Every good side hustler knows that taking surveys can bring in some extra income. When I was in high school and trying to make some extra income the main proposal that people gave me was to work at a fast-food restaurant (couldn’t initially do this because I had no care) or take surveys online in order to make money. But, finding legitimate survey-taking sites was difficult because most were spammy and/or redirected me to another survey site which I had to sign up for.
It oftentimes seemed like a revolving cycle of emptiness and a complete waste of time. However, I was able to stumble upon some legit survey-taking sites that are out there.
It is definitely possible to make money taking surveys however, the payments can range due to demographic factors, level of expertise, geographic locations, etc.
It is better to not waste your time on surveys that will not pan out for you because you do not qualify.
I have gathered below the top 18 best survey sites out there that actually pay money.
RESPONDENT.IO
Respondent.io is a new survey site that I recently discovered and have fallen in (money) love. It is fairly easy to get signed on and start looking for surveys to complete. The best thing about this survey site is that you get to pick the time that works for you to take the study.
You are paid through PayPal, where is there a 5% fee on the payment.
The pay for the survey ranges from as low as $10 to $700 plus. The twist is that they tend to target and favor working professionals. If you have a professional job, or a business owner, etc. then your hourly will be more than $100 on average and will only go up from then.
Bonus: You can make even more money by referring friends and colleagues. The payout is usually between $20 to $50 per referral if they qualify and complete a study.
FOCUS INSITE
Focus insite allows you to sign up for focus groups, research, and surveys about everything from paper towels, snacks, television shows, new products, and everything in between.
This is also a great option to consider if you have a medical condition that would benefit researchers. These conditions can be anything from, diabetes, hemophilia, blood pressure, etc.
Studies that you may qualify for are usually delivered to your inbox a few times a week and you have the option of filling them out to see if you qualify.
The pay will range depending on the purpose and scope of the study. In my inbox, the lowest I have seen offered has been $50 for a survey.
Your payment options will usually come in the form of a gift card or check.
They can, however, limit the number of studies you can participate in during a certain period of time so be careful not to overdo it.
PROLIFIC.CO
Prolific allows you to quickly register and start filling out screening questions in order to take part in some really interesting online surveys and studies that come from top universities and companies.
The minimum you can get paid for a study is $6.50 an hour and you can easily cash that out through PayPal. Often times the payments are prorated based on how long it takes for you to complete the survey.
The best thing about this survey company is that you are guaranteed to be paid if you do the survey. You will not be kicked out halfway through as a way of screening you out.
Messaging is super easy if anything goes wrong and they are very responsive.
INBOX DOLLARS
The best thing about inbox dollars is that they pay out in real money as opposed to gift cards. There is an abundance of options to choose from which can be anything from taking paid online surveys, getting paid to read emails, and watching videos.
Options are abundant however, most of them are not going to help you pull in the big bucks. You will not make a lot of money at once like the above options however you can make a lot of little money throughout the day, weeks, and months.
This will quickly add up. You can also complete small tasks and get paid for it. You will need a minimum of $30 to cash out.
Bonus: There is a $5 welcome bonus.
SWAGBUCKS
Swagbucks was probably the first survey site that I signed up that I actually made some good money from. You earn points by searching the web, taking surveys, signing up for sites, watching videos, shopping online, etc.
The money you earn is called Swagbucks (duh) and this can be transferred into either a gift card or cash rewards.
There are several thousand surveys and readily available task opportunities. If you follow them on social media, they also give out bonus Swagbucks and puzzles that payout if you solve them.
Bonus: There is a $5 welcome bonus.
LIFEPOINTS
Lifepoints, get you started on a good note when you sign up you immediately get 10 points. It is one of the largest surveys taking the company out there.
The points that you are able to earn will greatly depend on how long the survey is, as well as the amount of time it will take for you to complete it.
Simply being an active user will also help you gather some points because members are randomly selected each month to receive 1000 points.
The surveys are on the shorter side however with most of them taking less than 10 minutes to complete.
The downside is that you need at least $20 before you can cash out which can take a while to accumulate.
PINECONE RESEARCH
PineconeResearch is certainly on the Mount Rushmore of great paying survey websites. They will pay you no less than $3 for every survey that you complete. The upside is that it does not take that long to complete the surveys either. The surveys can usually be completed in under 15 minutes.
The main drawback is that it can be difficult to access some of these good-paying surveys due to participant restrictions. These restrictions can include demographic information, geographic locations, etc.
The add to the already exclusive nature of the site, all the surveys are on an invite-only basis. This means that their fewer survey options available and some might only come your way a couple of times a month.
The great thing is that you will only get a survey that you already pre-qualify for, so you will not have to waste your time like on other sites.
The minimum cash-out amount is $3.
SURVEY JUNKIE
Survey Junkie is probably one of the most popular point-based survey sites that are out there. The learning curve is essentially not.
