Is UserTesting legit? Yes. UserTesting is a Bellevue, Washington company founded in 2007 that pays people to try websites and apps and say out loud what they think. It was bought for about $1.3 billion in 2023, and in September 2026 its parent company renamed itself Auros. Testers are paid through PayPal, usually 14 days after a test, and joining is free. The real questions are how often you’ll actually get a test, why so many screeners turn you away, and what happened to the payments that were cancelled in July 2026. This UserTesting review answers all three.
Verdict in 20 seconds
UserTesting is one of the best-paying “side hustle” test sites per minute: $10 for a standard 15–20 minute test and $30 to $120 for live interviews, according to its own rate table. The catch is volume. UserTesting itself says most testers do one or two tests a week, and screeners reject far more people than they accept. Treat it as $10 to $20 in a typical week, more when you land a live conversation, keep your rating high, and don’t expect it to grow into an income.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- UserTesting was taken private by Thoma Bravo and Sunstone Partners for about $1.3 billion in January 2023 (UserTesting).
- On September 29, 2026 the company rebranded as Auros; UserTesting continues as a product brand (Business Wire).
- UserTesting’s published rate table: $4 for a 5–7 minute test, $10 for 15–20 minutes, $30 to $120 for 30 to 120-minute live conversations (UserTesting help center).
- PayPal is the only payout method, in US dollars, usually 14 days after a test (UserTesting FAQ, Payments FAQ).
- “Most contributors take one or two tests per week,” says UserTesting (UserTesting support).
- Trustpilot: 4.4 from 3,992 reviews; App Store: 3.0; Google Play: 4.2 (Trustpilot, App Store, Google Play).
1What is UserTesting, and who owns it?
UserTesting was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. It sells “human insight” to businesses, claiming more than 3,000 customers including 75 of the Fortune 100 (UserTesting). Those companies pay to watch real people use their websites, apps and prototypes. The people doing the testing form the UserTesting Contributor Network, and that is the side this review covers (UserTesting).
Ownership has changed twice in three years. Private-equity firms Thoma Bravo and Sunstone Partners completed a take-private of UserTesting in January 2023, valuing it at about $1.3 billion, and combined it with UserZoom (UserTesting). In January 2026 UserTesting bought User Interviews, a participant-recruitment platform that is often listed as a UserTesting alternative (UserTesting). Then, on September 29, 2026, the company renamed itself Auros. UserTesting and User Interviews continue as product brands, the business now also sells AI training and evaluation, and Auros claims a network of 7.6 million verified people across 34 core markets (Business Wire).
Same company
If you were planning to try User Interviews as a backup to UserTesting, know that both now belong to Auros. Testers noticed the purchase straight away (r/usertesting). For a truly separate option, look at Prolific.
2How UserTesting works for testers
Joining is free; the contributor FAQ answers “Do I have to pay to be a participant?” with a plain “No” (UserTesting). You must be at least 18. The application asks you to confirm your email, connect PayPal, build a profile and complete a practice test, which is unpaid. If you fail the practice test, you can reapply “only once” (Applicant FAQ).
- Surveys: questions only, no recording (UserTesting).
- Recorded tests: you complete tasks on a site or app while your screen and voice are recorded, and sometimes your face (UserTesting).
- Live conversations: moderated video calls of 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes with a researcher (UserTesting support).
Before most tests you answer screener questions that decide whether you match the customer’s target audience, and the code of conduct requires you to answer them honestly (Code of Conduct). Testing is offered in English, French and German. Desktop tests run in your browser; mobile tests need the UserTesting app. You need a working microphone, because “you’ll need to speak your thoughts out loud” (Applicant FAQ).
Your rating matters more than anything else. It is the average of your 12 most recent ratings, and UserTesting says testers with high ratings receive more invites (UserTesting support, UserTesting). One long-time tester with 440 tests described needing 12 fresh ratings to wash out a single early four-star (r/usertesting).
3How much does UserTesting pay in 2026?
UserTesting shows the amount before you accept each test, and its general pages say pay varies by test type, length and demand (Payments FAQ). The only exact figures it publishes are in its contributor compensation table (UserTesting help center):
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Short test, 5–7 minutes | $4 | UserTesting |
| Standard test, 15–20 minutes | $10 | UserTesting |
| Live conversation, 30 minutes | $30 | UserTesting |
| Live conversation, 60 minutes | $60 | UserTesting |
| Live conversation, 90 minutes | $90 | UserTesting |
| Live conversation, 120 minutes | $120 | UserTesting |
| Surveys (reported by testers) | often $1 | r/usertesting |
Rate table from UserTesting’s Custom Network compensation page, checked October 30, 2026; the general network says amounts vary and shows each rate before you accept.
