Updated August 31, 2023

Best Survey Apps: Earn Money At Home

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Survey apps are a legit way to earn extra cash. Read this guide to know which apps are the most worth it.

It's hard to find legit money-making gigs. If you're already online a lot, surveys are a great alternative to just scrolling.

But finding legit sites that let you cash out can be a pain. There are a lot of buggy scams that won't let you cash out. Here is some help for finding options that won't disappoint.

Have you experienced getting paid watching ads or taking surveys before?

What are Survey Apps?

Survey apps won't make you a ton of money. But if you're smart and consistent, it can be an easy way to make extra cash. The best part is that you don't need special skills to start.

Most survey apps ask users to complete questions or reviews. But some will ask you to do micro-tasks like:

  • Searching online
  • Shopping from partner retailers
  • Watching videos

The hardest part of finding good survey apps is making sure your work pays off.

Here's how to narrow down your choices.

Best Survey Apps

Need extra cash fast? Survey apps are handy ways you can make money sitting down.

Check out the most reliable Get Paid To (GPT) apps below.

Have you ever made money from an online survey?

Best Earning Opportunities: Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a legit survey provider for 14 years now. To date, it has paid $749M to its 20 million users. It's available in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and some African countries.

How to Earn
Swagbucks lets you answer surveys and complete other micro-tasks to earn SwagBucks (SB) points. You can also earn points by doing the other tasks, such as:

  • Use the Swagbucks Search engine
  • Watch videos
  • Play games
  • Shop online
  • Test products
  • Friend referrals

What You'll Earn

  • Earning potential: minimum of $0.40 per task
  • Welcome bonus: $5 [1]

Cash-Out Details

  • Cash-out minimum: $3 (300 points)
  • Payout options: PayPal and gift cards (Amazon, Walmart, etc.)
  • Processing time: 10-14 days

User Reviews
Swagbucks is BBB-accredited with an A+ rating. But some users complain that it's hard to qualify for surveys. It also takes a while to earn points.

Best Referral Program: InboxDollars

InboxDollars is a vetted survey provider that has cashed out $80M to 17 million users. You have to be 18+ and U.S.-based to be eligible.

You get a dollar for every friend who signs up and activates their account. You also get a 30% commission if your friends are active in the app.[2] So if your friends cash out $30, you get $9. This program only caters to five friends, though.

How to Earn
You can complete surveys, earn from referrals, play games, read emails, and shop to earn money.

What You'll Earn

  • Earning potential: Minimum of $0.50 per task
  • Welcome bonus: $10[1]

Cash-Out Details

  • Cash-out minimum: $30
  • Payout options: Cashback and Visa cash card
  • Processing time: Up to 14 days, 7 days for Gold members

User Reviews
InboxDollars has an A rating from the BBB. Some users complain that the payout per hour is low. Plus, InboxDollars is picky with who they choose for their surveys. It also has one of the highest cash-out requirements.

Best Mobile Interface: SurveyJunkie

Most survey sites don't have the best user design interface. There are tons of distracting promos and backlinks. But SurveyJunkie's mobile app is simple, so you don't get overwhelmed.

SurveyJunkie has been in the business for 9 years and has 10 million active users. It's only available in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. You must be 16 or older to apply.

How to Earn
You can earn money by answering surveys and through their affiliate programs. Sometimes, users are invited to conduct focus groups and test products.

What You'll Earn

  • Earning potential: Minimum of $0.50 per task
  • Welcome bonus: $10

Cash-Out Details

  • Cash-out minimum: $5
  • Payout options: Cashback and Visa cash card
  • Processing time: 3 to 4 days

User Reviews
SurveyJunkie is a legit survey provider and has a B rating in BBB. Some users complain that they suddenly can't access their accounts. Because of data requirements, it's also hard to come by surveys sometimes.

Best Pay per Survey: Pinecone Research

Pinecone Research is one of the oldest sites in the business. It's managed by Nielsen Holdings, which focuses on measuring consumer opinion on TV shows.

It's available in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Germany to 18+ users.

