Why Top Fiverr Sellers Are Quitting (And Why I’m Staying)

There’s a trend happening that’s been bothering me lately, and I think it’s crucial I cover it. Top Fiverr sellers, people who’ve built massive, successful businesses on the platform are quitting.

We’re talking about sellers who were making $50K, $60K, even $100K+ per month just walking away from everything they’ve built. Like Levi Newman who made over 1.4 million from writing, just calling it a day.

As someone who’s been on Fiverr since 2017 doing my UX testing and currently does around 20-40 orders per month generating about $500-1,000k monthly, I’ve seen the platform evolve completely.

Some changes have been brutal, others necessary, but the exodus of top talent is real and there are specific reasons why it’s happening.

Let me break down exactly what’s driving these sellers away, why some of their concerns are valid, and why I’m choosing to stay despite the challenges.

How Fiverr’s Accountability System Became Overwhelming

When I started on Fiverr in 2017, things were different. Back then, you had SEO services dominating, logo designers crushing it with high volume, copywriting services thriving, and voice-over work booming.

The platform has always had some pressure built into it, you have to deliver on time, reply fast, maintain quality.

Miss a delivery date? Your gig drops in ranking.

Not reply to some spammy messages from a guys in India? Get demoted to level 1 if your reply rate drops below 90%.

It’s stressful at times, but honestly, this system also keeps us accountable and disciplined.

But here’s where things got complicated.

The top rated seller status shakeup

Originally, once you reached Top-Rated Seller status, you were basically set. It was nearly impossible to lose it unless you did something crazy.

You got massive benefits:

• Priority in search results
• Fastest reply badges
• Up to 30 gigs
• Fast payment clearance
• The prestigious “top of the platform” status

This was the holy grail every seller worked toward.

Then Fiverr changed the game. They implemented an evaluation system based on your last 60 days of performance. Suddenly, that “lifetime achievement” status became something you had to maintain.

I get why they did it, they saw too many sellers coasting on past success without current performance to back it up.

It’s also unfair to new sellers who are figuring their gig out that maybe got a few bad reviews that would always stick around.

But this change created two very different types of stress for high volume sellers:

High-Volume Sellers (not me): If you’re someone doing the agency game and delivering 250+ orders monthly, you can recover from bad reviews because the volume helps balance things out. One negative review gets diluted by dozens of positive ones.

High-Value, Low-Volume Sellers: These sellers might only do 10 orders per month, but they’re $1,000-$2,000 orders bringing in $10K-$20K monthly. For them, just two negative reviews can devastate their rating because they don’t have the volume to buffer the impact.

This created intense stress for successful sellers.

The Success Score System

Fiverr then introduced the “Success Score” system, presumably because sellers kept asking support: “Why was I demoted? How do I rank higher? What determines my placement?”

While I understand the logic, give sellers visibility into their performance metrics.

I’m not convinced this system is helping anyone’s mental health.

My success score has sat at a perma 10, with me qualifying for “top rated” status yet it never happens. I’m forever level 2 it seems no matter how effective my performance (but it’s fine because Fiverr is and has always been, a side income).

But I’ve watched other sellers obsess over their score going from 9 to 8, then panicking about losing their level status.

It’s created another layer of stress and constant monitoring that’s frankly exhausting.

When AI threatens your livelihood

Then came the biggest disruption: Generative AI in the form of ChatGPT and the like.

This absolutely decimated the copywriting and content writing niches. One of the most prominent examples was Alexandra Fasulo, a massive Fiverr seller with a huge YouTube following and Facebook community.

She quit Fiverr in 2024, citing both AI disruption and platform changes.

The writing industry, which had been one of Fiverr’s biggest categories, suddenly saw demand plummet as businesses and individuals started using AI tools for content creation.

But it wasn’t just external AI pressure. Fiverr started implementing their own AI features:

• AI Assistant for sellers
• AI creation tools for buyers
• Various AI-powered platform features

For many sellers, this felt like the platform was actively working to replace them. The message seemed to be: “We’ll help you optimize your business while simultaneously building tools that make your services obsolete.”

The reality of freelancing volatility

Let me be honest about something, freelancing is not for people who need consistency.

Since 2019 to 2014 I’ve been making a consistent $500-800 a month off Fiverr. It’s been a good, reliable side income source for me. Not something I would want to base my entire business off of however.

Just like Udemy is a marketplace for courses, Fiverr is a marketplace for services. That means organic sales without you needing to do any marketing.

But like I covered in my Fiverr Seller plus video and blog post, you need to now pay for exposure a bit on the platform. Running ads an promoting your gig, offering discounts to first time buyers, optimizing your gig every 90 days based on keywords.

This is the reality of entrepreneurship and freelancing, it’s incredibly stressful and unpredictable at one moment but also very exciting and potentially very rewarding financially.

