If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to earn extra pocket money, why not get paid for online research?
You can do this by completing surveys and/or participating in different studies.
For the most part, you only need free time to accomplish them–on a bus ride to school, in the waiting room at the doctor, or during your breaks at work.
Just choose from the websites and apps below, use your time more productively, and earn a few extra dollars!
Hey, it’s better to do this and get paid than mindlessly scrolling through Tik Tok or Instagram.
However, we’ll be the ones to tell you that taking part in online research won’t make you rich. It won’t replace your full-time income.
But it’s easy money, so what’s not to like?
In this list, we collected the most valuable information about the best platforms for paid online research out there.
Let’s get started!
17 Websites To Get Paid for Online Research
1. Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
This institute is dedicated to understanding all forms of human behavior and neurological and psychiatric disorders.
By studying the human brain through adequate research, they explore new ways of treatment for such disorders.
And the research part is where you can profit as well. Since most studies require people of all ages, you can apply to participate in those studies in exchange for cash.
How To Get Started: Pick an appropriate study from their list, then call or email them to apply.
Payment Methods: Gift cards or PayPal
Payout Threshold: You get paid immediately after every completed study.
Possible Earnings: $50 to $500 per study.
Our Rating: 7/10. You can get above-average payment from participating. In case of one, you can also get help with a neurological disease in return at no cost.
However, you will have to visit the clinic frequently for many studies where the tasks are more extensive. Still a solid choice.
2. Behavioral Research Lab (MIT)
The behavioral research department of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) facilitates research studies in psychology and human behavior.
They provide facilities, recruitment services, and general support to researchers.
How To Get Started: Sign up via their system. You must be at least 18 and living in the United States.
Payment Methods: Cash, gift cards, electronic gift certificates, or checks
Payout Threshold: You get paid immediately after every completed study.
Possible Earnings: $15 to $25 per hour for lab studies and $12 to $20 for online studies.
Our Rating: 7/10. With an abundant offer of activities and an attractive payment, the Behavioural Research Lab at MIT is another good option.
However, this is only limited to people living in the US, as most studies are conducted in person.
3. Surveytime
This website/app frequently surveys users tailored to their demographics and personal data.
You will find all sorts of short surveys here, which you can answer anywhere, anytime, in exchange for a dollar each.
How To Get Started: Register and answer questions about yourself.
Payment Methods: PayPal, Amazon, or Target gift cards.
Payout Threshold: You can cash out anytime, even with only one dollar balance.
Possible Earnings: $1 for every survey.
Our Rating: 5/10. It’s alright if you’re looking for a platform that gets you a few dollars here and there for taking short surveys.
The payment is low, though. You can get much more for your time with other websites.
4. Prolific
Prolific is a website that collaborates with a huge list of universities and companies across the globe, helping them find participants for their research studies.
These studies range from answering personal questions on a particular topic, taking hour-long interviews, or completing intense tasks demanding mental capabilities.
How To Get Started: Create an account and answer as many questions about yourself as possible. This qualifies you for more studies.
Payment Methods: PayPal
Payout Threshold: No payout threshold.
Possible Earnings: at least $8 per hour.
Our Rating: 6/10. Prolific studies pay pretty generously, and there are a lot of tasks to choose from.
Although this app will only get you a little additional income. But it’s still good for a few more dollars at the end of the month.
5. Branded Surveys
Branded Surveys is a market research company that helps big brands gather data from participants of their research studies.
Participants get paid to enter personal information in bespoken studies.
How To Get Started: Sign up and answer some questions about yourself to get matching surveys.
Payment Methods: Gift cards or money
Payout Threshold: $5
Possible Earnings: 50 to 500 points per survey, with 100 points equaling $1.
Our Rating: 5/10. You won’t earn more than $5 per survey – most of the time, you might even be paid less than that.
Still, you can spend some of your free time with Branded Surveys.
6. Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences
The Department of Psychology of the Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences is always looking for participants for their research studies.
But don’t worry – psychological conditions are not required to participate in their studies. The range of research topics is so vast you most certainly will find something interesting.
How To Get Started: Pick a study out of their list and apply via email.
Payment Methods: Cash
Payout Threshold: No payout threshold.
Possible Earnings: Varies – $600 for multiple MRI sessions over a few months, $20 for an hour-long Zoom call with friends, or longer studies for $250 specifically for teenagers.
Our Rating: 7/10. This provider is similar to the Semel Institute For Neuroscience and Human Behaviour. You get paid well for the studies, but completing them will take much more time and friction.
7. YouGov
This international research data and analytics group provides valuable information for the most established brands.
Collecting data from their participants through paid surveys is their bread and butter. And filling out these surveys can get you some money or prizes.
