RecodeNews · Jun 2026
Analysis article arguing Contra’s zero-commission, worker-first model is helping it compete for skilled independent talent.
Company research
Public company, workplace, funding, and market signals
Updated Jul 29, 2026
Overview
Contra is a commission-free professional network for independent creatives, freelancers, and companies that combines portfolio-based discovery with project management, contracts, invoicing, and payouts.
Primary product
Commission-free freelance and independent-work network
Founded
2019
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, United States
Team size
11-50
Work style
Flexible
Industry
Software Development
Sub-industry
Freelance platforms
Offices
San Francisco, California, United States
2829 California Street, Suite 7, San Francisco, CA 94115
2261 Market Street, Suite 4650, San Francisco, CA 94114
Business model
Two-sided marketplace
Freemium software network
Subscription tiers (Contra Pro / Contra Max)
Payment processing and platform fees
Merchant-of-record / payouts infrastructure
Funding
Stage
Series B
Total raised
$45.2M
Latest round
Series B · Nov 2021
Latest amount
$30M
Nov 2021 · New Enterprise Associates (NEA)
Feb 2021 · Unusual Ventures
Pre-Seed Round
Cowboy Ventures
People & investors
Leadership
Co-Founder and CEO
Co-Founder and CTO
Head of Product
Head of Operations
Work & culture
Remote-first, flexible-first, and independent-first; the company emphasizes a global team, direct collaboration, community, autonomy, and shipping without a heavy-meeting culture.
Work style
Flexible
Compensation
Public careers pages advertise competitive base salaries, pre-IPO stock options, and strong benefits; no public salary bands were surfaced.
Benefits
Competitive base salaries
Pre-IPO stock options
100% health coverage for US full-time employees
100% health coverage for Canada full-time employees
Monthly health reimbursements for international contractors
15 paid vacation days
10 company holidays
7 flex days
Week off at the end of the year
No meeting Wednesdays
Product & market
Pricing
Free to join; 100% commission-free marketplace with transaction/platform fees that scale by payment type and size, plus paid Contra Pro/Max tiers.
Differentiators
- —100% commission-free for freelancers
- —Portfolio-first, project-based professional identities
- —Built-in contracts, invoicing, and payments
- —Verified studios and talent discovery
- —Direct collaboration without middlemen
- —Independent-first community positioning
- —Global payments and tax-compliance tooling
- —Fee transparency
Technology
Webflow
Framer
Rive
Bubble
Claude
Midjourney
Anything
Node.js
TypeScript
React
GraphQL
PostgreSQL
Stripe
Coinbase
PayPal
Google Analytics
Zapier
Figma
Customers
Independent creatives
Freelancers
Designers
Developers
Marketers
Video editors
Agencies
Brands
High-growth tech startups
Companies hiring independents
Competitors
Upwork
Fiverr
Toptal
LinkedIn
Behance
The Dots
Working Not Working
HoneyBook
Malt
Graphite
Scale & contact
Latest news
Contra blog · Apr 2026
Company post describing a partner-program expansion intended to help Webflow freelancers win more clients and grow revenue.
Our Crypto Talk · Feb 2026
External coverage of Contra Payments emphasizing AI-agent checkout and USDC/fiat payouts to creators.
Contra blog · Feb 2026
Official launch post for Contra Payments covering invoices, payment links, digital products, subscriptions, fee transparency, and agentic commerce support.
Contra blog · Oct 2025
Official product/news post describing the refreshed creative network, feed, portfolio-style discovery, verified project histories, and commission-free collaboration.
Jobs and careers at Contra
5 jobs at Contra
Research Scientist, Human Data & Evaluation
Remote
Contra Labs
San Francisco; San Francisco, California , United States
1mo ago
Remote
Full-time
Research Scientist, Human Data & Evaluation
On-site
Contra Labs
New York City (Onsite); New York City, New York, United States
1mo ago
On-site
Full-time
Special Project Lead
On-site
Contra Labs
New York City (Onsite)
1mo ago
On-site
Full-time
Strategic Project Lead
Remote
Contra Labs
San Francisco (Hybrid)
2mo ago
Remote
Full-time
Strategic Project Lead
On-site
Contra Labs
New York City (Onsite)
3mo ago
On-site
Full-time