Paid surveys are often touted as an easy and fast way to earn money or gift cards. Yet behind this enticing promise lie big differences between platforms. Some are reliable and truly let you make the most of your time, while others offer endless surveys with minimal—or even non-existent—rewards. That’s why it’s crucial to know where to sign up so you don’t waste valuable time on unprofitable websites.
After more than 10 years of analysis and testing, experts have identified the platforms that keep their promises—and those you should avoid. Which are the best sites to earn the maximum in gift cards? The answer may surprise you.
Best sites for paid surveys
Signing up for too many platforms can quickly become counterproductive, as it leads to a flood of requests and makes it harder to find the best opportunities. To optimize your time and earnings, you should focus on websites that truly match your profile and availability, rather than spreading yourself thin across many low-yield options.
Branded Surveys
Branded Surveys has a rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot with over 100,000 user reviews. The parent company, Branded Research, has specialized in market research since 2012 and is considered trustworthy.
As a new member, you receive a welcome bonus of 50 points right at sign-up. After completing your profile, another 50 points are credited—adding up to a total of $1 as starting credit.
Once you’ve created your account, you can start answering surveys immediately, some of which can be worth up to $5. As soon as you reach the threshold of 500 points (equivalent to 5 USD), you can cash out your earnings in your local currency (USD, CAD, GBP).
The Branded Elite loyalty program offers the chance to earn weekly bonus points. By achieving Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers, you can further boost your rewards. To level up, you need to complete a certain number of approved surveys, with the bonus amount depending on your badge level.
Within the first two hours on the platform, I already earned $7.41 and am getting close to Silver level.
You can also collect Branded Surveys points by referring friends, taking the daily poll, ranking highly on the leaderboard, or being randomly selected to win up to 1,000 points. For a detailed assessment of my experience, read our full Branded Surveys review.
Freecash
Unlike classic survey websites, Freecash.com acts as an aggregator and GPT (“Get Paid To”) platform and partners with reputable survey providers such as Pollfish and Bitlabs. This allows users to monetize their time by participating in paid online surveys.
What makes Freecash particularly appealing is the variety of earning opportunities. In addition to surveys, users can test apps and websites, sign up for promotional offers, or answer quizzes—earning extra income. With over 5,000 available offers, everyone can find suitable tasks to maximize their earnings.
As a welcome bonus, new users receive $1 once they create an account and verify their email address. In addition, every new user can open a “free chest,” which gives a chance to win up to $250 in rewards.
During my tests, I tried various methods to generate income, including surveys and different promotional offers. By combining nine options, I was able to reach a total value of over $205. Some tasks required an upfront investment of $46 to unlock payments, but the surveys proved to be a reliable and accessible option to gradually increase my earnings.
Not all offers are suitable for everyone, but it’s not uncommon for certain tasks to bring in over $100, provided the necessary criteria are met. You can find a more detailed analysis in our full Freecash report.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks, operated by Prodege, LLC, is one of the world’s best-known platforms for paid surveys. With a rating of 4.4 in the App Store from over 123,000 reviews and a similar rating on Google Play with another 197,000 user reviews, the platform has built a solid reputation.
The surveys offered pay between 1 and 350 Swagbucks (SB), depending on their length and popularity. Every 100 SB equals $1, which can be paid out via PayPal or exchanged for gift cards from well-known retailers such as Amazon, Lowe’s, and Target. New members also receive a $10 welcome bonus when they spend at least $25 at participating merchants like Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart.
Swagbucks isn’t limited to paid surveys for earning money. The platform also rewards members with SB when they shop online, search the web, or watch videos. Once you reach 100 SB, you can convert your points into cash or gift cards.
After just three days of passive use, I collected 256 SB, which is about $2.56. If I maintained this pace for a month, I could earn around $25. The more SB you collect, the more interesting the rewards become. You gain access to a wider selection of gift cards available from retailers like Starbucks, Walmart, and iTunes. Learn more about my experiences in our in-depth Swagbucks review.
InboxDollars
InboxDollars has been active since 2006 and became part of Prodege, LLC, in 2019. The platform has a B rating with the BBB and, according to its official website, has already paid out over $80 million to its members.
