Juggling contractors eats up your entire day.
If you’re constantly chasing paperwork, managing payments, and verifying credentials just to keep your freelance workforce running smoothly, you’re not alone.
The biggest issue is, you waste valuable time double-handling admin tasks—and it’s draining your team’s productivity as the compliance risks pile up.
That’s why WorkMarket takes a refreshingly comprehensive approach, automating onboarding, work assignments, compliance checks, and payments all in one platform. After digging into every feature, I can show you where WorkMarket actually fixes those workflow headaches that eat up hours.
In this review, I’ll break down how you can take back control of contractor management—giving you time for the work that matters.
In this WorkMarket review, you’ll see a full breakdown of features, real-world workflow examples, pricing details, and how WorkMarket stacks up to other top contractor management solutions.
You’ll walk away with the insights and features you need to pick the best-fit software for your contingent workforce challenges.
Let’s get started.
Quick Summary
- WorkMarket is a cloud platform that helps your team manage onboarding, assignments, payments, and compliance for independent contractors.
- Best for businesses needing to streamline and scale management of a sizable contingent workforce.
- You’ll appreciate its comprehensive automation of workflows and built-in compliance features that reduce administrative overhead.
- WorkMarket offers custom pricing without a free trial, requiring direct contact for detailed quotes.
WorkMarket Overview
WorkMarket has been helping businesses manage their independent workforce since 2010. Based in New York City, their core mission is to streamline the entire lifecycle of contingent worker operations from a single, cloud-based platform.
I find they serve a wide market, but their real specialty is helping businesses that need a complete system for managing contractors, not just a tool for finding them. It’s less a talent marketplace and more an operational backbone for your whole extended team.
Their 2018 acquisition by HR giant ADP was a pivotal moment, giving them deep enterprise credibility. Through this WorkMarket review, you’ll see how this backing strengthens their compliance and payment features, which is a major confidence booster for buyers.
Unlike pure marketplaces that just connect you with talent, WorkMarket’s real value is its end-to-end workflow automation. I feel it was designed by people who understand the real-world headaches of managing onboarding, work orders, and payments for contractors.
They work with a variety of organizations, including global brands and mid-sized businesses that depend heavily on a reliable external workforce for critical field service or technology projects.
I see their current strategy as being laser-focused on solving the administrative chaos of the modern gig economy. They provide the essential guardrails and automated tools you need to confidently scale your independent workforce while mitigating risks.
Now, let’s dive into their features.
WorkMarket Features
Struggling to manage your growing independent workforce?
WorkMarket features are designed to streamline the entire lifecycle of managing contingent workers, from sourcing to payment. Here are the five main WorkMarket features that automate key processes.
1. Contractor Sourcing and Talent Pools
Manually searching for qualified freelancers takes forever.
Sifting through countless resumes can be incredibly time-consuming. This often leads to delays in starting critical projects.
WorkMarket’s Labor Clouds let you create pre-vetted talent pools based on skills, location, or certifications. What I love is how this feature instantly connects you to the right talent, ensuring workers meet your exact requirements without the manual search.
This means you can quickly find skilled contractors and launch projects faster, saving significant time.
2. Automated Onboarding and Verification
Is your onboarding process buried in paperwork?
Collecting documents and verifying credentials manually can be a huge administrative burden. This also creates compliance risks if not handled properly.
The platform automates onboarding, allowing workers to self-onboard digitally and collecting all necessary documents and credentials. From my testing, the automated tax ID and bank account verification really simplifies compliance and reduces administrative time.
So you can onboard new contractors efficiently and compliantly, minimizing your administrative workload.
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3. Work Order Management and Assignment
Tired of juggling work assignments across different tools?
Scattered work orders can lead to confusion and missed deadlines. This makes it difficult to track project progress effectively.
Work Order Management centralizes job postings and assignments, whether virtual or on-site, offering a holistic view of all tasks. This feature allows you to easily route assignments to the right workers and manage deliverables efficiently.
