A short task site is a list of small jobs. You pick one, you do it, it pays. Some take 5 minutes, some take 20.
The trick is picking tasks where the pay is worth the minutes. A $2 task that takes 40 minutes is a bad deal no matter how easy it is. Most of these sites show you what a task pays before you start, so do the math before you tap.
Heads up if you’re coming from an old list: Amazon Mechanical Turk, the original micro task site, has permanently closed. Anything telling you to sign up for it is out of date.
Short task sites compared
| Site | Typical task | Cash-out | Paid by | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freecash | Games, app trials, surveys | $5 to $20 first time | PayPal, crypto, gift cards | Try it |
| Testerup | Game tests, surveys (15 to 20 min) | Set amounts in the app | PayPal, Venmo, Visa card, Amazon card | Try it |
| Bigcash | Offers (5 to 10 min) | Not posted | PayPal, gift cards, Bitcoin | Try it |
| KashKick | Game goals, surveys | $10 | PayPal, gift cards | Try it |
| Prolific | Research studies | $6 | PayPal | Visit |
| Clickworker | Data, text, photo tasks | Not posted | PayPal, Payoneer | Visit |
| Swagbucks | Surveys, games, shopping | $3 in gift cards | PayPal, gift cards | Try it |
| InboxDollars | Surveys, PaidEmails | $15 first time | PayPal, Visa, gift cards | Try it |
Quick offer apps (the fastest money)
These three pay for small offers on your phone or computer. Pick a task, hit the goal, get paid. They’re where most people see their first real payout.
1.Freecash
Best for: fast cash-outs
- What it is
- A rewards site and app that pays for small tasks: games, app trials, surveys and other offers.
- What you do
- Scroll the offers, pick one where the pay beats the time, finish it. Works on a laptop as well as a phone.
- How much it pays
- $10 welcome bonus once you finish your first offer. First withdrawal is $5 to $20 depending on where you live, then $5 for PayPal. Most PayPal, crypto and gift card withdrawals land instantly.
- The catch
- A selfie and ID check before your first cash-out. 16 and up.
Worth it? Yes. If you only try one site on this page, make it this one, since you’ll know within a day whether it pays.
2.Testerup
Best for: 15 to 20 minute tasks
- What it is
- An app that pays you to test mobile games and answer surveys.
- What you do
- Pick a task from a list of 2,000+ and follow its steps. Most take 15 to 20 minutes, and each one shows its reward before you start.
- 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
- You lose 5% on PayPal and Venmo payouts. The Visa card and Amazon card pay in full. 18+ and a face check before your first payout.
Worth it? Yes if you’ve got 20 minutes and a phone. Seeing the reward up front makes it easy to skip the bad ones.
3.Bigcash
Best for: 5 to 10 minute offers
- What it is
- A rewards app that pays coins for games, apps, surveys and offers. 250 coins = $1.
- What you do
- Pick an offer and finish it. Bigcash says most take 5 to 10 minutes.
- How much it pays
- Cash out to PayPal, gift cards or Bitcoin. Its App Store listing says payments go out within 36 hours. Bigcash claims some offers pay up to $170.
- The catch
- It doesn’t post a fixed cash-out minimum, and it can raise yours based on how you use the account. On a computer the button opens Freecash instead.
Worth it? Only on your phone, and only if you’ll see an offer through. Coins can get taken back if an advertiser flags your activity.
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Study and micro task sites
Less flashy, more like actual small jobs. These are the closest thing left to the old Mechanical Turk style of work.
4.KashKick
Best for: a low cash-out in the US
- What it is
- A US-only site and app that pays cash for game goals, surveys and deals.
- What you do
- Play a game until you hit its milestone, or knock out a survey when you’re bored.
- How much it pays
- Cash out at $10 to PayPal or gift cards. Staff review each withdrawal, typically in 1 to 3 business days, and most get approved within a day.
