Swagbucks vs Survey Junkie is a common debate. If you want to make money by taking surveys, these platforms should be at the top of your list.
You won’t get rich from either of them, but you can use both sites to turn your spare time into extra cash.
In this post, we’ll compare Swagbucks vs. Survey Junkie. Keep reading to better understand how to make money on both sites, where each one shines, and where they fall short.
Swagbucks Overview
Swagbucks is a paid survey website founded in 2008. It pays in its own currency, Swagbucks, or SB for short. In addition to surveys, you can also earn SB by watching ads, surfing the internet, shopping online, and playing games.
Swagbucks is free to use, and it takes just a couple of minutes to sign up through its website or mobile app.
When comparing Swagbucks vs. Survey Junkie, always look at the sign-up bonus. At Swagbucks, you’ll get a $10 sign-up bonus for joining. You’ll receive your bonus once you purchase $25 or more through one of Swagbucks’ partner merchants.
Top Ways to Earn Money on Swagbucks
When you complete tasks on Swagbucks, you’ll earn SB, which you can later redeem for gift cards or cash in your PayPal account. The conversion rate is simple: one SB equals one cent.
Different tasks come with different payouts; some tend to be more lucrative than others. Here are some of the best ways you can make money on Swagbucks:
Online Surveys
Market research companies pay Swagbucks to collect consumer opinions. In turn, Swagbucks pays you to complete surveys.
Online Shopping
Swagbucks partners with many retailers, and each partnership comes with a different cashback percentage, which hovers somewhere between 1 percent and 8 percent. All you have to do is log into Swagbucks, choose where you want to shop, and watch your SB balance grow after you check out.
Videos and Games
Those looking to make money while kicking back can earn SB by watching video ads or playing games. These aren’t the highest-earning options, but they take the least effort and are the most fun, to boot.
The videos are primarily ads for consumer and entertainment products and usually last just a few minutes. Games are mainly mobile-based, and you earn points by purchasing in-game perks or downloading free, ad-filled games.
Browser Extension
Swagbucks offers a Chrome-compatible browser extension called the SwagButton. You get 25 SB just for installing it, and it’ll automatically let you know if the site you’re shopping on has a cashback deal available. The SwagButton also automatically adds any available coupon codes at checkout, so you won’t have to scour the internet to find one.
Referrals
You can also earn easy points by referring your friends to the site. When you make a successful referral, you and your friend receive a 300 SB bonus if your friend earns at least 300 SBs in the first 30 days. In addition, you’ll get 10% of your referral’s lifetime earnings on the site. If you refer many friends who become heavy Swagbucks users, you can continue to rack up SB as long as they stay active.
Swagbucks Payout Options
You’ll need a minimum balance of 300 SB ($3) to cash out with Swagbucks, although some rewards have a higher payout threshold.
PayPal Cash
If you want real money, your best bet is to cash out through your PayPal account. The minimum balance for PayPal Cash is 1,000 SB ($10), and the email associated with your Swagbucks account must be the same as on your PayPal account.
You can easily spend PayPal Cash online wherever PayPal is accepted, but there could be a fee if you want to transfer the funds to a bank account and want the funds instantly.
Gift Cards
To cash out faster, you can opt for free gift cards to popular retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target. Gift card values as low as $1 are available, and you’ll have hundreds of options. You can also opt for gift cards from companies like Visa and American Express.
Pros and Cons of Swagbucks
Here are some of the pros and cons of Swagbucks.
Pros:
- More earning opportunities
- Better referral program
- Receive $10 just for signing up
Cons:
- Can be tough to earn enough to make it worth the time
Survey Junkie Overview
Survey Junkie is an online market research community. It’s free and available to U.S., Canadian, and Australian residents.
Arguably the best-known survey site, Survey Junkie boasts more than 20 million members. The platform connects its members to consumer brands for paid opportunities through surveys, focus groups, and shared browsing data.
Once you’ve joined Survey Junkie, you can take surveys on the website or mobile app.
Top Ways to Earn Money on Survey Junkie
Unlike Swagbucks, Survey Junkie’s earning options are narrow. When you complete surveys, you’ll earn points you can redeem for cash or gift cards. Like Swagbucks, the conversion rate is one point to one cent.
