Is Upwork Worth It in 2026? A Freelancer’s Review After 4 Years

I paid Upwork over $5,000 in fees last year. And honestly? I d do it again. At the end of last year I pulled up my Upwork earnings report and one number stood out: over $5,000 in fees. That s what I paid the platform just to work. To send proposals, take jobs, get paid. I wasn t angry about it. I m still not. Four years of full-time freelancing through Upwork, and that $5,000 reads to me less like…