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Best for user experience
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Best for online games
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If you’re considering ways to make extra money or trying to find new ways to make money from home — taking surveys can be a great solution to supplement your income. Online surveys are one of the best side hustles for anyone with a bit of extra time, especially because they don’t require any particular skill set and you can do them anywhere, on your own schedule.
I know, getting paid to take surveys might sound too good to be true, but it isn’t. Believe it or not, understanding the needs and interests of people like you is helpful for companies making market research 100% worth the cost.
The idea is simple: you spend a few minutes answering questions, watching videos, or even just shopping — and then get paid for your time. I like to take surveys at night when I’m unwinding and watching TV, or while in a waiting room with nothing to do.
To help you get the most out of your time, I’ve put together a list of the best online survey sites based on reward variety, payout speed, user experience, and tasks available.
How we evaluate products
To compile this list of the best survey sites, we looked at popular survey sites and evaluated them on a variety of factors including:
- Payout options
- Customer ratings
- Payout speed
- Opportunities to earn
We didn't evaluate all survey sites, but tried to include a variety of options that would appeal to a wide range of people.
Best survey sites of December 2024
- Best for user experience: Survey Junkie
- Best for bonus points: Branded Surveys
- Best for more earning opportunities: Inbox Dollars
- Best for high paying surveys: Prime Opinion
- Best for reward variety: Ipsos iSay
- Best for coupons: Swagbucks
- Best for online shopping: MyPoints
Best for user experience: Survey Junkie
Qualifications: You must be at least 18 years old and live in the U.S., Canada, Australia, or the United Kingdom.
Product details: Survey Junkie is a popular survey site that offers two ways to make money:
- Answering surveys: Share your opinions in exchange for points that you can redeem for rewards
- Surf to Earn: Help companies by sharing your surfing habits with the Surf to Earn extension so they can conduct behavioral market research
The competition is high on Survey Junkie, so I suggest acting on invitations quickly as they are first-come, first-served. I’ve seen invitations fill up within less than an hour, especially on the higher paying surveys.
I find Survey Junkie simple to use because its platform is straightforward and 100% transparent. You’ll know before starting a survey how much it pays. This helps me decide if a survey is worth my time, while I don’t expect to get rich taking them, I choose the surveys with the highest payout first to make the most of my time.
My best tip to get the most opportunities for surveys on Survey Junkie is to complete your profile as much as possible. The more information you provide them, the more surveys they can match you with.
Payout options:- Gift cards
- PayPal cash
- Bank transfer
Check out this Survey Junkie review for more details.
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SurveyJunkie Benefits
- Over $55,000 paid to members daily
- Earn up to $130 a month taking 4 or more surveys daily
- $76 million paid out to date
- 20M+ lifetime members and BBB accreditation
Best for bonus points: Branded Surveys
Qualifications: You must be 17 years old or older residing in the United States
Product details: Like Survey Junkie, Branded Surveys offers survey opportunities based on the information provided in your profile. According to the Branded Surveys site, members could earn $5-$100 a month, and you have the opportunity to earn bonus points by joining the Branded Elite Program.
I know it sounds intimidating to join this program, but they make it so simple with three levels:
- Bronze: Answer at least two surveys monthly
- Silver: Answer at least 10 surveys monthly
- Gold: Answer at least 25 surveys monthly
You earn the badges monthly based on the previous month’s performance. The benefit of these badges are the bonus points you can earn when you complete 12, 20, or 30 surveys per week. Branded Surveys pays a percentage of your earned points as a thank you for completing the minimum number of surveys as follows:
- Complete 12 surveys: Bronze 5%, Silver 10%, Gold 15%
- Complete 20 surveys: Silver 12% and Gold 17%
- Complete 30 surveys: Silver 14% and Gold 19%
Payout options:- Gift cards
- PayPal cash
- Bank deposit
It’s easy to sign up for an account and start earning rewards, or you can check out this Branded Surveys review to learn more.
Best for more earning opportunities: InboxDollars
Qualifications: You must be at least 18 years old and live in the United States
Product details: InboxDollars is more than a survey site, which is why I like to include it in my rotation of survey sites I visit. Surveys can be lower paying than other apps. According to their site, pay is usually $0.02 to $5, but you can fill in the gaps with things like playing games, shopping, watching videos, and reading emails.
You also get a $5 bonus just for signing up, which gets you closer to the initial payout threshold. I like that InboxDollars rewards you in dollars, so you don’t have to convert points or wonder how much an activity is worth.
