Can you recommend escrow software for holding client funds until freelance work is approved?

Yes — but first a quick caution: “escrow” for client funds can be regulated depending on your country and whether you’re a platform, agency, or just a freelancer. In many cases, holding money for others means you may need a licensed escrow service or a payments platform that explicitly supports milestone release and dispute handling.

Good software/options to look at

1. Escrow.com

• Classic escrow provider
• Good for: high-trust transactions, larger deals, domain/software/services
• Features: milestone release, dispute handling, regulated escrow
• Best if you want a true third-party escrow structure

2. MangoPay

• Good for platforms/marketplaces
• Supports: escrow-like wallet flows, split payments, KYC/AML
• Useful if you’re building a freelance marketplace
• More developer-focused than end-user software

3. Stripe Connect

• Not “escrow” in the strict legal sense, but widely used for marketplace payments
• Supports: holding funds, delayed payouts, destination charges, split payments
• Best for: custom platforms needing flexible payment flows
• You’ll need to design the approval/release workflow yourself

4. PayPal Commerce Platform

• Good for simple marketplaces
• Offers partner/marketplace-style payment routing
• Easier to adopt, but less flexible than Stripe for custom approval flows

5. Hyperwallet / Payoneer

• Better for mass payouts and contractor payments
• Usually paired with a platform rather than used as escrow itself
• Good if your main need is payout automation after approval

If you want ready-made freelance marketplace software

Look at platforms that already include milestone/hold/release features:

• Upwork-style marketplace software
• Arcadier
• Sharetribe (with payment integrations)
• CS-Cart Multi-Vendor
• Yo!Kart

These often support:

• client funding before work starts
• milestone approval
• automatic release after approval or timeout
• disputes/refunds

What to choose

• Need real escrow? → Escrow.com
• Building your own marketplace? → Stripe Connect or MangoPay
• Want an out-of-the-box freelance marketplace? → Sharetribe / Arcadier / CS-Cart Multi-Vendor

Important features to check

• KYC/AML compliance
• dispute resolution
• partial milestone release
• refunds/chargebacks
• payout timing
• tax/documentation support
• legal ability to hold funds in your jurisdiction

If you tell me:

1. your country,
2. whether this is for a marketplace or single agency/freelancer setup,
3. your tech stack (no-code / WordPress / custom app),

…I can recommend the best 2–3 options more specifically.