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UPWORK, INC

For the period ended Mar 31, 2026. Filed May 7, 2026.

View on SEC.gov

About this filing

A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.

Mar 31, 2026 · Filed May 7, 2026

UPWK$10.02-2.9%Stored close · as of Nov 6, 2026

What changed in Management’s Discussion and Analysis?

Read the current filing

Previous report: 10-Q

Period ended 2025-09-30; filed 2025-11-04.

0001627475-25-000058

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Current report: 10-Q

Period ended 2026-03-31; filed 2026-05-07.

0001627475-26-000034

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The baseline is this issuer’s latest earlier reporting period of the same form that was filed before the current report. A previous 10-Q is a different quarter, not a year-over-year comparison. Amendments are excluded.

Compared 146 previous paragraphs and 135 current paragraphs.

77 unchanged; 47 reworded; 10 added; 21 removed; 1 previous and 1 current paragraphs rearranged.

Tables are not compared: 14 previous and 14 current tables excluded. Dates, whitespace, punctuation and numbering changes are ignored; changes to financial figures remain significant.

A changed paragraph is not evidence that risk increased or decreased. An unchanged paragraph does not establish that risk stayed the same.

Added paragraphs (10)

Current report

During the three months ended March 31, 2026, we generated net income of $31.5 million, compared to net income of $37.7 million during the same period in 2025. The decrease in net income primarily reflects increased cost of revenue and operating expenses driven by our continued investment in the business, partially offset by revenue growth.

Current report

Adjusted EBITDA was $57.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, as compared to $56.0 million during the same period in 2025.

Current report

For purposes of determining countries where we enable GSV, we include both the countries in which the clients that paid for the applicable services are located, as well as the countries in which talent that provided those services are located.

Current report

GSV was relatively flat at $987.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to $987.7 million for the same period in 2025, reflecting continued softness in active client volumes offset by Ascen’s GSV.

Current report

We expect gross margin to remain below prior year levels throughout 2026 and cost of revenue to increase compared to 2025, largely driven by higher amortization of capitalized internal-use software and platform development costs.

Current report

For the three months ended March 31, 2026, sales and marketing expense increased by $1.7 million, or 5%, compared to the same period in 2025, primarily driven by a $3.9 million increase in marketing and advertising spend, partially offset by a $2.0 million decrease in personnel-related costs.

Current report

For the three months ended March 31, 2026, general and administrative expense increased by $7.1 million, or 25%, compared to the same period in 2025, primarily driven by a $4.2 million increase in personnel-related costs, largely attributable to higher stock-based compensation, and a $2.0 million increase in contractor and professional service fees related to acquisition activities.

Current report

As of March 31, 2026, we had total remaining purchase commitments of $4.2 million, consisting of $2.0 million under the cloud infrastructure agreement described above and $2.2 million under various other vendor agreements.
Removed paragraphs (21)

Previous report

Marketplace revenue increased to $174.6 million, or 4%, and $511.5 million, or 3%, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, respectively, as compared to $167.3 million and $498.5 million in the same periods in 2024, respectively.

Previous report

Marketplace take rate increased to 18.9% and 18.6% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, respectively, as compared to 18.3% and 18.0% in the same periods in 2024, respectively, reflecting the growing contributions from ads and monetization products. We expect Marketplace take rate to remain relatively constant throughout the remainder of 2025.

Previous report

During the three months ended September 30, 2025, we generated net income of $29.3 million and adjusted EBITDA of $59.6 million, compared to net income of $27.8 million and adjusted EBITDA of $43.2 million during the same period in 2024. During the nine months ended September 30, 2025, we generated net income of $99.8 million and adjusted EBITDA of $172.7 million, as compared to net income of $68.4 million and adjusted EBITDA of $117.4 million during the same period in 2024. These changes are primarily due to cost-saving measures implemented in recent years, including reduced investments in brand marketing and vendor spend and workforce reductions. We expect these cost-saving measures will continue to positively impact net income and adjusted EBITDA throughout the remainder of 2025, as compared to 2024.

Previous report

In August 2025, Lifted completed the acquisition of Ascen, acquiring 100% of Ascen’s outstanding equity for a total purchase price of $42.2 million. For additional information, see “Note 6—Business Combination” of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report.

Previous report

(2)For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, we incurred acquisition-related costs of $1.9 million and $4.4 million, respectively, in connection with business combinations. These costs primarily consist of legal, accounting, and other professional fees, and are recorded in general and administrative expenses in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. Beginning in the second quarter of 2025, we included acquisition-related costs as an add-back to net income in the reconciliation to adjusted EBITDA. Acquisition-related costs incurred in prior periods were deemed immaterial and therefore not included as an add-back to adjusted EBITDA.

Previous report

During the three months ended September 30, 2025, GSV increased 2% compared to the same period in 2024. During the nine months ended September 30, 2025, GSV remained flat compared to the same period in 2024. The increase in GSV for the three months ended September 30, 2025 was primarily driven by AI-related customer experience improvements, Enterprise, and SMB products.

Previous report

2025 compared to the same period in 2024. This decline reflects the intentional slower pace of sales as we prioritize integration and the repositioning of our Enterprise offerings in anticipation of onboarding our first customers onto the new Lifted platform by early 2026. However, progress on Lifted’s integration and growing client demand are expected to position the Enterprise business for growth beginning in 2026.

