How Many Connects Does an Upwork Proposal Cost? (2026)

Short answer: There is no fixed number. Upwork sets the Connects required for each job individually, based on "project size, scope, and market demand," shows the number on the job post, and can change it while the job is live. Each Connect costs $0.15. Answering a client's invitation costs zero Connects. Boosting is optional and costs extra Connects on top of the base amount.

That's the documented answer as of October 2026, from Upwork's Connects article. You'll see blog posts quoting a fixed range per job. Upwork doesn't publish one, so we don't either. Below is what Upwork does document: pricing, boosting, refunds, free Connects, and how to spend fewer of them per hire.

How many Connects does an Upwork proposal cost?

It depends on the job. Upwork says the number "varies per job and can change during the time the job is posted," and that it weighs project size, scope and market demand. The exact figure appears on the job post before you apply. Upwork doesn't publish a table or a minimum and maximum, so check each post.

In practice, the number you see on the job post is the base cost. Anything you bid to boost is added on top, and the proposal screen shows the combined total at the bottom before you send (source).

Why did the Connects number change after I opened the job?

Because the requirement is live, not fixed. Upwork says the Connects needed can change while a job post is open, based on project size, scope and current demand. If it changes while you're drafting a boosted proposal, Upwork automatically takes the extra Connects from your boost bid so the proposal still meets the new minimum.

That behaviour is described in Upwork's boosted proposal article. The practical point: read the total on the final screen, not the number you noted when you first opened the post.

How much do Connects cost in real money?

Connects cost $0.15 each and are sold in bundles or custom amounts. You need a verified billing method to buy them, even if you pay from earnings. Upwork charges your earnings balance first, and charges your card for the whole amount if the balance falls short. It never splits one purchase between the two.

To turn a requirement into dollars, multiply by $0.15. The rows below are arithmetic examples, not typical requirements:

UK and Australian freelancers may pay VAT or GST on top of Connects purchases; the details are in our Upwork fees guide. If you want earnings held back to pay for Connects, set a reserve balance so automatic withdrawals don't sweep it out (source).

Do you need Connects to reply to a client invitation?

No. Upwork states that responding to an invitation to apply, by accepting or declining, costs no Connects. Declining also doesn't reduce your chances of future invitations. Invitations are the only route into a job that skips the Connects cost entirely, which is why profile visibility matters as much as proposal volume.

Source: How to respond to an invitation to apply. Clients invite freelancers they find in search, so the profile is what earns free proposals. Our keyword research tool finds the terms clients actually search for, and the profile optimization checklist shows where to put them.

How does boosting a proposal work?

Boosting is an auction for the top four slots in the client's proposal list. You set a maximum extra bid in Connects. The auction closes after seven days or at the first hire. You pay your full bid if you finish in the top four, or if the client interacts with your proposal while it's boosted.

Details from Upwork's boosting article:

• Eligibility varies. Upwork offers boosting based on how strongly you match the job and client requirements. Not every freelancer sees the option on every job.
• You pay what you bid, not the second-highest price. In Upwork's example, bids of 35, 30, 25 and 20 each pay their own amount.
• The base cost is charged immediately; the boost is charged when the auction ends. They appear as two lines in Connects history. You may see the bid charged, refunded and charged again as the auction settles.
• The boost lasts until the client acts on it. It ends when the client interacts with your proposal, opens it three times without acting, sees it five times without interaction, or you're outbid.
• "Interaction" is broad. Opening, shortlisting, messaging, archiving, declining or sending an offer all count, so a client declining a boosted proposal still triggers the charge.
• Withdrawing a boosted proposal is final. You can't resubmit it to the same job (source).

Upwork also runs "placebo" auctions on a small number of randomly chosen jobs to measure whether boosting helps. On those jobs the client sees no boosts and your bid isn't taken.

When does Upwork refund Connects?

Only in two cases: the client cancels the job before hiring anyone, or Upwork removes the post for breaking its Terms of Service. Connects are not returned if you're rejected, another freelancer is hired, the job expires without a hire, or you withdraw. Returned Connects go back to your balance, not as cash.

Sources: the refund sections of the Connects article and the boosting article. One more trap: if Upwork asks you to verify your identity and you don't do it within seven days, your active proposals are deleted and their Connects are not refunded (source).

How can you get free Connects?

Upwork lists several routes: 30 Connects for each talent badge (Rising Talent, Top Rated, Top Rated Plus, 90 maximum), a one-time 50-Connect bonus for some new users after their first purchase or a Freelancer Plus subscription, and onboarding tasks. Some freelancers also get 10 free a month. Upwork marks several of these as tests or offers that not everyone receives.

• Talent badges: 30 per badge. Skip one and the Connects are combined, so going straight to Top Rated Plus gives 90.
• Activity reward (being tested): you may earn 12 Connects for submitting three or more proposals that use at least 54 Connects in total, up to twice a calendar month.
• First boost: 10 Connects, once, after your first successful boost is charged.
• Interviews with established clients: sometimes. The amount varies and can arrive partly as a refund of what you spent.
• Freelancer Plus: 100 Connects a month after the first month (source).

All other figures in this section come from the "free Connects" section of Upwork's Connects article. Check your eligibility in Connects history; Upwork says support can't add monthly Connects manually.

Do Connects expire?

They can. Upwork says all your Connects roll over month to month "unless they expire," and there's no limit on how many you can hold. Its Help Center doesn't state one expiry period for all freelancer Connects. Upwork's own resource page says the free monthly Connects are usable for up to a year.

Sources: Connects rollover and Upwork's guide to getting jobs. In practice, don't stockpile a year's worth. Buy what a few weeks of selective applying needs.

How do you spend fewer Connects per hire?

Apply to fewer, better-matched jobs and make each proposal clearly about that job. Upwork's own advice is to check the client's history and feedback, whether they've already hired, and how many proposals and interviews the post already has. Your real cost per hire is Connects per proposal times proposals per hire.

Upwork's own checklist before spending Connects (source):

• Make sure the job matches your skills and availability.
• Make sure you have time to write a quality proposal.
• Check whether the client has already hired, and how many people they plan to hire.
• Review the client's history and feedback from other freelancers.
• Look at activity on the post. Many proposals or ongoing interviews may lower your chances.

Our addition: the cheapest Connect is the one that gets a reply. Run your own numbers in the Connects cost-per-hire calculator. If your reply rate is low, fix the proposal before you buy more Connects. LevelUp's proposal writer drafts three versions from the job post (Professional, Pain Point and Conversational). Each proposal uses about 20 credits, and the free plan includes 100 credits with no credit card. You edit the draft and submit it yourself. For structure, read how to write Upwork proposals that win.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & method: Connects pricing, requirements, boosting, refunds, free Connects and rollover come from the Upwork Help Center and Upwork resource pages linked inline, opened on October 26, 2026. Upwork changes Connects rules regularly, and several free-Connects offers are marked as tests, so check the linked pages and your Connects history before relying on a number here. The cost table is arithmetic at $0.15 per Connect, not a claim about typical job requirements. Our advice on when to boost and how to cut cost per hire is opinion, not Upwork policy. LevelUp sells an AI proposal drafting tool. Drafting was AI-assisted; sourcing and conclusions were reviewed by the LevelUp team.