To add to the benefits, you start earning points simply by signing up through a number of available options.
You can easily make between $1 and $3 per survey. The best thing is that you do not have to wait until you have a minimum amount before you can cash out. Payments are given through either PayPal or gift card options.
With more than three million members there is a robust community of survey takers.
VINDALE RESEARCH
Vindale breaks away from the pack by showing you exactly how much you are going to earn from completing a particular survey. This makes it easy to see if a particular survey is worth your time or not.
The survey options are fairly diverse. The amount of money you can earn will range from $.05 to up to $50. However, how much you earn and can earn will vary greatly depending on the time, length, demographic, etc.
The con is that the cash-out amount you need is $50 which is quite a large amount. Payment is made through PayPal.
HARRIS POLL ONLINE
Harris Poll is fairly simple to use with a clean interface that makes it user-friendly. It is also based on the point system in which each survey you complete is worth a particular number of points that can be turned into cash.
The average pay for a completed survey will only be about $1. However, you can also use your points to donate to charity as opposed to cashing it out.
IPSOS ISAY (NOW I-SAY)
This is one of the most under-the-radar survey sights out there. The main differentiation between this survey site and other sites is simply the fact that they have this really interesting feature called the Poll Predictor. As a frequent survey connoisseur, one of the most frustrating things is wasting time filling out the pre-qualification and then getting kicked because you do not meet the qualifications.
In order to counteract this, they ask you a Poll Predictor question. If you answer it correctly then they also increase your chance of being selected for that particular survey.
They also offer a unique loyalty point program once you hit certain milestones.
The average pay amount is quite low at .10 to $1. You will need a minimum of $10 for gift card withdrawals but $15 for PayPal.
WONDER
Wonder is the closest thing you will get to a part-time job/side hustle from a survey website. They will pay you to do independent studies on different topics.
If you meet the qualifications, you will get hired to complete research on a variety of things from laws and government regulations to anything in between. This research is then used by those who pay for the service.
The amount of money you earn will depend on your skill sets and the amount of time it takes to complete particular research as well as how much detail is needed.
Bonus: The task on this site could potentially be used as a resume builder.
VIP VOICE
This survey site definitely strays from the norm. It does not offer regular points or cash in return for completing a survey instead you earn VIP points. VIP points are then used to enter you into sweepstakes with high values or they are used in auctions.
The chances of winning are fairly low, but there is the chance of getting something much more valuable than a few points.
SURVEY CLUB
The main differentiation with this particular survey site is that none of the surveys are actually taken on their platform. Instead, they are hosted by other websites and survey organizers.
An interesting tidbit is that you can get travel miles with the money that you get paid. Speaking of the money you get paid, you’ll between $.05 to $5 on average.
VALUED OPINION
This is one of the largest market research/survey sites out there. However, they try to connect you with surveys that match your profile. This means that they can save you time by not letting you take surveys you are not good for.
However, this also means that they aren’t a lot of survey options coming your way each week. The surveys will pay between $1 and $5. The minimum cash-out amount is $20 and it can only be retrieved via gift cards.
ONEPOLL
This is a UK-based survey site however it does allow for US participants. You are on your own on this site, you will have to find your own surveys. You will not be getting emails or potential match surveys from the,
The surveys are super short and do not take much time to complete. The survey can also be very interesting.
The main downside is that the minimum cash-out amount is quite high at $50.
TOLUNA
The Toluna survey site has been around for a number of years and uses the point-based systems that other sites use as well. Payout is done through either eGift cards or PayPal.
In order to receive a payout, you need about 60,000 points or $12.
An interesting tidbit is that they have a gambling platform where you can potentially win things.
OPINION OUTPOST
The best benefit of opinion outpost is that the minimum cash-out amount is fairly low at $5 for a gift card or $10 for PayPal. There is a large number of survey opportunities available on a given day.
Making money on this site will require some dedication and time commitment. The average pay will range from $.50 to $5.
BEWARE:
While there is a good selection of legitimate survey sites out there that actually allow you to make money with surveys there are plenty of others that are simply scams or a waste of money.
You should be wary of those sites that offer you amounts of money that just seem too good to be true (there is a reason for this cliché). Also, be careful with sites that appear legit but all they do is refer you to other sites. In those situations, they are the ones getting paid not you.
Always read reviews from credible sites before you engage in any of this or you might end up wasting time and, in some cases, even money.
CLOSING:
The list of online surveys will put you in the correct direction when it comes to making money. However, this is not a get-rich-quick scheme. They will most likely not make you rich at all. However, what they can offer is a free dinner here or there. If you get some really good ones, you can make a couple of hundred dollars. The main thing is to be consistent and diligent.
Try completing at least one survey a day, whether on the bus, while waiting in line, or on your bed. There are even survey sites that will pay you to watch television and videos (something you might already be doing for free).
If you want to learn how to make money from TikTok click here.