Design and Implementation of a Secure and Scalable Freelance Marketplace System using Mern Stack
Barira Hamisu
Raji Abdullahi Egigogo
Mubarak Yusuf Ibrahim
Zayyanu Yunusa
Abstract
The increasing demand for flexible and remote work opportunities has accelerated the development of digital freelance platforms. This study adopts a software engineering approach to design and implement a secure, scalable freelance marketplace system using the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js). The platform facilitates seamless interaction between clients and freelancers by integrating core features such as user authentication, profile management, job posting, bidding, escrow-based payments, and a review system. The system was developed using the Agile methodology, enabling iterative development and continuous feedback integration. Functional, usability, and security testing confirmed the system’s reliability across its user roles: administrator, freelancer, and client. The platform was evaluated with 50 simulated users executing over 200 job postings and 500 transactions. Performance results showed an average system response time of 1.2 seconds and a transaction success rate of 98.7%, demonstrating strong scalability and efficiency. Evaluation results demonstrated high performance in terms of transaction integrity, user engagement, and platform responsiveness. These findings indicate that the platform can contribute significantly to improving transparency, trust, and efficiency within the freelance ecosystem, providing a viable digital alternative for modern labor markets.
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