greeksoup/ stock research

Upwork, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 9 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 10 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Q4 revenue grew 4%: Fourth-quarter revenue was $198.4 million, up 4% from a year earlier. Source
  • Record full-year adjusted EBITDA: Adjusted EBITDA for 2025 was a record $225.6 million, up 35%. Fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA was $52.9 million, up 5%. Source
  • Lifted go-to-market strategy finalized: Lifted, the enterprise subsidiary launched in August 2025, has a finalized go-to-market strategy, and team and platform integration work continued in Q4. Source
  • Business Plus GSV rose 24%: GSV from the Business Plus SMB offering rose 24% quarter over quarter in Q4 2025. Source
  • AI-related GSV passed $300 million: GSV from AI-related work surpassed $300 million on an annualized basis in Q4, up more than 50% from the prior year. Source
  • Free cash flow reached $223.1 million: Free cash flow was $223.1 million for 2025, up from $139.1 million, and $57.3 million in Q4, up from $34.7 million. Source
  • Buybacks returned $136 million in 2025: Share repurchases returned $136 million in 2025 for 9.3 million shares, including 2.0 million shares in Q4 for $34 million. $64 million remained under the authorization at year-end. Source

“We enter 2026 as the leader of a new category, serving as the operational backbone for businesses navigating this new AI era of work.”

Hayden Brown, president and CEO, Upwork Inc.

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFirst quarter of 2026$192 million to $197 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFirst quarter of 2026$45 million to $47 millionNew
Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding SourceFirst quarter of 2026136 million to 139 millionNew
Non-GAAP diluted EPS SourceFirst quarter of 2026$0.26 to $0.28New
Revenue SourceFull year 2026$835 million to $850 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFull year 2026$240 million to $250 millionNew
Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding SourceFull year 2026137 million to 140 millionNew
Non-GAAP diluted EPS SourceFull year 2026$1.43 to $1.48New
GSV growth SourceFull year 20264% to 6%New
Revenue growth SourceFull year 20266% to 8%New

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: First-quarter 2026 guidance for revenue, adjusted EBITDA, shares and non-GAAP EPS was given in this release. Source
  • New guidance: Full-year 2026 guidance for revenue, adjusted EBITDA, shares and non-GAAP EPS was given in this release. Source
  • New: The company announced a partnership with OpenAI covering AI training, certifications and upskilling for independent professionals on the Marketplace. Source
  • New: Uma AI-generated work summaries were introduced in Q4 2025, which the release says boosted spend per client. Source
  • New: The company reported winning two Lifted clients that are new to the Upwork family of companies. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Q4 revenue grew 4%: Fourth-quarter revenue was $198.4 million, up 4% from a year earlier. Source
  • Full-year revenue rose 2%: Full-year 2025 revenue was $787.8 million, up 2% from $769.3 million in 2024. Source
  • Record full-year adjusted EBITDA: Adjusted EBITDA for 2025 was a record $225.6 million, up 35%. Fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA was $52.9 million, up 5%. Source
  • Net income comparison includes prior tax benefit: Q4 GAAP net income was $15.6 million versus $147.2 million a year earlier. The 2024 figures include a non-cash $140.3 million tax benefit from a valuation allowance release. Source
  • GAAP diluted EPS declined year over year: GAAP diluted EPS was $0.12 in Q4, against $1.03 a year earlier, and $0.84 for 2025, against $1.52. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $1.41 for 2025. Source

Segments and revenue mix

  • Marketplace revenue grew: Marketplace revenue was $171.4 million in Q4, up 5%, and $682.9 million for 2025, up 3%. Source
  • Enterprise revenue declined: Enterprise revenue was $27.1 million in Q4, down 3%, and $104.9 million for 2025, down 2%. Source
  • Lifted go-to-market strategy finalized: Lifted, the enterprise subsidiary launched in August 2025, has a finalized go-to-market strategy, and team and platform integration work continued in Q4. Source

“In 2025, we delivered on our commitments to return to GSV growth, achieving this goal two quarters earlier than planned, while also achieving record annual revenue and adjusted EBITDA margin,”

Erica Gessert, CFO, Upwork Inc.