Previous report

For the nine months ended September 30, 2025, cost of revenue decreased slightly compared to the same period in 2024. The decrease was primarily due to reductions in data center and customer support costs totaling $3.4 million and lower costs associated with our Upwork Professional offering of $2.4 million, reflecting hosting optimization efforts and workforce reductions. These decreases were partially offset by a $3.1 million increase in cost to deliver our Managed Services offering, primarily due to contract termination costs triggered by a reduction in work volume under a client contract, and a $2.5 million increase in amortization expense related to internal-use software and platform development.

Previous report

For the nine months ended September 30, 2025, gross margin increased to 78% compared to 77% in the same period in 2024, primarily due to lower cost of revenue driven by cost-optimization efforts implemented in prior years, including workforce reductions and other cost-saving measures.

Previous report

We expect cost of revenue to be higher in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, primarily due to increased costs associated with Lifted’s operations. On a full-year basis, total cost of revenue for 2025 is also expected to be higher than 2024, reflecting the impact of Lifted-related costs and higher amortization of capitalized internal-use software from continued investment in platform enhancements. Amounts paid to talent in connection with our Managed Services offering are tied to the volume of managed services used by our clients. The level and timing of these items could fluctuate and affect our cost of revenue in the future. We expect gross margin to remain consistent throughout the remainder of 2025.

Previous report

While we remain committed to ongoing innovation to further enhance our platform, building new features, with a focus on generative AI, we expect total research and development expenses to decrease throughout the remainder of 2025, compared to 2024.

Previous report

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, sales and marketing expense decreased by $11.1 million, or 24%, and $33.9 million, or 24%, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2024. These decreases were primarily driven by cost-optimization efforts implemented in the prior year, including the realignment and streamlining of our sales and marketing workforce. As a result, personnel-related costs decreased by $3.7 million and $24.1 million, respectively, and marketing and advertising expense decreased by $3.1 million and $7.9 million, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2024.

Previous report

We expect sales and marketing expense to continue to decrease throughout the remainder of 2025 compared to 2024, primarily due to the ongoing impact of workforce-related changes and other cost-saving initiatives implemented in 2024.

Previous report

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, general and administrative expense increased by $10.0 million, or 32%, and $11.8 million, or 13%, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2024. The increases were primarily driven by higher personnel-related costs of $5.9 million and $7.0 million, respectively, largely due to increased bonus expense based on 2025 financial performance, and higher consultant fees of $2.6 million and $3.0 million, primarily related to acquisition activities. In addition, for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, legal fees increased by $1.6 million compared to the same period in 2024 due to acquisition activities.

Previous report

We expect general and administrative expenses to increase for the remainder of 2025 compared to 2024, primarily due to an increase in stock-based compensation.

Previous report

The increase in our effective tax rates for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, was primarily driven by the absence of a valuation allowance in the current periods, whereas the prior-year rates reflected lower tax expense due to the impact of a valuation allowance on our U.S. deferred tax assets.

Previous report

Our income tax provision for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, was primarily driven by income in the United States and non-deductible compensation, partially offset by the generation of research and development tax credits and the benefit from the Foreign-Derived Intangible Income deduction.

Previous report

We repurchased $100.0 million of our common stock under the 2024 Share Repurchase Authorization between February 2025 and September 2025, and the program was fully utilized as of September 30, 2025.

Previous report

We previously repurchased $100.0 million of our common stock pursuant to the share repurchase program authorized by our board of directors in November 2023, which we refer to as the 2023 Share Repurchase Authorization. The 2023 Share Repurchase Authorization was fully utilized as of December 31, 2024.
Reworded paragraphs (47)

Previous wording

Upwork Inc., through its complementary, wholly owned subsidiaries, connects businesses with global, AI-enabled talent across every on-demand work type, including freelance, fractional, and payrolled. Our portfolio of platforms and other workforce solutions includes the Upwork Marketplace, the world’s human and AI-powered marketplace that connects businesses with on-demand access to highly skilled independent talent worldwide, and Lifted, our wholly owned subsidiary that provides a purpose-built solution for enterprise organizations to source, contract, manage, and pay talent across the full spectrum of contingent work.

Current wording

Upwork Inc., through its complementary, wholly owned subsidiaries, connects businesses with global, AI-enabled talent across every on-demand work type, including freelance, agency, fractional, and payrolled. Our portfolio of platforms and other workforce solutions includes the Upwork Marketplace, the world’s human and AI-powered work marketplace that connects businesses with on-demand access to highly skilled independent talent worldwide, and Lifted, our wholly owned subsidiary that provides a purpose-built solution for enterprise organizations to source, contract, manage, and pay talent across the full spectrum of contingent work.

Previous wording

Our customers consist of both talent and clients. We define talent as those who deliver services on either the Upwork Marketplace or Lifted platforms or our other workforce solutions. We define clients as customers that seek and engage with talent through the Upwork Marketplace or Lifted platforms or our other workforce solutions. Talent includes independent professionals and agencies of varying sizes, while clients range from small businesses and entrepreneurs to large enterprises, including Fortune 100 companies.

