A direct remote hiring platform for employers
Post a remote role for free, let AI organize your applicants, and unlock the people you want to interview. Agree on work terms and payment directly—Online.Jobs adds no salary markup.
Start on the Free plan. Upgrade only when you need more candidate unlocks, invitations, or active jobs.
Upwork combines talent discovery with platform-managed contracts, communication, and payments. That can be useful when you want built-in billing and payment protection.
But some employers are looking for a different model: find a remote professional, review the match, and build a direct working relationship without a percentage markup on the worker’s pay. Online.Jobs is designed for that workflow.
On Upwork, client marketplace fees can apply to payments made to freelancers, and a contract initiation fee can apply when a new contract begins. Online.Jobs uses employer plans and candidate unlocks instead of adding a percentage markup to salary or worker payments.
A short freelance project and an ongoing remote role are different hiring needs. Online.Jobs lets employers publish remote roles, collect applications, search public talent profiles, and develop direct working relationships with the candidates they choose.
A long proposal list still takes time to review. Online.Jobs ranks and summarizes applications so you can examine stronger matches sooner while keeping every hiring decision in your hands.
Online.Jobs supports both inbound and outbound sourcing. Post a role and receive applications, or search the public talent directory when you want to find candidates proactively.
Create an employer account and publish one job under the Free plan. Jobs may go through review before they become publicly visible.
AI compares the job with candidate profiles, resumes, and application messages to help organize the applicant list.
Browse public talent profiles, save promising workers privately, and invite suitable candidates to an active approved job when your plan includes invitations.
Unlock the candidates you want to interview, start a conversation, and agree on responsibilities, schedule, compensation, and payment directly.
Register as an employer and describe the role, skills, schedule, candidate locations, and compensation you have in mind.
Submit the listing for review. Approval timing depends on your current employer plan.
See stronger matches first and use AI match context to understand why a candidate may or may not fit the role.
A candidate unlock opens that candidate’s fuller profile and conversation for the specific job. Unlock limits depend on your plan.
Ask your own questions, verify experience, and agree on work and payment terms with the candidate you choose.
Online.Jobs uses information from the job post, candidate profile, resume, and application message to organize applicants and explain potential fit. Paid plans can include AI match summaries and groups such as Strong Matches and Needs Review.
The AI does not hire candidates, guarantee qualifications, or replace interviews and reference checks. It helps you decide where to look first; the final decision always stays human.
AI-assisted review, not automated hiring.
You can post a job and review AI-ranked applicants on the Free plan. Candidate unlocks are used when you are ready to open a fuller profile and start a conversation.
Includes one job post, one active job at a time, and two candidate unlocks per month. It is a practical way to test the hiring flow before increasing capacity.
Paid plans add more job posts, active roles, candidate unlocks, invitations, and faster approval targets. Choose a plan based on hiring volume rather than worker salary.
If you need more conversations before the monthly quota resets, additional candidate unlocks are available as one-time top-ups. See current limits and prices before purchasing.
The response period begins with your first message after unlocking a candidate. Until then, no timer runs, and later messages do not extend it. If they do not reply within the response period, access locks. Monthly unlocks are restored only in their original allowance period; purchased unlocks follow their package rules.
Both platforms help employers find remote professionals, but they support different working models. Upwork manages contracts and payments inside its marketplace. Online.Jobs focuses on candidate discovery, applicant prioritization, and direct employer-worker agreements.
| Decision point | Upwork | Online.Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Can I post a standard job for free? | Yes. Upwork says creating an account and posting a standard job is free. | Yes. The Free plan includes one job post and one active job at a time. |
| What costs apply after I hire? | Basic clients may pay a Marketplace Fee of up to 7.99% on freelancer payments, plus a Contract Initiation Fee for a new contract. | Employer subscriptions, candidate unlock limits, and optional top-ups may apply. Online.Jobs does not add a percentage salary markup. |
| Who manages the contract and payment? | Contracts and payments are generally managed through Upwork. | The employer and worker agree on the work arrangement and payment directly. Online.Jobs does not provide escrow or payroll. |
| How does pre-hire communication work? | Most pre-contract communication must remain inside Upwork, subject to stated exceptions. | Conversations open through the candidate unlock or invitation flow, subject to plan limits. |
| Can the relationship move outside the platform? | Current rules generally require work and payment to remain on Upwork for two years unless a Conversion Fee or an exception applies. | The parties establish their working relationship and payment method directly. |
| Does AI make the hiring decision? | Upwork offers Uma-powered hiring features. The client selects whom to hire. | Online.Jobs ranks and summarizes applicants, but the employer makes every final decision. |
Comparison last reviewed August 28, 2026. Upwork pricing and policies may change. Sources: Upwork Client Marketplace Fee, Contract Initiation Fee, Communication Before a Contract, Conversion Fee, and How Upwork Works for Clients. Online.Jobs plan details are available on the Pricing page.
Search public worker profiles by role, skills, country, availability, and other professional criteria.
You want to post remote roles, review AI-ranked applicants, and establish work and payment terms directly without a salary markup.
You specifically need platform-managed contracts, time tracking, escrow, payment protection, or dispute-resolution services.
Compare Free, Starter, and Pro based on active jobs, candidate unlocks, invitations, and approval timing.
That remains part of the process. Online.Jobs supplies profiles, applications, and AI match context; employers should still interview candidates and verify relevant experience.
Yes. Online.Jobs is an alternative for employers who want to post remote roles, review AI-ranked applicants, and agree on work and payment directly with selected candidates. It does not duplicate Upwork’s contract, escrow, or payment-protection model.
Yes. The current Free plan includes one job post and one active job at a time. Jobs may go through review before publication, and plan limits can change, so check the Pricing page for current details.
Online.Jobs does not add a percentage salary markup. Employer subscriptions, candidate unlock limits, and optional unlock top-ups may still apply.
Online.Jobs compares the job with information from the candidate’s profile, resume, and application message. It uses that context to organize applicants and highlight stronger matches. AI assists the review process; the employer makes the final decision.
No. Candidates create profiles that can include resumes, skills, work history, education, and application messages. Employers should review this information, conduct interviews, and complete any verification appropriate for the role.
A candidate unlock opens the candidate’s fuller profile and conversation for a specific job. Monthly limits depend on the employer plan. The response period begins with the employer’s first message; until then, no timer runs, and later messages do not extend it. If the candidate does not reply in that period, access locks. Monthly unlocks are restored only in their original allowance period, while purchased unlocks follow their package rules.
The employer and worker agree directly on the payment method, schedule, amount, and milestones. Online.Jobs is not an escrow, payroll, employer-of-record, or payment-protection service.
Yes. Employers can browse public talent profiles and save promising workers. Invitations can be sent to suitable workers for active approved jobs when the employer’s plan includes invitations.
Post a remote job free, review your AI-ranked applicant list, and unlock the candidates you want to interview.
Start free. Upgrade when your shortlist is worth acting on.
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