific tech stack (React, Python, Go) and your "cultural fit," which is the #1 predictor of whether a freelance contract will turn into a multi-year partnership.

Pricing: * For Freelancers: $0 (Gun.io adds a margin on top of your hourly rate, which the client pays).

For Clients: Standard hourly rates (typically $100 – $200/hr) plus a 20% placement fee if you choose to hire the freelancer full-time.

Why it Matters: Gun.io is for the "elite" technical freelancer. It removes the need for self-marketing and bidding wars, allowing you to function as a high-level technical consultant with a professional team backing your every move.

8. We Work Remotely (WWR)

As the longest-standing remote work community, WWR is the "Gold Standard" for high-quality job seekers. Because it costs companies $299 just to post a single listing, the platform naturally filters out "cheap" clients and attracts US tech firms and creative agencies looking for serious, long-term talent to fill "Contract" positions.

Premium "Contract" Section: WWR maintains a dedicated section for long-term contract roles that are often structured as 6-month "retainers" or 12-month "project-based" positions, providing a clear path to stability.
Direct Application Integrity: Unlike marketplaces that keep you "trapped" in their ecosystem, WWR often directs you to the company’s own internal ATS (Applicant Tracking System), allowing you to build a direct, unmediated relationship with the client.
High-Trust Corporate Brands: You will find roles from reputable companies like Basecamp, Google, and GitHub, which prioritize long-term cultural fit and professional reliability over the lowest possible price.
Advanced Alerting Systems: You can set up "Instant Alerts" for specific keywords (e.g., "Fractional CTO" or "Lead Designer"), ensuring you are among the first to apply to the most competitive long-term roles in the US.
Community-Driven Resources: Being part of the WWR ecosystem gives you access to the "State of Remote Work" reports and community events, helping you stay ahead of the trends that US companies value in their long-term remote partners.

Pricing: * For Freelancers: $0 (Free to browse and apply).

For Clients: $299 per job post (ensures only high-intent, high-budget employers are on the platform).

Why it Matters: WWR is the "BS-filter." By charging employers to post, they ensure that every lead you follow is from a company that has the budget and professional intent to hire a high-level freelancer for the long haul.

9. 99designs (The "Contest-to-Retainer" Pipeline)

While 99designs is famous for design contests, the "1-on-1 Projects" feature is where the real long-term money lives for US creatives. Smart freelancers use the platform to win a single logo contest and then transition that client into a permanent monthly brand retainer for all their ongoing visual needs.

1-on-1 Project Management: Once you’ve built rapport with a client, you can launch private, custom-priced projects that bypass the contest model, allowing for deep, ongoing collaboration on brand identity and marketing assets.
Direct Quote & Invoicing System: You can send professional, itemized quotes for long-term work directly through the platform, which includes built-in payment protection and milestone tracking.
"Pro" Designer Status: For elite creatives, the "Pro" program provides exclusive access to high-end US corporate clients who specifically skip the public contests and only hire 1-on-1 for their long-term branding projects.
Secure Transfer of Assets: The platform handles the legal "Transfer of Copyright" for every project, protecting you and the client and making it a safe environment for high-value intellectual property work over several months.
Brand Style Guide Tools: 99designs provides tools to help you manage a client’s "Brand Assets" over time, making you the indispensable "guardian" of their visual identity and securing your place as their go-to long-term creative lead.

Pricing: * For Freelancers: 5% to 15% platform fee (decreases as your "Designer Level" increases); $100 introduction fee for the first project with a new client.

For Clients: 5% platform fee plus the fixed price or hourly rate of the designer.

Why it Matters: 99designs is the best "audition" platform. It allows you to prove your skill in a small, low-risk environment and then systematically grow that relationship into a high-paying, long-term creative partnership.

10. LinkedIn Services Marketplace

LinkedIn has officially moved from a social network to a full-scale freelance marketplace. By activating the "Providing Services" feature, you can appear in dedicated search results when US decision-makers are looking for long-term consultants within their own trusted professional networks.

Network Effect Credibility: When a US client sees that you are "Open to Work" and have mutual connections, the "Trust Gap" is instantly bridged, making it much easier to close a high-ticket, long-term agreement without a heavy vetting process.
Dedicated Service Pages: LinkedIn allows you to create a "Service Page" that acts as a mini-portfolio, showcasing your specific offerings, past client reviews, and a direct "Request a Quote" button.
Direct Inbound Leads: Because LinkedIn is where US executives already spend their time, you receive "warm" inbound inquiries that are often for strategic, long-term consulting roles rather than tactical one-off tasks.
Endorsements & Recommendations: The public, permanent nature of LinkedIn recommendations provides the high-level social proof required to convince a US firm to sign a 12-month retainer with a remote freelancer.
Seamless Professional Integration: Since your portfolio, work history, and client conversations are all in one place, the friction of starting a long-term partnership is significantly reduced compared to traditional "gig" platforms.

Pricing: * For Freelancers: $0 (Free to set up a Service Page); LinkedIn takes 0% commission on most direct service leads (currently).

For Clients: $0 to search and request quotes.

Why it Matters: LinkedIn is the "boardroom" of the internet. It is where you find the highest-quality US clients, those who value expertise and relationships over the lowest price making it the ultimate platform for building a sustainable, long-term freelance business.

Final Thoughts

Landing long-term work in 2025 is about moving from "commodity" to "partner." The platforms listed above succeed because they focus on quality over quantity. To thrive on them, you must treat your profile as a business asset. Document your wins, use a "Proof of Work" portfolio like Fueler to show your results, and always look for the "problem" the client is trying to solve for the next 12 months, not just the next 12 hours.

FAQs

1. Is it better to use a free platform like Wellfound or a paid one like FlexJobs?

It depends on your niche. If you are in tech or startups, Wellfound is superior and free. If you are in a broader field like project management, accounting, or writing and want to work for established "traditional" US corporations, the FlexJobs subscription is worth every penny because it filters out the high volume of low-quality "noise" and scams.

2. Why do platforms like Toptal take such a large "blended" margin?

Toptal isn't just a website; they are an agency. Their 2025 margin (which can be up to 50% of the client's total bill) covers the cost of vetting, the recruiters who find you work, and the legal/payment infrastructure that ensures you get paid even if the client disappears. You pay for the convenience of never having to "hunt" for a client again.

3. Can I use Contra if I already have clients on Upwork?

Yes, many freelancers use Upwork to find "new" clients and Contra to manage their "long-term" repeat clients. Because Contra is commission-free, it is the perfect place to move a client once you have established trust (check your Upwork terms regarding "disintermediation" before moving a client found there).

4. How does Gun.io differ from other developer platforms?

Gun.io acts as an agent for you. They don't just list jobs; they negotiate your rates and contract terms on your behalf. For senior US developers, this is invaluable because it ensures you are getting market-rate compensation (often 20% higher than average) for your long-term roles.

5. Why are "long-term" contracts better than one-off gigs?

Long-term contracts (3-12 months) reduce your "unpaid" time spent on business development. If you spend 10 hours a month finding a new $1,000 gig, your effective hourly rate drops. If you have one $10,000/month contract that lasts a year, your business development time is near zero, allowing you to focus entirely on the work and your own growth.

What is Fueler Portfolio?

Fueler is a career portfolio platform that helps companies find the best talent for their organization based on their proof of work.

You can create your portfolio on Fueler, thousands of freelancers around the world use Fueler to create their professional-looking portfolios and become financially independent. Discover inspiration for your portfolio