What I also love is their referral bonus program. They pay $3 per referral you send using your referral link plus 10% of the referral’s earnings. To earn the initial $3 referral bonus, your referral must earn at least $3 on the platform.
Payout options:- Gift cards
- PayPal cash
- Prepaid Visa
Read this InboxDollars review for all the details.
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Inbox Dollars Benefits
- Get a $5 bonus when you register with your email
- You could earn money by taking surveys or making online searches
- Over $80 million paid to members so far - how much can you earn?
Best for high paying surveys: Prime Opinion
Qualifications: You must be at least 18 years old and live in one of the 20+ countries they allow including the United States, Australia, France, Canada, and Spain
Product details: Prime Opinion touts themselves as one of the highest-paying survey sites on the internet. According to Prime Opinion, they pay up to $5 per survey, and they are quick. I also like that they don’t have a minimum payout threshold. Although it’s fun to let your rewards add up so you can cash out with a larger reward, it’s nice to know you can cash out with a few dollars too.
The only downside is they aren’t great about sending emails to alert you of new surveys so you must make it a habit to check the website often for the highest earning potential.
Payout options:- Cash
- Gift cards
- Prepaid cards
- Charity donations
See how easy it is to sign up for Prime Opinion and get started!
Best for reward variety: Ipsos iSay
Qualifications: You must be at least 18 years old and live in the United States
Product details: Like many of the survey sites on this list, Ipsos pays members in points that are worth $0.01 each for most rewards. So it’s safe to say that you won’t earn a lot of money quickly, but it can be a good filler, especially if you’re looking for a wide variety of rewards including Starbucks and Dunkin' gift cards, PayPal funds, Target gift cards, Prepaid Visa cards, Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe's gift cards. You can also donate points to the Ipsos Foundation.
I also like that they offer multiple ways to learn about available surveys. Most sites only email you, but if you don’t check your email often you can miss opportunities. Ipsos iSay offers text message alerts, push notifications in the app, and browser notifications.
Payout options:- Large selection of gift cards
- Prepaid cards
- PayPal cash
- Charity donation
Learn more about Ipsos iSay to see if it’s right for you.
Best for coupons: Swagbucks
Qualifications: You must be at least 13 years old, but have parental permission if under 18
Product details: Swagbucks is a get-paid-to-site that offers opportunities to answer surveys as well as many other opportunities including:
- Watching videos
- Playing games
- Shopping online
- Signing up for exclusive deals
Swagbucks rewards users in points or what they call SBs (Swagbucks) for answering surveys and participating in other opportunities. An SB is worth one penny and surveys pay an average of $0.50 to $2.50, which is somewhat lower than other survey sites on this list.
However, their other opportunities to earn money plus the chance to save money when online shopping is where they shine. I like to use this site as a filler for earning income, but always check it before shopping online to see what coupons or cash back rewards they offer for what I intend to buy.
One downside is how long it takes to receive rewards. Once you cash out, it can take up to 14 days to receive a PayPal reward and gift cards come via regular mail.
Payout options:- Gift cards
- Prepaid credit cards
- PayPal
If you want to learn more about how Swagbucks works, this Swagbucks review will fill you in on everything you need to know.
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Swagbucks Benefits
- Get a $5 bonus when you earn 2,500 Swagbucks in the first 60 days of opening your account
- Earn gift cards for surfing the web and taking fun surveys
- Over $609,000,000 paid out to members so far! That's 7,000 gift cards each day
- Earn free gift cards to your favorite stores - Amazon, Target, Walmart, and more
Best for online shopping: MyPoints
Qualifications: You must be at least 13 years old
Product details: MyPoints is a bit like Swagbucks as it’s a get-paid-to-site that pays you for various activities including answering surveys, playing games, and shopping (online and grocery).
Like many survey sites, MyPoints surveys pay around $1 per survey, sometimes more or less, but you get even more value when you shop through their online portal. They partner with 1,900 retailers like Macy’s and Sephora, and help you save money and earn cash back. They pay as much as 20 points per dollar spent.
Keep in mind that any points earned from shopping can take as long as 30 days to show up in your account. MyPoints needs time to verify the purchase with the retailer.
Fun fact
You can earn 5 points for survey screeners you answer but do not pass, earning up to 25 points per day.Payout options:- Gift cards
- Cash
- Transfer points to your United MileagePlus account
Check out this MyPoints review for all the details.