Why Sellers Are Actually Leaving

Based on my observations and conversations with other sellers, here are the main factors driving the exodus:

1. Constant Platform Changes

Every few months, there’s a new policy, algorithm change, or feature that disrupts established business models. Sellers get tired of constantly adapting to survive.

2. Increased competition and saturation

The barrier to entry on Fiverr is incredibly low. Anyone can register and start competing. This has led to massive influxes of new sellers, often from countries with lower living costs, making it harder for established sellers to maintain their prices and market share.

3. Forced subscription costs

Many sellers feel pressured to pay for Seller Plus to stay competitive. While it offers valuable features, the increasing cost combined with the fear that canceling might hurt their business creates resentment.

4. AI disruption combined with platform AI integration

It’s a double hit, external AI tools reducing demand for human services like copywriting and graphic design, while Fiverr develops internal AI tools that could eventually replace sellers entirely.

5. Mental health and burnout

The constant pressure to maintain metrics, respond instantly, and deliver perfect work while dealing with difficult clients takes its toll. Many successful sellers simply burn out from the stress.

Why I’m choosing to stay

I’ve always used Fiverr as a side income and that’s not going to change. I’m an established seller with 1000+ 5 star reviews that provide excellent social proof, making it a “no-brainer” to hire me.

As my gig is functionally a consultation offer, I am a bit protected from AI (for now, at this rate who knows with AI)

Building a personal brand

Here’s the key insight that’s keeping me going strong: building a personal brand is more important than any platform.

When you have authority and credibility online, when people like you for you, they want to work with YOU. It doesn’t matter if it’s Instagram, YouTube, Upwork, whatever.

I send them to Fiverr because that’s where my operational infrastructure lives. Fiverr makes providing freelance and consulting services a total headache free joy. From handling communications, to order management and the deliverable.

It’s just easier for me to keep everything centralized with Fiverr instead of using various platforms.

The Opportunity in Others’ Exit

While it’s sad to see talented sellers leave, their departure creates opportunities for those who remain. Less competition means more potential orders for sellers who stay and adapt.

Diversify

Right now my gig is still going strong, but I know that it’s a mistake now to only offer a single service with a single gig. I will expand my offerings as a way to increase my reach on Fiverr and continue making $500 to $1000 USD a month (which is my personal goal with Fiverr).

The evolution you must embrace

The sellers who are struggling often haven’t adapted to how Fiverr has evolved. The platform has shifted from static images and basic descriptions to requiring:

Personal Branding

• Actual photos of yourself, not just logos
• Video introductions showing your personality
• Personal connection with buyers
• Professional presentation that builds trust

Video Content

Before, a simple image could get you orders. Now, gig videos are almost mandatory. Buyers want to see who they’re working with and hear your voice.

Authentic Communication

People are tired of getting scammed by faceless entities. They want to work with real people they can trust. This is why personal branding has become so crucial.

What’s hot right now (and what’s dying)

Understanding market trends is crucial for Fiverr success:

Still Popular:

• Social media management and marketing
• Instagram-related services
• AI-assisted services (working WITH AI, not being replaced by it)
• Video editing and content creation
• Business automation and systems

What’s Declining:

• Basic copywriting and blog writing (AI-replaceable content)
• Graphic design (Canva and AI tools handling this)
• Basic data entry and administrative tasks

My advice

Stay on Fiverr if:

You’re willing to adapt to platform changes and can handle the stress that eventually happens. My gig was once totally de-indexed for no reason back in 2020 but was quickly resolved with the help of Fiverr. I noticed this because my analytics went to zero organic visits for a week.

Then, my gig performance in terms of sales fell by 30% during the summer of 2024 due to an algorithm change. My point is that you need to be able to handle changes and deal with a lack of stability that sometimes happens.

With Fiverr everything will run smoothly for a year then something will change. You need to be willing to adapt and not be lazy.

Consider leaving if

Your services are obsolete due to AI. You’re lazy and looking for a way to make money easily by using some short cut (like AI slop in the form of writing). You’re having trouble adapting to the evolving platform requirements.

Don’t just abandon everything

If you’re a top seller considering leaving, don’t just quit and walk away. You’ve built something valuable. Consider the following:

• Automating your processes with a team
• Reducing your involvement while maintaining income
• Building systems that let the account generate passive income
• Using your Fiverr success as a launching pad for other ventures

Even if your account only generates a few thousand per month with minimal involvement, it’s still a viable income stream.

The Future of Fiverr and Freelancing

Platforms will continue evolving. AI will keep disrupting industries. Competition will remain. But there will always be demand for high-quality, personalized service from real people who can deliver results.

So deliver exceptional work, stay current with market demands, communicate professionally and authentically and position yourself as an expert, not just a service provider.