Online Surveys: Can You Actually Make Money?

Will online survey sites really pay me to take surveys? That question comes up over and over again when talking about online surveys. They seem almost too good to be true, but online survey platforms are market research companies that want honest feedback from consumers — that's why they pay!

Let's dig into how much money you can make with online surveys, what are the best online survey sites (these ones all pay well!), and tips to get paid for surveys.

Can you actually make money for taking surveys?

Yes, taking online surveys is a legitimate way to make money, and many surveys sites offer cash, gift cards, or other perks to those who provide feedback that's used for market research purposes.

To understand why online surveys pay for your insights and opinions, it's important to realize that survey companies are essentially market research companies. They work with different brands to collect market research data that's used to create better products and services, identify new opportunities, launch more effective advertising campaigns, and so on.

Read more: 13 Surveys That Pay Cash Instantly

Brands pay survey companies to design surveys that ask consumers about their wants and needs. The questions also look for specific demographic points, how consumers interact with products and services, about brand perception, and more.

Survey sites pay users real money because they're being paid to collect valuable market research data.

How much you really get paid to take surveys online

The reality is that online surveys don't pay well overall, and you can make anywhere from $0.50 to $5/hour. So while yes, you can get paid to take surveys, you are making far less than minimum wage.

Because surveys pay so little, it's important to decide is taking online surveys is worth it for you.

The benefits are that online surveys are incredibly easy and flexible. Many platforms have apps so you can take a quick survey while you're waiting in the carpool line or at the doctor's office. Think of surveys as a paid alternative to playing games on your phone.

On the flip side, there are side hustles that pay significantly higher, still have a low barrier to entry, and are also ridiculously flexible, like:

• Driving for one of the best food delivery services, which pay $15-$25/hour
• Running Facebook ads for small businesses — make $1,000-$1,500/month (no previous marketing experience needed to get started)
• Working as a Pinterest virtual assistant — make $500/month to play on Pinterest (okay, it's a little more than "playing" because you're creating pins and helping business owners grow their business via Pinterest)

The point is: there are considerably higher paying alternatives to online surveys. But if your goal is to find something that's mindless, easy, flexible, and pays a little extra cash, let's make sure you have the best options available...

7 Best online surveys for money

1. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is one of the most well-known and best survey sites available in 2023. It’s 100% free to sign up for Survey Junkie, and the sign-up process takes 5 minutes or less. The sign-up process includes filling out several questionnaires so they can match you with appropriate surveys, and you’re paid in points for filling them out.

You earn points for each survey you complete, and 100 points = $1. You can request a payout once you reach 500 points. Survey Junkie used to require users reach 1,000 points before they were paid, but lowering the payout threshold to 500 points means you get paid that much faster!

Survey Junkie offers surveys that pay an average of $1-$3/survey, your cash out options are PayPal cash, bank transfer, or gift cards to major U.S. retailers. Learn more in our in-depth Survey Junkie review.

2. Branded Surveys

Branded Surveys is a market research company that was known as Mintvine until 2017. As far as surveys for money, Branded Surveys has one of the fastest processing times, even on PayPal payments. You can see the money hit your account in just 1-2 business days, which is considerably faster than other online surveys.

Branded Surveys pays points that convert to cash for each survey you complete, and you get paid $0.50-$3 per survey. You’ll need to have 500 points in your account before you can cash out, and 500 points = $5. 

Branded Surveys also has a user loyalty program called Branded Elite that offers bonuses as you complete more surveys. Read our complete Branded Surveys review to learn more.

3. Pinecone Research

I know Pinecone Research is one of the best online survey sites available because I used this platform to take online surveys when I was in college and making extra money. Pinecone Research is an invite-only site that's owned by Nielsen Holdings.

The paid surveys on Pinecone Research are invite-only, which means you’ll have to fit their demographic profiles to be chosen, but it means you’re less likely to get a late-stage disqualification. Read our full Pinecone Research survey to learn more.

