If you are good at paying attention to details or simply looking for a less boring way to earn extra cash, one option you can consider is joining a user testing site.
So, the question now is, which paid user testing sites you should join? There is a lot to choose from and not all will be worth your time.
And it certainly is very inefficient to do it the trial and error way. Doing proper research is much more efficient way to go about it. And this is where this guide comes in. It will help you pick the best user testing sites that pay.
This guide will give you an idea about what certain user testing sites have to offer so you don’t have to waste your time trying them out for yourself. You can simply get a quick overview and choose which ones you like. All these sites are legit and free to join too.
How do user testing sites work?
As mentioned above, paid user testing sites will ask you to test websites and mobile apps and will pay you in return for your time. This is done so that the owner of the said websites and apps will know which part they can improve.
If this is your first time hearing about this kind of site, then let me explain to you how this works. User testing sites will ask you to test (hence the name) websites or mobile apps. So, right off the bat, you need to do more to earn compared to if you just join a survey or Get-Paid-To site.
Many companies avail of this type of service to figure out which features of their website or app works and which ones don’t. Usually, when you are asked to test an app or a website, you will be asked to record your screen using a certain software which will be provided by them.
You will also be asked to record your voice and sometimes, even your face. So, don’t be alarmed if the user testing site will require you to use a webcam and/or microphone during testing. Most, if not all user testing sites will ask you to speak out your thoughts.
So, if you aren’t really comfortable doing that, then this is not an opportunity suited for you. And since testing requires you to record audio, you have to make sure you work in a quiet room so they can clearly hear your voice.
Can you earn a significant amount?
The beauty of user testing sites is, since they know their tasks require more work, they usually pay you a decent amount, provided your work passes requirements (at least the good ones do).
So it definitely is possible to earn money for user testing.
Plus, you don’t actually have to reach a certain payout threshold to withdraw your earnings. You usually get paid after each test as soon as your work has been approved. So, you don’t have to wait too long to get paid.
The downside is, the availability of tests usually isn’t that frequent. So, even though you get paid rather well, the overall earning potential of user testing jobs isn’t that high. That’s why you shouldn’t expect your earnings to be comparable to a full-time job.
But, with that being said, you can still earn a decent amount from these sites. Many of the sites will also be available worldwide but how many tests and how high rewards you will get depends a lot on the country you live in.
9 best user testing sites
I won’t be listing down all the user testing sites that exist but instead, I will list down what I think are the best sites you can join to get the most value out of your time. Quality over quantity as they say.
I will keep updating this list if there are any new good sites to join. So make sure to bookmark this page.
Available in: Worldwide
Reward options: PayPal, gift cards
More info: Read full UserTribe review
Short summary:
One of the best user testing sites out there is called UserTribe. This is one of the user testing sites I have completed most projects for myself and it pays quite well for each task.
You can test sites and apps to earn but you can also invite other people to join and earn a commission. When you complete a test, they will use the email address you gave them during registration to send you your reward.
The reward can be in the form of a gift card or they can pay you via PayPal. Either way, they will inform you at the start of the rewards you will get for completing the test.
Available in: More or less worldwide
Reward options: PayPal
More info: Read full UserTesting review
Short summary:
UserTesting, as the name suggests, will allow you to earn by testing sites. All tests you need to do on this site are in the form of video feedback. That means that you will have to record your screen so you can show them how you navigate on the specific website.
Aside from that, you will have to explain your thoughts and give feedback to certain questions in a microphone. You can do the tests on a Mac or a PC but you can also do it on an Android or iOS mobile device.
They pay you via PayPal and usually, it takes about a week to be credited to your account (starting from the time you finish the test). The tests aren’t that frequent, but you get paid up to $60 per test. So, if you ever get to complete one, you will be able to earn a decent amount, which is why it’s on this list.
Available in: More or less worldwide
Reward options: PayPal, direct bank transfer
More info: Read full TestingTime review
Short summary:
TestingTime is a legit testing site that pays you for participating in their usability tests. You get paid a significant amount for each test. You can also earn by inviting other people to join.
Once you complete your first usability test, they will ask you to choose the payment method you want to use. You can either choose to get paid via PayPal or direct bank transfer. You can earn up to €50 per hour for every test you complete.
But keep in mind, you will, at most, get to test once every month. So, don’t expect to earn hundreds of Euros every month from this site. But overall, in my opinion, it’s still one of the best user testing sites to join because of the significant amount you will receive when completing tests.
Available in: Limited number of countries
Reward options: PayPal
More info: Read full Ferpection review
Short summary:
Ferpection is a usability testing site that calls their tests missions. So, right from the get-go, you feel like you are on some sort of adventure, which makes it a bit more fun, in my opinion.
But regardless of what they call their tests, the main reason why it is on this list is the amount you can earn once you become a member. Most missions will allow you to earn around £5, which is pretty good, in my opinion.