Current wording

Our customers consist of both talent and clients. We define talent as those who deliver services through the Upwork Marketplace, Lifted, or other Upwork workforce solutions. We define clients as customers that seek and engage with talent through these platforms and other workforce solutions. Talent includes independent professionals and agencies of varying sizes, while clients range from small businesses and entrepreneurs to large enterprises, including Fortune 100 companies.

Previous wording

We measure economic activity across our portfolio of platforms and other workforce solutions using Gross Services Volume, which we refer to as GSV. GSV represents the total dollar value transacted through all Upwork platforms and other workforce solutions, including client spend for talent services, as well as other client and talent value-added services, such as AI-based solutions, purchases of Connects, payment processing, memberships, and currency services.

Current wording

We measure economic activity across our portfolio of platforms and other workforce solutions using Gross Services Volume, which we refer to as GSV. GSV represents the total dollar value transacted through all Upwork platforms and other workforce solutions, including client spend for talent services. GSV also includes other client and talent value-added services, such as AI-based solutions, purchases of Connects (which are virtual tokens that are required for talent to bid on projects and purchase ads products on the Upwork Marketplace), payment processing, memberships, and currency services.

Previous wording

Over the past several years, we have continued to execute on our strategic initiatives designed to drive sustainable growth and profitability, and improve operational efficiency. These initiatives centered around four key growth drivers: (i) enhancing monetization and the supply and demand characteristics of the Upwork Marketplace with new ads products and other offerings, enhancing existing offerings, and optimizing our Connects pricing model; (ii) expanding our Enterprise offerings through enhanced solutions and strategic partnerships that enable us to serve a broader range of client segments and deliver end-to-end contingent workforce solutions through Lifted; (iii) expanding our small and medium-sized business, or SMB, offerings and support through tailored solutions such as Business Plus, and (iv) advancing our AI capabilities and AI-native experiences, including through Uma™, our proprietary AI assistant, and other AI-driven features that enhance productivity for talent and clients across the Upwork Marketplace.

Current wording

Over the past several years, we have continued to execute on our strategic initiatives designed to drive sustainable growth and profitability, and improve operational efficiency. These initiatives have centered around four key growth drivers: (i) enhancing monetization and the supply and demand characteristics of the Upwork Marketplace with new ads products and other offerings, enhancing existing offerings, and optimizing our Connects pricing model; (ii) expanding our Enterprise offerings through enhanced solutions and strategic partnerships that enable us to serve a broader range of client segments and deliver end-to-end contingent workforce solutions through Lifted; (iii) expanding our small and medium-sized business, which we refer to as SMB, offerings and support through tailored solutions such as Business Plus; and (iv) advancing our AI capabilities and AI-native experiences, including through Uma™, our proprietary AI work agent, and other AI-driven features that enhance productivity for talent and clients across the Upwork Marketplace.

Previous wording

The execution of these initiatives delivered measurable financial benefits across our business. These strategic initiatives contributed to Marketplace take rate expansion and revenue growth in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025.

Current wording

The execution of these initiatives delivered measurable financial benefits across our business and contributed to Marketplace take rate expansion and revenue growth for the three months ended March 31, 2026. Marketplace revenue increased to $170.7 million, or 3%, for the three months ended March 31, 2026, as compared to $166.3 million in the same period in 2025. Marketplace take rate increased to 19.4% for the three months ended March 31, 2026, as compared to 18.3% in the same period in 2025, reflecting the growing contributions from ads and monetization products.

Previous wording

Enterprise revenue increased to $27.2 million, or 3%, for the three months ended September 30, 2025, as compared to $26.4 million in the same period in 2024. Enterprise revenue decreased to $77.9 million, or 2%. for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, as compared to $79.4 million in the same period in 2024. Unless otherwise indicated, Enterprise results discussed herein include the results of Ascen and Bubty following the date that each was acquired by Lifted.

Current wording

Enterprise revenue decreased to $24.8 million, or (6)%, for the three months ended March 31, 2026, as compared to $26.4 million in the same period in 2025, largely due to a reduction in client spend resulting from reduced efforts to acquire new customers as we prioritized the transition of Enterprise clients to the Lifted platform. Unless otherwise indicated, Enterprise results discussed herein include the results of Ascen and Bubty following the date that each was acquired by Lifted.

Previous wording

We monitor the following key financial and operational metrics to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate business plans, and make strategic decisions. As of and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024, our key financial and operating metrics were as follows:

Current wording

The key financial and operational metrics that we monitor to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate business plans, and make strategic decisions were as follows, as of or for the period presented:

Previous wording

Marketplace revenue represents the revenue derived from the Upwork Marketplace and is the primary driver of our business. We believe marketplace revenue provides comparability to other online marketplaces. We generate Marketplace revenue from both talent and clients. Marketplace revenue is primarily generated from talent service fees paid by talent as a percentage of the total amount talent charges clients for services accessed on the Upwork Marketplace, and to a lesser extent, client marketplace fees. We also generate Marketplace revenue through ads and monetization products, including purchases of Connects, talent memberships, and other services, such as foreign currency exchange when clients choose to pay in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Additionally, we earn interest on funds held on behalf of customers, which is included in Marketplace revenue.

