DonutJobs is the Upwork alternative for recurring VA roles. On Upwork you sift a pile of proposals on every role, then pay a fee on every invoice forever. Here, candidates show English, typing and internet scores plus a recorded voice sample on their profile, you pay one flat plan, and you own the relationship outright.
Upwork is a deep marketplace. For recurring operator roles, two things quietly cost you.
Post a role and you’re flooded with proposals, many copy-pasted, most self-reported, all unvetted. You read, shortlist, and interview your way through it on every single role, which turns recurring hiring into recurring weeks of work.
You’re the filter, every time.
A client marketplace fee rides on top of every payment, and freelancer service fees quietly shrink their take-home. The platform also restricts moving off-platform, so on a long-term role you keep paying a percentage on a relationship you should just own.
A tax on every hour worked.
Built for hiring the same role twice, not chasing proposals.
Candidates can complete up to four standardized checks: English, typing speed, a recorded voice sample, and internet speed. The scores show on their profile and you can filter to people who passed, so you review proof, not a pitch, and your shortlist stays short.
One flat platform fee, no cut on every invoice, and you pay your hire directly. A built-in ATS, screening forms, candidate chat, and stage tracking run the whole hire in one place, and the relationship is yours to keep.
Curious how it stacks up on your own roles?
For recurring operator roles, not one-off gigs, where Upwork wins, we mark it.
| Feature | DonutJobs | Upwork |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow | Scored candidates into a pipeline | Proposal pile you sift yourself |
| Best use case | Recurring VA, support, admin & ops | One-off specialist projects |
| Candidate vetting | English, typing & internet scores + voice sample | Self-reported + buyer reviews |
| Fees | Flat $99/mo, no per-hire cut | Client fee + freelancer service fees |
| Who owns the relationship | You do, direct contact | Mediated by Upwork |
| Off-platform communication | Encouraged | Restricted by TOS |
| ATS, pipeline & screening forms | Built in | Marketplace flow, not a pipeline |
Workflow
Best use case
Candidate vetting
Fees
Who owns the relationship
Off-platform communication
ATS, pipeline & screening forms
17 minutes is the median time from a job going live to its first application on DonutJobs (1,489 of 1,537 jobs got one, as of Sep 2026).
Upwork fees per Upwork Help:Client Marketplace Fee and Freelancer Service Fee. Checked Sep 2026.
When Upwork is the better call
…you need a one-off specialist for a discrete project, a Webflow build, a translation, motion graphics, that you won’t hire for again. Upwork’s enormous global supply, deep reviews, and built-in escrow make it the right tool for transactional project work.
If that’s the job, go use it. No hard feelings.
Not a one-off hire? Make the switch in one cycle.
No migration, no export. Just post the role and compare the pipelines yourself.
The VA, support, admin, or ops roles you keep re-hiring on Upwork. Paid posts go live in minutes, no proposal pile.
Filter to candidates who passed the checks you care about, then use the Forms screener for the rest. No proposal pile to wade through.
Pay through Wise, Payoneer, Deel, or your existing process, no client fee, no percentage on every invoice.
Yes, if you hire the same kind of role more than once. DonutJobs is an Upwork alternative built for recurring VA hiring: candidates can show English, typing and internet-speed scores plus a voice sample on their profile, you pay one flat monthly plan instead of a fee on every invoice, and you work with your hire directly.
Use DonutJobs when you’re hiring the same kind of role more than once and want a pipeline of candidates with skill check scores, flat pricing, and a relationship you own. Use Upwork when you need a one-off specialist for a discrete project.
If both sides want to work directly, DonutJobs supports your hiring workflow, you message them, agree terms, and pay them directly, with no marketplace cut in between.
DonutJobs is a hiring platform, not a payment marketplace. You agree on terms and pay workers through your own setup, Wise, Payoneer, Deel, or whatever you already use.
For repeat VA hiring, usually yes. A flat platform fee means you aren’t paying a marketplace percentage on every invoice, which adds up fast across recurring roles.
Still weighing it up? Post a role and see the pipeline.
Candidates with test scores on their profile, a flat monthly fee instead of a per-invoice cut, and a relationship you own from day one.