Plus, they automatically process the payments every month. So, all you have to do is wait to be paid. The downside is, it is only available in certain countries and they won’t tell you right away which countries it is.
During registration, if you select a country where they don’t offer any missions, you will be informed right away and the registration process stops right there. You won’t be able to complete the registration. However, they always accept users from the US and the UK.
Available in: More or less worldwide
Reward options: PayPal
More info: Read full Userlytics review
Short summary:
Apart from usability tests, Userlytics also offers another way to earn, which is through in-depth interviews. So, if you are looking for a more unique way to get paid for user testing, Userlytics is definitely an option.
From time to time, there will be live testing or in-depth interviews conducted by site owners where you get to chat with the owner of the site (or a representative) and provide feedback about their site/app in real-time.
You get to earn around $5 to $20 per test you complete, which is a decent rate. But what really makes this a worthy site to join aside from the significant pay is the convenient payment method it offers (PayPal).
Available in: More or less worldwide
Reward options: PayPal, Amazon gift cards
More info: Read full Userfeel review
Short summary:
Userfeel specializes in providing feedback to their partner companies about their sites. They do that through usability tests on their websites to find out which areas need improvement. You need to download a program to record your screen.
Once you complete a test, you get paid either via PayPal or Amazon gift cards of the same amount. For every test you complete, you will be paid $10, which is not too shabby. So, if anything else, they are consistent with how much they pay, which can be a good thing for you.
Once you get used to how tests are done, you will be able to complete them rather quickly. You will then become a more efficient earner, which is the main reason why I included this site on this list.
Available in: Worldwide
Reward options: PayPal
More info: Read full TryMyUI review
Short summary:
TryMyUI is one of the user testing sites that is mainly focused on testing the user interface of a website. Once you register, you will be given access to their member dashboard where you can see all the available offers for testing.
When you click on a test offer, you will then be asked to download the test file. This test file will contain the instructions you need to follow to complete the test. Once you complete the test, you will receive a specific amount.
You will then get paid via PayPal every week and payment will be done every Friday. They pay a flat rate of $10 per test, which is a decent amount. Not a lot of sites pay weekly, so it can certainly be refreshing to find one that will allow you to receive your payment every week.
Available in: Worldwide
Reward options: PayPal
More info: Read full Validately review
Short summary:
Validately is a legit site-testing platform that will pay you for providing feedback about websites. The unique thing about this website is you will need to use Google Chrome. You can’t use other browsers because you will need to install a certain Chrome extension to do the tests.
It also pays via PayPal, so you need to have a PayPal account before you sign up for this website. Validately will pay you around $5 to $25 for each test you complete. And you will be able to join this site regardless of where you live.
The main strengths of this user testing site are the convenient payment method and a decent pay rate they offer. Just make sure you have Google Chrome installed on your computer before you join.
Available in: Worldwide
Reward options: PayPal
More info: Read full Analysia review
Short summary:
If you like testing websites or even recruiting people, then Analysia is definitely a good option. It is a legit usability testing site that will pay you for testing websites and mobile apps. It has a fixed rate of $10 per test. So regardless of how long it will take you to complete a test, you will earn the same amount.
They pay you via PayPal and the payment will be processed automatically once you complete a test.
What makes it a decent site to join is you normally just need around 15 to 20 minutes to complete one test. So, essentially, you will earn $10 for 20 minutes. That’s a good rate in my opinion.
So, those are the best user testing sites you can join. As you can see, most, if not all of them, will pay you in cash and they pay you quite well. Remember that all the sites on this list are legit and FREE TO JOIN. There won’t be any membership or registration fee required.
Now, I would suggest you join many of the sites because you don’t actually get access to work every day since tests aren’t that frequent. This is the best way, in my opinion, to get the most value out of your time and earn a decent amount of cash from user testing sites.
If you have any comments, questions, or know of a user testing site that is not on the list, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.
I know brother u are trying your best. But most of them have not given a single study in India for past 2 years.
Thanks for sharing your experiences about this.
As I also mention in the article above, in some countries it will be very difficult to find available tests. That is just, unfortunately, how it is but it depends on what companies in the different countries are looking for.
I have a question. Can we use our Android phone as a webcam to answer the tests where they want to see our reaction/expressions?
(I’m talking about these user testing sites)
OR is it compulsory to have an external webcam?
There are applications like DroidCam, IP cam etc which let us use our Android phone’s camera(both front & rear) as the Webcam for PC/laptop.
I have used it many times & it works perfectly fine. Do you have any idea regarding my question?
for the projects where they allow you to do it on phone, your regular phone camera should be enough. In general, there is no need to get extra equipment to participate in these tests.
Most computers and phones will already have what they need as most already have a camera and microphone build in. The only great extra thing to have, in my experience, is a set of headphones with a microphone as the sound recordings will then be better. But you can just use the headphones you use for your phone anyway.