How To Get Started: You must confirm that you live in the United Kingdom before you get invited to surveys via email or in the app.
Payment Methods: Cash or prizes
Payout Threshold: $60
Possible Earnings: 50 p ($4) per survey
Our Rating: 4/10. The payout threshold is really high here. Additionally, it’s only available for users from the UK, and the payment per survey could be higher.
Still easy money, though.
8. User Interviews
Like most consumer research companies, User Interviews acts as the middleman between researchers and participants to gather as much information about the customers of different businesses as possible.
Its excellent website structure and broad offer of tasks and surveys to choose from make it the perfect place for you to earn a side income.
How To Get Started: Sign up on the website. Apply for studies and get notified if you qualify for them.
Payment Methods: Gift cards or cash
Payout Threshold: No payout threshold
Possible Earnings: $30 to $200 per survey/interview
Our Rating: 9/10. User Interviews is our personal favorite!
The offer of tasks to choose from is big, and the website is structured so that it’s easy to filter the best matching studies, and the payment is really good without a threshold.
9. Respondent
Respondent does an excellent job of finding the right participants for their B2B and B2C research studies. Big names like Microsoft, Dropbox, and IBM rely on the services of this platform.
And by offering special studies for professionals in specific fields like marketing, software development, and sales, Respondent builds an excellent foundation for those professionals to increase their account balance.
How To Get Started: Sign up on their website and browse their list
Payment Methods: Cash
Payout Threshold: No payout threshold
Possible Earnings: $20 to $50 for general surveys. $100 to $750 per hour for bigger projects.
Our Rating: 9/10. This is another website where you can earn more money than others. There is no payout threshold and finding good studies is accessible through their website.
It’s the best choice for you if you’re a professional in one of the fields they offer special studies for, as it can get you a good extra income.
10. Rare Patient Voice
– General Information: Rare Patient Voice pays its participants some good money for providing information about a medical condition they’re dealing with. This will usually be done through video interviews.
The goal is to increase awareness of unknown medical conditions, especially among researchers and companies, to improve product development.
If you have any diagnosis, you can register by answering questions about your condition.
After that, you will get a confirmation email. Then you will be invited to participate in studies.
Payment Methods: Cash.
Payout Threshold: No payout threshold.
Possible Earnings: $120 per hour.
Our Rating: 6/10. Not everyone looking for a side hustle can participate, as Rare Patient Voice is only for people with medical conditions.
But if you have a diagnosis, you can consider participating here. The pay is good, and you get your money immediately after the study.
11. Pingpong
Pingpong is another website that helps businesses improve their product and service development by providing valuable information from research participants.
Here, you will be asked to record a video of yourself reviewing a particular product or service. This video review will be compensated generously.
How To Get Started: After signing up, you get invited to projects where you must answer questions before the researcher approves your session.
It can take quite a bit, but once you get invited, you can set the video call date that fits you best.
Payment Methods: Via PayPal or directly to your bank account
Payout Threshold: No payout threshold.
Possible Earnings: $15 for 30 min video sessions, $30 for 60 min video sessions, and up to $200 for special surveys.
Our Rating: 7/10. Participating in studies can be a longer and more complicated process. This makes it more difficult for you to earn money here than in others.
But the payment is solid, and you get paid real cash with no threshold.
12. Product Report Card
Many big players trust the information collected by this market research company. Whether it comes from surveys, customer reviews, or detailed Zoom calls, the data provided by Product Report Card helps big brands shape their offer according to their customers’ needs.
Participating in these research tasks can benefit you as well. Earnings can be as small as a couple of dollars or as big as over a hundred dollars.
How To Get Started: Create a free account, take a quick five-minute survey, and get your first $5 as a welcome bonus.
Payment Methods: Amazon gift card, Visa gift card, or check
Payout Threshold: $25
Possible Earnings: $75 to $150 for high-paying work like Zoom calls or product reviews. For regular surveys, you’ll get a couple of dollars.
Our Rating: 7/10. You get a sign-up bonus of $5, the offer of activities to get paid for is excellent, and the payment can be far above average.
There is a high payout threshold of $25, though, and payment via PayPal is unavailable.
13. Dscout (App)
You can download this app and give your opinion on so-called “missions” for real cash.
These missions can be answering questions in multiple-choice, short-answer, photo, or video format. All of this can be done simply through your phone.
Your feedback will help companies optimize their products and services, so remember that honesty lasts the longest.
How To Get Started: Download the app and choose a mission. Press “Start Application” at the bottom, then answer all the questions.
When you’re finished, your application will be reviewed, and you will get notified if you’re qualified for the mission.