Products and customers

  • Business Plus GSV rose 24%: GSV from the Business Plus SMB offering rose 24% quarter over quarter in Q4 2025. Source
  • Many Business Plus clients new to Upwork: 38% of active clients on Business Plus in Q4 were net-new customers to Upwork. Source
  • AI-enabled skill demand more than doubled: Upwork's In-Demand Skills 2026 report cited demand for top AI-enabled skills in 2025. Source

Demand, GSV and AI work

  • AI-related GSV passed $300 million: GSV from AI-related work surpassed $300 million on an annualized basis in Q4, up more than 50% from the prior year. Source
  • AI integration GSV grew over 90%: GSV from AI Integration & Automation work grew more than 90% year over year in Q4. Generative AI and creative production GSV rose 50%. Source
  • Search and recommendations added GSV: Search and recommendation improvements drove over $100 million of incremental GSV in 2025, largely driven by AI. Source
  • Total GSV rose 3% in Q4: Total GSV was $1.02 billion in Q4, up 3%, and $4.03 billion for 2025, up 1%. Source
  • GSV per active client up 7%: GSV per active client was $5,129 in Q4, an increase of 7% year over year. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross profit margin at 78%: Gross profit margin was 78% in both Q4 periods and 78% for 2025, against 77% for 2024. Source
  • Operating expenses fell 9% for year: GAAP operating expenses were $126.4 million in Q4, down 7%, and $483.7 million for 2025, down 9%. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin up to 29%: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 27% in Q4, up from 26%, and 29% for 2025, up from 22%. Source
  • Stock-based compensation rose in Q4: Stock-based compensation was $17.4 million in Q4, up from $13.6 million, and $65.4 million for 2025, down from $68.4 million. Source
  • Acquisition costs added back to EBITDA: Acquisition-related costs of $4.4 million for 2025 were added back in adjusted EBITDA beginning in Q2 2025, after being deemed immaterial earlier. Source

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Free cash flow reached $223.1 million: Free cash flow was $223.1 million for 2025, up from $139.1 million, and $57.3 million in Q4, up from $34.7 million. Source
  • Operating cash flow up 62%: Cash from operations was $63.7 million in Q4 and $248.3 million for 2025, up 62% from 2024. Source
  • Buybacks returned $136 million in 2025: Share repurchases returned $136 million in 2025 for 9.3 million shares, including 2.0 million shares in Q4 for $34 million. $64 million remained under the authorization at year-end. Source
  • Current debt of $359.8 million: Debt classified as current was $359.8 million at December 31, 2025, compared with $357.9 million classified as noncurrent a year earlier. Source
  • Cash and securities at year-end: Cash and cash equivalents were $294.4 million and marketable securities were $378.4 million at December 31, 2025. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Internal software spending increased: Internal-use software and platform development costs were $19.3 million for 2025, up from $10.9 million in 2024. Source
  • Property and equipment purchases rose: Purchases of property and equipment were $5.8 million for 2025, up from $3.5 million in 2024. Source
  • Acquisition cash outflow of $58.4 million: Cash paid for businesses, net of cash acquired, was $58.4 million for 2025, in the year the company acquired Bubty and Ascen. Source

Coming up, as management said on 9 February 2026

  • More AI partnerships planned: Management described the OpenAI partnership as the first of many upcoming partnerships. Source
  • Accelerating growth expected in 2026: Management said it expects 2026 to show accelerating growth. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Active clients Source785,000 as of December 31, 2025
Business Plus active clients Sourceup 49% quarter over quarter in Q4 2025

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Management said stock-based compensation depends on future share price and other factors that are hard to predict, so GAAP results may be affected. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said the return to GSV growth was achieved two quarters earlier than planned. Source
  • Not stated: The Q3 release gave this timing. The Q4 release reports two Lifted clients won but does not state whether the early-2026 timing was met.
  • Not stated: The Q3 release cited this target. The Q4 release does not restate it.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.