Survey Junkie Vs Swagbucks

Survey Junkie Vs Swagbucks: Which Survey Site Wins You More Money?

Survey Junkie Vs Swagbucks
Illustration: The Money Manual
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If you’re looking to make some extra money by taking surveys, you might be wondering which survey site is the best. Survey Junkie and Swagbucks are two of the most popular options, but which one is going to help you earn more cash? We’ve put together a comparison of the two sites to help you decide but you’ll definitely want to download both and try them out for yourself.

At A Glance

Our #1 Choice
Rating 4.2*

Supported Platforms iOS, Android, PC (web-based)
Age Limit 13
Ads Yes
Point Conversion 100 Swagbucks = $1.00
Cash out threshold 300 Swagbucks or $3.00
Cash out options Gift cards or PayPal
Average earnings Varies depending on geographic location and access to surveys; seems to average several cents a day typically
Star Rating 4.2 stars out of 5 (Google Play)

4.4 stars out of 5 (Apple App Store)

4.3 stars out of 5 (TrustPilot)

3.96 stars out of 5 (BBB)

# of Ratings 82,000+ (Google Play)

60,000+ (Apple App Store)

25,000+ (TrustPilot)

983 (BBB)

# of Downloads 5,000,000+ (Google Play Store)
Supported Platforms iOS, Android, PC (web-based)

What Is Survey Junkie?

DISQO, the parent company of Survey Junkie is revolutionizing market research by harnessing participation and rewards through its online community. By giving consumers an opportunity to share opinions with brands they love while earning incentives in return, Survey Junkie gives valuable insights that help companies improve their products & services for customers like you.

How Does Survey Junkie Work?

Users just like you join Survey Junkie and help power the research that helps your favorite brands thrive. You’ll be joining a community of millions who share their opinions in exchange for rewards, every day.

The way it works is twofold. Firstly, there is the attitudinal research arm of the company that includes activities such as taking surveys or participating in focus groups – this is called Survey Junkie. Secondly, there is the behavioral research arm that includes opting in to share digital browsing activity, which is collected in a privacy-compliant way via SJ Pulse.

How Survey Junkie Works Create your profile to get matched with relevant surveys

Sign Up Now

  1. Complete the surveys sent to you using your phone, tablet or computer.
  2. Earn points for each successfully completed survey.
  3. Exchange points for rewards such as e-gift cards or cash via PayPal or a bank transfer

How SJ Pulse Works

  1. Download the Survey Junkie app and opt into SJ Pulse on your mobile phone or get the browser extension for your PC.
  2. Browse the web as you normally do.
  3. Receive a bonus if you stay active for a month straight.
  4. Qualify for extra perks and bonus surveys.

Is Survey Junkie Legit?

Yes, Survey Junkie is a legitimate survey site, if by “legitimate” we mean it’s not a scam. It’s also not a cash cow, so be aware of the time you spend taking surveys to earn points for cash.

They have a B rating on the Better Business Bureau site at the time of writing and have been in business since 2011. They are accredited on bbb.org since 2017. The parent company DISQO has been in business since 2015.

This is a legit survey-taking site.

Survey Junkie Reviews From Real Users

This happy 5-star user says they love Survey Junkie and states it’s the first money-making app that actually pays.

This happy but critical 4-star user says they are pleased for the most part and love the redeeming options. They mention the time listed on each survey is not accurate for the length it would take to complete each survey. They mention a common issue that comes up where users get most or all of the way through a survey only to find out they don’t qualify.

They do like how user-friendly it is and have already made some decent side money but they caution it’s not something to expect a ton of money from.

4-star Survey Junkie user says it's a good site but can be difficult to qualify for surveys.

This unhappy 2-star user states the obvious that it can take a lot of time to get a minimum payout.

Get Paid For Your Opinions, Sign Up Now

What Is Swagbucks?

Swagbucks has been around since 2008 and its parent company Prodege has been around even longer, since 2005. The company has an A- rating with the Better Business Bureau at the time of writing, and an average TrustPilot rating of stars with over reviews. % of these reviews are rated as either good or excellent. Now that’s impressive.

There are some technical glitches here and there but it’s worth noting that the customer service can solve most issues that may come up. This is definitely a legit survey-taking site.

How Does Swagbucks Work?

Swagbucks’ system is simple. You’ll earn SB every time you fill out a survey. If you don’t qualify you’ll get a few points. As you do surveys regularly –they only take typically 3-5 minutes to complete – you’ll accumulate your SB and then can cash out once you’ve reached the threshold of $3 or 300 SB. This will qualify you for an Amazon gift card.

Swagbucks sets the lowest cashout amount required among all survey companies, and their rewards are worth checking into.

Here’s how to sign up for Swagbucks and get started:

Sign up

Sign Up For Swagbucks


What to provide
Your email and create a password

How to confirm

Confirm your email address. It will take 10 seconds – 2 minutes to receive the confirmation email. (Check your spam just in case).

Get Started

  • Check out the new member checklist which will walk you through how to earn and find surveys.
  • Complete the daily to-do list.

Is Swagbucks Legit? 

Swagbucks has been around since 2008 and its parent company Prodege has been around even longer, since 2005. The company has an A- rating with the Better Business Bureau at the time of writing, and an average TrustPilot rating of 4.3 stars with over 25,000 reviews. 83% of these reviews are rated as either good or excellent. Now that’s impressive.

