Ever since I got into online moneymaking, I’ve seen, reviewed, and used tons of marketplace-style gig platforms. And while I don’t really find value in them anymore personally, I’ll admit. They’re great for anyone to start making money online.
One such platform I recently saw is Airtasker. It’s one of the biggest platforms for Aussies and is also pretty popular in the UK and the US. So, I figured, why not take a deeper look at it?
And so I did. First impressions: it’s quite alright. I could end the review here, but, hey, I spent quite a bit of time on the platform to see if it’s legit, so “it’s quite alright” ain’t gonna cut it.
As you scroll further down, you’ll see everything I have to say about the signup process, getting Airtasker jobs, receiving payments, and everything in between.
For now, let’s start with some basic info for those who’ve not heard of Airtasker before.
What is Airtasker?
Airtasker is a marketplace where people can outsource tasks to so-called Taskers (that’s you). It was founded back in 2012 by Tim Fung and Jonathan Lui and is based in Sydney, Australia.
The platform is available in just 6 countries: Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK, the US, and Ireland. While there are remote tasks on the platform, you won’t be able to access them if you’re not based in one of these 6 countries.
Speaking of tasks, Airtasker has plenty of them (aptly named Airtasker jobs) in a variety of niches and industries.
You can actually view most of the tasks available in your area without having an account by going to the site and clicking on “Browse tasks”.
Most of the tasks I’ve seen are either remote stuff, like building a resume, offering graphic design services, etc., or more odd-jobber types of tasks, like installing a hanger, cleaning services, repair and delivery, and so on.
Essentially, Airtasker is the platform for side hustles and odd jobs. This was clear to me from the get-go, and it actually narrows down the audience the platform speaks to quite a bit.
So, is Airtasker for you? If not, who is it for? Let’s see.
Who is Airtasker for?
I believe that, thus far, I’ve given you an idea of what you can expect to do on Airtasker. Side hustles, odd jobs, side gigs. It’s a platform to get some supplementary income.
That’s what makes Airtasker one of the best platforms for beginner handy people or students, in my opinion. If you’re a handyperson with little experience, having access to a platform with all kinds of gigs to apply for will give you experience and some testimonials.
On the student side… well, you can make some extra money, which is always neat. You can do the odd delivery gig or one of the remote ones, like writing a cover letter.
Of course, if you’re a freelancer with a lucrative skill, like graphic design, you’ll find a few gigs here and there on Airtasker. These won’t pay the best, but they’ll be a good way to build up your portfolio.
Here’s where the real talk starts. As I said above, I spent quite some time setting up my account on Airtasker and understanding how everything works.
Let’s get straight into that and see if the platform is right for you.
How you can make money with Airtasker jobs – Signing up, making offers, getting paid
As with any other platform I’ve reviewed, I took a much more in-depth look into everything Airtasker has to offer. While I wasn’t able to find a gig that fit my skill stack, I did go through the ins and outs of the entire process of getting an Airtasker job.
But let me backtrack a little bit. You’ll have to set up your account first.
Sign-up process
The sign-up process for Airtasker was actually pretty straightforward. As soon as you go to the main page, you’ll be able to click on the top right and start creating your account.
For starters, all you’ll need is an email and a password. Once you add these in, you’ll be redirected to the “onboarding” page, where you’ll have to add which country you’re based.
Then, you’ll be prompted to add some basic details, like your name and zip code. After that, you’ll just have to verify your email, and you’re basically ready to go.
Or, so I thought. While you can browse every job available near you, in order to make an offer to the poster, you’ll need to go through a rather tedious verification process.
It’s common stuff; verify your identity with your ID, add your bank account, add proof of address, etc. But it is quite tedious, especially if you don’t know if you’ll be able to land even one gig.
Alas, if you’re outside of Australia, that’s all you’ll need to do, and you can start making offers. If you’re in AU, though, you might need to provide extra info in return for badges, which’ll open up more opportunities.
For instance, if you’re going to do any contractor work, you’ll need the respective license. Electricians, plumbers, asbestos removal, all of these need a license. It’s obviously a good security measure for the platform’s customers, but it might deter you from getting started.
When you’ve gone through all of this, you can start adding your skills and portfolio, set up your alerts (more on these 3 below), and get to searching for an Airtasker gig.
Searching for Airtasker jobs and making offers
One thing I’ll give to Airtasker from the get-go is that the job search page is very user-friendly. There are filters for pretty much everything, from distance to category, price, and so on. Another great option is also filtering jobs with no responses, making it easier to land your first one.
In general, the process of searching for and accepting Airtasker jobs is super straightforward. You can start browsing tasks even before you make an account, which is pretty neat. Once you find one that fits, you’ll need to set up your account, add all the required info, and you can start making your offers.
Making offers is basically how you can land gigs on Airtasker. Once you’re on a post, you click on “Make offer”, add your comment (basically a pitch on why you’re the best for this gig), and then… well, you wait.
If the Poster chooses you, they’ll reach out, and you can get started on the task at hand.
Completing jobs and getting paid
Completing a job on Airtasker is also very straightforward. You just do the task, and once the Poster considers the job done, you’ll get paid.