This means you can manage a high volume of work assignments from a single platform, boosting your operational efficiency.
4. Payment and Invoicing
Chasing invoices and handling tax forms is a nightmare.
Manual payment processing and tax compliance for contractors can be complex and prone to errors. This often results in wasted administrative time.
WorkMarket streamlines payments for independent workers, handling secure payments and automated invoice generation. Here’s what I found: it automatically files 1099-NEC forms, which is a huge time-saver and ensures tax compliance.
This means your contractors get paid on time, and your accounting team is relieved of tedious paperwork.
5. Compliance Support and Reporting
Worried about independent contractor misclassification risks?
Navigating complex regulations around contingent workers can be challenging. This exposes your business to potential legal and financial risks.
WorkMarket provides automated guardrails for verification processes and maintains a detailed audit trail. This feature gives you customizable reports and analytics into your workforce spend and usage, which is invaluable for risk mitigation.
This means you can maintain compliance with regulations and gain valuable insights into your contingent workforce.
Pros & Cons
- ✅ Automates contractor sourcing and talent pool management effectively.
- ✅ Streamlines onboarding and document verification for compliance.
- ✅ Centralizes work order management for better oversight.
- ⚠️ Mobile app has functionality issues and limitations for users.
- ⚠️ Some users report high costs for full feature access.
- ⚠️ Freelancers sometimes lack payment dispute support.
You’ll appreciate how these WorkMarket features come together to create a unified system for contingent workforce management, simplifying complex operations.
WorkMarket Pricing
What will WorkMarket truly cost your business?
WorkMarket pricing operates on a custom quote model, meaning you’ll need to contact their sales team for a precise estimate tailored to your unique requirements.
Cost Breakdown
- Base Platform: Custom quote
- User Licenses: Not specified, likely included in custom quote
- Implementation: Varies by complexity (not specified)
- Integrations: Varies by complexity (not specified)
- Key Factors: Scope of features, scale of business, number of contingent workers managed
1. Pricing Model & Cost Factors
Understanding their pricing approach.
WorkMarket utilizes a custom pricing model, which means there are no published tiers or set fees. What I found regarding pricing is that it’s tailored to your specific business size and the scope of features you require. Costs are likely influenced by the volume of contingent workers you manage and the extent of platform usage.
From my cost analysis, this ensures your investment aligns directly with your operational scale and feature needs.
2. Value Assessment & ROI
Is WorkMarket a good investment?
While specific figures aren’t public, WorkMarket aims to provide value by automating and streamlining contingent workforce management, potentially leading to significant operational savings. What stands out is how you gain efficiency by reducing manual tasks associated with onboarding, payments, and compliance, ultimately improving ROI.
Budget-wise, this means you’re investing in a system that can cut administrative overhead and mitigate compliance risks.
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3. Budget Planning & Implementation
Planning your budget effectively.
Given WorkMarket’s custom pricing, you’ll need to engage with their sales team early to get a clear understanding of the total cost of ownership. From my analysis, anticipate potential implementation fees for setup and integration, as these often accompany complex enterprise-level solutions. It’s crucial to detail your needs to receive the most accurate quote.
So for your business, preparing a comprehensive list of requirements will help you secure predictable WorkMarket pricing.
My Take: WorkMarket’s custom pricing is geared towards businesses needing a highly tailored contingent workforce solution, ensuring you only pay for the scale and features essential for your operations.
The overall WorkMarket pricing reflects customized value for complex workforce management.
WorkMarket Reviews
What do real customers actually think?
To help you understand real-world experiences, I’ve analyzed numerous WorkMarket reviews from platforms like G2, distilling what actual customers think about this software.
1. Overall User Satisfaction
Users seem generally happy.
WorkMarket reviews show a positive overall sentiment, with a G2 rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars based on 27 reviews. What I found in user feedback is how most users appreciate the platform’s utility, particularly for managing contingent workforces efficiently.
This suggests you can expect a generally positive experience with its core functionalities.
2. Common Praise Points
The all-in-one features stand out.