4. Opinion Outpost

Opinion Outpost is a 100% free paid survey site. In addition to paying you to taking surveys for money, Opinion Outpost occasionally has product testing opportunities where you’re sent free products to try and share your feedback.

You can expect surveys on Opinion Outpost to take 10-15 minutes to complete, and longer ones pay $5 on average. There’s also a referral program that pays $1 for every friend you refer, up to $5. They’ll need to complete at least one survey before you can get paid.

Opinion Outpost has a loyalty program where you earn badges based on how active you are on the site. There’s a silver, gold, platinum, and diamond level, and you can earn additional achievement points the higher you go. 

5. Inbox Dollars

One of the reasons that InboxDollars is one of the best online survey sites is because it tells you from the get go how much you can make per survey – even before you sign up and join. You know a site is legit if it's honest about how little it pays.

InboxDollars says its surveys pay $0.50-$5 and take 3 to 25 minutes to complete. It’s free to sign up for this online survey site, and you see your earnings in dollars, not points. You can also get paid to watch videos, play games, read emails, and earn cash back for shopping online.

It takes about 30 seconds to sign up for InboxDollars so you can start making money quickly. Learn more in our full InboxDollars review.

Earn $5 when you join InboxDollars

6. Swagbucks

Swagbucks has hundreds of paid survey opportunities on their platform every day, but you can do more than earn money for taking surveys. Swagbucks has a full-blown rewards program that pays you points for online and in-person shopping, watching videos, discovering offers, searching the web, playing games, and more.

You’re paid in points called SB (for Swagbucks), and the average survey pays $0.40 to $2. You can redeem your points via PayPal or Visa gift card. Or you can convert them to an e-gift card for more than 140 different companies, including Amazon, Walmart, Target, and more.

Swagbucks also has a strong referral program that helps you earn more points. Every user gets a unique referral link to share with friends and family, and here’s how you earn points with it:

• When your referral sign-ups and earns their first 300 SB, you both get an additional 300 SB
• You earn 10% of their SB earnings for as long as they are using their account
• Earn an additional 100 SB if they add the SwagButton extension

Learn more in my full Swagbucks review.

7. MyPoints

Join MyPoints is owned by Prodege (this is the same market research company that owns Swagbucks), and both sites are nearly identical, but you can sign up and take online surveys for money on both.

It’s free to sign up for MyPoints, and besides surveys, you can also get paid to:

• Shop online
• Download the MyPoints browser extension
• Read emails
• Watch videos
• Play games

MyPoints also a strong referral program that pays you points when friends or family sign up through your unique MyPoints link. You can earn extra points when they take surveys for money too. Another reason MyPoints is one of the best sites to get paid for surveys is that earn some points even when you don’t qualify for the entire survey. 

MyPoints also pays in points, and 150 points are worth approximately $1. Learn more in our complete MyPoints review.

Tips when taking online surveys for money

Your time is valuable, and these tips will help you make the most of your time if you want to money money with online surveys:

• Always be honest: Falsifying information is never a good idea, and survey sites need people who will provide their honest feedback. Plus, you can be kicked off a survey site for being dishonest, especially if it was an attempt to qualify for more surveys.
• Avoid sites that want you to pay: All of the online surveys companies listed here are 100% free, and you'll never be asked for credit card information. The only reason they might ask for bank account info is if you want to cash out with a bank transfer. A survey company asking for payment could be a scam.
• Join more than one survey site: Brands partner with different survey companies, so you'll have the most opportunities to get paid for online surveys if you sign up for multiple platforms.

Can you actually get paid to take online surveys? The final word

Yes, you can 100% make money taking online surveys, and the best companies are legit, free, and it takes 5 minutes or less to sign up for any of them.

Our top picks out of the ones above are:

• Survey Junkie: Get paid $1-$3 per survey
• Branded Surveys: Earn $0.50-$3 per survey