App testing isn’t a job you apply for once and you’re set. It’s a stack of small paid tests, and you only get the ones you qualify for. So sign up for two or three sites and take whatever fits.
And no, you don’t need to know anything about code. You need a phone, a computer for some of these, a mic for the recorded ones, and the patience to follow instructions exactly.
Start here: get paid to test mobile games
This is the fastest way in. No audition, no recordings. You play a game someone wants tested and you get paid when you hit the goal.
1.Testerup
Best for: testing games on your phone
- What it is
- An app that pays you to test mobile games and take surveys.
- What you do
- Pick a game from the list, see what it pays before you start, then play until you hit the goal. Most tasks take 15 to 20 minutes.
- How much it pays
- $10 welcome bonus. Cash out to PayPal, Venmo (US), a Visa virtual card or an Amazon gift card, usually within 24 hours and up to 3 business days.
- The catch
- PayPal and Venmo payouts lose 5%, the Visa card and Amazon card don’t. You get paid for finishing the goal, not for trying. 18+, and a face check before your first payout.
Worth it? Yes. It’s the easiest app testing gig there is, and you’ll know after one task whether you like it.
Like the game side of things? Bigcash, Freecash and a few others pay for game goals too. They’re all in the game apps that pay real money list.
Recorded usability tests (talk through an app, get paid)
This is what most people mean by app testing. A company gives you a few tasks in its app or website. You do them while your screen and voice are recorded, and you say out loud what you’re thinking. What confused you, what you’d click, what you’d never use.
Every site below makes you do a practice or qualification test first. Take it seriously. Talk the whole time, be specific, and don’t be nice for the sake of it. Clients review what you record, and on some of these sites you only get paid once they approve it.
2.UserTesting
Best for: the most tests
- What it is
- The biggest name in paid usability testing.
- What you do
- Answer screening questions to match with tests, then record your screen and voice (sometimes your face) while you use an app or site and talk it through.
- How much it pays
- UserTesting doesn’t post a set rate. Pay depends on the test type, how long it runs and demand. Payments go out by PayPal, usually 14 days after a test.
- The catch
- PayPal is the only way to get paid, no taxes are taken out (that’s on you), and you need a mic for the practice test.
Worth it? Yes if you’re comfortable talking out loud while you click. It’s the one most testers start with.
3.Userfeel
Best for: posted pay rates
- What it is
- A usability testing site that posts its pay right up front.
- What you do
- Test websites, apps or prototypes while you talk through what you see.
- How much it pays
- $3 for a 5 minute test, $10 for 20 minutes, $20 for 40 minutes and $30 for an hour. Most tests are the 20 minute, $10 kind. Approved test pay reaches your Userfeel wallet in about a week, then you withdraw by PayPal (bank transfer in some countries).
- The catch
- The qualification test is unpaid. You need a mic, and Windows 10 or newer if you’re on a PC.
Worth it? Yes if you like knowing the rate before you start. At $10 for 20 minutes, the math is easy.
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4.Userbrain
Best for: short flat-rate tests
- What it is
- A testing site that pays one flat rate for short recorded tests.
- What you do
- Install the Userbrain Recorder (Chrome, iPhone or Android), then speak your thoughts while you go through a set of tasks for about 5 to 20 minutes.
- How much it pays
- Exactly $5 for every approved test video, by PayPal.
- The catch
- You record a qualification test first and only get paid tests if they approve you. $5 is the same whether the test runs 5 minutes or 20.
Worth it? Only as a second site. Quick tests are fine for $5, long ones aren’t.
5.Userlytics
- What it is
- A usability testing platform with its own tester app.
- What you do
- Take recorded tests on a Mac or PC with headphones and a working mic. Some tests also want your webcam.
- How much it pays
- Userlytics doesn’t post per-test pay. Approved tests are paid by PayPal once every 15 days.
- The catch
- You only get paid after the client reviews and approves your test, so a sloppy one can earn nothing.
Worth it? Only if you’ve already got UserTesting or Userfeel going and want more tests.
Bug hunting (paid per test or per hour)
A step up from talking through an app. Here you’re looking for things that break, and writing up what happened so a developer can fix it.
6.Testbirds
Best for: people who like breaking things
- What it is
- A European crowdtesting company that pays testers in euros for bug tests, usability tests and interviews.
- What you do
- Register, fill out your profile, add your devices and pass an entry test. Then test apps and sites on real devices and report bugs.
- How much it pays
- Testbirds says a test can pay 10 euros, 50 euros or more depending on how complex it is. Bugs pay about 1 euro for minor ones up to 5 euros for critical ones, and it says a normal pace works out to 10 euros or more an hour. Request a payout from 6 euros, by bank transfer or PayPal. Payday is at the end of the month.
- The catch
- Payments can take 30 to 40 days after you request them, and they won’t pay you without a tax ID number.
Worth it? Only if you’re detail-minded and patient about getting paid. The work is more real than the rest, so is the wait.
7.Ubertesters
- What it is
- A crowdtesting company that pays testers by the hour to test pre-release apps, websites and games.
- What you do
- Register, get certified, then test projects on your computer and phone.
- How much it pays
- Paid for the time you spend testing. Your hourly rate depends on your level, where you live and the project. Paid once a month by PayPal, Amazon gift card or Upwork.
- The catch
- No posted rate, and it can take several weeks to hear back after you apply.
Worth it? Only as a long shot. Apply, forget about it, and take it as a bonus if they call.
Sites from old lists that are gone or changed
A lot of “get paid to test apps” lists are years old. TryMyUI became Trymata, and trymata.com now sends you to a QuestionPro page with nothing for testers. Intellizoom now redirects to UserTesting. UserZoom, What Users Do and Ferpection have been folded into other companies. If a list still tells you to sign up for those, it hasn’t been checked in a while.
And watch for any testing site that asks you to pay to join. None of the seven here charge you anything.
How much can you make testing apps?
Here’s what the sites themselves post. Userfeel pays $10 for its usual 20 minute test, which works out to about $30 an hour while you’re actually testing. Userbrain is $5 a test. Testbirds puts its own rule of thumb at 10 euros or more an hour. UserTesting and Userlytics don’t publish a rate at all.
The real limit isn’t the rate. It’s how many tests you qualify for, and none of these sites promise a number. That’s why it’s smart to sign up for two or three and keep Testerup on your phone for the days nothing comes in.
So it’s a solid side gig, not a paycheck. If you want more ways to stack small payouts, the short task sites list pairs well with this one, and there’s a much bigger list of side gigs if testing doesn’t click. Everything else lives in side hustles.
App testing questions
Do I need any experience to get paid to test apps?
No. Game testing on Testerup needs nothing but a phone. The recorded test sites want you to pass a practice or qualification test, and that’s it.
What equipment do I need?
For recorded tests, a computer and a mic at minimum. Userlytics also wants headphones and sometimes a webcam, and Userfeel needs Windows 10 or newer on a PC. Game testing only needs your phone.
How do app testers get paid?
Mostly PayPal. UserTesting, Userbrain and Userlytics pay only by PayPal. Testerup adds Venmo, a Visa card and Amazon gift cards. Testbirds pays by bank transfer or PayPal.
Is getting paid to test apps legit?
Yes, when the site is real and free to join. Every site on this page is free. A “testing job” that asks you to buy equipment or pay a sign-up cost is a scam.
Next step
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