We Tried Swagbucks and Survey Junkie — Here’s the Better Pick

We’ve used Swagbucks and Survey Junkie for years — taking surveys, testing promos, and cashing out dozens of times. On the surface, they look similar. But once you spend time on both, the differences become obvious.

Swagbucks gives you more ways to earn (games, shopping, referrals), while Survey Junkie sticks to surveys but usually pays more per gig.

Both pay. Both are legit. But they work better for different types of users.

Swagbucks vs. Survey Junkie: Our Quick Verdict ⚖️

Here’s how I’d break it down based on how I actually use the apps:

What you want	Best App
You want games, shopping rewards, or referrals
You prefer surveys with higher payouts per task
You want to test both and see what fits	✓ Try Both
Our advice: I keep both apps on my phone, but I use them differently. Survey Junkie is what I open when I want a focused, decent-paying survey. Swagbucks is what I use when I’m just trying to earn something, even if it’s a few cents from a receipt or a random task.

🏃 Want to skip ahead?

Now, let’s start by taking a closer look at how both apps work, what they’re good for, and what to watch out for, starting with Swagbucks.

Swagbucks Review: Flexible, Rewarding, but a Bit of a Maze

I’ve had Swagbucks on my phone for years, and it’s still one of my favorite ways to earn money from my phone when I’m otherwise just trying to kill time. I’ll tap through a few surveys, snap a grocery receipt, or check for $1 gift card promos whenever I have a few seconds to spare. It’s not the highest-paying app, but it’s remarkably consistent in earning me a few extra bucks each month. 

You earn points (called SB) for completing all sorts of small tasks. Some days, I take paid surveys. Other days, I scan receipts, play a game on my phone, or shop online through the cashback portal. I also let the browser extension (SwagButton) do its thing because it automatically searches the web for working coupon codes when I check out at places. 

I used to mess with the video wall and watch-to-earn section, but it stopped tracking properly and just felt like a waste of time (and now Swagbucks has shuttered it altogether). Now, I mostly stick to what’s quick or entirely passive.

That variety is what makes Swagbucks useful, but also what makes it a bit messy.

There’s no clean workflow, and some offers aren’t worth the time. I’ve had offers disappear mid-task or underpay compared to what was promised. One game offer I spent hours completely promised 750 SB, but only awarded 250. Support fixed it three days later, but only after I submitted a ticket and a fair bit of back and forth.

Once you learn to spot the higher-value opportunities, though (surveys that pay 5+ SB per minute or Play offers with low-level milestones), it becomes much easier to earn meaningful rewards without wasting as much time. 

Most days, I just sort surveys by the payout-to-time ratio and skip anything under 50 SB. The platform constantly rotates in new stuff, so there’s almost always something to try, but you have to be picky.

Swagbucks isn’t flashy or high-paying per task, but it pays off best when you leverage all the different earning opportunities. If you want a single go-to app you can dip into for incremental pocket change or passive earnings, it’s still one of the few I’ve stuck with year after year.

Want more tips and payout screenshots? Read Megan’s in-depth Swagbucks review for a closer look at what it’s like to use every day.

Inside Survey Junkie: Focused, Predictable, and Fast Payouts

If most survey apps feel spammy, Survey Junkie is one of the rare ones that feels somewhat useful. It’s built around one thing — surveys — and after years of testing the platform, I still come back to it when I want the least cluttered way to earn.

I originally signed up in 2019 while testing a batch of GPT apps. At the time, Survey Junkie stood out for how quickly I could cash out, and how few hoops there were (there’s more now, but they’re not totally unreasonable). 

Getting started is fast. You can create an account in under two minutes and get a 170-point bonus just for verifying your email address. From there, new surveys show up daily based on your profile info and past activity. Most pay between 30 and 150 points ($0.30 to $1.50), and the estimated times are generally accurate, which is more than I can say for most GPT sites.

Nowadays, I check in 2 to 3 times a week, usually in the mornings when I’m sipping coffee. Some days, I only find one or two surveys I qualify for. Others, I knock out $3 to $5 worth in 20 minutes.

There’s no offerwall clutter, games, or shopping extensions — just a clean feed of surveys.

And, if you’re interested, check out Surf to Earn, an optional feature that lets you earn passively by sharing your data. If you’re privacy-conscious, you can skip it, but for passive-income-minded earners who dont care if Survey Junkie knows things like where you shop, it’s a good way to accrue a few bucks each month.

The downside, as with any paid survey site, is that you’ll get screened out of surveys often. Even with a completed profile, I only qualify for about 1 in 5 surveys. It’s frustrating when you spend three minutes answering questions only to hit a dead end, especially when the progress bar gives no warning. But rejections are relatively quick, and Survey Junkie gets better at matching over time.

For cashing out, the math is easy: 100 points = $1. I almost always redeem as soon as I hit 500 points, usually for free PayPal cash. My last payout hit my PayPal account in under 5 minutes. You can also choose free gift cards or bank transfer.

Survey Junkie isn’t flashy, and that’s its strength. It’s efficient, no-nonsense, and ideal if you just want to knock out a few quick surveys. Compared to Swagbucks, which gives you a little bit of everything, Survey Junkie sticks to what it does best, and that’s exactly why it’s still part of my rotation.

Curious how it held up over the years? Here’s my full Survey Junkie review with more payout examples, tips, and honest downsides.

Swagbucks vs. Survey Junkie: Feature-by-Feature Snapshot

Earning Potential: Which One Pays More (and Faster?)

Both Swagbucks and Survey Junkie actually pay, but how much you earn (and how quickly) depends on how you use them.

