Are microtask websites really worth your time — or just another online "opportunity" that wastes your effort for pennies?
To find out, I ran a real experiment. I spent 10 hours over 5 days working on three popular platforms available in the U.S. and tracked every task, every dollar, and every lesson learned.
This is my full, unfiltered breakdown — with real numbers included.
🔍 The Microtask Experiment: My Goal & Rules
My goal was simple: to see if a regular person (no special tech background) can realistically make extra money online doing microtasks from home.
The Rules:
Time: 2 hours per day, for 5 days.
Tools: Only free, accessible websites open to U.S. residents.
Platforms Used:
Clickworker – Known for categorization, text tasks, and surveys.
Prolific – Focused on high-quality academic research surveys.
Remotasks – Offers AI training tasks like image annotation.
📅 Daily Breakdown: Tasks, Time, and Earnings
Day 1: Tagging Images & Categorizing Products
Platform: Clickworker
Time Spent: 2 hours
Earnings: $5.50
Notes: Tasks were very easy but repetitive. The pay is low, but it's a simple way to get started and understand the workflow.
Day 2: Academic Surveys
Platform: Prolific
Time Spent: 2 hours
Earnings: $11.30
Notes: The highest-paying and most interesting work by far. The surveys were engaging, but availability was limited. I had to wait for new studies to appear.
Day 3: Transcription & Audio Labeling
Platform: Remotasks
Time Spent: 2 hours
Earnings: $7.90
Notes: The audio quality was often inconsistent, making transcription slow. Some tasks were rejected for small mistakes, which was frustrating.
Day 4: Writing Short Product Descriptions
Platform: Clickworker
Time Spent: 2 hours
Earnings: $6.10
Notes: Slightly better pay than other Clickworker tasks, but required passing a few short writing assessments first.
Day 5: A Mix of Everything
Platforms: Prolific & Clickworker
Time Spent: 2 hours
Earnings: $8.20
Notes: Combined platforms to maximize task availability. A few good surveys on Prolific, filled the rest of the time with categorization on Clickworker.
🧾 Final Results: The Honest Numbers
Metric | Result |
Total Time Worked | 10 hours |
Total Earned | $39.00 |
Average Per Hour | $3.90/hour |
💡 What I Learned From 10 Hours of Microtasks
Prolific had the best pay and the most enjoyable tasks, but you can't rely on it for consistent work.
Clickworker is a steady source of low-paying tasks, but the real money is locked behind qualifying for higher-end projects like UHRS.
Remotasks requires training and has a learning curve, but it has higher-earning potential for those who commit to a specific project.
A significant amount of your "work" time is spent looking for good tasks, not just completing them.
Strong English fluency and attention to detail directly impact your success and approval rate.
✅ Final Verdict: Is It Worth It?
Yes — but only if your expectations are realistic.
Microtasks are not a replacement for a full-time job. They are a smart and flexible way to:
Earn a few extra dollars to cover small bills or savings goals.
Utilize small pockets of free time productively.
Work from home with zero commitment or pressure.
This is ideal for:
Stay-at-home moms
College students
Freelancers between projects
Anyone looking for a low-stress side hustle.
✨ Bonus Tip: The "Power Combo" Strategy
Don’t rely on just one site. Use them together strategically:
Check Prolific first (especially in the mornings) for high-paying surveys.
Use Clickworker to fill the gaps with simple, consistent tasks.
Commit to Remotasks only if you enjoy AI training and have the patience to complete the training modules.
Rotating between them reduces downtime and helps you cherry-pick the best-paying tasks available at any given moment.
💬 What about you? Have you tried any of these platforms? Share your experience in the comments below!
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