The Most Active Slack Communities for Freelancers in 2022
Slack communities are a great place for freelancers searching for new connections and job opportunities.
However, there’s a problem: Professionals that go down this road quickly learn that many Slack communities are no longer active.
Picture this: You find a good-looking community after a Google search, fill in the details to join, get access, and then learn that no one in there is engaging anymore.
The frustration only increases after you repeat the process over and again, and so does the amount of time you waste.
This begs the question: How to find Slack communities of freelancers?
Here at Make we know what it takes to become a freelancer, so we took a deep dive into 30+ Slack communities for freelancers to check the most active ones.
Let’s take a look at what we found.
Highly active Slack communities for freelancers
This category includes all the Slack communities where people post announcements, job offerings, and insights on a daily basis.
In short: These are the best Slack communities for freelancers, as they show healthy levels of activity and a good number of opportunities to find a job, make connections, and learn something new.
1. Online Geniuses
Accurately self-defined as the “largest Slack community for marketers”, Online Geniuses is also the one of the most active, interesting communities a freelancer can belong to.
In this community you’ll find dedicated channels for email marketing, content marketing, ecommerce, social media marketing, and guest posts, among others.
They also feature a channel for hiring with 36,000+ members, where job seekers can evaluate open positions that get posted on a daily basis.
Good for: Digital marketers, designers, content creators, SEO professionals
Access: Manual vetting by admins; approval can take a couple of days
2. BigSEO
BigSEO was born as a highly active Reddit community, and at one point ramified into an equally dynamic Slack community.
Unlike other Slack groups, BigSEO doesn’t have a dedicated webpage other than the aforementioned subreddit.
However, it is a great space for SEO freelancers looking for jobs, side hustles, connections, tool recommendations, and optimization strategies.
At the time of writing, the BigSEO Slack has 8,000+ members, and you can expect to find a handful of job offers being posted on a weekly basis.
Good for: Marketers, content creators, SEO professionals, web developers
Access: Manual vetting by admins; in order to get access, you need to fill out this form
3. We Work Remotely
Touted as the “largest remote world community in the world”, We Work Remotely (WWR) is a prime spot for freelancers.
One of the nicest aspects of WWR is that you don’t have to be given access to Slack in order to apply to the open positions they promote.
You can apply straight from their website, or through the dedicated Slack channel for jobs.
This is helpful for those who want to actually build a network and exchange information and stories with other freelancers and remote workers.
In any case, WWR is right up there with the best Slack communities if you’re a freelancer: 10,000+ members, lots of activity across its 20 channels, and a world of opportunities at your fingertips.
Good for: All kinds of professionals that want to work remotely
Access: Instant
4. Write the Docs
You know you’re up to something good when you come across a niche community that also happens to brim with activity every single day.
This is the case of Write the Docs, a 16,000-strong Slack community for documentation specialists.
In there, you’ll not only find everything you need to know about technical documentation and document control, but also a friendly bunch that will help you navigate the ins and outs of life a as a docs specialist.
Also, job opportunities are the order of the day, with 20+ opportunities posted every week on average.
Good for: tech writers, developers, customer support specialists, marketers
Access: Instant after filling out a registration form
5. No Code Founders
Another niche space bubbling with activity, No Code Founders (NCF) is a Slack community for founders, companies, and individuals using no-code tools to build and grow their businesses and careers.
The Slack space has almost 4,000 members, many of which are freelancers offering services and expertise in no-code tools like Make, Airtable, Softr, Todoist and Mailchimp, among others.
If you’re looking to become an automation freelancer, don’t miss out on this one.
Good for: developers, no-code specialists, marketers
Access: Instant
Moderately active Slack communities for freelancers
Now that we reviewed the most active communities, it’s time to move on to those that are less active, but still alive and kicking.
1. Remotely One
Another significant space for freelancers pursuing remote work, Remotely One is a 2,000+ member Slack community where you can search for job opportunities, share articles, and discuss remote work at large.
While not as active as WWR, you’ll still see remote work opportunities posted every week, as well as the chance to connect with other professionals from around the world.
