If you’ve used Amazon Mechanical Turk (Amazon MTurk) before, you know it’s a flexible way to make money online.
But, any regular MTurk user also knows it can be hard to get high-paying HITs and that it’s easy to burn out.
Thankfully, there are so many Amazon MTurk alternatives you can use to keep making money.
So, if you’re looking for a new side hustle and some sites that are better than MTurk, you’re in the right place.
Let’s get to it.
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The Best Sites Like MTurk
This list of sites like Amazon MTurk won’t make you rich overnight. Really, like MTurk, the sites on this list are effective ways to make some extra cash in your spare time and to enjoy flexible online work.
However, I’ve tested out dozens of MTurk competitors and other reward apps over the years. And plenty of them are legit and pay you on time.
So, if you want some online jobs that pay daily and are ready to try some alternatives to MTurk, this is the post for you!
1. Appen
Appen is one of the most popular micro task websites out there, so it had to make the list of sites similar to MTurk.
On Appen, you can earn money for completing tasks like:
- Content moderation
- Data collection jobs
- Long-term data projects
- Social media categorization
- Transcription
Appen accepts candidates from all over the world, and the fact it also hires people for longer-term projects means you can potentially get more work hours and pay per week.
In fact, some Appen jobs can pay $10 to $15+ per hour or more, so it’s definitely one of the better MTurk alternatives out there.
You can read my post on the best sites like Appen for even more ideas.
2. Swagbucks
If you don’t mind using get-paid-to-websites, then Swagbucks is another reliable Amazon MTurk alternative you can test out.
On Swagbucks, you earn points for completing a variety of short online tasks like:
- Answering surveys
- Downloading apps
- Completing a daily poll
- Playing games
- Shopping online
- Uploading shopping receipts
- Watching ads
One advantage of using Swagbucks is that lots of the rewards start at just $1, so you can cash out within a day of using the platform. And it has a nice $5 sign up bonus new members can take advantage of.
Reward options include free PayPal money and gift cards, so the reward variety also a plus.
Again, Swagbucks won’t make you rich, but if you’re looking for a simple site like MTurk, Swagbucks is for you.
Start making money with Swagbucks today!
3. MicroWorkers
Another similar site to Amazon MTurk is MicroWorkers. Andlike the name suggests, this site lets you complete a variety of short online gigs to make money.
Some popular jobs on MicroWorkers include:
- Categorization
- Data entry tasks
- Social media content monitoring
- Surveys
According to its website, over 1.4 million workers currently use the platform to make extra money.
You get a worker rating depending on how well you perform, and a better rating means you unlock more gigs and higher-paying work.
You need $9 to cash out, and MicroWorkers pays through PayPal, Dwolla, and Transpay.
4. Branded Surveys
Another popular site like MTurk that you can use is Branded Surveys, a website that pays you for sharing your opinion and answering short surveys.
This MTurk alternative is available in the United States, UK, Canada, and Australia. It lets you earn free PayPal cash and various gift cards in exchange for answering short surveys.
What’s nice about Branded Surveys is that it has a “Branded Elite” program that pays consistent members with bonus cash at the end of the month the more surveys they complete.
You can get up to a 19% bonus on your earnings in the gold tier, and the starter tier only requires completing 12 or more surveys per week, which is manageable in your spare time.
There’s a $5 minimum cash out requirement, and the fact you can redeem PayPal money, free Amazon gift cards, and other popular prizes is a plus.
Start earning with Branded Surveys!
5. Lionbridge
Lionbridge is very similar to sites like MTurk and Appen, so it’s a natural fit if you enjoy working with these two platforms.
The type of work you get on Lionbridge is also quite similar. Common tasks include:
- Content moderation
- Data entry
- Search engine evaluation
- Translation work
- Transcription
- Website testing
Like Appen, Lionbridge has many jobs that pay around $8 to $14 per hour, so it’s a better site than MTurk in terms of hourly pay.
You also get paid with cash through direct deposit, so this is an effective way to earn real cash.
