Respondent Review: High-Paying Research Studies With Both Challenges and Opportunities

Most survey sites only pay a few dollars per hour, which is why many people quickly lose interest. However, Respondent.io stands out because, according to its website, some studies can pay $700 per hour or more. This is what makes Respondent such a unique research participation platform.

Respondent connects researchers with participants from different countries, industries, and backgrounds. While traditional online surveys provide low earnings, Respondent offers a far more lucrative alternative. In this review, we’ll explore what makes the platform appealing, as well as the limitations you need to know before signing up.

Key Takeaways

• Respondent links researchers with participants for online surveys, user interviews, and focus groups
• Signing up is completely free, and users can browse available studies
• Payments for studies vary widely, but top-paying research can reach $700 per hour
• Participants are paid through PayPal after completing a study
• It may take multiple applications before being selected, resulting in high earning potential but inconsistent income

What Is Respondent?

Respondent is a research recruitment platform that connects brands, businesses, and academic researchers with qualified participants. Unlike standard survey websites, it focuses on professional-level and niche audiences. Well-known companies such as Microsoft, Dropbox, GoDaddy, IBM, and Intuit have used Respondent to gather insights.

If you’ve used market research sites like Prolific, the experience will feel somewhat familiar. However, Respondent targets very specific roles and consumer types, which is why individual study payments can easily range from $100 to $750 or more.

Is Respondent Legit?

Yes—Respondent is a legitimate platform, and users can earn real money by participating in research studies. It has more than 2 million participants worldwide and works with Fortune 500 companies and major research organizations.

However, Respondent has a 1.5-star rating on Trustpilot, with many complaints coming from users who applied to studies for weeks or months without being selected. Because qualification requirements are strict, earnings can be highly unpredictable.

How Respondent Works

1. Sign Up

Registration is free, and anyone aged 18 or older can join. Users can register with a personal email or a work email. A professional email increases verification speed and eligibility because some studies require proof of industry involvement. A PayPal account is required to receive payments.

Respondent accepts global users, but most studies are available in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, Germany, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand, Netherlands, and France.

2. Apply to Studies

Once registered, you can browse studies and filter by:

• compensation amount
• study length
• remote vs. in-person
• general population vs. industry-specific

Example opportunities include:

• Product manufacturing leads – 40 minutes – $100
• Canva team account owners – 60 minutes – $100
• Household goods shoppers – 60 minutes – $100
• Rideshare app users – 30 minutes – $25
• Freelance writers – 60 minutes – $80

Many available studies involve one-on-one video calls, typically paying around $100 per hour.

However, this is also where many users become frustrated—most applicants are screened out because researchers look for extremely specific demographics.

3. Complete the Study

If you qualify, the researcher contacts you through email or the platform. Most studies are remote and involve answering questions via phone or Zoom. Some are in-person and may pay extra due to travel time.

4. Earn Referral Bonuses

Respondent also offers referral incentives:

• General referral: Earn $20 when a referred user earns at least $75
• Project referral: Earn $50 when a referral completes the study you invited them to

1. Get Paid

Payments are made through PayPal within 8–10 business days.

Respondent charges a processing fee of $1 or 5%, whichever is greater.
So, a $100 study results in a $5 fee.

How Much Can You Earn?

Respondent offers some of the highest hourly rates in paid research, but acceptance rates are low. Some users earn nothing for months, while others make $100–$500 in a good month.

Average hourly payouts by industry:

Who Can Join?

• Anyone aged 18+
• Must have a PayPal account
• Available internationally, though U.S. users have the most opportunities

Pros and Cons

✅ Pros

• High hourly pay rates
• Global availability
• PayPal payments
• Both remote and in-person studies
• Suitable for professionals with niche expertise

❌ Cons

• Most studies targeted to U.S. users
• High disqualification rate
• Income is extremely inconsistent
• High processing fees
• Slow customer support
• Many users never get selected

What Users Are Saying

Many users praise the platform’s high payouts—but a significant number complain about spending months completing screeners without ever being chosen.

Recent Trustpilot comments include:

• “78 screeners taken and only 2 paid studies—waste of time.”
• “The screener is basically the survey, so they already got what they need.”
• “Four months and still not selected for a single study.”
• “Lots of screening, no payouts. Very frustrating.”

Alternatives to Respondent

If Respondent is too inconsistent, here are similar platforms:

• User Interviews – Most similar to Respondent
• FocusGroup.com – Online and in-person studies
• Branded Surveys – Quick surveys with PayPal rewards
• Swagbucks – Surveys, shopping cashback, games
• Freecash – Paid games and microtasks
• Survey Junkie – Reliable survey earnings
• PlaytestCloud – Paid mobile game testing
• Sermo – For healthcare professionals
• Fieldwork – Traditional market research focus groups

Is Respondent a Scam?

Respondent is not a scam. Users who qualify do receive payment, and the platform has many verified payouts. However, due to strict screening and low acceptance rates, income is unreliable.

Anyone seeking steady income should consider freelancing or remote work instead.

Is Respondent Worth It?

Respondent is worthwhile if you:

✅ want occasional high-paying studies
✅ have specialized skills or professional experience
✅ don’t rely on it for steady income

It is not worth it if you:

❌ need guaranteed earnings
❌ want frequent surveys
❌ dislike being screened out repeatedly

If selected, Respondent can be one of the highest-paying side gigs available. But selection isn’t guaranteed.

Final Thoughts

This Respondent review should give you a clearer picture of the platform’s earning potential and limitations. While repeatedly failing to qualify can be discouraging, successful applicants can earn impressive payouts from time to time.

Even though you won’t earn thousands per month, making an occasional $100–$200 for an hour of your time makes Respondent worth trying—especially if you work in a specialized field.