Workana Fee Calculator
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Workana charges freelancers a tiered commission based on how much each client has paid you in total: 20% on the first $300 from a client, 10% on everything between $300 and $3,000, and just 5% once that client has paid you more than $3,000. The client separately pays a 4.5% service cost (minimum $2), which does not come out of your payment.
Because the rate depends on where the client relationship stands, the same $1,000 project can cost $130 in commission from a brand-new client or $50 from a long-term one. Enter the project amount and what this client has already paid you, and this workana fee calculator shows your exact commission, what you keep, and your effective rate.
Whether you are comparing options or planning ahead, this Workana Fee Calculator gives you the numbers to decide with confidence.
Workana Fee Calculator: Key takeaways
- Workana commission is 20% on the first $300 billed to each client, 10% from $300 to $3,000, and 5% above $3,000 — cumulative per client, calculated in USD.
- The tiers are per client relationship: every new client restarts you at 20%, no matter how much you have earned with other clients.
- All payments count toward your tier total — fixed-price projects, hourly work, extensions, and direct hires.
- Clients pay their own 4.5% service cost (minimum $2) on top of your price, so it never reduces what you receive.
- Past $3,000 with one client, Workana takes 5% — half of Upwork's flat 10% — which makes long-term clients unusually profitable here.
How the Workana Fee Calculator works
- Enter the amount of this project or payment.
- Enter how much this same client has already paid you on Workana in total — 0 if they are a brand-new client.
- The calculator walks the payment through the tiers in order: the part inside the first $300 of the relationship is charged 20%, the part up to $3,000 is charged 10%, and anything above $3,000 is charged 5%.
- It totals the slices into your commission, subtracts it to show what you receive, and blends the slices into one effective rate.
- Finally it adds the client's 4.5% service cost (minimum $2) so you can see the client's true total as well.
Workana Fee Calculator: worked example
Example 1 — your first project with a new client, $500: The first $300 is charged at 20% ($60) and the remaining $200 at 10% ($20), so the commission is $80 and you receive $420 — a 16% effective rate. The client pays $500 plus a $22.50 service cost, $522.50 in total.
Example 2 — a $1,000 project after the client has already paid you $2,800: Only $200 of the payment sits in the 10% band ($20) and the other $800 is already in the 5% band ($40), so the commission is $60 and you receive $940 — a 6% effective rate.
Example 3 — the same $1,000 from a brand-new client: $300 at 20% ($60) plus $700 at 10% ($70) makes a $130 commission and $870 received (13% effective). Compared with Example 2, the established relationship is worth $70 on this single project.
How Workana compares on a $1,000 project:
| Platform | Fee on $1,000 | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Workana — new client | $130 (blended tiers) | $870 |
| Workana — client past $3,000 | $50 (5%) | $950 |
| Upwork — flat 10% | $100 | $900 |
| Freelancer.com — 10% | $100 | $900 |
Workana starts more expensive than the flat-fee platforms and ends cheaper: the crossover on a single project is around $3,600 billed, and any work after a client passes $3,000 is charged at just 5%.
Workana Fee Calculator: frequently asked questions
How much does Workana charge freelancers?
A tiered commission on each payment: 20% while the client's total payments to you are within the first $300, 10% on the part between $300 and $3,000, and 5% on everything above $3,000. The tiers are cumulative per client and calculated in USD, so the longer a client stays with you, the lower your rate falls.
How is the commission calculated when one payment crosses a tier boundary?
Each part of the payment is charged at the tier it falls into. If a client who has paid you $200 commissions a new $500 project, the first $100 of that payment completes the 20% band and the remaining $400 is charged at 10% — a $60 commission in total, not 20% or 10% on the whole amount. That blended result is exactly what the calculator above computes.
Does the tier reset when I start with a new client?
Yes. The 20% / 10% / 5% ladder is tracked per client relationship. A new client always starts you at 20%, even if another client has already carried you into the 5% band. This is why repeat clients are worth noticeably more on Workana than on flat-fee platforms.
What counts toward the $300 and $3,000 thresholds?
Every payment from that client counts: fixed-price projects, hourly projects, extensions, direct hires, and direct payments. Workana tracks the running total in USD regardless of the countries involved, and the lower rate applies once the client's cumulative payments pass each threshold.
What does the client pay on Workana?
The client pays a service cost of 4.5% of the project value, with a minimum of $2, on top of your price — it is the client's cost, not a deduction from your payment. A payment processing cost can also apply depending on the client's payment method and country, and it is shown to the client at checkout.
Is Workana cheaper than Upwork?
It depends on the relationship. Upwork takes a flat 10% of every payment. On Workana, a new client's first projects blend to more than 10% (13% on a first $1,000 project), a single project crosses below 10% effective at roughly $3,600, and once a client has paid you $3,000 every further payment costs only 5% — half of Upwork's rate. For one-off small jobs Upwork is cheaper; for long-term clients Workana wins.
Can I add the commission on top of my price for the client to pay?
Price your quote so it already covers the commission, rather than itemising or mentioning the commission to the client. Workana explicitly warns that referring to its commission can be treated as inviting the client to deal off-platform, which may lead to a sanction. Building the fee into your rate is both safer and simpler.
Do I have to pay for a Workana benefit plan to use the platform?
No. Creating a profile, sending proposals, and publishing projects are free, and the benefit plans (for freelancers) and featured project plans (for clients) are optional extras. The commission only applies when a contract actually closes on a project — if you are not hired, there is nothing to pay.