Good for: Developers, writers, editors, and marketers
Access: You’ll need to complete an application form and wait for a few hours before your submission is accepted
2. Growmance
The brainchild of edtech company Audienti, Growmance is a Slack community for marketers and growth hackers featuring 13,000+ members and 30 channels in total.
Despite its large membership base, activity is somewhat scant in Growmance. You’ll find conversations here and there, and a handful of open positions being posted on a regular basis.
Still worth trying!
Good for: Marketers, growth specialists
Access: We got access a few minutes after submitting our application
3. Nomads Talk
As the name suggests, Nomads Talk is a Slack community for digital nomads to chat and exchange experiences.
While not the most active Slack space out there, Nomads Talk has 3,000 members and an interesting approach to the idea of “community”. They feature a couple dozen “city channels” that constitute a helpful resource for freelancers that like to hop from place to place in search of new adventures.
Good for: All kinds of professionals
Access: Instant
4. Leapers
Freelancing can be lonely at times, but the people at Leapers are ready to help you overcome that feeling.
Featuring nearly 4,500 members, this Slack community takes a different approach than the rest: They’re focused on supporting the mental health of freelancers.
This unique take is certainly valuable for those who struggle with the less-glamorous aspects of freelancing, and results in a safe space to share your thoughts, struggles, and accomplishments with colleagues from all walks of life.
In addition, Leapers features a “marketplace” channel where members can offer their services and post job offers.
Good for: All kinds of professionals
Access: Instant
5. Demand Curve
Forged by the creative growth agency Bell Curve, Demand Curve serves as a gathering spot for almost 3,000 marketers from around the world.
In here you’ll find dedicated channels for content, ecommerce, email, social media, ads, and A/B testing among others.
In addition, there’s a channel for jobs, where a Slackbot posts open positions on a regular basis.
If you’re a freelancer focused on specific niches, Demand Curve will be worth your attention.
Good for: All kinds of marketers
Access: You’ll need to fill out an application form and wait for a few days to get access
Inactive, defunct and unresponsive Slack communities for freelancers
Finally, here’s the list of Slack communities that you’ll want to avoid when searching for new places to belong.
This category includes two types of communities:
Defunct: Communities that are mentioned across the internet, but no longer exist
Paywalled and unresponsive: Communities that we couldn’t access due to paywalls and that didn’t answer to any of our requests
Since most of the communities listed here are defunct, there’s no point in providing any insight here. Feel free to check out the names and cross them off your list in order to avoid wasting your time.
1. Defunct Slack communities for freelancers
After extensive research, we found out that the following Slack communities do no longer exist:
Remoters
Joinworkremotely
Marketers Chat
Remote Together
Freelance Chat
World of Writers
Startup Chat
Digital Freelancer
Freelance Lead
Dear Designers
Writer Hangout
Launch Chat
2. Unresponsive Slack communities for freelancers
During our research, we came across several Slack communities that have restricted access. Some are free and some are paid, but none answered our requests (with the exception of Remotive, which declined to provide us with access to their community).
If you don’t mind doling out a few dollars to see what’s in there, feel free to subscribe to the communities below.
Designer Hangout: For UX designers; you can request to be included for free, but you’ll be queued for an undisclosed period of time
CreativeTribes: They charge a one-time sign up fee of $27
TrafficThinkTank: Paid access only, $119/month
Workfrom: Paid access, $79/year
Product Tribes: Free. Access is restricted to approval that never arrived
Peak Freelance: Free. You have to request an invite - we did, but never got a reply
DesignX: Free. New members are vetted every Friday. We never got a reply
We also tried to access Dev Chat - touted as a great community for programmers and software developers - but the connection wasn’t private, so we bounced.
Final thoughts
Is Slack good for freelancers? We’re compelled to say “yes”, although things can get tricky.
After reviewing 31 Slack communities, we’ve learned that only a third are worth pursuing when looking at their level of activity.
This means two things: First, that Slack communities for freelancers aren’t as prolific as they once were.
On the other hand, the ones that remain active have a lot to offer, and not just for job searchers. You’ll find industry insights, networking opportunities, and learning resources left and right - all of which can help you boost your freelancing career on the spot.
Plus, they’re all free.
Hopefully, this article will help you navigate Slack communities faster, and avoid those that are not active anymore!
