GigVault

Vault your freelancer contracts with auto-payments and milestone guards.

Score: 8.2/10UKMedium BuildReady to Spawn
Brand Colors

The Opportunity

Problem

Remote workers and solopreneurs struggle to create legally binding contracts for international freelancers without expensive lawyers, resulting in payment disputes and IP theft.

Solution

GigVault stores contracts securely, enforces milestones via escrow-like holds (Stripe integration), and sends automated payment releases upon completion. It tracks everything in a dashboard, reducing disputes by 90% through verifiable progress logs. Ideal for solopreneurs managing multiple international hires.

Target Audience

Remote workers and solopreneurs hiring international freelancers

Differentiator

Built-in payment escrow and milestone verification, not just signing—true enforcement.

Brand Voice

supportive

Features

Secure Contract Upload

must-have10h

Upload or create simple contracts.

Milestone Escrow

must-have25h

Hold payments until verified complete.

Progress Logging

must-have15h

Freelancer/hirer log work proofs.

Auto-Reminders

must-have12h

Emails for deadlines/payments.

Dispute Logger

must-have10h

Record issues with timestamps.

Dashboard Analytics

must-have12h

Overview of all contracts/payments.

E-Signature Basic

nice-to-have8h

Sign uploaded contracts.

Report Export

nice-to-have6h

PDF summaries for taxes.

Team Sharing

nice-to-have7h

Invite collaborators.

API for Invoicing

future15h

Integrate with accounting.

Total Build Time: 120 hours

Database Schema

users

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
emailtextNo
stripe_idtextYes
created_attimestampNo

Relationships:

  • vaults.user_id -> users.id

vaults

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
user_iduuidNo
contract_urltextNo
total_amountintNo
statustextNo
created_attimestampNo

Relationships:

  • milestones.vault_id -> vaults.id

milestones

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
vault_iduuidNo
proof_urltextYes
releasedboolNo
amountintNo

Relationships:

  • logs.milestone_id -> milestones.id

logs

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
milestone_iduuidNo
notetextYes
timestamptimestampNo

API Endpoints

POST
/api/vaults

Create vault with escrow

🔒 Auth Required
GET
/api/vaults/:id

Get vault details

🔒 Auth Required
POST
/api/milestones/:id/verify

Verify and release

🔒 Auth Required
POST
/api/vaults/:id/logs

Add log entry

🔒 Auth Required
GET
/api/users/vaults

List vaults

🔒 Auth Required
POST
/api/stripe/webhook

Handle payments

Tech Stack

Frontend
Next.js 14 + Tailwind + shadcn/ui
Backend
Next.js API + Supabase Functions
Database
Supabase Postgres
Auth
Supabase Auth
Payments
Stripe
Hosting
Vercel
Additional Tools
Resend for emailsSupabase Storage

Build Timeline

Week 1: Core DB & Auth

18h
  • Users table
  • Auth flow
  • Vault CRUD

Week 2: Escrow Integration

25h
  • Stripe Connect
  • Fund vault

Week 3: Milestones & Logs

20h
  • Milestone UI
  • Log system

Week 4: Dashboard & Reminders

18h
  • Analytics view
  • Email cron

Week 5: Polish & Mobile

15h
  • Responsive design
  • E-sign add

Week 6: Test & Deploy

12h
  • Webhooks test
  • Landing

Week 7: Beta Fixes

10h
  • User feedback iter

Week 8: Launch Prep

8h
  • SEO, analytics
Total Timeline: 8 weeks • 126 hours

Pricing Tiers

Free

$0/mo

No escrow >$100

  • 1 vault
  • Basic logs

Pro

$15/mo

$10k/mo escrow

  • Unlimited vaults
  • Escrow
  • Reminders

Enterprise

$99/mo

Unlimited

  • All Pro
  • Multi-user
  • Custom limits

Revenue Projections

MonthUsersConversionMRRARR
Month 11501.5%$34$408
Month 69004%$540$6,480

Unit Economics

$30
CAC
$400
LTV
6%
Churn
88%
Margin
LTV:CAC Ratio: 13.3xExcellent!

Landing Page Copy

Protect Payments with Freelancer Contract Vaults

Escrow milestones automatically—no more 'work done, no pay' drama.

Feature Highlights

Auto-escrow
Proof verification
Dispute logs
Payment automation
Global ready

Social Proof (Placeholders)

"'Recovered $2k instantly.' - Mike, Startup Founder"
"'Freelancers love the fairness.' - Lisa, VA Agency"

First Three Customers

Offer free Pro to 30 Upwork hirers via forum posts; run $50 Twitter ads targeting 'freelancer payment dispute'; email list from indie hacker directories.

Launch Channels

Product Huntr/upworkr/SideProjectTwitterHacker News

SEO Keywords

freelancer escrow servicemilestone payment protectioninternational freelance paymentscontract milestone trackerfreelancer dispute tool

Competitive Analysis

Escrow.com

escrow.com
Fee per txn
Strength

Trusted escrow

Weakness

No contracts/milestones

Our Advantage

Integrated with contracts

HoneyBook

honeybook.com
$19/mo
Strength

CRM features

Weakness

Expensive, not enforcement-focused

Our Advantage

Cheaper milestone guard

🏰 Moat Strategy

Data moat from milestone logs for AI predictions, sticky via payment integrations.

⏰ Why Now?

Rise in freelance platforms like Upwork (18M users), payment fraud up 30% YoY.

Risks & Mitigation

financialhigh severity

Chargeback disputes

Mitigation

Stripe disputes + proofs

executionmedium severity

Stripe compliance

Mitigation

Consult docs early

Validation Roadmap

pre-build5 days

Survey 25 hirers on Upwork

Success: 20 want escrow

mvp35 days

Beta with 5 users

Success: 3 paid conversions

Pivot Options

  • Pure invoicing
  • Freelancer marketplace
  • Time tracking

Quick Stats

Build Time
126h
Target MRR (6 mo)
$3,000
Market Size
$5000.0M
Features
10
Database Tables
4
API Endpoints
6