How to Earn
Pinecone Research only offers surveys at the moment. Surveys are sent directly to the user's inbox. Their program is a bit exclusive, as surveys are invite-only.

What You'll Earn

  • Earning potential: Minimum of $3 per task
  • Welcome bonus: None

Cash-Out Details

  • Cash-out minimum: $3
  • Payout options: PayPal, check, and Visa cash card
  • Processing time: 3 to 5 days[3]

User Experience
Pinecone Research has been in the business since 1998. But it does have an F rating in BBB. This may be attributed to poor customer service (it's only available through the mail).

Best Earning Options: PrizeRebel

PrizeRebel has been in the business for 15 years and has 12 million users worldwide. They have released over $20M in rewards.

It's available in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia. Users 18+ can join, but if you're 16 or 17, you can join with parental consent.

How to Earn
PrizeRebel offers a variety of income opportunities. You can earn from paid surveys, but you also engage in:

  • Online games and contests
  • Watching videos
  • Surfing the internet
  • Shopping
  • Paid referrals and tiered loyalty programs

Which method do you prefer to earn money online?

What You'll Earn

  • Earning potential: Minimum of $0.40 per survey
  • Welcome bonus: None

Cash-Out Details

  • Cash-out minimum: $5
  • Payout options: PayPal, gift cards, and Dwolla
  • Processing time: In 24 hours[4]

User Experience
PrizeRebel has an F rating in BBB. As with most survey apps, some users also complain about not receiving the correct number of points. Plus, their surveys are only available in English.

Best Cash Back Programs: MyPoints

MyPoints is a legit U.S.-based survey site that has paid out over $230M. It was started in 1996 and currently has over 20 million active members. They have stellar cashback programs where you can earn up to 40% cash back on retail stores.

MyPoints is available in the U.S. and Canada for users who are 13+.

How to Earn
You can earn from paid surveys, but they have a variety of other income opportunities:

  • Cash back programs
  • Mobile app discounts and coupons
  • Watching videos
  • Friend referrals

What You'll Earn

  • Earning potential: Minimum of $0.36 per survey
  • Welcome bonus: $10

Cash-Out Details

  • Cash-out minimum: $10
  • Payout options: PayPal, gift cards, and travel miles
  • Processing time: 4 to 5 days

User Experience
MyPoints has an A- user rating in BBB. Many have complaints about the actual service because it has poor customer support. Plus, some tasks pay low for the amount of effort you put in.

Shortest Surveys: Google Opinion Rewards

Got an awkward amount of time in your hands? Try Google Opinion Rewards. It takes less than five minutes to complete one.

The service just started in 2020, but it's already in the U.S. and some countries in Europe and Asia. You must be 18+ to be eligible.

How to Earn
Google Opinion Rewards is a survey-only app that connects surveyors with a large pool of participants. According to Google, it sends out 1 or 2 surveys a week.

What You'll Earn

  • Earning potential: Minimum of $0.10 per survey
  • Welcome bonus: $1

Cash-Out Details

  • Cash-out minimum: $2
  • Payout options: Google Play credits for Android users; PayPal for iOS users
  • Processing time: 3 to 5 days

User Experience
The mobile app has an easy interface with a smart user design. However, some users report not receiving any surveys for months. It's also not a good option for Android users. They can only use their credits to buy ebooks or games.

Best for Beginners: Qmee

Qmee is one of the hottest GPT apps right now. Its no cash-out minimum and instant payout features are perfect for beginners. A friendly customer support team also guides you around the app.

Qmee is currently operating in the UK, U.S., Canada, Australia, and France. Though you have to be at least 16 to apply.

How to Earn
Qmee users can earn through paid surveys. But they can also get rewards via the platform's referral program. Plus, you get a disqualification bonus so your time isn't wasted.

What You'll Earn

  • Earning potential: Minimum of $0.20 per survey
  • Welcome bonus: Depends on your referral link promo; can be $0.50 to $1

Cash-Out Details

  • Cash-out minimum: $0
  • Payout options: PayPal, gift cards, and charity donations
  • Processing time: Instant

User Experience
Members like Qmee's instant payout. It also doesn't run out of surveys as often as other sites. This increases your earning potential. Some complain their survey estimates are a bit off.