Payment Methods: PayPal
Payout Threshold: No payout threshold
Possible Earnings: $2 to $100 per study
Our Rating: 8/10. The tasks aren’t too demanding and can even be fun. Payment is above average, and there is no payout threshold.
However, qualifying for studies is more challenging than with other providers.
14. Swagbucks
Swagbucks rewards you with gift cards and cash for the things you already do online in your day-to-day life. You can also get paid to take their surveys.
Swagbucks earn money through affiliate commissions from every customer that buys through their system. Selling the data of their surveys to big retailer companies makes up the second half of their profits.
How To Get Started: Create an account and get a $20 sign-up bonus
Payment Methods: PayPal, gift cards, or check
Payout Threshold: No payout threshold
Possible Earnings: $1 to $5 per day. Special offers can pay $50 to $250, but they’re rare.
Our Rating: 6/10. Similar to Branded Surveys, but more of a money-back website. It can be pretty cool if you’re looking to save a couple of dollars on your day-to-day activities, like grocery shopping.
But you’ll have to rely on other providers for the big rewards.
15. Clicks Research
While many consumer research companies collect data through paid surveys, Clicks Research goes directly to the consumer.
They send featured products to participants of their studies in exchange for an honest review.
As compensation, these participants can keep the product. If there are no products available, Clicks Research will provide paid surveys.
How To Get Started: Sign up, pick a product, test it when it arrives, and leave a review.
Payment Methods: Cash to your bank account
Payout Threshold: $2500 – you get $25 sent to your bank account after reaching this amount
Possible Earnings: Differs from survey to survey. 2500 click points equal $25.
Our Rating: 5/10. Definitely a cool option for anyone who enjoys trying out new products occasionally. Plus, the paid surveys are an excellent supplement as well.
On the other hand, the payout threshold is high, and you won’t get paid for the reviews. So, not the greatest option for people who are chasing the bag.
16. Mindswarms
If you want to earn money by recording videos of yourself instead of writing long reviews, Mindswarms is for you.
You will influence some really big companies with your video reviews, so authenticity is key here.
How To Get Started: After registering, you can apply for studies by filling out a screener. If you’re accepted, your job is to answer 10 questions in a quick video.
Payment Methods: PayPal
Payout Threshold: No payout threshold
Possible Earnings: $50 for a 10-minute video in which you answer 10 questions
Our Rating: 9/10. Mindswarms is one of the golden nuggets here. $50 for a 10-minute video is incredible; you get paid right after the video has been reviewed.
However, getting accepted for a video review can take a bit.
17. Toluna
Last but not least, we have Toluna. It’s another middleman app connecting companies with consumers through paid surveys.
The difference here is that joining Toluna connects you with other “Toluna Influencers” through their online community.
How To Get Started: Registering is accessible on their website. You will even get 500 points as a welcome bonus.
Payment Methods: Amazon and high-street gift cards or PayPal
Payout Threshold: 27,000 points
Possible Earnings: 1,200 – 50,000 points per survey, with 80,000 equaling $15
Our Rating: 5/10. Toluna is excellent for starting with online surveys. You can give your opinion on different products and services and get some cash.
But the surveys will only pay you a little.
And with the payout threshold of 27,000 points, you’ll have to complete a couple of them before cashing out.
Get Paid for Online Research – FAQs
What are paid online surveys?
Many big companies need opinions and data from the general population to ensure the best product or service experience. That’s why many of them pay research companies like the ones on this list to get this data.
The research companies reward you with gift cards or cash for this valuable information. A win-win situation for everyone.
What are paid online research studies?
Most of the time, these are studies from a scientific research department that require others to do certain things for them.
For example, when studying the effects of Covid-19 on the brain, researchers need a group of people infected with the virus and a group that never got it.
By putting these groups through various tasks and comparing them, researchers get a result for their hypothesis.
How can I participate in these studies?
Participating is pretty straightforward. Just browse the offers from one of the websites we listed for you and check the requirements.
Some will only target people of a certain age or specific profession. But once you find a study you can fit in, you can just shoot them an email to apply.
What are good sites for online research and surveys?
All the websites on this list are trustworthy and pay well. You can check out any of them without worrying about being scammed.
You will also find other websites, but 17 are enough for a start.
How to Get Paid for Online Research – Summary
And there you have it! These are the 17 best online research websites that pay you real money.
Everything is included here, from little pocket money for a few minutes per day to multiple hour-long interviews that can pay up to a few hundred dollars.
Most certainly, anyone can find the right website for their side hustle needs.
Remember that research studies often require participants of a specific gender or age.
This means it can take you some time to find the right study. But once you get the right one, it can pay you fairly.
Have you ever participated in any research study? Have you ever tried a survey website? If so, how did it go for you?
Tell us about your experience in the comments!