Users consistently praise WorkMarket’s comprehensive features, especially for talent management, onboarding, project management, and seamless payments. From my review analysis, the platform’s flexibility and scalability are frequently highlighted as major benefits for businesses of varying sizes.
This means you’ll find convenience and efficiency in managing your entire contingent workforce.
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3. Frequent Complaints
Some frustrating limitations exist.
Frequent complaints revolve around high costs for full features, mobile app issues, and payment dispute support for freelancers. Review-wise, what stands out is how mobile app functionality often disappoints users, bringing down their overall experience compared to the desktop version.
These issues might be minor annoyances or significant roadblocks depending on your specific needs.
What Customers Say
- Positive: “I love how workmarket offers powerful features such as talent, onboarding, project management, and payment processing, all in one place.” (User Review)
- Constructive: “The mobile app experience is significantly lacking, bringing down the overall experience to 2 stars.” (User Review)
- Bottom Line: “As a freelancer, from invoicing to payment each step was flawless.” (User Review)
The overall WorkMarket reviews indicate strong satisfaction with core features, despite some recurring complaints about specific areas.
Best WorkMarket Alternatives
Navigating the WorkMarket competitive landscape?
The best WorkMarket alternatives include several strong options, each better suited for different business situations, budget considerations, and specific contingent workforce needs.
1. Upwork
Need a massive, diverse talent pool?
Upwork excels when you need access to a significantly larger and more varied pool of global freelancers for a wide range of projects. From my competitive analysis, Upwork provides expansive talent access for diverse projects, though it focuses more on marketplace connection than deep compliance.
Choose Upwork for broad talent sourcing and flexible project types, especially if transparent, tiered pricing is a priority.
2. Field Nation
Specializing in on-site technical services?
Field Nation is the better fit if your primary requirement is connecting with skilled technicians for specific on-site IT field service jobs. What I found comparing options is that Field Nation focuses on specialized on-site technical support, making it highly efficient for that niche, unlike WorkMarket’s broader approach.
Consider this alternative when your core need is for reliable on-site technical or field service expertise.
3. Deel
Hiring international contractors regularly?
Deel excels in global compliance and cross-border payments, making it ideal for businesses frequently hiring independent contractors worldwide. From my analysis, Deel simplifies global compliance and international payments, though WorkMarket offers a more integrated workflow for general contractor management.
Choose Deel if managing international contractors and their local labor law compliance is your highest priority.
4. Gusto
Managing both employees and contractors?
Gusto is a strong alternative if you require a unified platform for both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors, integrating payroll and HR. Alternative-wise, Gusto unifies payroll and HR for mixed workforces, providing a single system for all your workforce management, unlike WorkMarket’s contractor-centric focus.
You’ll want to consider Gusto when your business needs an integrated HR and payroll solution for a hybrid workforce.
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Quick Decision Guide
- Choose WorkMarket: End-to-end management for large contingent workforces
- Choose Upwork: Access to a vast, diverse freelance talent marketplace
- Choose Field Nation: Specialized sourcing for on-site IT field services
- Choose Deel: Robust global compliance and international payments
- Choose Gusto: Unified payroll and HR for both employees and contractors
The best WorkMarket alternatives depend on your specific business size and contingent workforce needs rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.
WorkMarket Setup
Is WorkMarket deployment a challenge?
This WorkMarket review delves into what it truly takes to implement the platform, providing practical guidance on its deployment process and expected complexity for your business.
1. Setup Complexity & Timeline
It’s not entirely plug-and-play.
WorkMarket implementation involves initial setup and customization to align with your business, especially if integrating deeply. What I found about deployment is that its comprehensive nature requires careful configuration to maximize benefits, meaning it’s not an overnight switch.
You’ll need to allocate time for initial system configuration and data mapping, planning for effort upfront.
2. Technical Requirements & Integration
Technical setup requires some attention.
WorkMarket is a cloud-based system that offers an open API, facilitating integration with existing accounting, CRM, and ERP tools. From my implementation analysis, integrating with your specific enterprise applications will require technical planning and mapping data fields for automation.
