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Professional Services · head to head

Freelancer.com vs Netsuite OpenAir

Freelancer.com logo

Freelancer.com

Professional Services

Find the best freelancers for any job online

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Netsuite OpenAir logo

Netsuite OpenAir

Professional Services

Oracle's professional services automation product, separate from NetSuite ERP

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Freelancer.com has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Freelancer.com employers pay 3% or $3.00 USD minimum on fixed-price projects when awarding; Netsuite OpenAir openAir is a separate application from NetSuite rather than a module of it, so customers, projects and employees exist in two places and a synchronisation must be configured, monitored and repaired when it drifts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freelancer.com and Netsuite OpenAir actually diverge.

Attributes where Freelancer.com and Netsuite OpenAir differ
AttributeFreelancer.comNetsuite OpenAir
Starting priceFree$500/month
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebCloud, Web, Mobile
FoundedUnknown2006

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Professional Services).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Freelancer.com

Nothing recorded that Netsuite OpenAir does not also cover.

Only in Netsuite OpenAir

  • Resource management
  • Timesheets and expenses
  • Project accounting
  • Billing
  • Project management
  • Utilisation reporting
  • NetSuite integration
  • Multi-currency support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Freelancer.com

  • Posting projects and collecting competitive bids without upfront costnot Netsuite OpenAir
  • Engaging hourly contractors with flexible staffing and per-payment feesnot Netsuite OpenAir
  • Running design contests where employers only pay if satisfiednot Netsuite OpenAir
  • Securing work payments held by platform until contractor approvalnot Netsuite OpenAir
  • Identifying vetted freelancers through Verified by Freelancer badgesnot Netsuite OpenAir

Netsuite OpenAir

  • A consultancy that needs to forecast staffing demand against a pipeline before it commits to delivery datesnot Freelancer.com
  • A services firm whose revenue recognition on fixed price work is currently maintained in a spreadsheetnot Freelancer.com
  • An organisation already running NetSuite finance whose project module cannot handle its resource planningnot Freelancer.com
  • An agency or integrator that needs accurate billable utilisation by consultant, practice and clientnot Freelancer.com

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Freelancer.com

  • Employers pay 3% or $3.00 USD minimum on fixed-price projects when awarding
  • Freelancers pay 10% or $5.00 USD minimum on fixed-price projects
  • Preferred Freelancer Program charges 15% on recruiter projects
  • Maintenance fee up to $14.00 per month for accounts inactive 6+ months
  • Withdrawal fees range from $1.00 to $25.00 depending on method

Netsuite OpenAir

  • OpenAir is a separate application from NetSuite rather than a module of it, so customers, projects and employees exist in two places and a synchronisation must be configured, monitored and repaired when it drifts.
  • It overlaps with NetSuite's own project and services capability, so buyers inside the Oracle estate face a choice between two products from the same vendor and rarely get a straight comparison from the sales conversation.
  • The product has been renamed and repositioned more than once, which leaves documentation, training material and community knowledge fragmented across names and makes it harder to establish what applies to your version.
  • Licensing is per user, so a firm with many occasional timesheet submitters pays full seats for people who sign in twice a month, and the model suits billable-heavy organisations far better than mixed ones.
  • The user interface and administration reflect the product's age rather than current design conventions, which raises training effort and makes consultant adoption of timesheet discipline harder than it needs to be.

Pricing, plan by plan

Freelancer.com

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Freelancer.com review.

Netsuite OpenAir

$500/month
  • Basic$500/month
    • Project tracking
    • Time tracking
    • Basic reporting
  • Advanced$1200/month
    • Full PSA
    • Resource planning
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Freelancer.com if

  • You want to start without paying.
Freelancer.com review

Choose Netsuite OpenAir if

  • You need resource management.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want timesheets and expenses.
Netsuite OpenAir review

Questions people ask

Is Freelancer.com or Netsuite OpenAir better?
Neither clearly leads. Freelancer.com starts at Free and Netsuite OpenAir at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freelancer.com or Netsuite OpenAir?
Freelancer.com has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Freelancer.com and $500/month for Netsuite OpenAir.
Does Freelancer.com or Netsuite OpenAir run on more platforms?
Freelancer.com runs on Web. Netsuite OpenAir runs on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
Can I use Freelancer.com for free?
Yes. Freelancer.com has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Netsuite OpenAir starts at $500/month.
What is Freelancer.com best used for?
Freelancer.com is most often used for posting projects and collecting competitive bids without upfront cost, engaging hourly contractors with flexible staffing and per-payment fees, running design contests where employers only pay if satisfied, securing work payments held by platform until contractor approval. Of those, posting projects and collecting competitive bids without upfront cost and engaging hourly contractors with flexible staffing and per-payment fees are not what Netsuite OpenAir is typically brought in for.
What can Freelancer.com do that Netsuite OpenAir cannot?
Netsuite OpenAir covers Resource management, Timesheets and expenses, Project accounting, Billing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Freelancer.com: What are Freelancer.com's fees?

Employers pay 3% or $3.00 USD (whichever is greater) when awarding fixed-price projects and 3% on hourly payments. Freelancers pay 10% or $5.00 USD minimum on fixed-price projects, 10% on hourly payments, and 10% or $5.00 USD on contest prizes. The Preferred Freelancer Program charges 15% on recruiter projects.

Source
Netsuite OpenAir: Is OpenAir part of NetSuite?

No. It is a separate Oracle application that integrates with NetSuite. It is sold alongside NetSuite and often bought by NetSuite customers, but it has its own data model, interface and administration.

Freelancer.com: What are the payment processing and withdrawal fees on Freelancer?

Payment processing fees are $0.30 USD plus 2.3% for credit card, PayPal, or Skrill. Withdrawal fees are $1.00 for PayPal/Skrill/Payoneer and $25.00 for international wire transfers.

Source
Netsuite OpenAir: Should I use this or NetSuite's own project modules?

If your problem is invoicing project work and tracking basic costs, NetSuite's own capability may be enough and avoids a second system. If your problem is resource planning, skills-based staffing and utilisation forecasting across a large delivery organisation, that is what OpenAir was built for.

Freelancer.com: What optional upgrades are available for Freelancer projects?

Featured and Urgent upgrades cost $10.99 each, Private/NDA/IP Agreement upgrades cost $22.99 each, and Full Time projects cost $240.00. Projects also have a Verification Badge option at $99.00 (regular), $79.00 (Preferred), or $59.00 (Rising Stars).

Source
Netsuite OpenAir: Can it be used without NetSuite?

Yes, it can run against another finance system, but then you are building and maintaining that integration yourself, which removes the main reason most buyers choose it over an independent professional services automation product.

Netsuite OpenAir: What is the hardest part of implementing it?

Getting consultants to submit accurate timesheets on time, and agreeing how revenue recognition should work on fixed price engagements. Neither is a software problem, and both determine whether the reports are trusted.

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