Current wording

Marketplace revenue represents the revenue derived from the Upwork Marketplace and is the primary driver of our business. We believe Marketplace revenue provides comparability to other online marketplaces. We generate Marketplace revenue from both talent and clients. Marketplace revenue is primarily generated from talent service fees paid by talent as a percentage of the total amount talent charges clients for services accessed on the Upwork Marketplace and client marketplace fees. We also generate Marketplace revenue through ads and monetization products, including purchases of Connects, talent memberships, and other services, such as foreign currency exchange when clients choose to pay in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Additionally, we earn interest on funds held on behalf of customers, which is included in Marketplace revenue.

Previous wording

We define an active client as a client that has had spend activity on any Upwork platform or other workforce solution during the 12 months preceding the date of measurement. GSV per active client is calculated by dividing total GSV during the four quarters ended on the date of measurement by the number of active clients on the date of measurement. We believe that the number of active clients and GSV per active client are indicators of the growth and overall health of our business. The number of active clients is a driver of GSV and, in turn, Marketplace revenue.

Current wording

We define an active client as a client that has had spend activity on any Upwork platform or other workforce solution during the 12 months preceding the date of measurement. GSV per active client is calculated by dividing total GSV during the four quarters ended on the date of measurement by the number of active clients on the date of measurement. We believe that the number of active clients and GSV per active client are indicators of the growth and overall health of our business. The number of active clients is a driver of GSV and, in turn, revenue generated across our platforms and workforce solutions.

Previous wording

(1)For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024, we incurred $0.2 million and $0.6 million, respectively, of expense related to the warrant to purchase 500,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $0.01 per share issued to the Tides Foundation in 2018.

Current wording

(1)For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, we incurred $0.2 million of expense related to the warrant to purchase 500,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $0.01 per share issued to the Tides Foundation in 2018.

Previous wording

Marketplace Revenue. Marketplace revenue represents the revenue derived from the Upwork Marketplace and is primarily generated from talent service fees, and to a lesser extent, client marketplace fees. Effective May 2025, we introduced a variable pricing structure for talent service fees for new contracts. Under this variable pricing structure, talent on the Upwork Marketplace are charged a fixed fee for each contract ranging from 0% to 15% of their earnings, depending on platform-specific supply and demand factors, such as project type, job availability, and client demand. The applicable fee is disclosed at contract inception and remains fixed for the duration of the contract. For contracts formed prior to May 2025, we maintain a flat talent service fee of 10% for talent working with clients on the Upwork Marketplace.

Current wording

Marketplace Revenue. Marketplace revenue represents the revenue derived from the Upwork Marketplace and is primarily generated from talent service fees and client marketplace fees. Effective May 2025, we introduced a variable pricing structure for talent service fees for new contracts. Under this variable pricing structure, talent on the Upwork Marketplace are charged a fixed fee for each contract ranging from 0% to 15% of their earnings, depending on platform-specific supply and demand factors, such as project type, job availability, and client demand. The applicable fee is disclosed at contract inception and remains fixed for the duration of the contract. For contracts formed prior to May 2025, we maintain a flat talent service fee of 10% for talent working with clients on the Upwork Marketplace.

Previous wording

Revenue for a majority of our talent service fees on the Upwork Marketplace is recognized on the Sunday of each week, as this is the day we have the contractual right to bill talent for the service fees. We charge a client marketplace fee of 5% on each transaction—or 3% if paid via ACH for eligible clients. We also offer a Business Plus plan that includes premium features targeted at larger customers, which is subject to a client marketplace fee of 10% on each transaction—or 8% if paid via ACH for eligible clients.

Current wording

Revenue for a majority of talent service fees on the Upwork Marketplace is recognized on the Sunday of each week, as this is the day we have the contractual right to bill talent for the service fees. We charge a client marketplace fee of 5% on each transaction—or 3% if paid via ACH for eligible clients. We also offer a Business Plus plan that includes premium features targeted at larger customers, which is subject to a client marketplace fee of 10% on each transaction—or 8% if paid via ACH for eligible clients.

Previous wording

We also generate marketplace revenue through ads and monetization products, including purchases of Connects, talent memberships, and other services, such as foreign currency exchange when clients choose to pay in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Additionally, we earn interest on funds held on behalf of customers.

Current wording

We also generate Marketplace revenue through ads and monetization products, talent memberships, and other services, such as foreign currency exchange when clients choose to pay in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Additionally, we earn interest on funds held on behalf of customers.

Previous wording

Our Enterprise Solutions offering includes access to additional product features, premium access to top talent, professional services, custom reporting, and flexible payment terms. Revenue from our Enterprise Solutions offering includes all client fees, subscriptions, and talent service fees. For our Enterprise Solutions offering, we charge clients a monthly or annual subscription fee and a service fee calculated as a percentage of the client’s spend on talent services, in addition to a 10% service fee paid by talent. Additionally, clients of our Enterprise Solutions offering can also subscribe to a compliance service that includes worker classification services for an additional fee and may also choose to use our Upwork Marketplace to engage talent that were not originally sourced through our Upwork Marketplace for a lower fee percentage.

