I get a small commission when you sign up for some programs through links in this post at no cost to you. This doesn’t affect my opinions, it just helps to keep this site up and running!
I was introduced to online surveys when I joined Amazon Mechanical Turk back in 2018. I very quickly learned about being screened out of surveys and how frustrating it can be. I earned $35 in about 15 hours over a 2 week span and decided it definitely was not worth my time.
Since then, my wife and I have had two children and with our growing family, we’ve seen a sharp decline in disposable income. Bringing us to November of 2022, I was reading through a thread on Reddit where someone talked about how they earned an extra $25 a week through something called Prolific. This, of course, peaked my interest and I started to investigate what Prolific was, which brought me back to the world of online surveys.
I applied to Prolific and was accepted after a short wait and started taking surveys. This was very different from my previous experience as I wasn’t constantly being screened out and wasting my time. After a couple of months of doing only Prolific and earning about $400*, things started to slow down (a lot of Prolific is academic research and when school is not in session, there can be fewer opportunities). I started to search for other opportunities to increase my earnings, found a plethora of survey and task sites and have tried more than my fair share. Some were worth it and some…were not.
I started Golden Chimera so other people could learn from my experience. There is a lot of good information out there, but it’s scattered. There are plenty of reviews that will recommend every survey platform under the sun in an effort to get you to use their referral links (yes, we use them too, but only for those I personally stand behind). I want to give you an honest review on sites that I have been using for months, not just something I signed up for, got a referral link and claimed I made “good money.”
At Golden Chimera, I’ll share more than whether a survey site is legit, I’ll share whether it’s worth your time.
10 Best survey sites that are worth your time
I use all of these platforms regularly and keep them open in my browser tabs; sometimes I’ll have dedicated time to work my way down the list, prioritizing the best offers. Other times, I’ll just complete a survey when I receive the notification on my phone. Either way, I like that it’s easy, convenient, flexible and it’s work that I can do from home. Click on each site to read a more in-depth review!
1. Prolific
The first tab on my browser and an academic study site that pays an extremely fair wage. There is a waitlist for Prolific, so go signup today! Read More!
2. Cloud Research
The second tab on my browser and an academic study site that pays a fair wage – similar to Prolific, but not quite as good. There is a waitlist for Cloud Research, so go signup today!
3. Paid Viewpoint
The third tab on my browser and a site where you improve your Traitscore to receive better rewards from market surveys. Read More!
4. Google Opinion Rewards
A mobile app only with quick surveys and small payments that go straight to your Google Play account (or Paypal for iPhone users of the world). Read More!
5. Amazon Shopper Panel
A mobile app only with surveys and more from Amazon that rewards Amazon credit monthly. Read More!
6. Measure Protocol (Paid Link)
A mobile app only where you can earn some decent money with their Retro Tasks. Get updated when I finish my in-depth review!
7. Meta Viewpoints
A mobile app only through Meta (Facebook) that sends simple tasks and surveys right to your phone for a quick reward. Get updated when I finish my in-depth review!
8. YouGov
The fourth tab on my browser and a mobile app that offers surveys and data collection for points. Beware – their point redemption threshold is very high. Read more!
9. PrizeRebel
The fifth tab on my browser and a panel site that has surveys, signup offers and games. There’s no app and it might just waste your time. Read more!
10. Swagbucks (Paid Link)
The sixth tab on my browser and a mobile app. It’s the top dog of GPT (Get Paid To) sites, but I’d recommend their mobile game offers over their frustrating surveys. Get updated when I finish my in-depth review!
I have been doing this for about 10 hours per week since the beginning of 2023 and have made over $2500*. It’s my hope that I can help you achieve these results or even better. Sign up to get updates when I post new info or follow us on the socials!
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO GET STARTED?
- I recommend that you set up a new email account specifically for this endeavor to keep it in one place and organized.
- I like using Google Chrome as it makes it easy to share tabs across devices and some programs require particular browsers, so Chrome is your safest bet.
- Paypal (Paid Link) is a must, as it is the only way to cash out for several platforms. It is easy to link to an existing bank account and is a trusted way to complete online transactions.
- If you want to track your earnings, you can make a copy of the Google Sheet I created and adapt it to your needs. View the earnings sheet here.
Now go and make some money!
*You should not rely on any revenue, sales, or earnings information we present as any kind of promise, guarantee, or expectation of any level of success or earnings.
