If you are a Filipino beginner, start with OnlineJobs.ph if you want a steady part-time or full-time remote role, and Upwork if you want project work with payment protection. Add LinkedIn as a free second channel once your profile is ready. Fiverr is worth it only if your service fits a fixed package. Facebook groups and unsolicited messages have plenty of VA “jobs” but the weakest checks, so treat them last and verify everything.

This page is the directory: what each place is, what it costs you, and who it suits. For the step-by-step plan of choosing a service and landing the first client, see How to Get Your First VA Client With No Experience.

The quick comparison (September 2026)

Channel How work starts What it costs you Payment protection Best for
Upwork You send proposals to posted jobs $0.15 per Connect to apply; 0-15% fee per contract Yes, if milestones are funded or hours tracked in the desktop app Project and hourly freelance work
OnlineJobs.ph You apply; employers on paid plans can contact you Free for jobseekers No; employer pays you directly Ongoing roles with one employer (Filipinos only)
Fiverr Buyers order your packaged Gig 20% of each order; 14-day clearing Order system holds payment Fixed, repeatable tasks
LinkedIn Conversations, Service page, job posts Free (3 personal connection notes a month) No; you invoice directly Niche services, direct clients
Contra Profile and portfolio; clients hire through it 0% commission; optional Pro plan $29/month Payments run through Contra Portfolio-heavy work (design, content, ops)
Remote job boards Apply to company listings Free to apply Depends on the employer Formal remote roles
Philippine job boards (JobStreet, Kalibrr) Apply to local employers Free to apply Philippine employment rules where you are an employee Employee-style WFH roles with local payroll
VA agencies Screening, then matched to a client No fee should be charged to you Agency pays you People who want training and a supervisor
Facebook groups and referrals Posts and introductions Free None Warm leads; high scam risk in open groups

Figures are from each platform’s official help or pricing pages, checked 30 September 2026; see the sources.

What the first $100 of work costs you on each

A worked comparison for a $100 job, ignoring withdrawal and currency conversion costs, which depend on how you get paid.

Channel Assumptions You keep
Upwork 10 proposals at 10 Connects each ($15), then a contract with a 10% fee $100 - $10 fee = $90, minus the $15 of Connects = $75 for the first job
Fiverr One $100 order $100 x 80% = $80
OnlineJobs.ph Employer pays you directly $100 (transfer fees depend on the method you agree)
LinkedIn direct client You invoice directly $100
Contra Commission-free $100

Upwork looks expensive on the first job because the Connects you spent on unsuccessful proposals land on it. That cost spreads out once a contract continues for weeks. The fee is not the whole story either: Upwork’s escrow and dispute process are what you pay for, and on a direct arrangement you carry that risk yourself.

1. Upwork

The most structured of the general freelance marketplaces. Clients post jobs; you apply with Connects ($0.15 each as of September 2026). The fee you pay is set per contract between 0% and 15% and shown before you submit. Fixed-price work is protected when the milestone is funded before you start; hourly work when you log time in the Upwork desktop app.

Suits you if: you can show a sample for a specific task, can spend a small budget on applications, and want platform protection. Read next: How to Start on Upwork With No Experience.

2. OnlineJobs.ph

A job board for Filipino remote workers. Jobseekers register and apply free. Employers pay OnlineJobs.ph $69 a month (PRO) or $99 (PREMIUM) to contact workers; on the free employer plan they cannot message workers and see at most 15 applications per job. The site says its jobs are salaried full-time or part-time work, none commission-based. Pay goes straight from the employer to you, so there is no escrow.

Suits you if: you are Filipino, want one long-term employer, and can commit to fixed hours, often on US time. Read next: OnlineJobs.ph guide.

3. Fiverr

You publish Gigs (service packages) and buyers order them. You keep 80%; earnings clear 14 days after completion. New sellers can run four Gigs. No application cost.

Suits you if: your service has a countable unit, like 500 rows cleaned or 25 products uploaded. Read next: Fiverr for Virtual Assistants.

4. LinkedIn

Three different tools in one place: job listings (search “virtual assistant” or “executive assistant” with the Remote filter), posts where business owners ask for VA help, and a free Service page clients can request proposals through. Free members can add a personal note to only three connection requests a month, so outreach works through comments and follow-up messages rather than cold invitations.