Best Payout Options: Freecash

Freecash is another GPT fan favorite for its unique payout option: crypto. It's great for gamers; their coins can buy CS:GO skins, Fortnite V-Bucks, and other online products. It started way back in 2019 under the name FreeSkins.

So far, they've paid out over $16M to their users. But they restrict their worldwide user base to 13+.

How to Earn
Paid surveys are the main money-maker in Freecash. Users can also complete tasks and play games. They also offer bonuses for top players, and regularly offer giveaways on Twitter.

What You'll Earn

  • Earning potential: Minimum of $0.10 per survey
  • Welcome bonus: Depends on the referral link; $0.10 or more

Cash-Out Details

  • Cash-out minimum: $0.50 (Crypto); $0.25 (Stake)[5]
  • Payout options: Crypto, PayPal, VISA, gift cards, and digital products
  • Processing time: Instant

User Experience
Freecash has an A rating in the BBB. It's mostly because of their live customer support team, who are friendly and respond well per many reports. They also have great community interactions: an on-site chat and a strong Discord pool.

Best Range of Opinion Polls: YouGov

YouGov is a legit global opinion survey leader that's part of the British Polling Council. Unlike other sites, YouGov doesn't conduct market research. Instead, they gather opinions on politics, society, and culture.

This already makes it more interesting than most survey sites.

YouGov is active worldwide, but you have to be 16 or older to qualify.

How to Earn
YouGov is a survey-only platform, but you can get points for signing up. You typically receive 5-7 surveys in a week via email.

What You'll Earn

  • Earning potential: Minimum of $0.4 per survey
  • Welcome bonus: $0.05

Cash-Out Details

  • Cash-out minimum: $15
  • Payout options: PayPal, AirAsia Big Points, gift cards, and charity donations
  • Processing time: 2 to 6 weeks

User Experience
In terms of reliability, YouGov has a BBB rating of A+. They have a large and interesting pool of questions. But members do complain that it takes a while for them to receive their cash rewards.

Best for Students: Toluna

Toluna is a top-rated survey site that lets you review products and services. It's a third-party platform that works with corporate brands, research agencies, and public organizations.

It's been in the business for over 20 years. Plus, it has 21 million users in over 60 countries; you must be at least 16 to apply.

How to Earn
You can make money by completing surveys, but you can also complete polls for 15 points. Members can organize polls, discussions, contests, and battles for extra points.

What You'll Earn

  • Earning potential: 15 and 50,000 points per survey (Conversion rate: 3,000 Points = $1.00)
  • Welcome bonus: 500 points[6]

Cash-Out Details

  • Cash-out minimum: $10
  • Payout options: PayPal and gift cards
  • Processing time: 3 weeks

User Experience
Toluna has an A+ rating in BBB. Beware though, Toluna surveys take 15 to 30 minutes to complete. Plus, some members complain that their accounts were closed unexpectedly before payout.

Best Paying Opportunity: Dscout

Dscout is one of the highest-paying GPT sites available online. It has a unique system that lets you answer surveys and take live video interviews. To date, they have paid out over $7M to more than 100,000 subscribers.

How to Earn
Dscout offers two kinds of tasks to let you earn money. They offer Diary studies, where you type in feedback for products or experiences. Another is their Live option, in which you get to talk to researchers. You have to be on camera, though.

You have to apply for these missions. And you can be paid up to $200 per task.

What You'll Earn

  • Earning potential: Minimum of $5 per mission
  • Welcome bonus: Only referral points

Cash-Out Details

  • Cash-out minimum: $0
  • Payout options: PayPal and check
  • Processing time: 10 business days[7]

User Experience
Dscout has received rave reviews all across the board. It has fair compensation for tasks, and its mobile app interface is easy to use. It can be hard to qualify for missions, since you're also competing with other users.

Best Loyalty Program: Ipsos iSay

Ipsos iSay is owned by a French market research company, active for over 30 years. They have 3 million members in over 80 countries. But you must be over 18+ to apply.

