The core difference: managed marketplace vs open bazaar
Upwork gives you access to millions of freelancers worldwide. That sounds like an advantage until you spend 12 hours reading through 70 proposals for a brand design project, most of which miss the brief entirely. That's My Brief is India's first managed creative marketplace — you post your brief anonymously, and the platform hand-picks 3–5 vetted creative professionals within 24 hours. You don't sift; you choose.
Talent quality and vetting
Upwork operates as an open platform. Any freelancer can create a profile and bid on your project. While Upwork has its "Top Rated" and "Expert Vetted" badges, those tiers cover all categories globally — from data entry to software development — and quality control is inconsistent. According to a 2025 survey by Clutch, 61% of small business owners using open freelance platforms reported at least one failed project in the past year due to freelancer quality issues.
That's My Brief works on an invite-only model. Every creative professional on the platform has been manually reviewed — portfolio scrutinised, work quality assessed, communication tested. Only the top 3% of applicants make it through. For Indian D2C brands that need culturally fluent creatives who understand FMCG, fashion, and digital-native brand building, that curation matters enormously.
Cost transparency and platform fees
Upwork charges clients a payment processing fee of 3–5% on top of every transaction. Freelancers also pay Upwork up to 20% of their earnings (reducing as they earn more with a single client), which means they often price their Upwork rates higher to compensate — passing the cost back to you. That's My Brief charges 0% platform fees to clients. The rate you agree on with the freelancer is the rate you pay.
Matching time and project speed
On Upwork, you post a job and wait. The proposal flood starts within hours but sorting through it — checking portfolios, reading cover letters, shortlisting, interviewing — takes days. Most Indian brands report 3–7 days from post to kickoff on Upwork for mid-complexity projects. On That's My Brief, the matching target is 24 hours from brief submission to receiving your curated shortlist of 3–5 matched creatives. For brands running campaign sprints or product launches, that week saved is commercially significant.
Indian market understanding
Upwork is a global platform optimised for global clients. Most Indian D2C brands report frustration with overseas freelancers who don't understand INR pricing expectations, GST compliance, or the cultural nuances of the Indian consumer. That's My Brief is built specifically for the Indian creative economy — all freelancers are India-based, invoicing is INR-native, and the network skews toward creatives who have worked with Indian brands like Mamaearth, Licious, and emerging D2C disruptors.
When Upwork still makes sense
Upwork has genuine advantages for niche technical roles (blockchain development, rare software stacks) and for businesses that need a very large volume of low-complexity tasks. If you're looking for a creative partner for your Indian brand — someone who gets the market, delivers without hand-holding, and doesn't need three revision rounds to understand your tone of voice — That's My Brief is the faster, cleaner choice.
Frequently asked questions
Is That's My Brief free to post a brief?
Yes. Posting a brief is completely free. You only pay when you engage a freelancer directly.
Can I hire internationally through That's My Brief?
The platform is currently focused on India-based creative talent — which is intentional. The quality bar for Indian creatives in design, copy, and video is extremely high and significantly more cost-effective than global rates.
Does Upwork work for Indian brands?
Upwork can work, but requires significant time investment in screening. Many Indian brands use it for one-off tasks rather than ongoing creative partnerships.