Unlike other sites that use a points system, InboxDollars rewards users directly with cash. That way, you know exactly how much you’ll earn before you accept a task. Although most opportunities pay only small amounts, regular surveys can quickly boost your earnings. Sign-up is completely free, and you receive a $5 bonus once you activate your account. You then answer a few questions about your income, education level, ethnicity, and other demographics to receive better-matched paid surveys.
Another way to earn money with InboxDollars is to watch promotional videos, play games, or shop online at major retailers such as Target, Walmart, and eBay.
During my test, after 30 minutes of playing games I earned only a few cents, but paid surveys proved far more lucrative: I quickly earned $1.50 by answering the surveys available after sign-up. For a detailed overview of my experience, take a look at our full InboxDollars review.
Pawns.app
Pawns.app is a GPT platform (“Get Paid To”) distinguished by its diverse earning options. Users can earn money by answering surveys, sharing their unused internet bandwidth, and playing mobile games.
While the paid surveys are similar to those of other platforms, the real value of Pawns.app lies in the possibility of passive income. By simply letting the app run in the background, I effortlessly earn $10 per month by sharing my excess bandwidth.
Surveys on Pawns.app usually bring in between $0.50 and $2, depending on their length and complexity. The passive income feature rewards users based on the bandwidth shared, with compensation varying by location. In addition, the games section offers up to $100 per completed task.
Although this platform doesn’t replace a full-time income, users who regularly participate in surveys and enable bandwidth sharing can build a solid side income over time.
New members receive a $1 welcome bonus, and the minimum payout threshold is just $5, making Pawns.app one of the most accessible platforms. Payouts are available via PayPal, Bitcoin, or as gift cards. Find more details in our comprehensive Pawns.app review.
Proven practices for paid online surveys
Even when a survey website is trustworthy, you should take a few precautions to secure your experience and optimize your earnings.
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Use a separate email address: Create a dedicated email address for surveys to keep your main inbox tidy. If you no longer want to complete surveys, you can simply ignore this email instead of unsubscribing from numerous websites.
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Be mindful of the information you share: Reputable survey platforms protect your personal data. Nevertheless, you should never provide sensitive information such as your Social Security number, driver’s license, or bank details. Serious market research companies don’t need this information.
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Protect your device with anti-malware software: Since you’ll visit multiple survey websites, a reliable antivirus program is essential to protect yourself from spyware and other digital threats.
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Take regular breaks: Survey fatigue can impair your concentration and lead to errors or inconsistent answers. Regular breaks help you stay attentive and increase your efficiency.
Be cautious about unrealistic promises: If a website claims you can earn thousands of euros per month from surveys, it’s likely a scam or misleading advertising. Favor platforms that provide realistic information about earning potential and time required.
Set realistic expectations
Paid online surveys are a good way to earn a little extra income, especially for those seeking a simple activity from home or on the go. However, if you’re unwilling to share personal demographic data or aim for a high hourly wage, this may not be the right option for you.
If you decide to proceed, set realistic expectations for your earnings. Use your time efficiently, sign up for multiple platforms to receive more surveys, and research each company thoroughly before registering.
Although there are more profitable ways to make money online, most of them require more skills, training, and time than answering surveys.
Evaluation methodology
Given the multitude of available platforms, it can be difficult to pick the worthwhile ones. We analyzed the most popular sites using three decisive criteria to make our recommendations:
Reliability and reputation
Trust is the most important criterion when choosing a paid survey platform. We prioritized sites with a proven track record of on-time payouts and positive user reviews.
Number of earning opportunities
A worthwhile platform should offer a sufficient number of surveys to enable continuous earnings. We analyzed user reviews to exclude platforms with too few opportunities.
Earning potential
We examined how platforms compensate your time by testing some ourselves and analyzing user reviews to evaluate the compensation structure.
Paid surveys offer an interesting way to supplement your income, but they’re neither a quick path to riches nor a passive income source without effort. A strategic approach is essential: sign up for several reputable platforms, pick the most lucrative surveys, and stay alert to exaggerated promises. Some platforms also offer additional earning opportunities like product testing or sharing internet bandwidth.
However, not all platforms are equal. It’s important to choose the best ones to avoid wasting time and falling for scams. Want to know how to spot the best paid survey websites and maximize your earnings? Read our comprehensive guide here: How to identify the best platform for paid surveys?.
