Swagbucks vs. InboxDollars: Which One Is Better?

InboxDollars and Swagbucks fill essentially the same niche, but there are a few notable differences between them (most notably how much they pay).

The following table outlines the main similarities and differences between the two platforms:

Comparing InboxDollars and Swagbucks

*Note that our calculations of the hourly rate and average time to cash out include the signup bonus for both sites.

Our data comes from testing both platforms extensively. You can read our complete review of each platform (with proof of our earnings) here:

• InboxDollars review
• Swagbucks review

According to our testing, you’ll earn more with InboxDollars. We earned an average of $4.28 per hour on InboxDollars, in contrast to $2.04 per hour on Swagbucks.

This is partly due to the superior signup bonus that InboxDollars offers. They give you $5 for signing up, whereas Swagbucks only gives you $2.50. That said, even if you factor out the welcome bonus, InboxDollars still pays at least $1 per hour more than Swagbucks.

For context, the rates on InboxDollars are among the best we’ve seen on any microtasking website. Although Swagbucks doesn’t pay quite as well, its rates aren’t unusually low; they’re still ahead of many of its competitors.

It’s important to note that neither platform pays very much in absolute terms. If making money is your main goal, you’d be better off with another side hustle entirely. Consider checking out our list of other remote jobs you can do with no experience.

Alternatives to InboxDollars and Swagbucks

InboxDollars and Swagbucks aren’t the only games in town. If this look at what they offer is making you question whether either one is right for you, there are several other platforms that fill essentially the same niche.

Check out our reviews of them:

• MyPoints
• LifePoints
• Opinion Outpost
• Prime Opinion
• Toluna Influencers
• Forthright

Be aware that you probably won’t earn higher rates on any of these sites than you would on InboxDollars. As we just mentioned, micro tasking platforms pay relatively little compared to more traditional side hustles and jobs.

What’s more, although getting paid to share your opinion and play games sounds idyllic, these platforms aren’t necessarily fun.

Over the course of hundreds of hours of testing, we’ve discovered that microtasking sites are often difficult to use due to software bugs, complicated terms and conditions, and other downsides. If you plan to use them to earn in your downtime, try to find the ones that combine a decent rate with relatively enjoyable tasks and that won’t frustrate you to tears with glitches or other problems.

When we tested both platforms, we took detailed notes on them, paying particular attention to the problems we encountered and how often they occurred.

Here’s what we found when we tested the surveys on InboxDollars and Swagbucks.

Survey Compensation and Completion Statistics on InboxDollars and Swagbucks

If you’re surprised by the paltry 8%–10% success rate for completing surveys, you’re not alone. We were also shocked. It turns out that the high rate at which surveys disqualify people is a common complaint across the web about platforms like these.

One major issue with both sites is that you can often start a survey and then get disqualified partway through (e.g., because you aren’t part of the target demographic). However, you’ll only get paid if you successfully complete it.

When you’re disqualified, you’ll sometimes receive a few cents as a consolation prize, but you may also receive nothing. This makes using both InboxDollars and Swagbucks more frustrating than it should be—it’s easy to waste a lot of time for no reward.

InboxDollars and Swagbucks offer very similar selections of tasks. Here’s a look at the ways you can earn rewards on both platforms:

InboxDollars vs. Swagbucks: Earning Methods

As you can see, InboxDollars offers just one additional way to earn: reading emails, which are primarily marketing messages from their affiliates.

This is a minor task on the site (you earn just a few cents per email), and not a significant selling point

Promotions and bonuses on InboxDollars and Swagbucks

The two platforms both offer ways to boost your rewards with bonuses and special tasks. Some bonuses are automatic (e.g., you get them in the course of using the site); others require jumping through hoops.

Here again, the bonus tasks that InboxDollars and Swagbucks offer are similar (remarkably so—in some cases, they even have the same names). You can get additional rewards on both sites by:

• Completing tasks in a daily to-do list
• Achieving “streaks” (i.e., logging in and meeting goals multiple days in a row)
• Completing rows of tasks on a bingo-style board
• Reaching daily goals for earnings (Swagbucks also features “lifetime” goals)
• Entering sweepstakes
• Opting in to special bonus offers from partners

To illustrate how similar both sites’ bonus schemes are, we’ve included screenshots of their bingo games:

The bingo game on InboxDollars is eerily reminiscent of Swagbucks’s:

Both sites also feature (optional) browser extensions that will alert you to earning opportunities (e.g., when you visit an affiliated online store that’s offering cash back on purchases). Swagbucks provides a small reward for installing their extension; as of March 2024, InboxDollars does not.

InboxDollars and Swagbucks both have advantages and disadvantages. We’ll take a closer look at what distinguishes each site from the other:

Pros and cons of InboxDollars

Unsurprisingly, Swagbucks’s pros and cons mirror InboxDollars’s closely:

Pros and cons of Swagbucks

Are InboxDollars and Swagbucks significantly different?

As you’ve probably gathered, InboxDollars and Swagbucks are strikingly similar sites. In fact, they’re both owned by the same company: Prodege, LLC, a California-based market research firm.

The only significant difference between the two websites is that, as our testing showed, you can earn more on InboxDollars ($2+ more per hour initially, although this drops to a difference of around $1 when you factor out the much larger signup bonus on InboxDollars).

Both platforms have similar offers, games, and surveys. They also offer similar redemption options (PayPal, gift cards, etc.) and promise to pay you in a similar time frame.

If you’re looking for a microtasking website or app, our recommendation is to start with InboxDollars, since it pays more.

If you discover that you enjoy using it and want another source of games and surveys (which may happen, since it’s possible to hit a point of diminishing returns on these platforms), you can also add Swagbucks to your roster.