Other options to consider
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Kashkick Benefits
- KashKick members can earn up to $200+ per week
- Free and easy to join, just link an active Paypal, Facebook, or email account to register in seconds
- High payouts, several ways to earn, and a low cash-out threshold of $10
- No gimmicks and no deposit needed to earn money
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Freecash Benefits
- Get paid for testing apps, games, and surveys
- Payouts can go as high as $225 per offer
- “Excellent” Trustpilot Rating (54,000+ reviews, 4.6/5 stars)
- Cash out instantly with PayPal starting at only $5
How to make the most of taking surveys
Although taking surveys is a pretty self-explanatory way to make money online, there are ways to maximize your earnings. Here are a few of my best tips to help you get the most out of your survey side hustle:
Create a separate email
Creating a separate email for survey invitations ensures you won’t miss important opportunities to earn money. It also keeps your personal inbox decluttered because if you’re like me and sign up for several survey platforms, you’ll get a lot of email.
Install anti-malware software
Although legitimate survey companies do their best to keep you and your data safe, things happen. If you plan on spending your time on these highly-trafficked sites, be sure to install some anti-malware software to keep your computer and personal data safe.
Schedule time for survey taking
The best way to succeed in any side hustle is to have a schedule; taking surveys is no different. Set a weekly goal of how many hours you want to dedicate to surveys, and then block that time on your calendar to check for new surveys so you can make sure you achieve your goal.
Evaluate your ROI
Time is money so it’s important to evaluate how much you’re earning for the time you spend taking surveys. If you sign up for sites like Swagbucks, don’t forget to take into account any money you spend on special offers or deals. Ensure that you aren’t impulse buying or spending too much money and not earning enough in return.
Understand how each survey site works
Each survey site works a little differently, which is why it helps to get to know them before spending time on any one site. For example, some sites offer bonuses if you complete a certain number of surveys in a predetermined period. Others may allow you to participate in focus groups or product testing once you prove yourself worthy.
By getting to know the ins and outs of these survey sites, you are better able to max out your earning potential.
FAQs
Why do companies pay you to take surveys?
Companies pay you to take surveys because it’s one of the best ways for them to get the information they need to successfully sell their products. By understanding your needs and wants as a consumer, companies are better able to improve their product offerings and focus on selling the stuff people really want to buy.
Can you really make money taking surveys?
Although taking surveys is far from a get-rich-quick scheme, you can definitely earn a bit of pocket cash by taking them with legit survey sites. The key is to set your expectations accordingly.
If you’re wondering how to make $1,000 a day, surveys won’t be the answer. Rather than trying to save up for a new car, think of this easy extra income as a way to fuel your expensive coffee addiction or afford that extra streaming service you’ve been wanting.
The amount you make will depend on the number of surveys you qualify for and take. It won't be a full-time job, and it's not best for earning a lot of money fast, but it can give your budget a boost.
Which survey sites pay the most?
It can be hard to determine the highest-paying survey sites, and it’s even harder to determine which ones pay the best. In general, you can expect most points from these companies to be worth 1 cent each, which means 500 points equals $5, though this isn’t always the case.
How much you earn will depend a lot on how many companies you sign up with and what they need. For example, sometimes a company focuses on a certain demographic, so you might not have as many surveys available to take. This is why it’s important to learn as much as you can about what each company offers and whether there are any limits on your participation.
Are survey websites a scam?
Although I can confidently say that none of the survey companies on this list are a scam, that doesn’t mean others aren't. You should always be cautious when giving your information out to any website or service online. If a company seems fishy, don’t share your info.
Consumer protection sites like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the BBB are great resources for checking the validity of any given company before using their products or services.
Products that didn’t make the list
Our list of best survey sites covers all the best sites in our opinion, here are a couple that didn’t make the cut:
- Pinecone Research: This high-paying survey site is a fan favorite, but it’s not always available. You can join by invitation only and there’s no method to the madness when they send them. But if you get the chance, I say jump on it.
- LifePoints: This is another fun survey site, but the earnings potential is low because there aren’t as many surveys available. If you’re looking for a filler survey site, this could be a good option.
Bottom line
Taking surveys won’t make you rich, but it is a fun and easy side hustle. Although you could earn cash delivering groceries, surveys are a particularly great side hustle for introverts or for anyone with an internet connection and a little spare time.
Because all survey sites work differently, it’s worth taking the time to get to know each one before you decide which is the best fit for your side hustle goals. You might even decide to sign up for a few and really get serious about making extra money to meet your personal finance goals.