Updated on April 21, 2023
7 freelance platforms to find work in Germany
I’m just going to come out and say it: freelancing is not a walk in the park. You probably ask yourself things like: How much should I charge? Where can I find clients? While freelancing can seem daunting at first, it is also highly rewarding to work your own hours and have more freedom. And… if you speak German, being able to find German-specific freelance jobs means greater opportunities! In order to make your search for your dream client a bit easier, we compiled a list of some of the top freelance platforms to find work.
So you’ve decided to become a Freiberufler or freelancer… congrats! This is exciting news. Because if you speak German or are currently learning the language, there are more avenues you can explore. I learnt German when I first moved to Germany from the US and it was one of the best investments I could’ve ever made. It helps us as freelancers stand out from the competition and German companies will be impressed with your drive to learn their language, which in return will create strong relationships – and of course help you earn a decent income with all the extra opportunities available. So, find below some freelance plat forms to find work and get some new clients on board.
Xing, if you haven’t heard of it, is the German equivalent to LinkedIn. It is the ideal place to network with German-speaking freelancers and potential clients. Here you can share business-related insights, connect with German executives, and most importantly, find open positions.
Xing is a freelance platform mostly for businesses in the DACH region (Switzerland, Germany, and Austria) so the entire platform is almost all in German. You’ll need to strengthen your German vocabulary to be successful here, but if you do, this site truly pays off – literally.
You may think eBay is only used to sell old clothes and furniture. Well my friend, get ready for a plot twist because on eBay Kleinanzeigen, you can also find freelancing positions and promote your freelance services. The word Kleinanzeigen translates to small advertisements in German. This search engine is a hidden gem that the vast majority of freelancers don’t consider, but it’s actually how I got my start freelancing in Germany. If you can speak German, there are people searching for freelancers there every day, especially for support with things like translations, content marketing, graphic design, and web development.
With about 30 million visitors, eBay Kleinanzeigen has plenty of connections awaiting you. Whether you’d like to pursue UX Design or Marketing Analytics Management, you have the option to search by location, or job type to find a freelancing job that suits your desires.
I also highly recommend posting your own ads on there describing your freelance services. It’s even free as long as you manually renew them.
Twago currently has 166.340 listed job advertisements for freelancers located in Europe. To get started on this freelance platform, you need to set up a portfolio with your expertise and then start bidding on jobs that interest you with credits. Alternatively, if you ever have a project you need help with you can list your project as well. Twgo is similar to Fiverr or Upwork, but has more options for German-speaking freelancers.
Expertlead is the go-to place to find IT jobs like software development or mobile design work. Recently founded in 2018, their mission is to cultivate “more than just a career.” With their community-oriented platform, you can learn from others and thrive in your IT career by working with German-speaking clients.
Calling all writers! Bloggerjobs is for you if you’d like to find a variety of diverse German-language blogging positions. If there’s a specific niche you’re interested in, you can navigate to the search bar and quickly narrow down what you’re looking for. Bloggerjobs is a great place for bloggers, vloggers, and podcasters alike, so if any of those are up your alley, you can start bidding for jobs today.
Freelancermap is similar to Twago in that you can list a project or apply to one. You’ll find a colossal amount of openings for German-speakers, with everything from cloud management, to graphic design and media work. This free freelance platform automatically sends updates to your email from projects you’ve applied to so you can easily stay on track of your leads.
Designenlassen.de is a creative space for graphic designers, web designers, advertisers, and illustrators – but with a huge emphasis on the German market. With over 80,000 freelance designers, it is certainly a competitive platform. On average, each project gets 89 separate pieces of feedback from different designers, and from there clients will narrow down their decision. This collaborative feedback feature makes Designenlassen a unique platform to work together with German clients.
Freelancing can a liberating way of practicing your profession, whatever that might be. Challenges also, though, will await on the way but with a little bit patience and perseverance, you can too enjoy this freedom. On a final note, as you progress forward in your hunt to find German-speaking freelance projects, remember to nurture your German language learning journey too.
