10 Best Survey Apps That Pay Real Money

Completing online surveys is one of the simplest ways to earn extra cash.

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7 min read·Sep 1, 2023

Completing online surveys is one of the simplest ways to earn extra cash. While they tend to pay just a few dollars per survey, you can download an unlimited number of apps, racking up a surprising bit of cash. In fact, some paid survey sites have paid out over $900 million to users over time.

We hand-picked 10 of the best paid survey apps to help you earn money online. Plus, we compiled a list of a few frequently-recommended apps you should actually avoid.

Online Reward Platforms

Survey Junkie

TrustPilot Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars

Cashout Methods: PayPal, bank transfer, and gift cards

Average User Earnings: Some users report earning between $1 to $3 per paid survey.‌

Survey Junkie is one of the most well-known paid survey apps, allowing you to earn rewards for participating in focus groups, surveys, or sharing behavioral data like browsing activity. To cash out, you’ll need to hit the $10 minimum earning threshold.

Kashkick

TrustPilot Rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars

Cashout Methods: PayPal

Average User Earnings: Users report earning between $5 and $50 per month.

While Kashkick has limited cashout methods, in comparison to its competitors, it offers another avenue for earning cash online. It’s free to sign up, and they’ll provide you with a list of earning opportunities including taking surveys, playing online games, and watching ads for feedback.

Swagbucks

TrustPilot Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars

Cashout Methods: PayPal and gift cards

Average User Earnings: According to Swagbucks, most users earn between $1 and $5 per day, or $365 to $1,825 per year.

Swagbucks offers competitive rates for surveys, paying out users over $925 million since they launched. They also offer a $10 sign up bonus after you spend $25 at one of the stores featured within the app.‌

InboxDollars

TrustPilot Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars

Cashout Methods: PayPal, prepaid Visa card, cash, or gift card

Average User Earnings: Most surveys pay between $0.10 and $5.00

InboxDollars offers a wide range of earning opportunities, including but not limited to paid surveys. They offer coupons, paid emails, cash back opportunities, rewards for watching videos online, and more.

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MyPoints

TrustPilot Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Cashout Methods: Gift cards

Average User Earnings: MyPoints uses a points system, with points translating into dollars. This makes it challenging to calculate just how much each survey is worth. However, some users estimate earnings or around $0.60 to $1.80 per survey, on average.

MyPoints offers paid surveys, cash back for shopping both online and in-person, and points for playing online games. Just by signing up, you’ll get a free $5 welcome bonus. ‌

PrimeOpinion

TrustPilot Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars

Cashout Methods: PayPal, bank transfer, Venmo, or gift card

Average User Earnings: According to their website, the average user earned $11 yesterday — it’s unclear if this information updates daily. Surveys are worth up to $5.

PrimeOpinion is only available within the United States, but if you are located within the U.S., it’s one of the best paid survey apps to download. They offer one of the lowest cashout thresholds of just $5, making it faster to see the cash you earn in your bank account.‌ ‌

Qmee

TrustPilot Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars

Cashout Methods: PayPal, Venmo, and gift cards

Average User Earnings: $1 to $2.20 per survey, roughly

Qmee provides both paid survey opportunities and exclusive cash back offers and discounts. There is no minimum withdrawal amount, meaning you can cashout at any point.

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Google Opinion Rewards

TrustPilot Review: N/A - Does not have a TrustPilot profile

Cashout Methods: Google Play or PayPal credit

Average User Earnings: Between $0.10 and $1.00 per survey completed

Google Opinion Rewards allows you to earn credits from opinion polls, hotel reviews, and completing merchant satisfaction surveys. You can download the app in the Apple App or Google Play stores.‌ ‌

GrabPoints

TrustPilot Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars

Cashout Methods: Cash and gift cards

Average User Earnings: Between $0.10 and $1.00 per survey completed

GrabPoints is one of the most highly-rated paid survey apps we’ve found, and rightfully so. They offer a variety of ways to earn cash, like completing paid surveys, watching videos, downloading apps, and playing online games.‌ ‌

YouGov

TrustPilot Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Cashout Methods: PayPal and bank transfer

Average User Earnings: YouGov doesn’t provide much information on average user earnings. However, some users report around $50 per month for using the app 30 minutes per day.

YouGov surveys tend to be more focused on political topics, giving you a space to contribute to higher-impact data — as opposed to simply offering your feedback on a new product. ‌

Paid Survey Apps to Avoid

Keep in mind, similar articles may highlight a slew of paid survey apps, but they aren’t all great. In fact, some apps simply make the list because the publisher earns referral income if you sign up — even if the app stinks. (Yikes!)

We’ve hand picked each and every survey app on this list, showing you only the best we found. With that, there’s a few apps we’ve found that you might want to hold off on downloading.

Shopkick

While a well-known app, Shopkick has recently taken a nosedive in overall ratings, earning them just 2.6 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot. Users cite issues with redeeming their points and being blocked from accessing their rewards. While other users have enjoyed their experience, it might be best to invest your time on other apps for now.

Zap Surveys

Similarly to Shopkick, Zap Surveys was once a reliable paid survey app. However, their TrustPilot rating is 1.9 out of 5 stars, and several customers have reported never receiving their earnings despite cashing out.

Survey Monkey

Survey Monkey used to be the world’s most popular online survey site. However, their TrustPilot reviews say otherwise. With a mere 1.2 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot, it may be wise to pick another survey app for now.

Pinecone Research

Pinecone Research earned just 1.8 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot. Several customers reported that the survey payout decreased the more surveys they completed, which makes investing time on the app nearly useless.

Eureka

If you’re looking for one survey per day, Eureka might be worth it. However, several users reported a lack of access to new surveys and an inability to withdraw funds.

Survey Savvy

While Survey Savvy does offer paid survey opportunities, their TrustPilot rating of just 2.4 is disappointing. It seems like they take quite a while to deposit withdrawals.

iPollSeveral

iPoll users reported being blocked for seemingly no reason. One customer even reported that when he was just about to reach the redemption threshold, he was blocked from participating in more surveys.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What are the top recommended paid survey apps?

The article highlights Survey Junkie, Kashkick, Swagbucks, InboxDollars, MyPoints, PrimeOpinion, Qmee, Google Opinion Rewards, GrabPoints, and YouGov as the top recommended paid survey apps. These apps were hand-picked for their TrustPilot ratings, variety of cashout methods, and average user earnings.

How much can I expect to earn from participating in these surveys?

Earnings can vary significantly between apps and depend on the frequency and type of surveys completed. For example, Survey Junkie users report earning $1 to $3 per survey, while Swagbucks users can earn between $365 to $1,825 per year. The article provides specific average earnings for each app, but it's important to note that these figures are estimates and actual earnings can vary.

What are the common cashout methods available on these platforms?

Common cashout methods include PayPal, bank transfers, gift cards, prepaid Visa cards, and in some cases, cash. Each app offers different cashout options, so users can choose the one that best suits their preferences.

Are there any paid survey apps that should be avoided?

Yes, the article advises avoiding Shopkick, Zap Surveys, Survey Monkey, Pinecone Research, Eureka, Survey Savvy, and iPoll. These apps have received low TrustPilot ratings and negative user feedback regarding issues such as difficulty redeeming points, being blocked from accessing rewards, and not receiving earnings.

What criteria were used to select the recommended paid survey apps?

The recommended apps were selected based on their TrustPilot ratings, cashout methods, average user earnings, and overall user feedback. The article aims to provide a list of reliable and worthwhile paid survey apps, avoiding those with poor ratings and user experiences.