Fiverr's Top Rated badge is not a point total you can buy your way into. Fiverr's help center lists six numeric gates just to be considered for a review: Level 2, a Success Score of 9+, a 4.7+ rating, a 90% response rate, 40 completed orders, 20 unique clients and $10,000 earned. Clearing them only earns a manual review, not the badge itself.
Top Rated is Fiverr's fourth and highest freelancer level, above New, Level 1 and Level 2. Once a freelancer clears the six metrics, Fiverr's evaluation team reviews the account individually across four areas it calls proficiency and quality, client experience, presentation, and trust and safety, before deciding whether to approve the badge.
I freelance on Fiverr myself and hold the Top Rated badge there and on Upwork, with 580+ five-star reviews on Fiverr across 900+ projects over 13+ years, so I check my own Level Overview page against these rules too. Every number and quote below comes from Fiverr's or Upwork's own help pages, read on 26 October 2026 and linked.
What exactly must you hit before Fiverr will even consider you for Top Rated?
Six performance metrics, tracked on your Level Overview page, and all six have to clear the Top Rated row at once. Fiverr's Understanding Fiverr's freelancer levels page lists the full table for every level, moving up from New freelancer:
| Level | Success Score | Rating | Response rate | Orders | Unique clients | Earnings | Extra review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 5+ | 4.4+ | 80% | 5 | 3 | $400 | No |
| Level 2 | 7+ | 4.6+ | 90% | 20 | 10 | $2,000 | No |
| Top Rated | 9+ | 4.7+ | 90% | 40 | 20 | $10,000 | Yes, manual |
Two of these are easy to misread. "Rating" is the average of all client ratings over the past two years, not all-time, while the figure shown on your public profile is all-time. "Unique clients" counts each client once no matter how many orders they placed, so 40 orders from 15 repeat clients does not clear the 20-client bar. Level 1 and Level 2 move up automatically within 24 hours once all six metrics qualify. Top Rated does not. Clearing the row only opens the door to a review.
What is Fiverr's Success Score, and why isn't it the same as your star rating?
Success Score is calculated per Gig, then rolled up into one overall score, while your rating is a straight average of client stars. Fiverr's Success score page says each Gig's order history is scored across six key areas, and Gigs with more orders, more recent orders and higher-value orders carry more weight in your overall number.
| Key area | What it tracks |
|---|---|
| Client satisfaction | Reviews and other signals of how happy clients were with the order |
| Effective communication | Responsiveness, helpfulness and how clearly you set expectations |
| Conflict-free orders | How often disputes or issues came up during the order |
| Order cancellations | The effect of cancellations on the overall order process |
| Delivery time | How often you deliver on time or ahead of schedule |
| Value for money | Whether clients feel they got what they paid for |
Two details are worth knowing before you worry about a dip. The page states the score is relative to other freelancers in your price range, and that "a score of 10 is not required for success." It also says unresponsive clients do not negatively impact the score, since the leveling system is built to account for that scenario. What does move the score down: negative reviews, late deliveries, cancellations you initiated, slow or unclear communication, and disputes.
What happens once your numbers qualify?
Fiverr checks eligibility automatically every day, and the first sign you will see is a banner on your dashboard saying you are under review. Fiverr's Top Rated freelancers page describes the evaluation team's review as covering four full pillars: proficiency and quality (does the delivered work match your Gig description and advertised skills), client experience (responsiveness, clear expectations, a smooth process end to end), presentation (how complete and organized your Gigs and profile are, including an intro video and portfolio), and trust and safety (adherence to Fiverr's Terms of Service and Community Standards).
The same page lists Dos and Don'ts the team weighs: present yourself and your qualifications accurately, deliver outstanding value, and do not duplicate active Gigs or misrepresent your services. After the review, you get an email with the decision. Approved, and Top Rated shows on your dashboard and level page immediately. Not approved, and you stay at Level 2 with the primary reason stated, and you are eligible for another review after 180 days if your metrics still qualify.
Which Fiverr categories get reviewed fastest, and how long does the rest wait?