6. Paid Survey Sites
If you want to get paid to share your opinion, you can always try various beermoney sites and apps to make extra money as a nice Amazon MTurk alternative.
There are also plenty of survey sites that pay you, including:
- Pinecone Research (U.S. Only): Get paid $3 for every survey invitation you complete.
- Survey Junkie: This leading survey site lets you redeem PayPal cash and free gift cards when you earn $5.
- Ipsos iSay: A global survey panel that lets you share your opinion for cash and gift cards.
- Opinion Outpost: Earn PayPal cash for answering short and medium-length surveys on Opinion Outpost.
- MyPoints: Answer surveys, shop online, and play games to make money with MyPoints.
- Kashkick: This platform lets you play games for PayPal cash and answer surveys to earn more rewards.
I also made a YouTube video that covers some of the top paid survey sites you can use instead of MTurk if this online side hustle sounds interesting to you.
Personally, I don’t use paid survey sites very often since the hourly pay is usually around $3 to $5. But if you want to try a relaxed alternative to MTurk when you watch TV, you can give these survey panels a try!
Extra Reading – How To Make Money Online For Beginners.
7. Fiverr
If you want to sell your skills online, then Fiverr is one of the most popular sites like MTurk out there.
Fiverr is essentially a massive freelancer marketplace where you can offer you services to other people. It’s also a platform I’ve tested out in the past to find some online work.
Examples of gigs people often sell on Fiverr include:
- Graphic design
- Freelance writing help
- SEO
- Digital marketing help
- Website design
- Virtual assistat services
- Translation
- Data entry
I like Fiverr as an MTurk alternative since you get to set your own prices and availability. Plus, many gigs can pay much more per hour or per project.
The main downside is that it takes time to find work since Fiverr is competitive. But you can gradually find clients if you get reviews on your profile and deliver excellent work.
8. ClickWorker
ClickWorker is another very popular MTurk alternative, and it’s probably one of the most similar sites in terms of the work you do.
Some of the most popular gigs on ClickWorker include:
- App and website testing
- Completing paid surveys
- Data entry work
- Proofreading
- Transcription
ClickWorker has more variability in terms of task pay which is a pro and con.
For example, some gigs might pay a few pennies while others can pay $10 to $20 or even more.
How much you earn depends on task length, difficulty, and your performance, but there’s definitely some higher earning potential on this site if you find the right tasks.
Our Clickworker review covers all of the details about this platform if you want to learn more.
9. Premise Data
One of the best Amazon Mechanical Turk alternatives is Premise Data, a newer crowdsourcing data app that’s available in over 120 countries.
Premise Data is actually incredibly easy to use:
- Download the Premise Data app
- Sign up and complete a brief profile questionnaire
- Complete local tasks and short surveys
- Get paid
A lot of the tasks on Premise Data are also more interesting than your average MTurk alternative.
For example, a task might involve taking a photo of a local store, or verifying what brands of shampoo a nearby department store carries.
You get paid for every task you complete, and the app also has some paid surveys you can complete for more rewards. Reward options include PayPal money, Payoneer, and even free Bitcoin, so there’s a nice variety of rewards as well.
The bottom line is the Premise app is one of the best MTurk alternatives, especially if you want to get paid to explore your city.
Start making money with Premise Data today!
10. Upwork
Like Fiverr, another massive online marketplace that’s a great website like MTurk is Upwork.
This global freelance marketplace lets you sell your skills online. Signing up is completely free, and you can set your own rates, bid on open projects, and decide when you work with clients.
I’ve actually made over $10,000 from Upwork, so I know the platform is legit and that there’s decent earning potential.
There are also plenty of easy Upwork jobs that are similar to MTurk gigs, including tasks like:
- AI model training
- Content writing
- Data entry
- Image annotation
- Social media management
- Translation
- Transcription
The downside is that it takes a while to find steady work, whereas sites like MTurk are much faster. But I think Upwork’s earning potential makes it worth considering.
Extra Reading – How To Make Money With A Laptop.
