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Working online is an ideal way to earn extra money or even a part-time income.
As of 2017, 43% of employed Americans worked from home at least part-time.
A traditional job that pays per hour can be done remotely, but it’s not the only option.
Many people enjoy micro-task websites as an alternative.
Micro-task websites are also called short task websites.
These sites pay you to complete simple tasks that computers can’t always perform.
Some examples include transcribing audio and text, tagging photos and images, writing and editing, using search engines, and much more.
These tasks usually take a few minutes at the most.
Because of this, pay per task is fairly low.
But each micro-task website has several thousand tasks, so your earnings add up quickly.
This post features 10 short task websites and apps that pay you to work online.
Check them out if you’re interested in working from home.
Table of Contents
1. Swagbucks
How Swagbucks Works – Swagbucks is very popular ‘get paid to’ (GPT) site, and the tasks are a bit different than micro-task sites. In addition to taking surveys, Swagbucks pays users to watch videos, sign up for e-mail offers, play games, perform web searches, and more. There are always thousands of tasks available; some take a few seconds and some take several minutes.
Swagbucks is available across the world to anyone 13 years of age or older. All you have to do is visit the signup link to create an account. You have to provide a few basic details about yourself, but there is no application process. You simply get started on whatever tasks appeal to you.
How Much Swagbucks Pays – Each task on Swagbucks is worth a preset amount of points; these points are called SB. One SB is equal to about $0.01. The number of SB per task depends on the length and difficulty. Here are some examples of tasks currently featured on my Swagbucks dashboard:
- 100 SB to complete a 9-minute survey.
- 125 SB to complete a 14-minute survey.
- 144 SB to complete a 28-minute survey.
- 25 SB to subscribe to e-mails from a product sample website.
- 25 SB to subscribe to e-mails from a coupon website.
Swagbucks Payment Options – Swagbucks pays users via PayPal or gift cards. PayPal payments are available starting at 300 SB for $3 PayPal cash. You can also choose gift cards for VISA, Amazon, Walmart, and hundreds of more options.
2. InboxDollars
How InboxDollars Works – InboxDollars is a GPT website and app that’s more similar to Swagbucks than other micro-task sites. Since 2008, InboxDollars has paid users to complete thousands of very small and simple tasks. Tasks include completing surveys, reading e-mails, signing up for free trial offers, playing games, watching videos, and more.
As long as you’re 18 or older, you can sign up for InboxDollars. You need a valid e-mail address to sign up, and you fill out a short profile. Your profile helps match you with surveys and tasks. There are several thousand tasks that pay between a few cents and a few dollars.
How Much InboxDollars Pays – Pay per task varies a lot depending on the difficulty and length of the task. Below you’ll see a list of example tasks from my InboxDollars dashboard:
- $1.00 for a six-minute survey
- $1.00 for an eight-minute survey
- $0.01 to open an e-mail (17 tasks available)
- $1.50 to join a partner survey site and complete one survey
- $0.75 to sign up for the mailing list of a coupon website
- $1.00 to join another partner survey site
InboxDollars Payment Options – InboxDollars pays via paper check once you’ve earned at least $30.00. There are also gift card payment options available starting at $30.
3. Clickworker
How Clickworker Works – Clickworker hires Internet users from all over the world to work on a freelance basis. Workers complete micro-tasks like writing and editing text, data categorization, web research, app testing, and more. A countdown timer is displayed next to each task, so you can see how long you have to complete it.
The registration process is simple and quick. You simply need to be at least 18 years old and living in an eligible country for payment. Use the link above to find the Clickworker FAQ section. You can see whether or not Clickworker’s payment options are available where you live.
How Much Clickworker Pays – Clickworker jobs pay anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars per task. Factors that affect pay include the length and difficulty of each job. Clickworker estimates that the average worker earns $9 per hour. With practice and concentration, it’s fairly easy to earn $10 per hour or more.
Clickworker Payment Options – Most workers are paid through PayPal, and payments are made once per week between Wednesday and Friday. Workers who live in states that belong Single Euro Payments Area may choose to get paid via direct deposit. SEPA direct deposits are made once per month.
