Prolific Review
Prolific is a top market research company that connects researchers with survey participants. Members can get paid for taking part in research studies just by answering questions. The platform has over 150,000 members and has one of the higher survey payouts on the market at a minimumof $6.50 per hour. However, due to the high demand, new registration is currently paused but there is a waitlist.
Pros
- High survey payout – the platform guarantees a minimum payout of $6.50 per hour, which is higher than most other surveys platforms on the market.
- Low minimum cash out threshold – you can request to withdraw your earnings in cash via PayPal once you have accumulated at least £5 in your account.
- Instant cashouts – payments are processed 2 times a week on Tuesday and Friday. After your first 4 cash outs, your payments are processed instantly.
- Get notified of 1 to 2 new studies per day – use the Prolific Assistant chrome extension to get updates whenever a new study is released on Prolific.
Cons
- Long potential waitlist time – due to high demand, new sign ups are closed and you may need to wiat 2 to 3 months on the waitlist to get a slot.
- Troublesome verification process – to get your account approved, you must to verify your email, phone numeber and ID, which can take up to 5 days.
How Much Can You Make?
You can expect to earn at least $6.50 an hour, but the final payment depends on the length of the study and the number of participants
However, there is no guarantee of how many surveys you will be asked to participate in since surveys are listed according to researcher needs and will depend on the target audience. Up to 100 people will be notified for surveys.
Best Prolific Alternatives
PaidViewpoint
One of the highest paying survey site
Pays even if survey cut off halfway
Consistent survey experience
Swagbucks
Redeem e-gift cards from $1
Free coupons and daily deals
100+ gift cards available (Amazon, Visa)
Prime Opinion
1,000+ Surveys available in US
100+ reward options available
On average earn $10+ per day
Branded Surveys
$0.50 – $5 on average per survey
Surveys length up to 20 minutes
$5 minimum withdrawal to PayPal
Other Ways to Make Money
While the Prolific Participant Referral Scheme is no longer in effect, it is still possible to earn credit through the Researcher Referral scheme.
This allows both the referrer and new client to earn credits of $50 and $100, respectively, once the new researcher has topped up their account. This credit can also be used to pay any Prolific study fees.
The main problem with Prolific is that most of the time the list of Studies will be empty or filled with low paying options.
Prolific Reviews: Is Prolific Legit?
Yes, Prolific is a legitimate site that connects researchers with participants to provide feedback on products and services. The company has a global presence and works with prestigious companies and institutions such as The World Bank, Stanford, and the University of Oxford.
Prolific has a rating of 4.5 on Trustpilot, with most users happy that they could receive bonus payments for their responses. Other reviewers liked how Prolific focuses heavily on academic research-based studies, which they feel are worthwhile to complete.
Unfortunately, some users were not happy with most complaints revolving around the company’s slow support and frequent account bans and locks.
Who Is Prolific For?
Prolific is for researchers (mostly professors and university students) who are looking for high-quality responses from people around the world in a short time.
The company is also for individuals and moms who want to take part in engaging research, and in the process improve human knowledge.
What is Prolific Sign Up Process?
There are two options to sign up with Prolific; as a participant or as a researcher through the official website. You will need to provide a valid email address and supply personal information including your name, address and other demographic details.
As a participant, the more information you supply Prolific, the greater the chances of being matched to a research study. Such includes demographic and geographic variables, political, religious and personal beliefs, education, languages, family and relationships, general health, hobbies, interests and shopping habits.
Researchers, on the other hand, will need to supply a survey link to help Prolific find a target audience and collect responses.
Prolific Requirements
Prolific requires participants to confirm that they are at least 18 years old. It is not a global company, so it is not available in all countries.
Anyone can sign up as a researcher, but participants need to be in listed countries to qualify for the pool. The majority of these countries are in the developed world including the U.S and the United Kingdom.
How Much Prolific points are Worth?