You might have your doubts, I get it. How can you make sure that you’re going to get paid? Isn’t this a step-by-step playbook to get scammed? Well, not really.
You see, on the backend, as soon as you make an offer and the Poster accepts it, the platform gets the payment from them, and it’s held on an escrow account. Once the Poster says it’s a job well done, the money is released and deposited to your account, minus the commission Airtasker keeps.
Let’s backtrack a little bit because, admittedly, there are a few caveats to this.
Firstly, while I’ll go over it a bit more below, I want to mention one thing about payments. They only take into account the labor cost. So, if you do a handyperson gig, you’ll only get paid for your time, not your equipment.
Of course, if you do any remote/online tasks, like graphic design, this won’t be an issue. But, for any jobs that require you to spend extra on equipment, gas fees, etc, it’s a different story. You won’t be paid for these, and so your actual profits might be lower, unless you land a high-paying gig that covers these fees.
At the same time, as is the case with most of these platforms, you might not receive the payment even after the job’s done. The Poster has to give the “good-to-go” for the payment to be released, and while most will do so, there are always people who will have you do their task for free and never release the payment.
It’s a risk you’ll have to keep in mind with pretty much any gig. And, unfortunately, there’s really not much you can do about it. You could reach out to support, but in most cases, Airtasker’s support isn’t viewed in the best light online.
Alas, I don’t mean to say all this to discourage you. Just make sure to do your due diligence before you make your offer for a gig. Check out who the poster is, and don’t make offers to jobs that offer a huge amount for something menial.
Again, though, even with these caveats, Airtasker is still a top, top platform for taking up all kinds of gigs. And, it’s got a bunch of features that make it this good.
Airtasker's top features
From a Tasker’s perspective, Airtasker has a bunch of features that’ll help you get your next gig and efficiently manage your profile and tasks.
Let’s check ‘em out.
Mobile app
So, one feature I’ve not mentioned a lot thus far is the platform’s mobile app. In my opinion, it’s just a better version of the desktop site, which you can use on your phone.
It doesn’t come with any added features; it’s just a pretty neat good-to-have that’ll help you land your next gig even faster. You can basically do everything through the mobile app, including making offers and communicating with Posters.
It’s also great when it comes to the whole verification process. It was much easier for me to take the photos on my phone and then upload them through the app.
Overall, the app just helps you have Airtasker on your side at all times. And, when you’re looking for your next task, that’s gonna put you a few steps ahead of other Taskers.
Joint dashboard
Onto a more general note, I’ve mentioned Posters a lot. The thing is, when you create an Airtasker account, you can simultaneously be a Poster and a Tasker.
That’s great, especially as you start making more money with the app. You might want to outsource a task or even post a different one. If you’re too focused on getting graphic design tasks, you can get another Tasker to clean up your yard.
And, you can do all of that from a joint dashboard. You won’t have to create a separate account, saving you time and keeping everything in one place. While I didn’t really have any tasks I needed help with, I was pretty happy that I could literally post a task with 2 taps from the same account I had just used to land a job.
Personalized task alerts
One thing about all these types of platforms is that the earlier you make an offer, the more chances you have to actually land a task. Same goes with freelancing gigs and any type of menial tasks.
That’s why I was super happy to see that Airtasker allows you to set specific alerts for the tasks you can actually do. If you’re a graphic designer, you personalize your task alerts to only receive those looking for graphic design services.
It’s very simple, too. You just set your desired keywords, and… well, that’s it. You’ll receive alerts on the app when such a task is posted near your area.
Skills and Portfolio pages
Whenever you make an offer on a task, the Posters will look for any particular skills you have or your portfolio to decide if you’re the right person for the gig. So, it’s great that Airtasker allows you to add your specific skills and portfolio clips directly on the platform.
That way, you can personalize your profile even more and make sure you can land specific gigs in which you have expertise. Again, this isn’t anything super intuitive; it’s more of a nice-to-have. But, props to Airtasker for actually adding it in.
Airtasker Pay
Remember how I chatted about payments above? Every payment is handled through Airtasker Pay, the platform’s payment system. Why is this a top feature?
Well, it gives you that extra safety net that you’ll receive your money. As I mentioned above, when a Poster accepts your offer, Airtasker Pay receives the payment, and once the task is done, it releases it to your account.
While this isn’t 100% foolproof, and you might still not get paid for a task you do, it does give you an extra security measure and a higher chance to actually get paid for your work.
How much does Airtasker cost?
So, up until this point, I’d already created an account and checked out most of Airtasker’s features. But, considering that I didn’t need to pay a fee to sign up, I figured there would be some kind of service fee. Well, I was right… but it wasn’t what I expected.
You see, the platform uses a tier-based system to calculate your service fee. The more you make on Airtasker, the lower the fees would be.
So, while it won’t cost you anything to sign up on Airtasker, a service fee of 12.5%-20% will be deducted before your payment is released.