4. Amazon Mechanical Turk
How Amazon Mechanical Turk Works – Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk) is well-known in the work online community. The platform connects workers (Turkers) with paying clients (Requestors). Turkers are paid to complete human intelligence tasks (HITs). Example tasks include identifying objects in photos or videos, transcribing receipts, performing research, taking academic surveys, and more. There are thousands of HITs available at any given time.
mTurk is available in the United States and several other countries. U.S. citizens who apply for mTurk must be at least 18 years old with a valid Social Security Number. The application process is quick and consists of providing a few details about yourself. However, there are often long waiting periods for application approval. The platform is extremely popular – some workers are accepted immediately while others waited years.
How Much Amazon Mechanical Turk Pays – mTurk pays Turkers for each HIT that they complete. The pay per task depends on the HIT details and how much the Requestor chooses to pay. Since earnings vary so widely, I’ve created a list of examples and earning reports from users:
- Transcribe 30 seconds of media to text for $0.05 per HIT.
- Find a phone number on a business website for $0.10 per HIT.
- Draw boxes around people in images for $0.05 per HIT.
- Workers in a Reddit thread report earning anywhere between $1 to $50 per day.
Amazon Mechanical Turk Payment Options – U.S. residents use Amazon Payments to get paid via direct deposit. Workers can withdraw earnings as long as their minimum balance is $1. U.S. residents can also choose Amazon gift cards as payment. In most other countries, workers are paid via Amazon gift cards/shopping credit.
5. Figure Eight
How Figure Eight Works – Figure Eight was formerly known as Crowdflower, and they hire workers (Contributors) to complete various small tasks. Some examples include categorizing social media posts, moderating text and photos, transcribing audio, drawing boxes on images, and more. There are typically an endless amount of tasks for Contributors to choose from.
Figure Eight hires workers across the globe, and the signup process seems pretty simple. You simply provide your full name, e-mail address, and PayPal account e-mail address. You also create a username and password, and you’ll receive an activation e-mail.
How Much Figure Eight Pays – Figure Eight typically pays a few cents per task. Tasks take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes to complete. Here are some examples of tasks currently displayed on my Figure Eight dashboard:
- Draw boxes on products for $0.02 per task (500+ tasks available)
- Validate product names for $0.01 per task (100+ tasks available)
- Verify information on a LinkedIn profile for $0.01 per task (300+ tasks available)
Figure Eight Payment Options – Figure Eight pays users via PayPal once per week. You need a minimum account balance of $10 to receive payment.
6. Spare5
How Spare 5 Works – Spare5 is a micro-task platform that pays you to complete short jobs on their website or mobile app. The tasks available are similar to mTurk HITs because they require human feedback. Some examples include assessing language, drawing boxes in images, tagging photos with keywords, and more. Major companies like Microsoft, Getty Images, and Expedia use the platform to have these tasks completed.
Registering a free worker account on Spare5 is pretty easy. Use the link above to sign up using your e-mail address, Facebook, Google, or LinkedIn account. Then you’ll complete the welcome survey; this is a $0.10 survey that simply collects your demographic information. Once you do this, you can start completing Spare5 tasks.
How Much Spare5 Pays – Most Spare5 tasks take under one minute to complete. The pay per task typically varies between $0.01 to $0.50. In our Spare5 review, we estimate that you can earn anywhere between $8 to $12 per hour.
Spare5 Payment Options – Spare5 pays automatically via PayPal every Friday. You need a $1.00 minimum account balance to receive payment.
7. Fancy Hands
How Fancy Hands Works – Fancy Hands is a unique platform that hires virtual assistants. As a virtual assistant, you perform several small tasks that pay fairly well. If you’re comfortable using the phone and basic Internet software, this is a good fit for you. Tasks include making phone calls on behalf of clients, scheduling appointments, finding product prices, data entry, and more.
Unlike most other micro-task platforms, Fancy Hands offers room for job growth. You can move up to a managerial position if you’re interested. This makes it fairly ideal if you want a part-time online job. You get to choose your own work hours, and there are tasks available 24/7. Fill out an application at the link above to start the hiring process.
