ESearch is a survey site that has offered online research since 1995. It is pretty convenient that it emails you the surveys, so you do not need to log in. But the survey invites are relatively rare, especially outside the US, so I think it is not a good main site for earning money.
Tested by Mikael (EarnWithMike)Founder and lead testerMikael founded PaidFromSurveys in 2016 and has personally tested hundreds of survey and GPT sites since then. He shows his tests and payment proof to 555K+ subscribers on his YouTube channel, EarnWithMike. He signed up for ESearch himself and does not earn a commission from it.Learn more about Mikael
A decent reward, but too few surveys to be your main site
A decent reward per survey, paid without a cashout threshold. But survey invites are rare, especially outside the US.
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The short answer
ESearch is a market research company that rewards you for answering surveys. It has been around for more than 20 years.
It offers relatively high rewards for the surveys you complete, but the low frequency of survey invitations hurts your earning potential, especially if you live outside the US. So, in my opinion, it isn’t a good main site for earning money. It can serve as a decent secondary site, as long as you live in the US.
- Pays through PayPal, Visa, Amazon and other rewards
- Decent reward for each survey
- Low frequency of survey invites
- Had only one mode of payment when I tested it
- The mode of support is quite limited
My experience with ESearch
I signed up for ESearch and explored how it works: the registration, the email invitations, the payments, the mobile experience and the support options. This is what I looked at myself, and what I did not test.
- First tested
- June 2019Review first published Jun 6, 2019
- What I did
- Signed up and explored the platformRegistration, email invitations, payments and support
- Survey invites
- Relatively lowMost surveys are geared toward US residents
- Signing up with the registration form
- How the email survey invitations work
- How ESearch pays
- Taking surveys from email on a phone
- The support options and the Facebook page
- The sweepstakes. There is not much information about them on the website.
What ESearch looks like
These screenshots are from when I signed up and explored ESearch. They show how ESearch pays, the website on a phone, the registration form and the email address you contact them on.
Screenshots from ESearch
ESearch does not send many survey invites. These sites give you more regular opportunities.
See the best sites in your countryESearch at a glance
| What it is | An online market research panel. It has offered online research since 1995. |
|---|---|
| Cost to join | Free |
| Ways to earn | Paid surveys you get by email, and sweepstakes entries for some surveys |
| Reward per survey | $1 to $5, according to its website |
| Survey length | Usually 10 to 15 minutes, according to its website |
| Cashout threshold | None. Each survey you complete is paid on its own, without a payout request. |
| Payout methods | PayPal, Visa, Amazon.com and other options. When I tested it, only PayPal. |
| Member dashboard | None. You get the surveys by email. |
| Who can join | Anyone, but most surveys are geared toward US residents |
| App | No app. You take the surveys from your email, also on a phone. |
| Support | Email (esearch@esearch.com) and its Facebook page |
Is ESearch legit and safe?
ESearch has been around for quite a long time now, and it offers to reward you with real money for answering its surveys. Here is what you should know.
- Few survey invites
I have read a lot of feedback from members that the survey invite frequency is relatively low, and that is also what I observed when I was exploring the platform. This is more so if you live outside the US, because most of the surveys are geared toward US residents.
- Everything goes through your email
There is no member dashboard. ESearch emails you when a survey is available, with the link and the reward. It is pretty convenient, but if you do not like cluttering your inbox with non-personal stuff, this won’t be the right site for you. ESearch also does not track earnings per member, so keep the invitations for the surveys you complete until they are paid.
- Two readers report payment problems
One reader reported in July 2022 that she was not paid for two product tests, and one reader reported in August 2023 that a project paid less than the incentive he was promised.
- Limited support
You cannot file a support ticket, and the website has no contact form. The only way to contact them is by email. I took a quick look at their Facebook page, and they post fairly regularly, including general opinion surveys you can take there. You can message them on Facebook too, but there isn’t any information on how long it will take them to reply.
My takeI think the rewards per survey on ESearch are decent. But the low frequency of survey invites hurts your potential income, so in my opinion, it isn’t a good main site for earning money. It can serve as a decent secondary site to earn on. Even if you live in the US, there are so many great survey sites with a lot more opportunities, so it might be worth spending your time on some of these instead.
How you earn on ESearch
Since ESearch is a pure survey site, there are 2 ways to earn: paid surveys, and the sweepstakes entries some surveys give you. Tap one to read more.
Paid surveys$1 to $5 per survey
ESearch is unique in how it distributes its surveys, because it does not have a member’s dashboard like most survey sites do. You do not need to log in to take surveys. Instead, it emails you when a survey is available, with the link and the reward you get for completing it. So, all you have to do is check your email regularly.
Some surveys reward you with a cash honorarium (which is what they call their rewards), and some with sweepstakes entries. According to its website, the surveys usually take 10-15 minutes. The screening questions are normally the first part of the survey, so you know right away if you qualify. As with most other survey sites, you should not expect to qualify for all the surveys you are invited to.
Overall, ESearch does make it possible to earn a bit of extra cash, but it does not offer a big amount of surveys compared to many other survey sites, so do not expect to receive emails with available surveys very often.
