Our Mission & Ratings

SideHustlz.com was founded with a clear mission: to create an open, fair, and transparent marketplace for freelancers. We do this by revealing how companies in the freelance industry actually operate. Our goal is to break down the terms and conditions that form the contract between you—the freelancer—and the companies that hire you through their platforms.


We dig deep into the pay structures, working conditions, and risks associated with each freelance platform. We also seek out real-life experiences from freelancers who have worked with these companies, comparing their personal stories to the promises (or warnings) outlined in the terms and conditions.


The outcome of these thorough investigations is what you’ll find in our reviews. We standardize and summarize all the key factors that matter to freelancers. Each company is given a Husl$core rating from $ to $$$$$, providing you with a quick snapshot of what it’s really like to work with them—whether it’s a positive or negative experience.

What the ratings mean

$$$$$ =

excellent opportunity.

$$$$ =

better than average opportunity, though with a caveat or two;

$$$ =

average;

$$ =

substandard working environment;

$ =

abysmal place to earn money.

What goes into the ratings?

The first criterion we consider when rating freelance opportunities is the potential to earn. Jobs that pay below minimum wage are immediately classified as below average. These opportunities can only be rated as “average” if there are significant extenuating circumstances that offset the poor pay.

For instance, a few survey sites receive “average” ratings because they are transparent about your earning prospects, pay fairly (though not well), offer engaging survey options, and allow you to complete surveys while multitasking, like watching TV.

Our ratings also take into account the working conditions, costs that freelancers are responsible for, any fees charged by the platform to freelancers (or sometimes to clients), and the risks associated with the job or the platform itself.

We grade opportunities within specific industries on a curve so you can easily see which platforms offer the best options in each category.


While ratings are inherently subjective, they are based on solid facts. Each review clearly explains the main reasons behind the rating we’ve assigned to a company.