Current wording

Our Enterprise Solutions offerings include access to additional product features, premium access to top talent, professional services, custom reporting, and flexible payment terms. Revenue from our Enterprise Solutions offerings includes all client fees, subscriptions, and talent service fees. For our Enterprise Solutions offerings, we charge clients a monthly or annual subscription fee and a service fee calculated as a percentage of the client’s spend on talent services, in addition to a 10% service fee paid by talent. Additionally, clients of our Enterprise Solutions offerings can subscribe to a compliance service that includes worker classification services for an additional fee and may also choose to use the Upwork Marketplace to engage talent that were not originally sourced through the Upwork Marketplace for a lower fee percentage.

Previous wording

Through our Managed Services offering, we are responsible for providing services and engaging talent directly or as employees of third-party staffing providers to perform services for clients on our behalf. The talent providing services in connection with our Managed Services offering include independent talent and agencies of varying sizes. Under U.S. GAAP, we are deemed to be the principal in these Managed Services arrangements and therefore recognize the entire GSV of Managed Services projects as Managed Services revenue, as compared to recognizing only the percentage of the client spend that we receive, as we do with our Marketplace and Enterprise Solutions offerings.

Current wording

Through our Managed Services offering, we are responsible for providing services and engaging talent directly or as employees of Ascen and its subsidiaries or third-party staffing providers to perform services for clients on our behalf. The talent providing services in connection with our Managed Services offering include independent talent and agencies of varying sizes. Under U.S. GAAP, we are deemed to be the principal in these Managed Services arrangements and therefore recognize the entire GSV of Managed Services projects as Managed Services revenue, as compared to recognizing only the percentage of the client spend that we receive, as we do with our Marketplace and Enterprise Solutions offerings.

Previous wording

Cost of Revenue. Cost of revenue consists primarily of the cost of payment processing fees, amounts paid to talent to deliver services for clients under our Managed Services offering, personnel-related costs for our services and support personnel, third-party hosting fees for our use of Amazon Web Services, and the amortization expense associated with capitalized internal-use software and platform development costs. We define personnel-related costs as salaries, bonuses, benefits, travel and entertainment, and stock-based compensation costs for employees and the costs related to other service providers we engage.

Current wording

Cost of Revenue. Cost of revenue consists primarily of the cost of payment processing fees, amounts paid to talent to deliver services for clients under our Managed Services offering, personnel-related costs for our services and support personnel, third-party hosting fees for our use of Amazon Web Services, which we refer to as AWS, and the amortization expense associated with capitalized internal-use software and platform development costs. We define personnel-related costs as salaries, bonuses, benefits, travel and entertainment, and stock-based compensation costs for employees and the costs related to other service providers we engage.

Previous wording

Other income (expense), net consists primarily of interest income that we earn from our operating investments, namely our deposits in money market funds and investments in marketable securities, interest expense on our outstanding borrowings, as well as gains and losses from foreign currency exchange transactions.

Current wording

Other income, net consists primarily of interest income that we earn from our operating investments, namely our deposits in money market funds and investments in marketable securities, interest expense on our outstanding borrowings, as well as gains and losses from foreign currency exchange transactions.

Previous wording

Income tax provision consists primarily of U.S. federal and state income taxes. We will continue to monitor the need for a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets on a quarterly basis.

Current wording

Income tax provision consists primarily of U.S. federal and state income taxes. We will continue to evaluate the need for a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets on a quarterly basis.

Previous wording

Comparison of the Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2025 and 2024

Current wording

Comparison of the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 and 2025

Previous wording

The number of active clients decreased 7% as of September 30, 2025, compared to September 30, 2024, driven by slower growth in acquisition of new clients. By contrast, GSV per active client increased 5% as of September 30, 2025, compared to September 30, 2024, reflecting increased client engagement.

Current wording

The number of active clients decreased 3% as of March 31, 2026, compared to March 31, 2025, driven by slower growth in acquisition of new clients, as well as lower retention of existing clients. By contrast, GSV per active client increased 5% as of March 31, 2026, compared to March 31, 2025, reflecting increased client engagement.

Previous wording

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, total revenue was $201.7 million and $589.4 million, representing a 4% and 2% increase compared to the same periods in 2024, respectively.

Current wording

For the three months ended March 31, 2026, total revenue was $195.5 million, representing a 1% increase compared to the same period in 2025.

Previous wording

For the three months ended September 30, 2025, Marketplace revenue increased by $7.2 million, or 4%, compared to the same period in 2024. For the nine months ended September 30, 2025, Marketplace revenue increased by $13.1 million, or 3%, compared to the same period in 2024. These increases were primarily due to higher revenue from ads and monetization products and client marketplace fees and were partially offset by a decrease in talent service fees resulting from our 2023 transition from a tiered service fee structure to a flat fee model. We expect Marketplace revenue to increase for the remainder of 2025 compared to the same periods in 2024, driven by a number of strategic initiatives intended to improve monetization and support long-term growth.

Current wording

For the three months ended March 31, 2026, Marketplace revenue increased by $4.4 million, or 3%, compared to the same period in 2025, primarily driven by higher revenue from ads and monetization products, as well as increased adoption of Business Plus.

