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Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is a popular crowdsourcing website that businesses use to outsource tasks.
MTurk — which operates as part of Amazon Web Services (AWS) — will pay you for completing a wide variety of small jobs. Some examples include tagging objects in images to improve search and advertising targeting, helping companies select the best pictures for online advertisements, and classifying objects in satellite imagery, among other things.
On MTurk, requesters can choose how much they want to pay. The average pay for MTurk is $11 per hour. However, some jobs pay far less — so make sure to figure out how much a gig pays before signing up.
While MTurk is a popular destination for side hustlers, there are many other sites to explore if you’re looking to make money online.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best MTurk alternatives to explore.
Best MTurk Alternatives for 2022
Clickworker
Clickworker is an app that lets you earn extra money for doing random small tasks.
For example, you can use Clickworker to make money writing product descriptions, categorizing website data, editing and proofreading, researching, taking surveys, and testing apps, to name just a few examples.
To get started, create an account at Clickworker.com and complete the short assessments. If you pass, you’ll receive access to immediate paying opportunities. The company pays out on a weekly and monthly basis.
The app also provides 24/7 support from the Clickworker community if you run into any trouble.
Microworkers
Microworkers is another crowdsourcing site where you can make money completing small tasks like data tagging, data mining, transcription, comparing content, and taking surveys.
The site makes it very easy to understand what a job entails before you start. Each task displays a set of instructions, the time necessary to complete it, and the amount you get for finishing the job.
By completing small tasks, you can boost your satisfaction rating and get more jobs. Once you reach the company’s minimum withdrawal amount of $9, you can request payment with a Skrill, Dwolla, or PayPal account.
RapidWorkers
RapidWorkers is a micro jobs platform that connects businesses with remote workers.
To start, register for RapidWorkers and browse the list of open jobs. When you see one that looks good, simply sign up and complete the simple task. For example, the site might ask you to upload photos to a site, fill out a form, or follow someone on social media.
After you complete a task, submit proof of the work and the company will issue payment. Once you collect $8 worth of earnings, you can cash out and receive money via PayPal.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is the granddaddy of survey sites. It offers the opportunity to make money by completing simple tasks like watching videos, taking surveys, playing games, searching the internet, and participating in focus groups. The company also offers cashback rewards for online shopping.
When working with Swagbucks, you can collect either gift cards or PayPal rewards. The site lets you withdraw your earnings once you rack up at least $25.
InboxDollars
InboxDollars is very similar to Swagbucks. In fact, it’s owned by the same market research company (Prodege).
The platform offers access to paid tasks like watching videos and taking online surveys. You can also earn cash back by shopping at partner retailers.
InboxDollars is a legit survey site that pays in actual cash instead of points or gift cards. However, the minimum payout of $30 is a bit higher than Swagbucks, which is something to keep in mind as it will most likely take a few weeks to build up to that amount.
Crowdtap
Crowdtap is a market research portal that rewards members for answering surveys, testing products, and participating in online discussions. The site issues points for completing tasks, which can be redeemed for gift cards to leading online retailers.
Most tasks on Crowdtap don’t take long to complete, and they are very simple to perform. The site is also very easy to navigate. Crowdtap lets you cash out once you collect at least 1,000 points.
TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit is perfect for people who like doing physical jobs. By signing up for TaskRabbit, you can make money as a Tasker by taking on local assignments — like painting, repairing fences, raking leaves, and shoveling snow.
Unlike most other online job sites, TaskRabbit brings you out into the real world. So if you like getting out and interacting with people face-to-face, this site is worth looking into.
The amount you make on TaskRabbit varies depending on the job. Once you complete a task, the client has to approve the work. When that happens, the payment goes through TaskRabbit. To cash out, you can use PayPal or request a check from TaskRabbit.
When you do a good job, you’ll earn positive ratings, making it easier to land future gigs.
Best of all, TaskRabbit doesn’t charge any fees to Taskers.
Craigslist
Craigslist is another excellent option for finding micro tasks. People post all kinds of jobs on this online marketplace, ranging from freelance graphic design to helping with yard work.
As a public message board, you’ll have to work privately with individuals when completing jobs and collecting money through Craigslist.
That being the case, it’s important to watch out for scams. As a best practice, avoid giving personal information whenever you’re collecting money. You’re probably best off collecting cash in person or using a service like PayPal to protect your identity.
OneSpace
OneSpace is a one-stop shop for freelancing. This site makes it easy to submit work, receive feedback, and collect payments.
