Prolific Review: The Best Paid Survey Site?
If you are looking for a simple way to make extra cash while sitting at home in your PJs then online survey sites are a good place to start.
Of all the survey sites I have tried out, I have found Prolific one of the easiest and best to use.
It won’t be replacing my full-time income, and I doubt anyone could make a full-time income from it even if you sit and refresh the available surveys all day.
But it certainly is something you can use – if you put in the time – to make an additional £100 per month. I think of survey sites as just adding an extra stream to my work at home income.
Prolific quick verdict
Prolific is a site that specialises in research surveys run by academics and researchers.
The earnings are far more generous than some other survey sites – with some offering as much as £12 an hour. The pay is around £7 an hour.
Many surveys take one to 10 minutes, so the actual amount you’ll receive is anything from 15p to 50p generally speaking.
Sometimes there will be no studies available for you to take, but generally speaking I will find three per day I can take. Plus the cash out limit is £5, which you’ll be able to reach reasonably quickly compared to some other survey sites.
There is sometimes a waiting list to join Prolific, but people who I have recommended it to have got in after a short wait.
Prolific summary
- Who can use it? Anyone in the 34 approved countries including the UK, US and most of Europe.
- Minimum age: 18 years
- Payout threshold: £5 (payment is in British pounds)
- How long do payments take? Once you have earned £5 you can cash out. Studies can take up to 22 days to process and payment be cleared.
- Average earnings per hour: £7-12 (dependent on payment for surveys available)
- Number of surveys per day: I found an average of 2 to 6
What’s so great about Prolific?
Prolific is my favourite survey site. I’ve become a regular user of survey sites, as they are a simple way to earn extra cash without having to commit to regular time.
I love how easy Prolific is to use and the great pay rate for surveys. The other reasons to use Prolific are:
- It’s free to sign up.
- The dashboard is incredibly simple to use.
- They pay cash – not in rewards or vouchers.
- You can earn the £5 threshold needed to get a pay out reasonably fast. If you put the time in you can do this in a week.
- Most of the surveys are super easy to do lasting just a few minutes.
Is Prolific legit?
Prolific is a legitimate site which has been in operation since 2014. It has a registered company address in Oxfordshire.
I can confirm I have used Prolific for over three years and always received payouts when I decided I wanted to cash out.
How does Prolific work?
Prolific is a survey site that pays in cash for you to fill in surveys for researchers online. Access to the surveys is via a website, not an app.
It used to be called Prolific Academic, but the name has changed to the short and sweet Prolific.
The site was launched with an aim to connect researchers with survey participants to help with online behavioural research.
You provide Prolific with information about you, including your financial situation, family situation, languages spoken, and political beliefs.
Once you are signed up and your profile is complete, with all areas of the “About You” section filled out, you simply wait for studies to become available.
The type of surveys it asks you to participate in vary.
Some may ask you to answer a series of questions. I have also taken surveys that require you to watch a video and then answer questions on that. Another survey I took asked me to watch a video showing a new TV advert while my reaction to it was recorded.
Surveys on the site can last as little as one to minutes, while others can take 30 minutes or more. There are also surveys that may take place over several different parts.
New studies appear as and when the become available. Some will fill up very fast, depending on how many spaces they have.
Some surveys are run by academics and others may be run by research bodies.
If you manage to snag a place on a survey, you usually have 10 minutes to get started. Once you begin a survey you need to see it through to the end in order to receive the payment for taking part. When you start a survey you are often redirected to another site.
Once you have complete a survey to the end you will be redirected to the Prolific site. Once your submission is confirmed by the company or person who initiated the survey then your balance will be updated on the Prolific site.
Is Prolific safe
Yes Prolific is a legit survey site to use with a four star rating on TrustPilot.
I have been using Prolific for some time and feel confident it is a reliable and safe platform to use.
How much money can you make with Prolific?
The payment you will receive for carrying out an individual survey depends on how long the survey lasts and the rate per hour each individual study offers. Surveys pay a minimum of £6.50 per hour.
The amount you can make on each Prolific surveys ranges from around 15p to £5. The most I have received for one survey is £3.13.
I believe there’s the potential to make £100 per month if you show up on the site every day and give it some time for new studies to become available.
One of my followers has made over £200 in just a few months.
When do you get paid with Prolific?
Payment is via PayPal.
You can claim your cash once you have more than £5 in your available balance. It doesn’t take long to hit this amount if you spend some time waiting for studies to become available.
You need to have verified your cash out PayPal email address before you can get paid, but this is a very easy process. Simply follow the instructions under your Account profile.
Once you have made your fourth cash out you will qualify to receive instant cash outs.
Prolific makes payments on Tuesdays and Fridays.
What do you need to sign up to Prolific?
To use Prolific you need desktop or laptop computer in order to be eligible for many of the studies.
Some studies ask you to play a game which may have high requirements of your computer. I tried to take part in a study that involved playing a game and was told my laptop didn’t have high enough spec to cope with the graphics.
Other studies require you to have a web cam to participate.
You can participate in some studies from your mobile however, I do recommend logging in with a computer where you can so that you will be eligible for all studies.
To sign up to Prolific you need to be from the following countries:
AT, AU, BE, CA, CH, CL, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LU, LV, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, SE, SI, and US.
Is Prolific worth it
If you want to make a little extra cash from home to top up your income then it’s definitely worth signing up to Prolific.
The site is very simple to use – with the amount of money you have made displayed under your balance in the top menu, which I think gives you a little extra motivation to keep dropping by the site.
I sign in to Prolific then keep the window open on my computer so I can see when a notification of a new study pops up.
You won’t make your millions on Prolific, but you could make extra cash towards your savings goal!
Related online survey sites
Because your earnings are limited by how many studies become available on the Prolific website it’s a good idea to try your hand at other survey sites too to make extra cash at home.
The ones that get great feedback from users are:
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