Fiverr names a short list of categories it is actively trying to grow with more Top Rated freelancers, and publishes a target number of days for those only.
| Category | Target review window |
|---|---|
| AI Development | 60 days |
| Character Modeling | 45 days |
| AI Artists | 45 days |
| Search Engine Marketing (SEM) | 45 days |
| Email Marketing | 45 days |
| 3D Product Animation | 45 days |
| Animated Explainers | 60 days |
Two conditions sit under this table. Fiverr's page says simply adding a Gig to one of these categories does not grant a prioritized review; you need at least 20 completed orders in that specific category first. It also says Seller Plus Premium members get priority in the queue. Programming and development categories are not on this named list, so Fiverr publishes no target window for them; the page says plainly that for Gigs outside the listed categories, it cannot estimate a time frame.
How do you keep Top Rated once Fiverr gives it to you?
The same six metrics keep working after you are approved, and falling below any of them starts a clock. Fiverr's levels page says that if your performance drops under the criteria for your current level, you enter a 30-day grace period. For Level 1 and Level 2, missing the window at the end of the 30 days moves you down automatically to match your metrics. For Top Rated specifically, the page says the evaluation team instead reviews your account to decide whether you can remain Top Rated or need to move down, so the drop is not automatic in the same way.
If you are moved down, you can be evaluated again once your metrics qualify after a six-month wait. The same page is direct about the ceiling on all of this: "Your level may change at any time due to periodic evaluations," on top of the grace-period rule.
Is Fiverr Pro the same thing as Top Rated?
No. They are two separate tracks that use different gates. Top Rated is reached through the six automatic metrics plus a review; Fiverr Pro is reached only by submitting an application. Fiverr's How to become a Fiverr Pro freelancer page states plainly that moving to Pro "does not directly alter your current seller level," and that Pro orders "carry the standard Fiverr commission," so there is no fee difference either.
Pro freelancers are assessed on client communication and satisfaction, Terms of Service adherence, responsiveness, on-time delivery and ratings, decided by Fiverr at its discretion rather than against a published numeric table. Programming and Tech is one of the categories currently open for Pro applications. A freelancer can hold a level badge and a Pro badge at the same time; neither one replaces the other.
How does Fiverr's Top Rated badge compare with Upwork's?
Both reward a track record on that specific platform, but Upwork names its share of talent in public, where Fiverr does not. Upwork's talent badges page says Top Rated represents its top 10% of freelancers and Top Rated Plus its top 3%, recalculated every two weeks using the Job Success Score, which Upwork describes as combining client feedback, how contracts ended and long-term client relationships, with 90% or higher read as strong client satisfaction.
| Point | Fiverr Top Rated | Upwork Top Rated | Upwork Top Rated Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share of talent | Not published as a percentage | Top 10% | Top 3% |
| Core score | Success Score 9+, rating 4.7+ | Job Success Score 90%+ for 13 of the last 16 weeks | Same Job Success Score rule |
| Volume gate | 40 orders, 20 clients, $10,000 earned | First project over 90 days ago, strong earnings history | Over $10,000 earned in the past 12 months |
| How it is decided | Automatic daily check, then a manual review | Recalculated every 2 weeks, no manual review named | Recalculated every 2 weeks, no manual review named |
I cover the fee, payout-timing and marketplace-mechanics side of this comparison in full in Fiverr vs Upwork for developers, so I will not repeat that here. The short version for this guide: Fiverr's badge adds a discretionary human review on top of its numbers, while Upwork's two Top Rated tiers are both score-driven and refreshed on a fixed schedule.
What should you do day to day to clear these metrics?
The checklist below is built directly from Fiverr's own best-practice guidance on the pages cited above, not general freelancing advice.
- Reply to every new message inside 24 hours. Response rate is measured over the trailing 90 days, so one slow week can drag on your number for months.
- Write the scope, timeline and revision policy into the order before you start, so expectations do not drift mid-delivery; Fiverr's Success Score page lists clear expectations as part of effective communication.
- Decline work that is a poor fit rather than accepting it and canceling later. Order cancellations are their own scored area, separate from client satisfaction.
- Keep every Gig distinct. Fiverr's Top Rated page lists duplicating active Gigs or services among the behaviors that count against you.
- Check the "Scores by Gig" breakdown on your Level Overview page, not just your star rating, since it shows which of the six key areas is pulling your score down.
- If you want a faster review once you qualify, aim your order volume at a category on Fiverr's priority list and pass 20 completed orders inside that specific category.
