Swagbucks and Survey Junkie are two of the most popular paid survey sites out there. But they also have very different earning options and rewards. Plus, platform availability is also quite different.
To help you pick the best platform for you, our Swagbucks vs Survey Junkie breakdown is covering everything you need to know. Let's dive in!
Swagbucks vs Survey Junkie – At A Glance
Swagbucks | Survey Junkie | |
Earning Options | Surveys, games, cash-back offers, receipts, sweepstakes | Surveys |
Rewards | PayPal, free gift cards, charitable donations | PayPal, free gift cards, charitable donations, bank transfer |
Cash Out Minimum | $1 to $5 | $5 |
Availability | Mostly global; 13 or older to sign up | North America and Australia; 18 or older to sign up |
Sign Up & Referral Bonuses | $5 to $10 sign up bonuses in some countries; referral bonuses | Limited sign up bonuses for verifying your email |
Best For | Multiple earning options like games and cash-back deals | Answering online surveys for money |
Swagbucks vs Survey Junkie – Feature Breakdown
Both of these popular get-paid-to (GPT) websites are easy ways to make money online. But how do they compare side by side? Here’s what to know!
1. Earning Options
The main difference between Survey Junkie and Swagbucks is that the main way to earn money with Survey Junkie is to complete paid surveys. In contrast, Swagbucks has way more earning options, including:
- Cash games
- Coupons
- Cash back deals
- Trivia for money
- Watching videos
- Receipt rewards
- Travel discounts
Swagbucks games are particularly lucrative, with some offers paying out $50 to $100+ per completion. And I love how many cash back deals there are.
If you just want to answer surveys, I think Survey Junkie surveys pay more than Swagbucks surveys on average. And I like Survey Junkie's UI more. But for earning variety, Swagbucks is better than Survey Junkie.
Winner: Swagbucks has far more earning options than Survey Junkie.
2. Rewards & Cash Out Minimums
Both Swagbucks and Survey Junkie let you cash out with free PayPal money, gift cards, and charitable donations. Survey Junkie also offers bank transfers, whereas Swagbucks doesn't offer this payout method.
With Survey Junkie, you can cash out once you earn 500 points, which is worth $5. Most rewards on Swagbucks also require $5 to cash out. However, you can also find $1 and $3 rewards sometimes. Although PayPal cash requires $5 on both platforms.
Both options are great websites and apps for earning gift cards or cash. Swagbucks takes a slight edge, however, since it offers more gift cards and occasionally lower cash-out minimums.
Winner: Swagbucks has a larger variety of rewards and sometimes lower redemption minimums.
3. Availability
Here's how Survey Junkie vs Swagbucks compare in terms of availability and joining requirements:
- Swagbucks: Available in most of North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. You must be 13 or older to join.
- Survey Junkie: Available in the United States, Canada, and Australia. You must be 18 or older to join.
As you can see, Swagbucks is both an international survey site and good teenage survey site due to the lower age requirement. There's really no comparison here in terms of availability.
Winner: Swagbucks is available in more areas and is also available to younger users.
4. Referral & Sign Up Bonuses
Swagbucks often offers new users in the United States a $5 or $10 free sign up bonus. It also has an okay referral bonus. You can receive 300 Swagbucks when a friend signs up and earns at least 300 Swagbucks in their first 30 days as a member.
Furthermore, you earn 10% of their lifetime earnings on Swagbucks when you refer someone. This is a great way to earn passive income if your friends stay active.
In contrast, Survey Junkie gives you a couple bonuses for doing things like installing the desktop app, verifying your email, and downloading its extension. This is about $3 to $5 in total bonuses. There's no sign up bonus or referral program right now.
Winner: Swagbucks is a clear winner in this category by offering bonus for signing up and referring friends.
5. Mobile App
Both Swagbucks and Survey Junkie have Android and iOS apps, so you can hustle from your phone. And both platforms also have browser extensions that help you find additional earning opportunities.
I've used both apps over the years. Survey Junkie has a better app than Swagbucks in my opinion and is very user-friendly and doesn't crash when answering surveys as often as Swagbucks does.
Winner: While both apps are easy to use, Survey Junkie is the winner with a more user friendly app.
6. Trustpilot Ratings
What do others think about Survey Junkie vs Swagbucks?
Both websites are highly rated by users on Trustpilot. Swagbucks has a 4.0 out of 5 possible stars on Trustpilot and Survey Junkie has a score of 4.1 out of 5 possible stars. Overall, users of both sites are pleased with the experience.
Winner: Survey Junkie reviews online are slightly higher than Swagbucks reviews, but both companies are highly rated.
The Best Ways To Get $500 By Tomorrow.
Should You Use Swagbucks Or Survey Junkie?
If you're wondering if Swagbucks is better than Survey Junkie or not, here are some important factors to consider when choosing which platform to use:
Swagbucks is better than Survey Junkie if:
- You Shop Online: One easy way to earn Swagbucks is by earning rewards for shopping online. This is a great way to make money when you shop, and there are some awesome cash back offers.
- You Want To Earn Receipt Rewards: Swagbucks' Magic Receipts feature pays you for taking photos of your receipts, which is a pretty innovative feature.
- You Like Playing Games: Swagbucks has tons of real money games you can play to earn cash or gift cards. Survey Junkie doesn't offer any games.
- You're Under 18: Swagbucks is more globally available than Survey Junkie and also available to people under 18.
Survey Junkie is better than Swagbucks if:
- You Want High-Paying Surveys: Survey Junkie is one of the highest paid survey sites out there, and rates are a bit higher than Swagbucks in my experience.
- You Hustle From Your Phone: I think Survey Junkie has a better mobile app than Swagbucks.
- You Want Bank Transfer Payouts: Survey Junkie and Swagbucks have similar rewards, but Survey Junkie's bank transfer option is a unique selling point.
Also, keep in mind you can always use Survey Junkie and Swagbucks together! I recommend focusing on surveys with Survey Junkie since it pays more. But you can use Swagbucks to earn cash back when you shop or to find fun paid to play games.
Final Thoughts
Swagbucks or Survey Junkie, which one is better? Well, it depends on what you like and your goals.
We think Swagbucks is superior if you want as many earning options as possible. It's also way more globally friendly. Plus, the sign up bonuses let you enjoy some free money.
That said, Survey Junkie is better for making money with online surveys. And if you live in a country where it's available, it's definitely worth trying out.
The nice thing is that you don’t have to pick one or the other. You can do both! This can help give you extra money and both websites are legitimate side hustles.
Want more useful guides? Checkout:
- The Best Swagbucks Hacks.
- The Best Survey Junkie Hacks.
- Is Survey Spin Legit?
- The Best Websites Like Swagbucks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Swagbucks vs Branded Surveys – What’s Best?
Swagbucks is better than Branded Surveys if you want more earning options, like games and shopping rewards. But Branded Surveys is better for just making money with surveys and has a better loyalty bonus.
Kashkick vs Swagbucks – What’s Best?
Kashkick is only available in the United States, but it's very similar to Swagbucks. It has slightly higher-paying gaming offers and some unique shopping or financial offers. But Swagbucks has more offers overall and has slightly better surveys.
Swagbucks also has way more rewards and a lower cash out minimum; Kashkick requires $10 to cash out and only offers PayPal payments.