SweepstakesPrizes vary from month to month
Some surveys reward you with an entry into the ESearch sweepstakes. As soon as you complete such a survey, you are entered automatically, which, in my opinion, is a more convenient way to manage sweepstakes. If you win, ESearch notifies you by email.
There isn’t much information about the sweepstakes on the website. Whether it is worth your time to take the surveys that only give you entries is something you have to decide for yourself. Make sure to read the conditions in the email invitations, so you only choose the surveys you feel are worth it, for a reward you would like.
Check Out the Top Survey Sites in Your Country
How much can you make?
The amount you can earn depends on how many surveys you complete. ESearch says each survey rewards you with $1 to $5, which I think is a pretty decent amount.
But don’t go expecting to earn $20 a week just yet. You have to factor in how often you get survey invites, and that is what really decides a survey site’s earning potential. On ESearch, the frequency is relatively low, and your potential income is drastically reduced if you live outside the United States.
If you are looking for a survey site that isn’t just focused on the US, I suggest you check out the top survey sites in your country. If you live in the US, see the best survey sites for the USA, with a lot more opportunities.
How ESearch pays
When I tested ESearch, PayPal was the only way to get paid. The good thing is that you don’t have to request payment: there is no cashout threshold, and each completed survey is paid on its own. It’s a rather convenient way of receiving payment, in my opinion. Just make sure the email you registered with is also linked to your PayPal account. If it is not, you can log in to PayPal and ADD that email address, as PayPal can have multiple emails associated with it.
ESearch’s members page now says that when you qualify and complete a study, you get an email by the pay date listed in the invitation, with a Redeem My Reward button to choose PayPal, Visa, Amazon.com or other options. If you are not paid, you can email esearch@esearch.com with the survey reference number from the invitation.
Even though PayPal is one of my favorite ways to get paid from survey sites, there definitely are better PayPal survey sites, with more opportunities.
Who can join, and can you use it on mobile?
I like that anyone can become a member, whether you live in the US or not. You must be at least 18 to join. The registration form asks some personal questions, so ESearch can group you with other panelists and match you with surveys. To leave the panel, send a removal request to esearch@esearch.com.
Yes, you can use ESearch on mobile. Since you take the surveys from the email invitations, all you need is access to your email on your phone.
What readers told me
This review has 4 comments since 2022: 2 from readers and 2 replies from me. Both readers write about the same thing.
One reader was not paid for product tests, and one received less than the incentive promised for a project. ESearch asks you to email esearch@esearch.com with the survey reference number when a payment does not arrive.
“I signed up for a project where I was told the incentive would be $50 but after completing the test I only recieved $10.”
Mikael: You need to contact their support about this.
“Never got pay for doing tissue product testing survey.”
Mikael: Sorry to hear that. But thanks for taking the time to share your experiences so others can see.
Survey sites I recommend instead
| Site | Best for | Min. cashout | My rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Opinion | Surveys only, fast payouts | $1 for Cash App and Revolut; $5 or $10 for PayPal, by country | 4.6 / 5 |
| Survey Junkie | Surveys in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK | 500 points ($5) | 4.4 / 5 |
| Branded Surveys | Well-paid surveys and a bonus program, in the US, UK and Canada | $5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| TopSurveys | Good pay per survey and few screen-outs | $1 for Cash App; $5 for PayPal | 4.4 / 5 |
These sites give you more regular survey opportunities than ESearch. For more, see the best survey sites that pay through PayPal or the top survey sites in your country.
How I scored ESearch
I use the same 100-point system for every platform. See how I test and rate.
ESearch scores 52 out of 100. For more regular survey opportunities, see these sites.
See the best sites in your countryESearch FAQ
Is ESearch legit?
ESearch has offered online research since 1995. Survey invites are also rare, so I do not recommend it as your main survey site.
How much does ESearch pay per survey?
$1 to $5 per survey, according to its website. Some surveys give you a sweepstakes entry instead.
How does ESearch pay?
Through PayPal, Visa, Amazon.com or other options, which you choose through a Redeem My Reward button in an email. When I tested it, only PayPal, paid without a payout request.
Does ESearch have an app?
No. ESearch emails you the surveys, so you can take them on any phone where you can read your email.
Who can join ESearch?
Anyone can join, but most surveys are geared toward US residents, so you get fewer invites outside the US.
How do I contact ESearch or leave the panel?
Email esearch@esearch.com. You can also message them on Facebook. To leave the panel, send a removal request to that email address.
Who tested ESearch for this review
Founder of PaidFromSurveys.com since 2016. Mikael has tested hundreds of survey and GPT sites and shares his tests with 555K+ subscribers on YouTube (October 2026).
If you have any comments, questions, or experiences with ESearch, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.
I signed up for a project where I was told the incentive would be $50 but after completing the test I only recieved $10. This is the second time I’ve not been paid what was promised.
You need to contact their support about this.
Never got pay for doing tissue product testing survey. All my information is correct PayPal . That the second time I didn’t get pay for the cheerio products testing.
Sorry to hear that. But thanks for taking the time to share your experiences so others can see.