twago, or Team Work Across Global Offices is a European off-shoring and outsourcing platform which launched in 2009. The platform has a strong focus on the Central European market particularly Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland and as such the interface is available in each of these languages in addition to English. The outsourcing marketplace provides access to over 100,000 freelance service providers, including companies with teams of providers. The interface is well designed and the commissions are competitive.
For Freelance Workers
twago works in a similar way to other freelance marketplaces. You register, create a profile and then bid on the projects which you are qualified to complete. Buyers can either pay you direct or pay via Escrow. The sites fee structure is strikingly similar to the model in use at Elance, providers get a small number of free bids each month and then pay for additional bids. Providers also pay a fee of between 3.5% and 7% depending on the level of membership.
For Buyers
twago works like other freelance marketplaces. A buyer signs up, posts a project and then freelancers will bid for the work. The buyer reviews bids, chooses a freelancer and then can manage the project using online project management tools including a workroom. The site is free for the person outsourcing online, but the freelance providers pays a commission on any work they secure through the outsourcing platform. There are a range of value added services for buyers which are available at a premium, these include NDAs (29 Euro), Private Projects (10 Euro) and similar services. The key strength lies in the access to post jobs in languages other than English, opening up online outsourcing to freelance providers and businesses who are skilled yet lack the depth of English language skills required to work comfortably and effectively on existing marketplaces.
Our Verdict:
twago has a nice interface and although we disagree with their phrasing which suggests their entire premise or concept is unique, we do agree that they are unique in making the space accessible to those who do not speak English and in their focus on Central European Markets. Fees are fair and we expect twago will grow organically in the years ahead.
Additional Info
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Expertise:
Programming, Admin, Writing, Creative, IT Support
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Number of buyers:
Up to 5,000
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Number of freelancers:
Up to 100,000
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Current open projects:
Up to 1,000
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Average project value:
Over $2,500
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Projects completed:
Up to 5,000
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Total billings:
Up to $10M
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Buyer registration fee:
Free
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Buyer Fee (monthly):
Free
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Provider registration fee:
No Fee
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Provider Fee (monthly):
Free, Up to $25, Over $25.00
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Commission:
5.1 to 10%
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Additional fees and charges info:
twago basic membership is free of charge for buyers and providers. Providers get 5 free bids per month and must either buy more bids or upgrade their membership to obtain more. In addition providers pay between 3.5% and 7% commission on all work secured through the platform.
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Quality and Skills:
Provider Profiles, Provider Portfolios
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Additional quality and skills info:
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Safety and Protection:
Escrow Available, Feedback and Ratings, Buyer Guarantees, Provider Guarantees, Freelancer Monitoring
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Additional safety and protection info:
An Escrow service is beneficial for customer and providerd:
Providers can be sure that they will receive the money after the project was finished and customers can be sure that they dont have to pay for deliverables that will never be completed.
The money stays on the Escrow account until both parties agree that the project is finished successfully
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Format:
Bidding, Pay For Time, Fixed Price
8 reviews
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Review Link
Thursday, 26 May 2011 10:36
posted by Crystal
hmmm, just signed up (June 2011) and When looking for jobs under the "design" category I only find 2 relevant ones from 2011...!! -is it just my inability to navigate this site, or has it died?
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Review Link
Sunday, 30 January 2011 07:10
posted by Meg
I wonder if this is available for Asia... if so then that would be great because I heard a lot of great things about this site compare to other sites that has lots of things to do first.
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Review Link
Monday, 03 January 2011 12:59
posted by Andreas G.
I was looking for a european freelancer-platform, so I found twago.com They have many projects vom germany, italy and england. Now they startet also a spanish version of twago. Good job twago - hope I will get more good payed jobs!
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Review Link
Sunday, 19 December 2010 15:18
posted by Roland
I am offering my services on twago and the commission fee is between 4.5 and 7%. As usual on such platforms I get notified via email about new project leads. So far I am satisfied with the platform - good projects, good prices, good customer service.
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Review Link
Wednesday, 15 December 2010 10:04
posted by Philipp
used twago for my 7th project now, worked very well. is the only european platform with thousands of motivated european freelancers. Can't say anything else than a very strong recommendation to the twago-team
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Review Link
Wednesday, 15 December 2010 08:28
posted by
Dorothea Finke
Perfect platform to find jobs, very professional handling
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Review Link
Tuesday, 14 December 2010 22:29
posted by
M
My budget was limited (to say the least). I was a little unsure at first, as I was not sure I would find a good provider for my limited budget. But after posting my project I realised my needs where not too out of reach for my budget and found a great provider who I would never have found otherwise. I am extremely happy. Thank you
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Review Link
Tuesday, 14 December 2010 19:55
posted by Andrea
I have used it twice and it worked fine as usual.. I would recomment twago to everyone, anytime.
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