Previous wording

For the three months ended September 30, 2025, Enterprise revenue increased by $0.7 million, or 3%, compared to the same period in 2024 primarily due to revenue generated by Ascen. For the nine months ended September 30, 2025, Enterprise revenue decreased by $1.5 million, or 2% compared to the same period in 2024 primarily driven by lower revenue from our Managed Services offering as a result of a reduction in client spend. During the nine months ended September 30, 2025, we focused on supporting existing Enterprise clients, which contributed to stable active account trends and improved year-over-year spend per active Enterprise client. As we continue to refine our Enterprise strategy and the transition of Enterprise clients to the Lifted platform, we expect Enterprise revenue to decline in the fourth quarter of

Current wording

For the three months ended March 31, 2026, Enterprise revenue decreased by $1.6 million, or 6%, compared to the same period in 2025. This decline was primarily driven by decreases in both Managed Services revenue and Enterprise Solutions revenue, both reflecting reduced client spend resulting from reduced efforts to acquire new customers as we focused on the transition of Enterprise clients to the Lifted platform. During the three months ended March 31, 2026, we focused on supporting existing Enterprise clients, while continuing to invest in the development of Lifted, which drove improvements in year-over-year spend per active Enterprise client. Investment in the expansion of Lifted is expected to support growth in Enterprise revenue in 2026, subject to market conditions and execution.

Previous wording

For the three months ended September 30, 2025, cost of revenue increased by $2.4 million, or 6%, compared to the same period in 2024. The increase was primarily driven by a $1.9 million increase in the cost of talent services to deliver Managed Services revenue, and a $1.2 million increase in amortization expense related to internal-use software and platform development. These increases were partially offset by reductions in data center and customer support costs and lower costs associated with our Upwork Professional offering, reflecting hosting optimization efforts and workforce reductions.

Current wording

For the three months ended March 31, 2026, cost of revenue increased by $2.8 million, or 7%, compared to the same period in 2025. The increase was primarily driven by a $2.9 million increase in amortization of capitalized internal-use software and platform development costs related to projects placed into service in 2025, partially offset by a $0.2 million decrease in the cost of talent services to deliver Managed Services revenue.

Previous wording

For the three months ended September 30, 2025, gross margin decreased to 77% compared to 78% in the same period in 2024, primarily driven by lower margins in the Company’s Managed Services business and a decline in talent service fees, partially offset by growth in higher-margin Marketplace revenue components such as Connects and client marketplace fees.

Current wording

For the three months ended March 31, 2026, gross margin decreased to 77% compared to 78% in the same period in 2025, primarily reflecting the impact of higher amortization of capitalized internal-use software and platform development costs as a percentage of revenue.

Previous wording

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, research and development expense decreased by $2.9 million, or 6%, and $17.3 million, or 11%, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2024. These decreases were primarily driven by reductions in personnel-related costs of $5.0 million and $17.4 million, respectively, reflecting workforce reductions and other cost-saving measures implemented in 2024. In addition, we capitalized $1.6 million and $3.8 million of incremental internal-use software and platform development costs during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, respectively. These costs were partially offset by increases in amortization of intangible assets of $2.7 million and $4.5 million, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2024.

Current wording

For the three months ended March 31, 2026, research and development expense decreased by $2.8 million, or 6%, compared to the same period in 2025, primarily driven by a $2.4 million reduction in personnel-related costs and $4.0 million of incremental internal-use software and platform development costs. These costs were partially offset by a $1.6 million increase in amortization of intangible assets and $1.0 million of higher hosting costs.

Previous wording

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, provision for transaction losses increased by $0.6 million and $1.9 million, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2024. The provision for each of the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 was lower primarily due to better than expected collections during those periods. We expect provision for transaction losses to remain at a normalized level of approximately 1% of revenue for the remainder of 2025.

Current wording

For the three months ended March 31, 2026, provision for transaction losses decreased 2%, compared to the same period in 2025, and represented approximately 1% of revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025.

Previous wording

Other income, net, decreased by $2.2 million, or 27%, and $2.3 million, or 11%, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2024. The decreases were primarily due to lower unrealized foreign currency gains due to reduced exposure and lower interest income on cash and investment balances.

Current wording

Other income, net decreased by $1.3 million, or 21%, for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to the same period in 2025. The decrease was due to lower interest income on cash and investment balances.

Previous wording

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, our income tax provision increased by $5.2 million and $15.7 million, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2024. Our effective tax rates were 17.8% and 16.2% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, respectively, compared to 3.9% and 5.0% for the same periods in 2024, respectively.

Current wording

For the three months ended March 31, 2026, our income tax provision decreased by $1.0 million compared to the same period in 2025, primarily attributable to lower income before income taxes. Our effective tax rate was 16.6% for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to 16.2% for the same period in 2025.

Previous wording

Our principal sources of liquidity are our cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities. Our cash equivalents and marketable securities primarily consist of money market funds, commercial paper, treasury bills, corporate bonds, U.S. and foreign government securities, asset-backed securities, and other types of fixed income securities. The primary objective of our investment activities from our operating investments is to preserve principal while maximizing income without significantly increasing risk. Since our inception, our business has consisted of the operation of an online work marketplace that connects businesses with independent talent from across the globe and the provision of additional contingent workforce solutions through Lifted and its subsidiaries. We do not make investments for trading or speculative purposes. As of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, we had $260.8 million and $305.8 million in cash and cash equivalents, respectively. As of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, we had $382.3 million and $316.3 million in marketable securities, respectively.