- The catch
- Game and offer earnings sit pending for 1 to 31 days (about 14 on average) before you can touch them. US only, 18+.
Worth it? Yes if you’re in the US and fine waiting on pending money. The $10 cash-out is easy to hit.
5.Prolific
Best for: research studies that pay cash
- What it is
- A site where universities and companies pay you to take part in online research studies.
- What you do
- Check your dashboard for studies, take the ones that fit you. You can leave any study at any time.
- How much it pays
- Real money only, no gift cards. Researchers have to pay at least $8 an hour for a study. Cash out to PayPal once you hit $6, and it lands within 24 hours, usually sooner.
- The catch
- You can cash out once every 24 hours at most, and a new or updated PayPal account (or one of your first few cash-outs) means a 72-hour wait between cash-outs.
Worth it? Yes if you want tasks that pay cash and respect your time. It’s the best pure task site still standing.
Why does Prolific get so much love? Because the people posting the work have to meet a pay floor, and you get paid in cash instead of points. Check in a few times a day, take the ones that fit, and cash out whenever you’re past $6.
6.Clickworker
Best for: classic micro tasks
- What it is
- A micro task marketplace for small data and content jobs.
- What you do
- Pick tasks like surveys, text writing, web research, app testing, photo and audio recordings, or AI training data.
- How much it pays
- Clickworker doesn’t post pay rates. You get paid weekly through PayPal or Payoneer once the client approves your work.
- The catch
- You don’t know what a task pays until you’re in, and pay waits on the client’s approval.
Worth it? Only if you want a mix of real micro jobs. Try one batch of tasks before you commit any time to it.
Rewards sites with a pile of small tasks
Slower money, but there’s always something to do on them.
7.Swagbucks
Best for: tons of task types
- What it is
- A big rewards site that pays points (SB) for surveys, games, shopping and deals. 100 SB = $1.
- What you do
- Hop between surveys, game goals, receipt scans and offers.
- How much it pays
- Gift cards from 300 SB ($3). PayPal cash lands in 2 to 5 business days.
- The catch
- The $10 welcome bonus needs a $25 purchase through Swagbucks within 30 days. Points per task are small.
Worth it? Only if you also shop online. Then the bonus is easy money.
8.InboxDollars
Best for: easy couch tasks
- What it is
- A site and app that pays in dollars for surveys, games and PaidEmails.
- What you do
- Open PaidEmails, take surveys, play games. Small stuff you can do on the couch.
- How much it pays
- $5 welcome bonus after the short profile survey. First cash-out $15, then $10, by PayPal, Visa or gift card.
- The catch
- Payment can take up to 10 business days. Skip logging in for the 10 days before it processes and the request gets removed. US only.
Worth it? Only if you’re patient. The tasks are easy, the payouts are slow.
How to make short tasks worth it
Work out the hourly. If a task says $3 and 30 minutes, that’s $6 an hour. Skip it and find a better one.
Cash out early and often. Small balances sitting on five different sites aren’t money yet.
Finish what you start. Most offer apps only pay when you hit the full goal, so quitting a game halfway is time you don’t get back.
If you’d rather just answer questions, the best survey sites list is shorter and pickier. If testing is your thing, here’s how to get paid to test apps. Need a quick target? Try making $10 fast first. There’s more in the side hustles section.
Short task FAQ
Which short task site pays the fastest?
Freecash. After the one-time ID check, most PayPal, crypto and gift card withdrawals are instant. Prolific’s PayPal cash-outs land within 24 hours.
Is Amazon Mechanical Turk still open?
No. Mechanical Turk has permanently closed. Prolific and Clickworker are the closest things to it that are still taking people.
Can I do short tasks on a computer?
Yes. Freecash, Prolific, Clickworker, Swagbucks and InboxDollars all work in a browser. Testerup and Bigcash are phone apps.
Do short task sites cost money to join?
None of the eight here do. If a task site asks you to pay before you can work, walk away.
Next step
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