Na volné noze

What Na volné noze does

Na volné noze is a Czech Republic-based community and open directory portal for independent professionals, founded in 2005 and operated as a sole proprietorship (OSVČ) by Robert Vlach from Ostrava. The company's core product is a freely accessible catalog of more than 1,000 vetted freelancers organized across 12 categories (Computers, Graphics, Education, Business, Media, Languages, Finance, Society, Technology, Travel, Crafts, and Trade), enabling prospective clients to discover and contact independent professionals directly without intermediaries or commissions. Profile creation is free and includes copywriter-assisted setup, with all subsequent updates bundled at no cost.

The underlying technology is a web-based portal with directory and profile management functionality; the platform does not offer native mobile apps, public APIs, or disclosed integrations. Supporting the core catalog is an extensive owned content operation: a monthly newsletter published continuously since 2009, 2,898+ editorial articles, a podcast with 344 episodes on SoundCloud and Spotify, 553 YouTube videos, and 36 video courses. The platform generates revenue indirectly through book royalties (including the English-language "The Freelance Way"), events, video courses, and ancillary services, rather than through commissions or listing fees on the core directory. A sister community, Freelancing.eu, extends the model to freelancers across Europe.

Customer acquisition is community-led: new professionals join via organic discovery, referrals, and events, while client-side traffic is driven by long-form SEO content, newsletter reach exceeding 250,000 monthly recipients, and the platform's accumulated reputation as the first and most established freelancer community in the Czech Republic. The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed external investors, no parent or subsidiary structure, and operates with a small editorial team including founder Robert Vlach and editor Dan Šácha.

Name

Na volné noze

Legal name

Robert Vlach

Website

https://navolnenoze.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Na volné noze is a Czech freelancer community and open directory portal, founded in 2005 by Robert Vlach, listing 1,000+ independent professionals across 12 categories for direct client contact without commissions. It monetizes indirectly through book royalties, courses, events, and a 250,000+ reach newsletter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ostrava

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Freelancer Directory: Open catalog where freelancers create profiles that clients can discover and contact directly. Profile creation and updates are included at no cost. Revenue appears to be generated indirectly through events, courses, book publishing, and potentially premium services.
2. Events and Community Activities: Hosting events for freelancer development and networking. Invitations to events included with membership. Generates community engagement and potential revenue.
3. Book Publishing: Published 'Na volné noze: Podnikejte jako profesionálové' (first book for freelancers in Czech), with English edition 'The Freelance Way' sold globally.
4. Newsletter and Content: Monthly newsletter distributed free to subscribers since 2009. Curates 200+ top sources for freelancers. Serves as marketing and community engagement tool.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Na volné noze operates an open online directory (Katalog) of more than 1,000 Czech independent professionals across 12 categories, enabling clients to find and contact freelancers directly without intermediaries or commissions. The core directory is complemented by a monthly newsletter (continuous since 2009), a blog/news hub (Novinky), a podcast, video courses (Videokurzy), and in-person freelancer events, with a sister community (Freelancing.eu) extending reach across Europe.

Product overview

Na volné noze is a freelancer portal and marketplace operating since 2005, providing a unified platform for Czech independent professionals. The core product is the open freelancer catalog (Katalog) with over 1000 professionals in 12 categories, enabling direct client-freelancer connections without intermediaries. This core platform is supplemented by a newsletter (continuous since 2009), a blog/news section (Novinky, 2898+ articles), a podcast (Na volné noze podcast, 344 episodes on SoundCloud/Spotify), video courses (Videokurzy, 36 titles), and freelancer events. A sister community, Freelancing.eu, serves European freelancers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Freelancing.eu: Sister community for European freelancers, operated alongside the Czech Na volné noze platform to serve freelancers across Europe.

Products and services

• Freelancer Catalog (Katalog) Open online directory of Czech independent professionals across 12 categories (Computers, Graphics, Education, Business, Media, Languages, Finance, Society, Technology, Crafts, Travel, Commerce). Freelancers self-register profiles that clients can discover and contact directly without platform commissions or intermediaries. Profile setup and updates by copywriter are included at no extra cost.
• Video Courses (Videokurzy)

Quantifiable outcome

• Direct client contact without commission fees
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Freelancing.euminorOthersEuropean sister community that unites freelancers across Europe. Operated as a separate but related platform serving the broader European freelance market beyond Czech Republic.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• PeoplePerHour: UK-based global freelance marketplace for SMB hiring of independent professionals across categories. Comparable as a freelancer catalog/marketplace with category browse and direct client-pro messaging, though globally oriented and take-rate based.
• Upwork: Global freelance marketplace connecting businesses with independent professionals across categories. Comparable to Na volné noze as a two-sided platform for freelancer-client matching, though much larger, cross-border, and take-rate based rather than no-commission.
• Fiverr: Global freelance services marketplace with a project/category-based catalog model. Comparable in offering a discoverable directory of independent professionals and SMB buyers, but operates globally with a take-rate and fixed-price gig model.
• Toptal: Curated marketplace for top freelance talent (developers, designers, finance). Comparable as a freelancer directory with screening/verification, though focused on premium enterprise talent globally rather than a domestic SMB community.

Emerging players

• Comatch: European curated platform for independent management consultants and freelancers, with strong vetting and project-matching. Comparable in offering a curated freelancer directory targeted at businesses, though narrower in scope (consulting) and cross-border in EU.
• Contra: Commission-free freelance platform positioning itself against Upwork/Fiverr by letting independents keep 100% of earnings. Directly comparable to Na volné noze's no-commission, profile-first directory philosophy, though Contra operates globally and digitally native.

Direct peers

• Worksome: European marketplace and SaaS for engaging freelancers and consultants, with VMS-like tooling for enterprises. Comparable as a freelancer-platform hybrid serving EU SMB and enterprise buyers with a curated professional community.
• Malt: European freelance platform originating in France, connecting independent consultants and freelancers with businesses across multiple European markets. Comparable to Na volné noze as a regional, multi-category freelancer marketplace with local-language presence and SMB focus.

Regional players

• Freelance.com: French-language freelancer and IT services marketplace, primarily serving France. Comparable as a regional, language-specific freelancer community and matching platform, analogous to Na volné noze's domestic Czech focus.
• 9am: DACH-focused freelancer and consulting platform connecting companies with self-employed professionals in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Comparable as a regional, language-specific freelancer community and SMB hiring platform similar in spirit to Na volné noze.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/navolnenoze
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NavolnenozeCZ
• Facebookfacebook.com/navolnenoze
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/navolnenoze
• Instagraminstagram.com/navolnenoze

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Na volné noze