Current wording

Our principal sources of liquidity are our cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities. Our cash equivalents and marketable securities primarily consist of money market funds, commercial paper, treasury bills, corporate bonds, U.S. and foreign government securities, asset-backed securities, and other types of fixed income securities. The primary objective of our investment activities from our operating investments is to preserve principal while maximizing income without significantly increasing risk. Since our inception, our business has consisted of the operation of an online work marketplace that connects businesses with independent talent from across the globe and the provision of additional contingent workforce solutions through Lifted and its subsidiaries. We do not make investments for trading or speculative purposes. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, we had $328.4 million and $294.4 million in cash and cash equivalents, respectively. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, we had $251.3 million and $378.4 million in marketable securities, respectively.

Previous wording

We believe our existing cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, and cash flow from operations (in periods in which we generate cash flow from operations) will be sufficient for at least the next 12 months to meet our requirements and plans for cash, including meeting our working capital requirements and capital expenditure requirements. Further, as of September 30, 2025, our 0.25% convertible senior notes due 2026, which we refer to as the Notes, are classified as current liabilities since their maturity falls within 12 months of the balance sheet date, September 30, 2025. We continue to monitor conditions in the debt market and our overall liquidity position to support our capital needs and strategic objectives. As part of this ongoing assessment, we are evaluating refinancing options and other alternatives in advance of upcoming debt maturities.

Current wording

We believe our existing cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, and cash flow from operations will be sufficient for at least the next 12 months to meet our requirements and plans for cash, including meeting our working capital requirements and capital expenditure requirements. Further, as of March 31, 2026, our 0.25% convertible senior notes due 2026, which we refer to as the Notes, were classified as current liabilities since their August 15, 2026 maturity date falls within 12 months of the balance sheet date, March 31, 2026. We continue to monitor conditions in the debt market and our overall liquidity position to support our capital needs and strategic objectives. As part of this ongoing assessment, we are evaluating refinancing options and other alternatives in advance of upcoming debt maturities.

Previous wording

In the long term, our ability to support our working capital and capital expenditure requirements will depend on many factors, including our revenue growth rate, the timing and the amount of cash received from customers, the expansion of sales and marketing activities, the timing and extent of spending to support research and development efforts, the cost to host our platforms and other workforce solutions, the introduction of new lines of business, offerings, and services, the continuing market adoption of our offerings, any acquisitions or investments that we make in complementary businesses, products, and technologies, macroeconomic conditions, any repurchases of shares of our outstanding common stock or the Notes, and our ability to obtain equity or debt financing.

Current wording

In the long term, our ability to support our working capital and capital expenditure requirements will depend on many factors, including our revenue growth rate, the timing and the amount of cash received from customers, the timing and extent of spending to support research and development efforts, investments to support and scale our Enterprise offerings, including integration costs associated with recent acquisitions, the expansion of sales and marketing activities, the cost to host our platforms and other workforce solutions, the introduction of new lines of business, offerings, and services, the continuing market adoption of our offerings, any acquisitions or investments that we make in complementary businesses, products, and technologies, macroeconomic conditions, any repurchases of shares of our outstanding common stock or the Notes, and our ability to obtain equity or debt financing.

Previous wording

To the extent existing cash and cash equivalents, cash from marketable securities, and cash from operations (in periods in which we generate cash flow from operations) are insufficient to fund our working capital and capital expenditure requirements, or should we require additional cash for other purposes, we will need to raise additional funds. In the future, we may attempt to raise additional capital through the sale of equity securities or through equity-linked or debt financing arrangements as we did with the offering of the Notes. If we raise additional funds by issuing equity or equity-linked securities, the ownership and economic interests of our existing stockholders will be diluted. If we raise additional financing by incurring additional indebtedness, we will be subject to additional debt service requirements and could also be subject to additional restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt, and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. Any future indebtedness we incur may result in terms that could also be unfavorable to our equity investors. There can be no assurances that we will be able to raise additional capital on terms we deem acceptable, or at all. The inability to raise additional capital as and when required would have an adverse effect, which could be material, on our results of operations, financial condition, and ability to achieve our business objectives.

Current wording

To the extent existing cash and cash equivalents, cash from marketable securities, and cash from operations are insufficient to fund our working capital and capital expenditure requirements, or should we require additional cash for other purposes, we will need to raise additional funds. In the future, we may attempt to raise additional capital through the sale of equity securities or through equity-linked or debt financing arrangements as we did with the offering of the Notes. If we raise additional funds by issuing equity or equity-linked securities, the ownership and economic interests of our existing stockholders will be diluted. If we raise additional financing by incurring additional indebtedness, we will be subject to additional debt service requirements and could also be subject to additional restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt, and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. Any future indebtedness we incur may result in terms that could also be unfavorable to our equity investors. There can be no assurances that we will be able to raise additional capital on terms we deem acceptable, or at all. The inability to raise additional capital as and when required would have an adverse effect, which could be material, on our results of operations, financial condition, and ability to achieve our business objectives.

Previous wording

Assuming the outstanding Notes are not converted into our common stock, repurchased, or redeemed prior to maturity on August 15, 2026, (i) annual interest expense relating to the Notes will be $0.7 million for the remainder of fiscal year 2025 and $1.8 million in 2026 and (ii) principal in the amount of $361.0 million will be payable upon maturity. For additional information about our Notes, see the section below titled “—Convertible Senior Notes Due 2026 and Capped Calls.”

