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SuperGig Early access

PeoplePerHour Alternative: the Top 1%, Not a Proposal Pile

SuperGig is a PeoplePerHour alternative that replaces a stack of proposals with a vetted top-1% talent pool. Send one brief, get a hand-matched shortlist in 48 hours, and pay through milestone escrow released only when you approve the work.

<1 in 20 vetting bar 48h to a shortlist $0 released before you approve

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Your top matches

2 of 3 can start this week All 3 available this month Flexible start dates

Maya K.

Senior Full-Stack Developer

96% match
$120/hr ★★★★★4.9

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Sofia R.

Product Designer

96% match
$95/hr ★★★★★4.9

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Daniel O.

Conversion Copywriter

96% match
$110/hr ★★★★★4.9

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Lucas M.

Growth Marketer

95% match
$115/hr ★★★★★4.9

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Hana Y.

Video Editor

96% match
$85/hr ★★★★★4.9

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Rachel N.

Small-Business Bookkeeper

96% match
$55/hr ★★★★★4.9

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Grace A.

Executive Virtual Assistant

96% match
$45/hr ★★★★★4.9

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Elena M.

Technical SEO Consultant

96% match
$120/hr ★★★★★5.0

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Dana R.

Google Ads Consultant

96% match
$130/hr ★★★★★5.0

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Ravi K.

Senior Data Scientist

96% match
$140/hr ★★★★★5.0

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Tobias A.

Senior DevOps Engineer

96% match
$135/hr ★★★★★5.0

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Ava L.

Social Media Manager

96% match
$65/hr ★★★★★4.9

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Julian C.

Management Consultant

96% match
$165/hr ★★★★★5.0

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Grace H.

Freelance CPA

96% match
$120/hr ★★★★★5.0

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Dana R.

Direct-Response Copywriter

96% match
$115/hr ★★★★★5.0

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Ivan V.

Senior QA Automation Engineer

96% match
$105/hr ★★★★★5.0

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Ravi T.

Certified Salesforce Developer

96% match
$125/hr ★★★★★5.0

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Lena C.

Senior UX Designer

96% match
$115/hr ★★★★★5.0

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Elena B.

Senior Webflow Developer

96% match
$105/hr ★★★★★5.0

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Sofia M.

Certified Legal Translator

96% match
$75/hr ★★★★★5.0

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Nadia P.

Senior Commercial Illustrator

96% match
$105/hr ★★★★★5.0

+ 2 more example profiles on a full shortlist

Example profiles for preview. Your real shortlist is hand-picked for your brief once your early-access spot opens.

Fund milestone 1 · $1,800 in escrow · $4,800 in escrow · $12,500 in escrow · released on your approval

In short

PeoplePerHour is a semi-open marketplace: freelancers apply to join, then send proposals on your job or list fixed-price Hourlies you can buy, and you filter them yourself. SuperGig is a vetted, matched marketplace: every freelancer clears a 4-stage screen, a hand-picked shortlist of three reaches you in 48 hours, and escrow holds your money until you approve the work. Choose the proposal model for a large pool you screen; choose a vetted alternative when the work has to be right and you would rather review three matches.

Side by side

SuperGig vs PeoplePerHour, on the things that decide a project

What you care about PeoplePerHour SuperGig
Vetting bar An application review to join, lighter than deep vetting. Once in, freelancers vary widely and the final screening is yours. 4-stage screen: portfolio, skills assessment, live project simulation, references. Built to pass fewer than 1 in 20.
How you find talent Post a job and receive proposals, or browse fixed-price Hourlies, then compare and interview. Send one brief and get 3 hand-picked matches in 48h. No proposals to sift.
Fees A sliding service fee on freelancer earnings that falls as you bill more with one client, plus possible client deposits or fees. Rates change, so verify at signup. 10% project fee, published on the pricing page. Talent keeps 100% of their quoted rate.
Payment protection Deposits are ringfenced against milestones with a dispute process, and are recommended per job. Milestone escrow is built in and required: funded before work starts, released only when you approve each milestone.
Hourlies vs matching Fixed-price Hourlies are fast for small, packaged tasks, but you still pick the seller from a catalog. Matching is aimed at real projects: the shortlist is chosen for your brief, not browsed from a catalog.
Quality consistency Range from strong to average. Good freelancers exist, but you confirm the fit yourself. Every profile passed the same bar, so the floor is high and predictable.
If it goes wrong Open a dispute or repost the job and review a new round of proposals. Free rematch: a fresh vetted shortlist within 48 hours, and escrow means unapproved work is unpaid.

Fees, membership and policies change, so confirm PeoplePerHour's current rates on their site before you commit. This comparison reflects the two models as of July 2026.

When each wins

When PeoplePerHour is fine, and when to switch

Stay on PeoplePerHour when

  • You want a small, packaged task done through a fixed-price Hourly.
  • You have time to post, gather proposals, and interview a few people.
  • You are comfortable making the final quality call yourself.
  • You want a large pool and a spread of price points to choose from.

Switch to a vetted marketplace when

  • The work is business-critical and has to be right the first time.
  • You would rather review 3 vetted matches than filter a stack of proposals.
  • You want a senior freelancer chosen on proof, not a light entry review.
  • You want your money held in escrow until you approve each milestone.

Weighing more than one platform? We also compare the Upwork alternative, the Fiverr alternative, the Guru alternative and the Freelancer.com alternative, or see the full best freelance platforms table.

FAQ

PeoplePerHour alternative: common questions

What is the best PeoplePerHour alternative?

For US businesses that want senior talent without sorting proposals, the best PeoplePerHour alternative is a vetted, matched marketplace. SuperGig screens every freelancer through a 4-stage process, hand-matches a shortlist of three in 48 hours, and holds payment in milestone escrow, so you review qualified people rather than filtering proposals and Hourlies yourself.

Is PeoplePerHour legit?

Yes, PeoplePerHour is an established freelance marketplace, originally UK-based and widely used by US clients, with an application review to join, escrow-style deposits, and fixed-price Hourlies alongside project bids. The trade-off is that its entry review is lighter than deep vetting, so quality still ranges and the final screening is yours. It suits well-defined gigs more than high-stakes builds.

How much does PeoplePerHour charge?

PeoplePerHour charges freelancers a service fee on a sliding scale that drops as lifetime billings with a client grow, and clients may see a small deposit or transaction fee. Because the tiers and percentages change over time, confirm the current rates on PeoplePerHour before you commit. SuperGig instead publishes a flat 10% project fee with no monthly cost, and talent keeps 100% of their quoted rate.

How is SuperGig different from PeoplePerHour?

PeoplePerHour is a semi-open marketplace: you post a job or buy an Hourly, freelancers send proposals, and you filter them yourself. SuperGig is a vetted, matched marketplace: you send one brief, a 4-stage screened shortlist of three arrives in 48 hours, and payment sits in milestone escrow until you approve the work. One gives you a large pool to filter, the other gives you a vetted shortlist to choose from.

Try the Vetted PeoplePerHour Alternative

Send one brief today, review a hand-picked top-1% shortlist within 48 hours, and pay only for work you approve.

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