Unlike third-party platforms like Swagbucks, iSay directly provides surveys to its users. They also have a great loyalty program. Users are awarded extra points after reaching survey milestones.

How to Earn
The primary means to earn through the iSay app is through surveys. But like many apps, you can get bonuses from the referral programs. They also have daily polls that let you earn points.

What You'll Earn

  • Earning potential: Minimum of $0.45 per survey
  • Welcome bonus: 100 points or $1 (Conversion rate: 100 Points = $1.00)

Cash-Out Details

  • Cash-out minimum: $5 to $15 depending on the cash-out option
  • Payout options: PayPal, VISA, and gift cards
  • Processing time: 3 to 4 weeks[8]

User Experience
The Ipsos iSay app isn't a BBB-accredited institution. But it does have an A+ rating from them. A lot of users report that it's hard to qualify for their surveys, but they do give you five points for trying.

Can You Actually Make Money From Survey Apps?

There are definitely a lot of scam GPT sites out there. But most survey apps are legit and vetted. There are communities that discuss strategies and exchange tips to earn more.

Survey apps won't earn you an hourly wage compared to most side jobs. If you regularly answer surveys, it can be a fun way to fund your snacking habits. Maybe even help with utility costs.

Find out how you can max out your earning potential below.

Tips and Tricks to Earn More

Try a bunch of apps.
You can get more or fewer surveys depending on your demographic. Not all apps provide a consistent stream of surveys. When starting out, it's best to find the app that works for you.

Complete daily polls, extra tasks, and referrals.
Apps reward you for your persistence. It's best to take advantage of all the tasks that they offer. Complete daily polls and other tasks for extra points. Plus, if you manage to convince your friends to join, you might even get a bonus.

Sign up with a backup email.
Most survey sites will send surveys via email. And you don't want these notifications clogging up your personal inbox. One inbox for surveys will help you be more efficient with the research questions you want to answer.

Plus, it gives you an extra layer of protection if you want to protect your data.

Cash out as soon as possible.
Don't wait too long to cash out your points. Most points in survey apps expire after a year. You want to make sure that you can make use of the work you've put in.

Choose tasks that are worth the most points.
You'll be presented with lots of survey options. The smart thing to do is to filter them. Since answering surveys will cost you time, you want to choose one that gives you a lot of points for little time.

Bottom Line

Survey apps are great, but don't be reckless and quit your job for it. If you already have a steady income, these apps can help you build money over time.

Make sure to look out for apps with these features:

  • No minimum cash-out
  • Flexible payment options
  • High earning potential
  • Good user ratings

It's best to focus your energies on high-paying apps like Dscout and iSay. And those with unique payout options like Freecash. Some months will be slower than others. But if you're consistent, you'll be surprised at how much you can make.

References

  1. ^ Swagbucks. Welcome Bonus, Retrieved 8/01/2022
  2. ^ InboxDollars. Refer Friends Program, Retrieved 8/01/2022
  3. ^ Pinecone Research. When can I expect to be rewarded for my participation?, Retrieved 8/01/2022
  4. ^ PrizeRebel. How long does it take to get my reward?, Retrieved 8/01/2022
  5. ^ Freecash. Cashout, Retrieved 8/01/2022
  6. ^ Toluna. What are Toluna points?, Retrieved 8/01/2022
  7. ^ Dscout. When to expect your reward, Retrieved 8/01/2022
  8. ^ Ipsos iSay. How long will it take for my reward to be delivered?, Retrieved 8/01/2022

Write to Sabrina Go at feedback@creditdonkey.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for our latest posts.

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  • Get paid to take surveys, play video games, watch videos
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Have you experienced getting paid watching ads or taking surveys before?
33% Yes, I'm looking for more opportunities.
67% No, it is my first time trying.
Source: CreditDonkey
Have you ever made money from an online survey?
34% Yes
66% No
Source: CreditDonkey
Which method do you prefer to earn money online?
60% Answering surveys
28% Watching ads and videos
3% Referrals
2% Cash back from spending
8% Online games and contests
Source: CreditDonkey. Totals may not add to 100% due to rounding.
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