A Managed Upwork Alternative for
UK Businesses
Trusted office support staff, with your own dedicated manager. One conversation, one decision, one week.
In Australia? Click here
Where Upwork works well
Upwork is a good fit for some jobs. For help you need week after week, a managed Upwork alternative works differently.
Post a job and you can have people applying within hours.
Fast replies
A logo, a web page or a data tidy-up with a clear start and finish suits Upwork well.
One-off jobs
Developers, designers and writers are all in one place.
Specialist skills
Hire someone for a few hours and stop when the job is done.
No long commitment
If you have one job with a clear brief, Upwork is often a sensible choice.
Where it gets harder for ongoing work
Problems tend to show up when the work does not stop. Think admin, bookkeeping, emails and diaries, data entry, or keeping jobs moving.
You do the checking
Profiles and ratings are a start, but you still read applications, interview people and test them. A rating from someone else's job may tell you little about yours.
People don't always stay
Freelancers juggle lots of clients. If yours takes a bigger job, falls ill or leaves, what they knew about your business goes too. Then you start the search again.
The managing falls to you
Someone has to explain the job, check the work, answer questions and chase deadlines. In a busy business, that someone is usually you.
The hidden cost is your time
You can see the hourly rate. You cannot see the hours spent posting, checking, onboarding, supervising and replacing people.
Fees add up
Upwork charges clients a fee on payments and a fee for each new contract. Check Upwork's current pricing for the latest rates.
None of this makes Upwork bad. It is built to help you find people, not to manage them for you. The same goes for other sites UK businesses use, like PeoplePerHour and Fiverr.
How DataAlike works
DataAlike sits between hiring a freelancer and handing work to a big outsourcing company. You get your own staff member working in your business. We handle the sourcing, oversight, payment and admin around them.
Tell us what you need. We look through our own team and search for new people too. You then get three to five short profiles, with the key points and why we think each person fits.
Trusted,
vetted staff
Every client gets a dedicated Client Support Manager. They handle onboarding, check the work and can step in if needed. You direct your staff member, and we handle the rest.
Your own manager
Once your staff member knows how you do things, we look for jobs that repeat and find faster ways to do them. Some can be simplified, and some can be automated. The role keeps getting better over time, rather than just filling hours.
Quicker ways of working
Upwork vs DataAlike
at a glance
Upwork
DataAlike
Best for
One-off jobs and specialist skills
One-off jobs and specialist skills
Who vets the people
We do, then send you three to five profiles
You, using profiles, ratings and interviews
How long to find someone
Hours to days, depending on how many applications you read
Three to five profiles within 5 to 7 days
Who manages them day to day
You
Your Client Support Manager, while you direct the work
If someone is ill or leaves
You start the search again
Your manager covers. We source a replacement and handle the handover
Same person each week
Depends on the freelancer's other clients
Yes, a dedicated staff member
Finding quicker ways to work
Only if you hire for it
Included
Time zone
Depends on the freelancer
Works to the schedule you want
How long you sign up for
Per job or per hour
Month to month
Free first week
Not usually
Yes, complimentary
How it works
From first call to a new team member in three steps
Tell us what you need. Within a week you'll have 3 -5 profiles breaking down the candidates strengths, weaknesses and why they may suit the role.
1. One conversation
Choose who you want. Interview them, speak to them or ask for our suggestions. We then send you a short onboarding form.
2. One decision
Your first week is on us. Nobody is at 100% in their first week, so we don't charge for it.
3. One week
After that, you pay month to month on a rolling 30 days, and your manager keeps an eye on things throughout.
Where you save time and cut the risk
No hiring hassle
We start with our own team of experienced staff, people with a proven track record working for businesses like yours. If we need to look further, we post jobs, read applications, interview and test before you see a profile. You have one conversation and make one decision.
Less supervising
Your Client Support Manager looks after delivery, so you are not chasing anyone. They check in with your staff member regularly, review the work and make sure deadlines are met. If something is not right, they deal with it before it reaches you. Once things are running smoothly, they look for ways to improve: tasks that could be done faster, steps that could be cut, and jobs that could be automated. You keep directing the work. We make sure it gets done well.
No starting over
f your staff member is ill, your manager knows the role and can step in, so the work keeps moving. If they leave, we find someone new from our team and manage the handover, so you are not training someone from scratch. The same applies as your business grows. Many clients start with one or two staff members and add more over time. Because we already know your business, your systems and how you work, adding someone new is quick and easy.
Your data stays safe
Staff work inside your own online systems, with access you give and can remove at any time. Nothing gets copied out or stored anywhere else.
A fair start
Even with good planning, a new starter needs time to learn your systems and how you do things. That is why the first week is on us.
Hours that suit you
Your staff member works to whatever schedule suits you. There is no set way. Many clients like their team member to start a little after them, so they can plan the day and decide what to hand over. Others prefer them to work outside office hours, with an hour's overlap at the end of the day for handover. Your staff member then finishes off whatever is left, ready for the next morning.
Frequently asked questions
How do you keep my business data safe?
Our staff work inside your own online systems. They do not download, copy or store your data anywhere else. You decide what they can access and can remove it at any time.
What about UK GDPR?
Because your data stays in your systems, the data controls you already have stay in place. Your manager will go through who can access what during onboarding.
Do I stay in control of my systems and accounts?
Yes. Every account is yours, and you give your staff member access. Unlike outsourcing, you do not hand the work to another company. It stays in your systems, under your direction.
What happens if my staff member is ill or leaves?
Your manager knows the role and can step in to cover. If a replacement is needed, we source them and manage the handover, so you are not starting from scratch.
How do I know the work is done properly?
Can my staff member work hours that suit me?
our manager checks in often and checks the work. If something is not working, they raise it early and sort it out with you.
es. They work to whatever schedule suits you. Some clients like them to start a little later than they do. Others prefer them to work outside office hours, with an hour's overlap for handover.
Am I tied into a long contract?
No. You pay month to month on a rolling 30 days, and your first week is on us.
What do I need to do before they start?
Fill in one short onboarding form about the software you use and how you work. We set up as much as we can in advance. Some logins and security steps, like authenticator apps, need you. We will guide you through them.
Why is the first week free?
Nobody is at 100% in their first week in a new job, however good they are. We set up as much as we can before day one, but there is always a settling-in period. We do not think you should pay for that.
How quickly can someone start?
Usually within 5 to 7 days of our first conversation, you will have three to five profiles to choose from. If it is urgent, or we already have the right person in our team, it can be sooner, but ideally allow at least a week. Once you choose, your manager handles onboarding, and your first week is on us.
One conversation, one decision, one week
Tell us what you need, pick from three to five strong profiles, and your first week is on the house.
Then you have someone working in your business, with a manager making sure it works, at a surprisingly competitive rate.