What is the lowest fee on Guru.com?

The Executive membership ($49.95 per month) reduces the job fee to 4.95%. Free members pay 8.95%.

Is SafePay safe for freelancers?

Yes — clients fund milestones in advance, and funds release only when you complete the work. This is a significant advantage over platforms where payment relies on post-work approval alone.

How does Guru compare to Upwork?

Upwork has a larger client pool but a flat 10% fee. Guru has fewer clients but can be cheaper with paid membership, plus the SafePay system reduces payment risk.

Does Guru charge buyers a fee?

Yes, buyers pay a 2.9% handling fee on each SafePay transaction. This is separate from the freelancer fee.

How long has Guru.com been around?

Guru launched in 2001, making it one of the oldest active freelance platforms. The longevity attracts buyers looking for established freelancers.

Guru.com Calculator

Guru.com Fee Calculator

Guru.com is one of the oldest freelance platforms still standing, with a unique SafePay milestone system and membership-based fee reductions. Standard members pay 8.95% per job; paid members can drop fees to as low as 4.95%.

Try the Guru.com calculator

8.95% seller fee2.9% buyer fee

Income source

Step 1

Platform

Guru.com

9% seller fee

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8.95% seller, 2.9% buyer.

Order amount

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Outsourcing

Step 2

I outsource this work

Toggle off if you do it all yourself.

Where are you outsourcing?

What you pay your contractor

Payment method to contractor

Also used as your income withdrawal method for FX losses.

🇮🇳 India: ~0.5% Wise spread on USD orders.

Apply 18% GST on outsource fees

Applied to base cost.

How Guru.com fees actually work

Guru's membership-driven fee structure means active freelancers can drop the platform commission significantly. Combined with SafePay milestone protection, the platform is favored by long-term contract freelancers.

Job fee by membership

Basic (free): 8.95% job fee
Basic+: $11.95 per month, 8.95% fee but extra bids
Professional: $21.95 per month, 7% fee
Business: $33.95 per month, 6% fee
Executive: $49.95 per month, 4.95% fee

Buyer side

Clients pay a 2.9% handling fee on each SafePay transaction
Buyers see this as a transparent line item

SafePay system

Clients fund milestones in advance via SafePay
Funds release to you when the milestone is approved
Reduces non-payment risk significantly compared to Fiverr or Upwork

Withdrawal options

PayPal: $1 fee
Electronic funds transfer (EFT): free in US
Wire transfer: $30 fee
eCheck: $5 fee, takes 5 to 7 days

Real-world example

A $1,000 SafePay milestone with the free 8.95% tier means $910.50 to your Guru balance. At the Executive tier (4.95%), you'd keep $950.50 — a $40 difference per $1000 of work. For freelancers earning $5000+ per month on Guru, the $49.95 membership pays back many times over.

How to calculate your real Guru.com profit

1
Enter the milestone or project amount in USD.
2
The calculator defaults to ~9% — adjust mentally for your membership tier.
3
Pick your country and withdrawal method.
4
EFT to US bank is free if you bank in the US. International users should use PayPal.

5 tips to maximize Guru.com earnings

1Calculate your monthly Guru earnings × fee difference vs the membership cost — upgrade pays back fast at scale
2SafePay milestones reduce payment risk vs hourly tracking — better for fixed-price work
3EFT withdrawal in the US is genuinely free (rare among platforms)
4Guru is best for long-term clients and milestone-based projects, not one-off micro tasks
5Bid carefully — Guru gives limited bids per membership tier

FAQ