Survey Junkie consistently pays more per survey, but it’s limited to surveys only. Most tasks pay between $0.30 and $1.50, with occasional surveys offering up to $4. The site claims you can earn up to $40/month, and while that’s possible, I found $5 to $20/month is more realistic for consistent use. You’ll earn more if you check in regularly, opt into Surf to Earn, and complete a few surveys a day.

I usually cash out via PayPal the moment I hit 500 points, just in case something ever happens to my account.

Swagbucks, on the other hand, has a wider earning range. You can earn anywhere from 1 SB (1 cent) for scanning a receipt to 750 SB (~$7.50) for completing a game offer. But most surveys fall in the 40 to 150 SB range, and the time estimates can be hit or miss.

Megan Robinson, former Managing Editor at DollarSprout, has used Swagbucks for more than seven years. “I earned 256 SBs over the past three days by taking one survey, uploading a receipt, and testing the Play feature,” she said. On one Kroger run, she earned $12.51 back through Magic Receipts, stacking Swagbucks with store coupons and a cashback credit card.

She also avoids low-efficiency surveys by sorting them differently: “I sort surveys by SBs-per-minute instead of highest total payout. It’s the only way to keep your hourly rate decent.” One 30-minute survey she took paid 135 SBs, which came out to $2.70/hour, about average compared to other platforms.

Here’s how my one-hour test sessions on each platform stacked up:

• Survey Junkie: $4.20 (three surveys completed, two screen-outs)
• Swagbucks: $2.85 (one survey, one receipt, and a partially completed game offer)

Survey Junkie is better for focused survey-taking with less clutter. But Swagbucks gives you more ways to stack rewards, especially if you combine surveys, games, cashback, and referrals.

What You Can Expect to Earn, Based on How You Use the App

Here’s what typical users can expect to earn on each platform, according to our testing and payout history.

Payouts and Redemption: Speed, Options, and Friction

Both Swagbucks and Survey Junkie offer flexible ways to redeem your earnings, including PayPal cash, gift cards, and even direct bank transfers. But the speed and reliability of those redemptions can vary.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks lets you cash out once you’ve earned at least 100 SB (worth $1), but most popular rewards, like PayPal or free Amazon gift cards, typically require 300 to 500 SB minimums. Most of our redemptions arrived within 24 to 48 hours, though we’ve seen larger redemptions or new payout methods take up to 5 days.

If you shop through Swagbucks or use Magic Receipts, your earnings may stay in a “pending” state for a while. Cashback bonuses usually show up after 7 to 30 days, depending on the merchant. You can track these in the “Pending Earnings” section of the SwagButton.

• Pros: Wide range of payout options (including niche brands); occasional discounts on select gift cards
• Cons: PayPal payouts may require ID verification on your first redemption; some rewards show as “out of stock” during peak demand

Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is more straightforward. You earn points (100 points = $1) and can cash out once you hit 500 points, either through PayPal, bank transfer, or a variety of gift cards. In our experience, PayPal redemptions usually landed in our account within 1–5 minutes after verification.

There’s no “pending” status or partial redemptions, just a clean balance and a simple cashout button. What you see is what you can redeem.

• Pros: Fast payouts (often instant); easy-to-understand system with no locked or delayed points
• Cons: No partial redemptions; you must hit $5 before cashing out

Mobile App Experience and Trustworthiness

When it comes to mobile usability, the difference is clear. Survey Junkie launches straight into a clean list of matched surveys, with point values and time estimates easy to see. There’s no clutter, no shopping tabs, no offerwalls. It does one thing, paid surveys, and it does it well. In my experience, screens load quickly, and the app rarely crashes.

Swagbucks packs in more features, which makes the interface feel a bit overwhelming. Some tabs open in-browser, and it’s not always clear what triggered a reward, but if you’re looking to earn in multiple ways, there’s more to explore.

As far as trust goes, both apps are legit. Survey Junkie has a 4.5-star rating on the App Store with over 82,000 reviews. Swagbucks holds a 4.4 with 144,000+.

On Google Play, both apps are rated 4.3 or higher. I’ve cashed out from both multiple times, but Survey Junkie was consistently faster, and their support team responded quickly when I needed to verify my account.

Category Winners: Swagbucks vs. Survey Junkie

After spending time with both apps (e.g., cashing out, hitting survey walls, and testing every feature I could), here’s how I’d sum it up. Not everything was close.

Our Final Verdict: Which App Should You Use?

After years of using both, I haven’t uninstalled either, but I use them differently.

Survey Junkie is the better pick if you just want surveys. Payouts are clearer, the app is quieter, and the experience is more efficient overall. It feels like a true research panel, not a gamified cashback portal.

Swagbucks is what I reach for when I want to earn something, even if it’s small. It doesn’t always offer the best survey rates, and the interface can feel cluttered, but there’s always something to do.

💡 Bottom line: If you only care about surveys, start with Survey Junkie. If you want more ways to earn throughout the day, even if it’s only a few cents at a time, Swagbucks has more long-term value.

I use both, but if I had to delete one, I’d keep Swagbucks for the daily trickle of points. It fits better with how I use my phone during the day.

Other Survey Apps Worth Checking Out

If neither app feels like the perfect match, there are still a few others I use and recommend:

• Branded Surveys: I’ve had decent luck with Branded. The surveys pay well, the site’s clean, and you can cash out to PayPal or gift cards once you hit 500 points.
• InboxDollars: This one feels a lot like Swagbucks: surveys, games, even paid emails. Plus, they offer a $5 sign-up bonus.
• Freecash: The layout is slick, and the offers pay fast. You can even earn crypto or gift cards, which makes it a fun option if you’re trying to maximize variety.

I’ve tested dozens of these apps over the years. Here’s my full list of which ones are worth your time and which to skip.

FAQ: Swagbucks vs. Survey Junkie

Still on the fence? Here are some common questions people ask before signing up, along with answers based on my firsthand experience using both apps.