Which is better for getting clients: Upwork or cold email?

Upwork works well for beginners who lack sales‑marketing experience—it’s a simple paid‑access to a pool of people who already want what you sell, so you don’t need to be a strong salesperson. Cold email gives you access to the whole world, but your ability to explain, justify, and sell the problem becomes the big differentiator. Cold email is typically more scalable and makes more money over time than Upwork, though Upwork is easier to start with. I actually use both in tandem.