After signing up, you can expand your profile by completing sections on topics — like health, technology use, and shopping habits —- which will help the site match you with opportunities. Plus, you’ll get additional points for finishing each questionnaire.
Online Surveys
Once you’ve completed your member profile, Survey Junkie matches you with relevant surveys. Most completed surveys pay between 40 and 200 points, and the average time to completion is around 15 minutes.
Like any survey site, disqualifications are common. You won’t have the right demographic profile for every survey. That said, the more you fill out your profile, the better chances you’ll have of finding the best surveys for you.
Browser Extension
Survey Junkie also offers a browser extension called SJ Pulse. Unlike the SwagButton, which tips you off on shopping deals, SJ Pulse works in the background and monitors your online habits.
It monitors the websites you visit, what you search for, your shopping activity, and any content you view. SJ Pulse is optional; you can install it on your browser or opt-in through the mobile app.
It might feel strange to allow Survey Junkie to monitor your online activity, but the data is used exclusively by market research companies to understand consumer trends. The company encrypts sensitive data such as credit card numbers and passwords to protect your privacy.
Survey Junkie Payout Options
You must build up a balance of at least 500 points ($5) to cash out on Survey Junkie. When you hit the minimum payout threshold, head to the My Points page and choose your reward.
Bank Transfer
Like most rewards sites, Survey Junkie offers direct bank transfers using a third-party partner. All you have to do is link your bank account to your Survey Junkie profile.
PayPal Cash
If you’d rather not share your banking information, you’ll also have the option to use PayPal to cash out. This is the only option available to Survey Junkie members in Canada and Australia.
Gift Cards
The last option is to take payment through electronic gift cards. Survey Junkie offers many different options, including Amazon gift cards, Walmart, Target, and iTunes.
Pros and Cons of Survey Junkie
Here are some of the pros and cons of Survey Junkie.
Pros:
- Trustworthy survey site
- Option to cash out via bank transfer
Cons:
- Limited money-making opportunities
- No referral program
- No sign-up bonus
Swagbucks vs Survey Junkie: Winner
While both Swagbucks and Survey Junkie are legit sites to make extra cash, in our comparison, Swagbucks is the winner:
| SWAGBUCKS | SURVEY JUNKIE | |
| Ways to Earn | 🏆 Surveys, videos, games, shopping, & more | Surveys, browser extension |
| Referral Program | 🏆 300 Swagbucks per referral | None |
| Payout Options | PayPal Cash, Gift cards, Paper check | 🏆 Bank transfer, PayPal Cash, Gift cards |
| Sign-Up Bonus | 🏆 $10 | None |
Top Alternative Survey Sites
Even though Swagbucks and Survey Junkie are leaders in the survey industry, they aren’t the only paid survey sites out there – check these other sites out to increase your extra cash flow:
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about Swagbucks and Survey Junkie.
Does Survey Junkie really pay you?
Yes. Survey Junkie offers real payouts via bank transfer, PayPal, or e-gift cards.
How much do you make per survey on Swagbucks?
Swagbucks surveys pay as little as a few cents and as much as a few dollars. Most often, you’ll earn less than $1 per survey.
What’s the best paid online survey site?
It depends on what you’re looking for. If you just want to take surveys, your best bet is a site like Survey Junkie or Branded Surveys. If you want more variety, rewards sites like InboxDollars and Swagbucks offer other tasks besides survey-taking.
Swagbucks vs Survey Junkie: Which is Best for You?
Overall, Swagbucks and Survey Junkie both provide easy ways to make money online. However, whether the time investment is worth it is entirely up to you.
Always understand your true earning potential. These sites aren’t scams, but they also aren’t going to pay the bills. Instead, consider them low-effort side hustles you can do in your downtime.
If you’re still excited to make money by taking surveys, you should probably sign up for a few survey apps to see which one you like the best. You’ll also be able to multiply your survey income by engaging with several platforms.
Whichever side hustle you choose, the most important thing is you’re growing your account balances. This way, you can pay off any debt and invest your profits, putting you closer to financial freedom.
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