If you've started looking into ways to earn a bit of extra money from home, you've probably come across "get paid to test websites and apps" more than once. It's a real category, not a myth — real companies pay real people to try out sites, apps, and ideas before they launch. But with a handful of platforms all claiming to be the best, it's hard to know where to actually spend your time and screener answers.
We compared the platforms panelists mention most often: what kinds of studies each one runs, how they pay, how easy they are to get started with, and who each one tends to work best for. UserCrowd is one of the options below, alongside Prolific, Respondent, and UserTesting — and we've tried to be just as honest about where UserCrowd isn't the best fit as we are about where it is. A comparison that only flatters one platform isn't actually useful to you, and it's not useful to us either.
What to look for in a paid user testing platform
Before comparing specific sites, it helps to know what actually separates a solid paid research platform from one that's not worth your time.
Legitimacy. A real research platform is transparent about who runs it, how it pays, and what it expects from you. It should never ask you to pay to join, and it should be easy to find out who's actually behind it.
Pay and payout speed. Look at both how much a typical study pays and how quickly — and by what method — you actually receive that money. A high headline rate means less if payouts take weeks or come with hidden minimums.
Study variety. Usability tests, surveys, interviews, and focus groups all pay differently and ask different things of you, from a 10-minute click-through to an hour-long video call.
How often studies come up. A platform with generous pay but only a handful of studies a month won't add up to much over time. Consistency matters more than any single high-paying study.
How hard it is to get selected. Some platforms have long screeners and low approval rates; others are more accessible for newcomers with no research experience.
Mobile and app support. Some platforms are browser-only, while others — including UserCrowd — offer a dedicated app so you can check for and complete studies on the go.
Whether screening pays you. On most platforms, a screener is unpaid work you do on spec, with no guarantee it leads anywhere. UserCrowd is the only platform in this comparison that pays you just for completing a screener, whether or not you're then selected for the full study.
Support and guidance. The best platforms help you succeed, not just sign up — through responsive panelist support and practice materials that show you what a strong submission actually looks like, rather than leaving you to guess.
At a glance: how the top platforms compare
Platform | Study types | Typical pay | Payout method & speed | App available | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UserCrowd | Usability tests, surveys, interviews; app-only studies; paid screeners | US$12/hour for surveys and usability tests. US$52.50/hour for interviews. | PayPal; minimum payout US$10; timing can be up to 7 days | iOS and Android | Genuine variety across study types, with no wait between passing a screener and starting the study |
Prolific | Surveys and behavioral/academic research tasks | $8/£6/hour minimum; $9–12/hour recommended (Prolific's own rate) | PayPal; minimum payout US$6/£6; 72 hours timeframe | High volume of quick, straightforward studies with a guaranteed minimum rate | |
Respondent | Paid interviews and surveys, often for specific professional profiles | Roughly $60–150+/hour for interviews; $100–150 typical for a 60-minute session | PayPal; timing reported as anywhere from a few days to ~2 weeks | Higher-paying sessions if you have a specific professional background | |
UserTesting | Usability tests via its contributor program | Surveys ~US$10-20/hour, Usability tests ~US$20-30/hour, interviews US$60-100/hour | PayPal; payout 14 days after completing the test | iOS and Android | An established, well-known platform to add to your rotation |
The platforms, one by one
UserCrowd
UserCrowd is a paid research participation platform, and it's been running since 2008 — long enough to have worked out the kinks that newer platforms are often still figuring out. It covers a genuinely wide range of study types: usability tests, surveys, and interviews, plus a growing set of mobile-only studies available through the UserCrowd app for iOS and Android. This is worth underlining, because it's easy to assume a platform this accessible must be narrow or basic — it isn't. UserCrowd is built to support real depth and variety, not just a quick first study to get your feet wet.
A few things set it apart from the other platforms in this comparison. If you pass a screener for a usability test or survey, you're in: there's no separate waiting period or secondary approval step between qualifying and starting the study. UserCrowd also backs panelists with actual customer support and practice tests that show you what a strong submission looks like, rather than leaving you to guess and learn by getting rejected.
UserCrowd is the only platform in this comparison that pays you just for completing a screener, whether or not you're then selected for the full study — your time answering screening questions is treated as work worth paying for, not a free application.
Where it's worth setting honest expectations: like any platform, how many studies you're invited to still depends on how well your profile matches what researchers are looking for at any given time, so volume can vary week to week.
Prolific
Prolific is best known among people who do academic and behavioral research studies — surveys and structured online tasks, often for university researchers as well as companies running quicker studies. It has a reputation for a large, active pool of studies and reliable, predictable payment: Prolific enforces a minimum of $8/£6 per hour across every study on its platform, with $9–12/hour recommended, so you know the floor going in.
The trade-off: eligibility is often limited by country, and it can take time to build up the track record that unlocks access to higher-paying studies. If you're outside Prolific's most active countries, you may see meaningfully fewer opportunities than panelists based in the UK or US. Screeners are also typically unpaid — if you don't qualify, that time doesn't earn anything.
Respondent
Respondent focuses on paid interviews and surveys, and it tends to pay more per session than platforms built around shorter studies — particularly if you have a specific professional background or job title that researchers are targeting (for example, in tech, healthcare, or finance). Panelists commonly report earning $60–150 or more per hour, and researchers on r/UXResearch describe budgeting $100–150 as standard for a 60-minute interview; payment is made via PayPal.
The trade-off is frequency. Studies are matched more narrowly by profession and experience, so sessions come up less often than on higher-volume platforms, and the application process for each study tends to involve more detailed screening questions — unpaid ones, unless you're selected. Worth knowing before you apply: recent panelist feedback on this front has been mixed, with some reporting slower matching or lower rates than in the past, so treat any single glowing (or scathing) review with a little caution.
UserTesting
UserTesting is one of the more recognizable names in this space, with a contributor program built around usability testing — recording yourself completing tasks on websites and apps while narrating your reactions out loud.
It's a well-established platform with a long track record, but new contributors sometimes find it takes a while to build up enough of a history to see frequent invites, and the initial application process to join as a contributor can be more involved than on newer platforms.
Which platform is right for you
There's no single "best" platform here — the right one depends on what you're optimizing for:
Want genuine variety across study types, plus getting paid even for screeners? UserCrowd covers usability tests, surveys, and interviews, with no wait once you pass a screener.
Want the highest possible volume of quick studies at a guaranteed minimum rate? Prolific's active study pool and $8/£6/hour floor are hard to beat, eligibility permitting.
Have a specific professional background and want higher-paying sessions? Respondent is worth applying to, even if studies come up less often and screeners aren't paid.
Want to add an established, well-known platform to your rotation? UserTesting is worth the more involved application process.
Most panelists who take this seriously as a source of side income sign up for more than one platform rather than relying on just one — it smooths out the natural gaps in how often studies come up on any single site.
FAQ
If you're looking for a straightforward way to start earning from research studies — usability tests, surveys, and interviews, with app-only studies for on-the-go opportunities, and pay for every screener you complete — apply for UserCrowd and start building your profile today.