Are you actually on track for a Top Rated review?
Work through the four questions in order against your own Level Overview page.
- Are you Level 2 with a Success Score of 9+ and a rating of 4.7+? No: raise your score and rating before anything else.
- Is your response rate 90% or higher over the last 90 days? No: close the gap by answering messages within 24 hours.
- Have you reached 40 orders, 20 unique clients and $10,000 earned? No: keep building order volume and client count together, not just orders.
- Is your Gig's category one Fiverr lists as needing more Top Rated freelancers? Yes: expect a decision in roughly 45 to 60 days. No: you are still eligible for review, just with no published timeframe.
When should Top Rated not be the goal?
When chasing the numbers would push you into work you do not want to keep doing, or when you are treating the badge as a guarantee of more orders. Fiverr's own FAQ on the levels page is direct about the second point: level is only one of several factors in how many orders you receive, not a formula.
- Volume over fit. Reaching 40 orders and 20 clients faster by taking small, repetitive jobs can crowd out the larger, better-paying work you actually want to do.
- The badge is revocable. Top Rated comes with a 30-day grace period and a discretionary review if your metrics slip, so it is a status to maintain, not an asset you earn once and keep.
- The review is partly subjective. Presentation and trust and safety are two of the four pillars Fiverr's evaluation team weighs, alongside the delivered work itself, so a qualifying freelancer can still be turned down or asked to wait.
- A badge is not a skill test. It measures your record on that platform, not technical ability in a specific field. If you are hiring rather than selling, that distinction matters more than the badge itself.
What else do freelancers ask about Fiverr Top Rated?
How long does it take to become Top Rated on Fiverr?
Fiverr publishes no minimum time. The numeric gates, 40 orders, 20 clients and $10,000 earned, take as long as your order volume takes to reach, and a review only starts once all six metrics qualify together. For the categories Fiverr names as needing more Top Rated freelancers, its help page states a target review window of 45 to 60 days after you qualify; other categories have no published timeframe.
Does becoming Top Rated lower Fiverr's seller fees?
No. Fiverr's freelancer levels page lists the Top Rated benefits as Seller Plus Premium eligibility, adding top clients to your profile, paid consultations, Early Payout, priority support and faster payments, not a reduced commission. The fee structure is covered in full, with figures, in Fiverr vs Upwork for developers.
Can you lose Top Rated status once you have it?
Yes. If your metrics drop below the Top Rated row, Fiverr's help page says you enter a 30-day grace period. If you have not recovered by the end of it, the evaluation team reviews your account and decides whether you stay Top Rated or move down, and the page adds that your level "may change at any time due to periodic evaluations."
Does Fiverr Pro help you reach Top Rated faster?
No. They are separate tracks. Fiverr's Pro page states that moving to Pro does not directly alter your current seller level, and Pro status is decided through an application and an ongoing assessment of communication, responsiveness and on-time delivery, not the six metrics behind Top Rated.
Do unresponsive clients hurt your Fiverr Success Score?
No. Fiverr's Success Score page says unresponsive clients do not negatively impact your score, and that the leveling system is built to account for that scenario.
What is the difference between Fiverr's Success Score and Upwork's Job Success Score?
Both aim at the same idea, a single number for client satisfaction, but they are built differently. Fiverr scores each Gig across six areas, such as communication and cancellations, then rolls Gig scores into one overall Success Score. Upwork's Job Success Score is one percentage built from client feedback, contract-ending history and long-term relationships, where Upwork treats 90% or higher as strong client satisfaction. The two numbers are not directly comparable across platforms.
If you would rather have the AI or web development work itself built and shipped than manage it on a marketplace, see how I work and my page as a Claude Code developer for hire: a free scoping call of about 30 minutes, then a written quote within one business day at $55-$65 per hour or a fixed price.
Last reviewed 26 October 2026. Disclosure: I freelance on Fiverr and Upwork myself, so I am not neutral, and I am not affiliated with either platform; no link here is an affiliate link. I am CTO at ElySpace, a freelance developer for Marmaids LLC, and founder of WHMCSPilot and MagizAI. Every criterion, quote and figure above is taken from Fiverr's or Upwork's help pages as I read them on 26 October 2026; both platforms change their programs often, so check the linked page before you rely on a number here.