Based on the tier system, your service fee will be as follows:
- Bronze tier (earn up to $400 in the last 30 days): 20%
- Silver tier (earn $400-$1500 in the last 30 days): 18.5%
- Gold tier (earn up to $1500-$3500 in the last 30 days): 14.9%
- Platinum tier (earn $3500+ in the last 30 days): 12.5%
While this does incentivize you to make more in order to secure lower fees, 12.5%, let alone 20%, is still quite high.
But that still leaves a couple of questions on the table. Is Airtasker actually worth it, and is it an overall legit platform?
Is Airtasker worth it?
In general, I’d say Airtasker is worth it if you’re looking for a platform to get some gigs and make a few bucks. The fees are on the higher end, and considering that it’s a marketplace, you’re not guaranteed to find work.
Alas, I’ve compiled a quick list of pros and cons to help you decide if this is the right platform for you.
Pros
- Easy to get started: Simple sign-up process with minimal initial requirements.
- Variety of gigs: Offers a wide range of jobs, from remote work to hands-on tasks.
- Personalized task alerts: Helps you stay ahead of the competition by notifying them of relevant jobs.
- Portfolio & skills pages: Allows you to build credibility and increase your chances of landing gigs.
Cons
- High service fees: The platform takes 12.5%-20% of earnings.
- No reimbursement for expenses: You must cover material, equipment, or travel costs out of your pocket.
- Verification process can be tedious: Requires extensive ID verification, bank details, and licenses for certain jobs.
- Limited availability: Only available in six countries, restricting potential opportunities for global freelancers.
Is Airtasker legit?
And now comes the penultimate question. Is Airtasker actually a legit way to make money?
Well, I’d have to say yes. While it has its cons, you definitely land a gig or two, and you’ll most likely get paid for your time. Plus, you’ll be able to build up your portfolio, especially if you’re doing remote online gigs.
The platform as a whole is definitely legit. There are tons of Taskers that are making money through it, and while you might not make the amounts advertised by Airtasker, it’s still a good start.
Now, is it the best platform to make money online? Well… that’s a different question.
3 Airtasker alternatives
To be completely honest with you, I wouldn’t consider Airtasker to be the best platform to earn money online. It’s good, don’t get me wrong. But, not the best.
I’ve got another 3 platforms in mind that are equally great or even better than Airtasker when it comes to earning money online.
Whop
Whop is hands down the best platform if you want to sell digital products or services. Instead of trying to catch your next gig, as you would with a marketplace like Airtasker, clients and customers come to you.
The great thing with Whop is that you can build your very own whop, where you can host all of your day-to-day tasks with the several apps available.
Meetings? Use the “Video Call” app. Portfolio? Use the “Web app” to link to your online portfolio or the “Files” app to allow potential customers and clients to download your portfolio pieces.
Even if you’re into more handyperson stuff, you can still make money on Whop by selling your knowledge to others or for booking in-person services. If you have figured out how to make money easily as a contractor, you can create a course to teach others how to follow in your footsteps.
Best of all, Whop takes as little as 3% as a service fee while still being free to use. Essentially, if you don’t land any customers or clients, you won’t have to pay a penny, much like Airtasker.
TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit is one of the main competitors to Airtasker, and these 2 go hand-in-hand. Of course, they’re a bit different. TaskRabbit has a more structured system and tends to focus more on local, hands-on jobs rather than remote work.
If you’re looking for handyman work, delivery jobs, or personal assistance gigs, TaskRabbit is one of the best platforms for it. It’s especially popular in the US, UK, and Canada, in contrast to Airtasker, which is mostly big in AU.
One big advantage of TaskRabbit over Airtasker is its pricing model. Instead of bidding on tasks, TaskRabbit allows you to set your own hourly rate.
This, of course, gives you a lot more control over your earnings. Plus, customers can directly browse Taskers and choose one based on experience and ratings rather than just picking the lowest offer.
Fiverr
Fiverr is hands down one of the best platforms for freelancers who want to make money online. Unlike Airtasker and TaskRabbit, which focus more on gig-based or local jobs, Fiverr is entirely digital, making it ideal for remote workers.
It’s kinda similar to Whop, in a sense. You can offer almost any kind of service, from writing and graphic design to programming and video editing. You create listings for services (called "gigs") and set your own prices. Buyers then browse these gigs and place orders directly.
One of the biggest advantages of Fiverr is its massive global reach. You’re not limited to gigs in your local area, so your potential client base is significantly larger.
Plus, Fiverr allows you to scale your services by offering different pricing tiers and add-ons, which can increase your overall earnings.
Start making money online with Whop
Now, there’s really no doubt that Airtasker is a legit platform where you can make some money. Much like TaskRabbit, you take up gigs, complete them, and earn money. But, as is the case with these platforms, you can’t scale this easily.
That’s why platforms like Whop are a much better way to make money online. Instead of doing individual gigs and hoping for the best, you can sell your knowledge in the form of digital products.
This can be a community for people in your industry, courses for newcomers, guides on getting clients. Hell, even guides on landing more gigs on gig marketplaces like Airtasker.
And, when you take into consideration that you can start your whop with no upfront cost, I think that this becomes a no-brainer.
So, are you ready to hop off the gig economy and hop on the making money reality? Then, spend the next few minutes creating your whop, add the apps you want, apply for Discover, and start earning.