Unlike many survey sites, Prolific does not operate a points system. Participants are paid in cash, a minimum of 5 to 6.50 pounds per hour.
Prolific Hacks
- Ensure your dashboard remains open and join new studies as fast as possible. This will guarantee you a spot in the study.
- If you answer an attention check wrong the researcher has the right to reject your answers and withhold your pay.
- If you believe your study was wrongly rejected, contact the researcher to try to work something out. If they don’t respond, contact Prolific support.
- Use the Prolific Assistant extension to get notifications when new studies arrive.
- Do not skip crucial questions
- You need to engage in the task sufficiently
How to Redeem Points with Prolific?
PayPal
Payments are made via a PayPal account in GBP (British Pounds) and once you have reached earnings of more than £5 ($6.50), you can schedule a payment. Prolific will pay you within 22 days from the date you completed it.
What are the Prolific Pros & Cons?
Prolific Pros
- You can expect at least $6.50 an hour and Prolific is an easy-to-use platform on desktops, tablets, or mobile devices.
- Approval or even rejection of submissions are normally completed within 48 hours of completion.
- You can earn real money for completing surveys rather than accumulating points or rewards.
- With a cash-out threshold of approximately $6, you can work just one hour and not have to wait to receive a payment.
Prolific Cons
- Prolific has limited availability. It is mostly limited to developed countries such as the USA, Canada, and EU countries.
- Does not offer any incentives for signing up and completing your profile.
Prolific Review Verdict: Is Prolific Worth it?
Prolific is a reputable site that offers real money for participants. Participant incentives are paid by the researchers conducting the study, creating an opportunity to earn at least $6.50 per hour.
Although your earnings will depend on the target demographics for specific studies, Prolific provides a great option for anyone looking for a side gig to earn extra money. It is ideal for students or anyone who has some spare time and access to a computer or mobile device.
However, Prolific has no rewards or additional incentives and you will not be paid if your survey submission is rejected. Although it can provide a decent side gig, it is not the best option if you’re looking to make money quickly.
Prolific Survey Site FAQ
What is Prolific?
Previously known as Prolific Academics, Prolific is a survey website that specializes in academic research and pays participants to take surveys. A British research company, Prolific kind of surveys are largely research studies being conducted by universities.
As one of the best survey platforms, Prolific is a self-service research collection tool that has been operating since 2014. This company is registered as Prolific Academic Ltd and was founded by Ekaterina Damer (CEO) and Phelim Bradley (CTO).
Currently, it has 20+ employees and allows participants to participate in different types of research projects including academic research studies.
It also has over 150,000 participants and more than 10,000 researchers. While Prolific does not have a BBB rating, it’s backed by Yale University and Oxford University Innovation.
How does Prolific work?
The Prolific survey database of participants helps researchers to find the ideal participant to take part in specific studies or surveys. This offers quality data to universities, businesses, governments, or individuals through on-demand and self-service data collection.
Researchers pay according to the number of participants needed and the length of the research study.
Additionally, the company has partnered with different companies and organizations to help them in online research, academic research studies, behavior research, and participant research.
Also, Prolific can be integrated into software databases, including Gorilla, SurveyMonkey, Typeform, and Qualtrics.
Is Prolific free?
Prolific is a free website where you can easily sign up and participate in research and other academic surveys.
How to download Prolific mobile app?
Prolific does not have an app. However, it has a mobile-friendly website that you can open in your phone’s internet browser.
Where Prolific is available?
| Countries Where Prolific is Available | Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland. Other countries include Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States. |
Prolific is available in countries like Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland.
Other countries include Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Is Prolific a scam?
Prolific is a legitimate company that actually pays.
Is your information safe with Prolific?
Prolific has detailed security and privacy practices to keep this info safe.
How to contact Prolific customer service?
To contact Prolific support, visit the help center, and submit a request through a request form.
If you find surveys asking for unnecessary personally identifiable information or other sensitive data, report and ignore these types of studies.