99designs vs Upwork
99designs specializes in design contests where you receive multiple cover concepts from competing designers, making it ideal for authors who want variety and a curated selection process. Upwork is a broad freelance marketplace where you can post jobs and vet individual freelancers for cover design, editing, formatting, and more, but you typically get one proposal per hire. 99designs offers fixed-price packages starting around $299, while Upwork pricing varies per freelancer and can be hourly or fixed. 99designs is more focused on design outcomes, whereas Upwork gives you flexibility to hire for many publishing tasks from one platform.
Pick 99designs
Pick 99designs if you want to see multiple cover options from different designers and choose your favorite, with a structured contest process and guaranteed designs.
Pick Upwork
Pick Upwork if you prefer interviewing and hiring a specific freelancer for cover design or other publishing services, and you want more control over budget and timeline.
At a glance
| 99designs | Upwork | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Per-project | Per-project |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| Free option | No | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Best for | Freelancer Marketplaces | Freelancer Marketplaces |
| AI features | No | No |
| Open source | No | No |
See more options: 99designs alternatives · Upwork alternatives