The company pays users daily — which is really sweet, if you ask me. Also, there are multiple ways to earn income on the site, including copywriting and editing, performing product research, and doing data entry tasks.
OneSpace is highly flexible, and you can work on your own schedule. This can be a great way to collect experience and boost your skills for your resume.
Upwork
Upwork is a massive online platform where you can find freelance jobs.
Just keep in mind that Upwork charges a commission for any work you do. The company takes 20% for the first $500 you bill, 10% for invoices between $500.01 and $10,000, and 5% for anything on top of that.
Fiverr
Fiverr is another MTurk alternative for finding freelance gigs. The site operates similarly to Upwork. You can build a profile and find jobs that match your skills and experience.
Fiverr takes a 20% cut on anything that you bring in — in perpetuity. As long as you are comfortable handing over a commission, Fiverr can be an awesome way to find random online jobs.
My two cents: Build up your experience and resume using hubs like Fiverr and Upwork and then go out and land your own clients.
Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel
The Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel is a market research program that rewards you for using your own computers and mobile devices.
Simply sign up for the service and allow Nielsen to monitor your browsing habits. In exchange, you can receive up to $50 in points for gift cards, a monthly $10,000 sweepstakes entry, and instant win game tokens.
If you’re looking to make some extra cash on the side, why not give Nielsen a whirl?
i-Say
i-Say provides rewards in exchange for consumer surveys.
By signing up and providing opinions about brands, you can receive points and redeem them for things like food items, donations, Amazon gift cards, and Visa prepaid cards.
The company also offers product testing opportunities. If you’re the kind of person who likes trying new gadgets and gizmos, you might want to check i-Say out.
Surveytime
If you love to take surveys, Surveytime is another viable option.
This site provides instant $1 rewards for each survey you complete. Users can redeem $1 rewards on sites like Amazon, PayPal, Target, and Decathlon.
ShortTask
ShortTask is an online task site that pays members to work from home. For example, you can get paid for doing online research, performing data entry, and doing design jobs.
Just like with the other task sites, ShortTask offers a range of paying gigs. Once you collect $10 worth of rewards, you can cash out via PayPal.
Designhill
Designhill is an online graphics and logo design marketplace.
As a service provider, you can make money by creating Y-shirt designs, logos, and websites. If you’re a talented graphic designer, I recommend signing up to see if there are any worthwhile gigs.
Appen
Appen recently purchased micro task site Figure-Eight, which was formerly known as Crowdflower.
Using Appen, you can get paid to complete micro-tasks like transcription and freelancing assignments. The company issues payments monthly via PayPal or Payoneer.
JobBoy
Last but not least, there’s JobBoy, which makes it easy to find and complete micro jobs. Just like the other micro task sites in this post, you can make money on JobBoy by completing various online tasks (e.g., doing product reviews and commenting on social media posts).
As soon as you collect $10 worth of earnings, you can withdraw your earnings and receive payment within 48 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are micro jobs?
Micro jobs pay people small amounts of money to complete various tasks. Some jobs are online and some jobs are offline. So depending on what you’re interested in, you should be able to find something you enjoy doing.
These jobs usually don’t take long to complete and are relatively simple to execute. In some cases, you may need special skills, while other jobs are more general. Just be sure to read the fine print before signing up.
Learn More:
Can you make good money working micro jobs?
Unfortunately, most of the sites listed in this piece don’t pay a whole lot of money.
To maximize your earnings, one trick is to work across multiple platforms and minimize the amount of time it takes you to complete each task.
The more jobs you take on, the more money you can collect. Just don’t expect large payouts.
Is Amazon MTurk the best site for micro jobs?
Amazon MTurk is a legit place to find micro jobs. However, it isn’t the only site that pays workers to complete tasks. Other sites like JobBoy and Appen are also very handy.
If you want to maximize your revenue working micro jobs, it pays to distribute your time across multiple sites. This way, you can increase your earning potential and find interesting opportunities that you actually enjoy doing.
What is Skrill?
Skrill is a site that you can use for transferring money. The service facilitates instant, secure payments, making it a great way to collect money when working online. All you need is an email address to collect money, just as you would with services like Zelle and PayPal.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, there are tons of ways to make money online in your free time — and if you have an Android or iOS device, you can start earning as soon as today.
And while working micro jobs won’t quite equate to a full-time salary, your earnings will add up over time. After all, the amount of money you make depends on the types of jobs you take on and how much you’re willing to work.
It might not be glamorous, but hustling micro tasks can help you stack cash and reach financial freedom faster.
Whatever you do, never forget how every dollar counts on your journey toward financial independence.