11. Figure Eight
Figure Eight, formerly known as CrowdFlower, is another popular MTurk competitor where you can make money for completing short online tasks.
This company was also acquired by Appen, so you know it’s being run by a veteran in the industry. There’s also plenty of jobs you can complete on Figure Eight to make money, including:
- Content moderation
- Business listing verification
- Social media categorization
- Image tagging
Figure Eight doesn’t pay quite as much as its parent company or Lionbridge in most cases, but it’s still a great Amazon MTurk alternative you can use.
12. CrowdTap
CrowdTap is another way you can get paid for sharing your opinions when you have some spare time.
In a nutshell, CrowdTap sends you questions every single day that you answer to earn points. Questions usually relate to different brands, politics, or some sort of consumer-focused question.
You cash out your points for a variety of free gift cards, including ones to retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart.
This isn’t a high-paying Amazon MTurk alternative, and even though many gift card rewards start at $5, it takes a long time to cash out.
But answering daily questions doesn’t take long, so this is a pretty passive way to get some free money in your spare time.
13. JobBoy
If you want to complete short online tasks for money or cryptocurrency rewards, JobBoy is for you.
JobBoy is basically a peer-to-peer micro task website like MTurk.
People from around the world post short online gigs, and you complete them on a first-come-first-serve basis or complete them and submit proof to the job poster to get paid.
Some examples of jobs on JobBoy include:
- Signing up for programs with specific links
- Entering your email
- Creating social media or email accounts for people
- Visiting websites and clicking on ads
Many tasks only pay a few pennies to around $1, so you’re not going to get rich from using JobBoy.
JobBoy pays you with Litecoin, and you can cash out once you earn at least $10.
14. UserTesting
If you want to make money testing websites and apps, UserTesting is definitely better than Amazon MTurk.
This leading user testing company pays you for completing short online usability tests, and you usually earn $10 to $20 per test you complete.
Here’s how UserTesting works:
- Apply to become a UserTesting tester
- Get email invitations to review different websites and apps
- Complete your review tasks and share your honest feedback about the app or website you tested
- Get paid
There are also plenty of sites like UserTesting you can try as well, like Userlytics and TestingTime, so this is quite a popular side hustle category you can turn to.
15. RapidWorkers
RapidWorkers is another crowdsourced service where over 100,000 people are making money by completing short online tasks.
Like Amazon MTurk, you can complete all sorts of short tasks that require a human to carry out.
Examples of some RapidWorkers tasks include:
- Uploading photos to a website
- Liking a video on YouTube
- Confirming someone works at a specific company
- Image categorization
- Signing up for different websites or apps
Many of the gigs pay $0.10 to $0.25 and take a few minutes, so it’s not a very high paying site.
But it’s very simple to use just like MTurk, and you get paid through PayPal which is a plus.
16. Respondent.io
One of the higher-paying alternatives to Amazon Mechanical Turk is undeniably Respondent.io.
Respondent connects research participants with companies who want to conduct in-depth studies or host consumer panels.
Researchers look for a variety of job roles and industry experts to interview. Here are some of the categories and possible payment rates Respondent outlines on its website:
- Business Owners: $500 per hour.
- Enterprise Software Users: $150 per hour.
- Marketers: $150 per hour.
- Software Developers: $200 per hour.
Respondent doesn’t guarantee these hourly rates, but if you get lucky, you can find high-paying interviews with this platform.
Overall, Respondent provides less steady work than Amazon MTurk since you need to qualify for an interview to get paid.
However, if you do qualify, Respondent pays way more than completing MTurk HITs.
Check out my post – is Respondent legit?
17. PlaytestCloud
Another way to make money testing apps and websites is to use PlaytestCloud.
This isn’t the closest MTurk alternative since user testing gigs are the only way to make money. However, PlaytestCloud can be quite lucrative.
You earn around $9 per test, and tests normally take 10 to 20 minutes to complete.