Suits you if: you have chosen a niche (real estate, coaching, law, ecommerce) and can spend 30 minutes a day. Read next: How to Find VA Clients on LinkedIn.

5. Contra

A portfolio-led freelance platform. Contra states that freelancers keep 100% of earnings (no commission) and that profiles, proposals and payments are free; an optional Contra Pro plan costs $29 a month for extra portfolio and analytics features. Profiles are built around portfolio projects, so it rewards work you can show visually.

Suits you if: your VA work is visual or systems-based (Canva, Notion, social media operations) and you have samples to show.

6. Remote job boards

Global boards such as We Work Remotely list jobs from companies hiring remotely, including support, operations and admin roles. “Remote” often means remote within one country or time zone, so read the location line on every listing before applying. The board is only the noticeboard; the employer runs the hiring and the pay.

Suits you if: you want a formal role with a company, have strong written English, and are ready for multi-stage hiring.

7. Philippine job boards

JobStreet and Kalibrr list Philippine employers, including BPOs, startups and outsourcing firms with work-from-home roles. If you are hired as an employee, Philippine labor rules on minimum wage, SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG contributions apply, which no freelance platform gives you.

Suits you if: you want stability and benefits while building VA skills, or need a regular payslip for a loan or visa.

8. VA agencies and staffing firms

Agencies recruit assistants, train or screen them, and place them with overseas clients. You earn less per hour than a direct freelancer, but the agency finds the client, handles billing, and replaces the client if one leaves.

Before applying, check:

  • The business is registered: DTI’s Business Name Registration System (bnrs.dti.gov.ph) for sole proprietorships, or the SEC for corporations.
  • Whether you will be an employee (with payslips and contributions) or a contractor.
  • Your rate, schedule and who your supervisor is, in writing.
  • That you are not charged a placement, training or kit fee. A real agency earns from the client.

9. Facebook groups, referrals and your own network

Filipino VA Facebook groups carry many hiring posts and also many scams, because anyone can post and nobody verifies them. Use them, but never move to Telegram for an “interview”, pay anything, or share your ID with a poster you cannot verify. How to Spot and Avoid VA Job Scams shows the exact scripts.

Referrals are the opposite: fewer leads, much higher trust. Former BPO team leads, classmates working abroad, and relatives with small businesses overseas are worth a direct message describing the one service you offer.

Which to choose: a decision table

Your situation Main channel Backup
Filipino, want one steady job on US hours OnlineJobs.ph Upwork
Want variety and can afford a small application budget Upwork LinkedIn
Your skill is a clear, repeatable package Fiverr Upwork
You have a niche and a network abroad LinkedIn Referrals
You want benefits and training first Philippine job boards or an agency OnlineJobs.ph
Student with limited, changing hours Fiverr (you control delivery times) Upwork small fixed-price jobs
Outside the Philippines Upwork LinkedIn, plus your country’s local platforms

Run one main channel properly for a month before adding a third. Five half-finished profiles produce less than one complete one with a tracker.

FAQ

Which site is the most legit for beginners?

The ones with contracts and payment systems: Upwork with funded milestones and Fiverr orders. OnlineJobs.ph is a legitimate board, but because pay is direct, your own checks matter more.

Are VA training programs that promise placement worth it?

Be cautious with any program that charges you and promises a client. A placement fee paid by the worker is a common scam pattern; real agencies are paid by clients.

Can I use several sites at once?

Yes, but keep your story consistent across them, and never take an Upwork client off the platform before the rules allow. Upwork treats that as circumvention and can close your account.

Sources and further reading

Video references

Watch the workflow

What Is Online Gig Work? Opportunities and Challenges of an Emerging Force in the Job MarketWorld Bank Group · The World Bank provides useful context on the opportunities and risks behind online gig platforms.The role of digital labour platforms in transforming the world of workInternational Labour Organization · ILO's overview adds worker-focused context for evaluating digital labour platforms and their tradeoffs.

Fees, limits and platform rules change. The date at the top shows when this guide was last updated, and the sources section links to the official pages it relies on. If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it.