Prepare your IT team for API utilization and custom automation rule setup to connect WorkMarket with your current systems.
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3. Training & Change Management
User adoption is key for long-term success.
The platform is designed for user-friendliness, with a manageable learning curve for day-to-day use by both internal teams and independent contractors. What I found about deployment is that the mobile app aids self-onboarding for freelancers, reducing your internal training burden significantly.
Focus on clear internal communication and leverage WorkMarket’s intuitive design to ensure smooth adoption among your workforce.
4. Support & Success Factors
Vendor support can be a critical asset.
WorkMarket generally receives positive feedback for its customer service during setup and ongoing use, which aids a smoother transition. From my analysis, quality support during implementation can streamline initial hurdles, although direct involvement in payment disputes for freelancers is limited.
Plan to utilize their support channels for guidance and leverage the platform’s features to manage your contingent workforce efficiently.
Implementation Checklist
- Timeline: Weeks to a few months for full customization
- Team Size: Project lead, IT liaison, and HR/finance stakeholder
- Budget: Beyond software, consider integration and training time
- Technical: API for integration with ERP, CRM, accounting systems
- Success Factor: Clear internal process mapping and integration planning
Overall, your WorkMarket setup requires thoughtful planning and technical coordination but offers strong features for efficient contingent workforce management.
Bottom Line
Does WorkMarket align with your business goals?
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: Speaking of efficient operations, understanding how virtual business phone services can enhance team communication is crucial.
This WorkMarket review synthesizes my comprehensive analysis to guide you in determining if this contingent workforce management platform is the right fit for your organization.
1. Who This Works Best For
Businesses reliant on independent contractors and freelancers.
WorkMarket is ideal for organizations with a significant and ongoing need for managing a large volume of external talent, especially for industries like IT field services. What I found about target users is that companies prioritizing compliance and workflow automation will find this platform indispensable for their contingent workforce.
You’ll particularly succeed if your business needs a comprehensive solution to streamline onboarding, payments, and legal compliance for freelancers.
2. Overall Strengths
Automation, compliance, and talent pool management are standouts.
The platform excels at automating contractor onboarding, work assignment, and payment processing, while ensuring compliance with independent contractor regulations. From my comprehensive analysis, its “Labor Cloud” feature is a key differentiator, allowing you to build and manage your own curated pool of pre-vetted external talent with ease.
These strengths directly translate into significant administrative time savings and reduced compliance risks for your business.
3. Key Limitations
Pricing transparency and mobile app functionality concerns exist.
WorkMarket’s custom pricing model lacks transparency, which can be a barrier for some, and its mobile app has reported issues with functionality compared to the desktop version. Based on this review, freelancer support for payment disputes can be a significant drawback, potentially leaving contractors without recourse when issues arise.
Consider these limitations carefully; while some are manageable, the payment dispute handling could be a deal-breaker for certain user relationships.
4. Final Recommendation
WorkMarket earns a strong recommendation for specific use cases.
You should choose WorkMarket if your mid-market to enterprise-level business has a substantial, ongoing need to manage independent contractors compliantly and efficiently. From my analysis, your success depends on your willingness to navigate custom pricing and prioritize a robust, integrated workforce solution over a simple marketplace.
My confidence in this recommendation is high for businesses seeking comprehensive contingent workforce automation and compliance.
Bottom Line
- Verdict: Recommended for mid-to-enterprise level contingent workforce management
- Best For: Businesses heavily reliant on independent contractors, freelancers, and external talent
- Business Size: Mid-market to large enterprises with ongoing, high-volume contractor needs
- Biggest Strength: Comprehensive automation of contractor lifecycle and compliance
- Main Concern: Non-transparent custom pricing and mobile app limitations
- Next Step: Contact sales for a personalized demo and pricing quote
This WorkMarket review clearly demonstrates strong value for mid-to-enterprise businesses, while outlining important considerations regarding its pricing and mobile app experience.