How Much Fancy Hands Pays – Fancy Hands pays per task like most other platforms. The pay starts at $3.00 to $7.00 per task, and it can increase over time. Pay per task depends on task difficulty, length, and the time of day the task is completed. Workers reviews report earning up to $12 per hour.
Fancy Hands Payment Options – Fancy Hands pays bi-weekly on Tuesday via Dwolla, which is a payment service that’s similar to PayPal.
8. OneSpace
How OneSpace Works – Formerly known as Crowdsource, OneSpace is an online platform that pays workers to complete short freelance tasks. Tasks include writing, editing, data categorization, transcribing, translation, surveys, and more. Workers are paid per task that they complete. The amount of work available to you depends on your skills and OneSpace qualifications.
Start the application process for OneSpace at the link above. When choosing a position, select ‘Open Apply’ for micro-task work. The application will ask you to provide a few details about yourself and your work experience. You can even copy and paste your resume to help get matched with tasks that suit you.
How Much OneSpace Pays – OneSpace pays per task, but their rates are not disclosed publicly. Worker reviews say that it’s common to earn about $0.10 per short task. For writing work, you’ll typically earn between $0.02 to $0.035 cents per word. This is fairly standard or slightly above average for a micro-task platform.
OneSpace Payment Options – OneSpace pays workers automatically via PayPal. Payments are sent to your PayPal account once tasks are approved. Most tasks are approved within 24 to 48 hours of completion.
9. ClixSense
How ClixSense Works – ClixSense is a platform that’s a mix between a GPT site and a traditional micro-task site. Since 2007, ClixSense has paid remote workers to complete a wide variety of simple tasks. Examples include categorizing images and performing Google web searches. The company has paid out over $32 million to remote workers.
ClixSense hires workers from across the globe, and signing up is fairly easy. You don’t need any experience to get started. Some tasks may require you to complete a qualification test first. This often gives you access to higher paying work.
How Much ClixSense Pays – The ClixSense FAQ states that there’s no way to determine how much you’ll earn. It heavily depends on what tasks you choose and how many you complete. Most tasks pay $0.01 to $0.10 at most, but they are short and several hundred are available. Some worker reviews say it’s possible to earn $100 or more per month by using ClixSense 1-2 hours per day.
ClixSense Payment Options – ClixSense offers multiple payments options include paper check, PayPal, Payoneer, Dwolla, and Skrill. Visit this page to see the payment minimums for each option. Payment options available to you depend on your location.
10. The Smart Crowd
How The Smart Crowd Works – The Smart Crowd is a micro-task platform that’s part of Lionbridge, an international company that offers numerous professional services. More than 100,000 remote workers complete small tasks for The Smart Crowd. Tasks include data entry, data research, data categorization, translation, and more. There are typically several types of tasks to choose from at any time.
Anyone who is 18 years or older can sign up to work for The Smart Crowd. The signup process is pretty simple. You provide your name, e-mail address, chosen password, and location. You will receive a confirmation e-mail to continue and wrap up your application. Providing your demographic info and answering a few questions helps match you with tasks. You can also take qualification tests to access special tasks.
How Much The Smart Crowd Pays – The Smart Crowd states that they offer a competitive rate per task, but the amount is not disclosed publicly. However, many users say that data entry jobs pay $0.20 to $0.60 per 1,000 keystrokes. Reviews also say it’s fairly easy to make $100 per month or more doing small tasks. Language translation jobs reportedly pay very well and can equate to a good hourly wage.
The Smart Crowd Payment Options – The Smart Crowd pays workers via direct deposit into their bank accounts. Their FAQ page says that payments are sent out once per month. A minimum account balance isn’t listed.
More Real Ways To Make Money Online
The 10 micro-task sites featured here are great work from home gigs. However, there are even more part-time and full-time jobs from home available. We frequently review these ways to make money online. I recommend these posts if you want some good examples:
- 12 Online Tutoring Jobs: Earn $10 To $30 Per Hour Working From Home
- Online Jobs That Pay Per Hour: 10 Part-Time And Full-Time Positions
- How To Make $500 Per Month Writing Online
Explore the opportunities in the posts above to find real online jobs. You’ll quickly see that there are diverse options that suit any schedule or income needs.