Current wording

Assuming the outstanding Notes are not converted into our common stock, repurchased, or redeemed prior to maturity on August 15, 2026, (i) annual interest expense relating to the Notes will be $1.1 million for the remainder of fiscal year 2026 and (ii) principal in the amount of $361.0 million will be payable upon maturity. For additional information about our Notes, see the section below titled “—Convertible Senior Notes Due 2026 and Capped Calls.”

Previous wording

In July 2024, we commenced a non-cancellable agreement for cloud infrastructure and other services that contains future purchase commitments of $40.0 million over two years, with $20.0 million in each year. As of September 30, 2025, we had remaining purchase commitments under this agreement of $14.0 million.

Current wording

In July 2024, we commenced a non-cancellable agreement for cloud infrastructure and other services that contains future purchase commitments of $40.0 million over two years, with $20.0 million in each year. As of March 31, 2026, we had $2.0 million remaining under this agreement, which expires on May 1, 2026. We expect to renew this agreement upon expiration.

Previous wording

There were no material changes to our commitments under our lease agreements from those disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Current wording

During the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company entered into two new operating lease agreements for office space. Refer to Note 6 to the condensed consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report for additional information regarding these leases. Except as described in Note 6, there were no other material changes to our commitments under our lease agreements from those disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.

Previous wording

In October 2024, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase purchase program for the repurchase of up to $100.0 million of shares of our outstanding common stock, which we refer to as the 2024 Share Repurchase Authorization.

Current wording

In September 2025, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program for the repurchase of up to $100.0 million of shares of our outstanding common stock, which we refer to as the 2025 Share Repurchase Authorization. Under the 2025 Share Repurchase Authorization, we repurchased and subsequently retired 2.1 million shares of our common stock for an aggregate amount of $36.0 million, at an average price of $17.33 per share, from September 2025 through December 2025, and an additional 4.6 million shares for an aggregate amount of $64.0 million, at an average price of $14.00 per share, from January 2026 through March 2026. As of March 31, 2026, we had no remaining balance available for repurchases under the 2025 Share Repurchase Authorization.

Previous wording

In September 2025, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program for the repurchase of up to $100.0 million of shares of the Company’s outstanding common stock, which we refer to as the 2025 Share Repurchase Authorization, and we refer to the 2025 Share Repurchase Authorization together with the 2024 Share Repurchase Authorization as the Share Repurchase Authorizations.

Current wording

In February 2026, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program for the repurchase of up to $300.0 million of shares of our outstanding common stock, which is referred to as the 2026 Share Repurchase Authorization, and we refer to the 2026 Share Repurchase Authorization and the 2025 Share Repurchase Authorization together as the Share Repurchase Authorizations. Under the 2026 Share Repurchase Authorization, we repurchased and subsequently retired 3.5 million shares of our common stock for an aggregate amount of $43.9 million, at an average price of $12.37 per share, in March 2026. As of March 31, 2026, we had $256.1 million available for repurchase under the 2026 Share Repurchase Authorization.

Previous wording

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, we repurchased and subsequently retired 2.1 million and 7.3 million shares of our common stock for an aggregate amount of $31.0 million and $101.9 million at an average price of $14.75 and $13.87 per share, including fees associated with the repurchases and excluding excise tax, respectively, under the Share Repurchase Authorizations. As of September 30, 2025, we had $98.1 million available for repurchases under the 2025 Share Repurchase Authorization.

Current wording

Collectively, during the three months ended March 31, 2026, we repurchased and subsequently retired 8.1 million shares of our common stock for an aggregate amount of $107.9 million at an average price of $13.28 per share, including fees associated with the repurchases and excluding excise tax, under the Share Repurchase Authorizations.

Previous wording

Repurchases of our common stock under the Share Repurchase Authorizations may be made from time to time on the open market (including through the use of trading plans intended to qualify under Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which we refer to as the Exchange Act), in privately negotiated transactions, or by other methods, at our discretion, and in accordance with applicable securities laws and other restrictions. The Share Repurchase Authorizations have no expiration date and will continue until otherwise suspended, terminated, or modified at any time for any reason. The Share Repurchase Authorizations do not obligate us to repurchase any dollar amount or number of shares, and the timing and amount of any repurchases will depend on market and business conditions.

Current wording

Repurchases of our common stock under the 2026 Share Repurchase Authorization may be made from time to time on the open market (including through the use of trading plans intended to qualify under Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), in privately negotiated transactions, or by other methods, at our discretion, and in accordance with applicable securities laws and other restrictions. The 2026 Share Repurchase Authorization has no expiration date and will continue until otherwise suspended, terminated, or modified at any time for any reason. The 2026 Share Repurchase Authorization does not obligate us to repurchase any dollar amount or number of shares, and the timing and amount of any repurchases will depend on market and business conditions.

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Rearranged current paragraphs (1)

Current report — wording carried from elsewhere

These outflows were partially offset by $51.4 million in proceeds from maturities of marketable securities and $0.3 million in proceeds from the sale of marketable securities.
Rearranged previous paragraphs (1)

Previous report — wording carried elsewhere

Future Purchase Commitments for Cloud Infrastructure