Many testing gigs require testing mobile apps and games, and overall, the process is very similar to UserTesting. PlaytestCloud lets you cash out through PayPal as well, and it’s very well-known in the user testing community.
If you like the idea of playing games for prizes, you can also try some MTurk alternatives like Mistplay and Rewarded Play!
18. Prolific
One final site like Amazon MTurk is Prolific. This is also one of the most popular paid survey sites out there.
Like MTurk, Prolific lets you get paid for sharing your opinion with various companies and research groups.
However, Prolific requires surveys to pay a minimum of $6.50 per hour, so it’s one of the higher-paying survey sites out there.
Most surveys only pay $0.50 to $2, but this is because they’re quite short. Prolific pays you through PayPal on specific cash out days, but you only need $5 to get paid which is very feasible.
Overall, Prolific has fewer job categories than MTurk. But for sharing your opinion for cash, it’s one of the best websites out there.
Extra Reading – The 10 Best Sites Like Prolific.
What Do Other Amazon MTurk Users Suggest?
So, that does it for our list of the best websites like Amazon MTurk. But, what do other long-time Amazon MTurk users think about this question?
Well, in this Reddit thread, user Crazywhiteboi says “The two most common ones are Clickworker and Microworkers. I’ve found that Clickworker isn’t that good tbh. It might be better in other countries but for me (UK) it kinda sucks….Microworkers is probably the best alternative imo. Obviously, people who use MTurk say that its far better but Microworkers is still pretty good.”
In another thread, users recommend checking out Neevo and also looking into Clickworker for the best sites like MTurk.
Users also recommend checking out Reddit Beermoney since this community is a hub of information about quick and snappy ways to make money online.
Extra Reading – How To Make Money On Reddit.
Tips For Using Sites Like Amazon MTurk
If you plan on using MTurk and similar sites to make money, here are some tips you can implement to maximize your earning potential.
- Know Your Hourly Limit: Decide how much you need to earn per hour so you can tell if an MTurk alternative is actually worth using.
- Enable Email Alerts: A lot of these sites send out email invitations when new projects or gigs are available, so make sure you check your inbox!
- Create A Routine: Get in the habit of checking several sites in a session so you can cherry-pick the highest paying gigs on each website.
- Set An Income Goal: Decide on a weekly and monthly income goal you want to make with sites like MTurk so you have something trackable and real to work towards.
Extra Reading – How To Make $50 Per Day – 10+ Methods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ClickWorker Better Than MTurk?
ClickWorker is one of the most popular Amazon MTurk alternatives. It usually has a wider pay range as well, which means the earning potential is a bit higher but there’s also lots of low paying gigs that aren’t worth it. This means ClickWorker isn’t usually better than MTurk but can be for experienced, efficient micro workers.
Can You Make A Living Off Of Amazon MTurk?
It’s highly unlikely you can make a full-time income by using Amazon MTurk or similar sites. Many of these websites pay under minimum wage or don’t have enough work to fill a work week. Ultimately, you should use MTurk and other sites to boost your income but not for full-time income.
Extra Reading – The Best $10 Amazon Gift Card Sites.
Final Thoughts
With this list of the best sites like MTurk, you’re ready to make extra money online in your spare time!
Our final piece of advice is to just remember the opportunity cost of all these easy online jobs. Websites like Amazon MTurk can help you make extra money, but some sites don’t pay too much.
So, don’t be afraid to explore other money-making ideas, like using gig apps like DoorDash or Instacart to make money.
In any case, best of luck with your money-making journey!
Looking for more ways to make money on the side? Checkout:
- The Best Odd Job Apps To Make Extra Cash.
- The Best Apps Like TaskRabbit.
- 20 Best Passive Income Apps To Earn Free Money.
Tom is a full-time blogger and freelance writer with a passion for side hustling, passive income, and the gig economy. His work has appeared on dozens of personal finance websites like Money Crashers, The College Investor, Investor Junkie, and more. This Online World is all about providing people with honest ways to make and save more money by using technology. To learn more about Tom, read his About Page!
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