This evidence suggests it’s a legit survey-taking site folks so you’re not likely to get scammed. There are some technical glitches here and there but it’s worth noting that the customer service can solve most issues that may come up. 

Is Swagbucks Legit Or A Scam?

Swagbucks has been around since 2008 and its parent company Prodege has been around even longer, since 2005. The company has an A- rating with the Better Business Bureau at the time of writing, and an average TrustPilot rating of 4.3 stars with over 25,000 reviews. 83% of these reviews are rated as either good or excellent. This is not a scam.

There are some technical glitches here and there but it’s worth noting that the customer service can solve most issues that may come up. 

Swagbucks Real Reviews

Swagbucks has an average rating on TrustPilot of 4.3 out of 5 stars with 83% of users in favor of this survey app and rating it as either excellent or great.

This recent happy 5-star reviewer says they really enjoy Swagbucks and mentions how responsive the Swagbucks team is to inquiries.

5-star Swagbucks reviewer loves the survey and games and uses the gift cards.

This critical 3-star reviewer says the platform used to be fun but has become harder to make much money.

3-star Swagbucks user says it's gotten less fun and harder to make money.

This unhappy 1-star reviewer states that you can spend a lot of time getting through most of a survey but come to be disqualified in the last bit of the survey. The activities don’t pay out much for the effort.

1-star Swagbucks reviewer says they used to be great but you can't earn much for the effort now.

Give Swagbucks A Try

Swagbucks Pros And Cons


Pros

Tons of reward options

Easy user interface

Tons of ways to earn and maximize points

Browser extension feature

Reliable pay out

Easy and relatively passive income

Cons

Some offers require a lot of work to earn SB

Minimal income earning potential

Some long waits to receive rewards

Survey Junkie Pros And Cons


Pros

Direct deposit option for cashing out

Popular retail gift card options including Amazon, Walmart, iTunes and Visa

Positive reviews from vast majority of users

Cons

Must pre-qualify for surveys

Must record Survey IDs to manage disputes with customer service

Time consuming with low payout

Bottom Line: Which Survey Site Earns You More Money, Survey Junkie Or Swagbucks?

While Swagbucks’ platform is extensive and offers a variety of ways to make a little money while taking surveys (or playing games or other online activities), realistically the average user only makes a few cents to a couple of dollars a day. On the other hand, Survey Junkie has a much narrower focus and has higher average earnings of $2-$5 per survey.

Both survey platforms offer a conversion rate of about 1 point to one cent ratio which takes a lot to add up to their cashout thresholds, and for that Swagbucks is the clear winner offering to cash out at $3 instead of Survey Junkie’s cashout threshold of $5.

One area where Survey Junkie wins is in the payout options. Both have gift cards and PayPal which is practically cash, but Survey Junkie has the addition of a direct bank transfer through Dwolla that Swagbucks doesn’t currently offer.

On the signup front, Swagbucks offers a $10 bonus whereas Survey Junkie doesn’t have a signup offer. The thing that really sets Survey Junkie apart though is the fact that you can make some decent money by joining their focus groups. It’s definitely one of our favorites.

We encourage you to give both a try for yourself to decide which platform is better for you, but remember you need to keep an eye on the time you spend on both as they are not going to make you rich overnight. Simply use them as a fun way to pass the time by giving your opinion on the brands you love during your downtime.

FAQs

Survey Junkie Tips

  • Sign in frequently
  • Maximize your time and only take surveys that give 100-300 points for 20 minutes of effort
  • Sign up for SJ Pulse to bring in points with no effort (apart from sharing data) and qualify for exclusive surveys

How much can you make on Survey Junkie?

Realistically you will only be able to make a few dollars. Consistent, proactive users may be able to make more depending on how often they qualify for surveys and aren’t wasting their time with disqualifications. Some users have made $42 in only a few days. Active users can earn a few hundred dollars a month with this app, especially when they take advantage of doing focus groups.

What is the cash-out threshold for Survey Junkie?

You only need a minimum of 500 points ($5) to cash out.

What is Survey Junkie Pulse?

SJ Pulse is a browser extension or opt-in on the Survey Junkie app on your Mac, PC, or Android (iOS coming soon!) that works in the background and tracks your browsing behavior such as what you search for, ads you see, sites you visit or apps you use, and products you shop for. People who choose to join the SJ Pulse community may also qualify for exclusive surveys.

How long does it take Swagbucks to pay? 

Swagbucks typically pays within 24-48 hours however it can be a bit longer getting your first payment as they have to verify your banking details. 

How do you cash-out on Swagbucks?

You can receive cash funds through PayPal, gift cards are delivered to you via electronic vouchers sent to your email inbox (check your spam if you don’t see it in your primary).

What is the Swagbucks conversion rate?

100 SB = one dollar

Give these survey sites a try for yourself and see which earns you more money:

Survey Junkie


Or

Swagbucks

Is filling out surveys your idea of fun? Check out these other survey sites like Swagbucks.

Are surveys not really your idea of a good time? Then check out these gaming apps that win you cash.

Rather look at other apps that pay cash? We’ve got you covered.