Pay per hour of testing time (USD)
Calculated from UserTesting’s published rates; the survey line uses a $1 survey taking 20 minutes, as testers report. Screener time is unpaid.
On paper those are excellent hourly rates. In practice the screeners eat the margin. App Store reviewers say “90-95% of screeners you take you will not qualify” (App Store reviews), surveys often pay $1, and a thread complaining about a $1 survey that asks for 35 to 40 minutes drew 72 upvotes (r/usertesting). Long-time testers also note that the $10 standard rate hasn’t moved in about eight years (r/usertesting).
4How you get paid
PayPal is the only payout method; the contributor FAQ answers “Is PayPal the only way to get paid?” with “Yes” (UserTesting FAQ). You need a verified PayPal account, payments are in US dollars, and money usually arrives 14 days after you finish a test, automatically and per test (Payments FAQ, UserTesting). UserTesting doesn’t mention a minimum payout or a fee of its own, and it doesn’t withhold tax, so declaring the income is up to you (Payments FAQ).
Payment isn’t guaranteed once you submit. Customers can cancel payment for tests that miss requirements, skip tasks or are too thin, and UserTesting’s Quality team decides disputes (Payments FAQ). Surveys rejected for rushing or skipping are not paid at all (Surveys FAQ). If you live somewhere PayPal can’t receive money, UserTesting isn’t an option. For payout speed compared with other gigs, see our guide to side hustles that pay daily or weekly.
14 days
is the usual wait between finishing a test and seeing the money in PayPal. Each test pays out separately, so there’s no balance to build up first.
5The main complaints about UserTesting
The ratings are good overall, but the complaints are consistent:
- Few tests and constant screen-outs. UserTesting says most testers take one or two tests a week (UserTesting support). Testers say screeners favour managers and business owners; one popular thread was titled “Apparently they only want the rich” (r/usertesting).
- Cancelled payments and deactivations. In July 2026, testers on Reddit reported a wave of cancelled payments for “Surveys and more” tasks and deactivated accounts. Some were later told payments had been “canceled in error” and reinstated (r/usertesting, r/usertesting). A Trustpilot reviewer in late October 2026 reported about $630 in pending payments cancelled after a deactivation (Trustpilot).
- Speed checks and glitches. Surveys can end mid-way if you answer “too quickly”, leaving you unpaid (r/usertesting), and App Store reviewers report failed mobile uploads leading to partial or no payment (App Store reviews).
Some of this is the rules being enforced. UserTesting says VPNs, proxies, ad blockers, incognito windows and iCloud Private Relay can flag your account, and a flag can take a week to clear (UserTesting support). Its code of conduct allows one account and one PayPal account per person, bans testing while abroad and, since the AI boom, bans AI-generated answers (Code of Conduct). Automated enforcement with little explanation is a pattern across the industry: we found the same complaints in our Outlier AI review and Clickworker review, although UserTesting’s ratings are far better than either.
6What UserTesting reviews say
UserTesting scores 4.4 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 3,992 reviews (October 30, 2026). Trustpilot shows no recent history of the company asking for reviews, and UserTesting has replied to 68% of negative reviews. The apps split opinion: 4.2 on Google Play from 9,270 reviews with more than a million downloads, but 3.0 on the App Store, where the critical reviews focus on screeners and disappearing tests. The BBB lists UserTesting as not accredited.
The positive side is real, too. A newcomer’s “First $10 earned!” thread drew 45 comments of encouragement and tips (r/usertesting). People who stick with it, keep their ratings high and check the dashboard often do get steady small payouts.
7Privacy: what you share in a test
Recorded tests capture your screen and voice, and some capture your face; live conversations are video calls (UserTesting). UserTesting tells testers they “should NEVER share prohibited personal information” during a test (UserTesting support). Close other tabs, log out of personal accounts and use test details where a task asks for them. The iOS app’s privacy label lists audio, browsing history, location and “sensitive info” among the data linked to you (App Store).
8Is UserTesting worth it in 2026?
Yes, as a small, occasional extra. The pay per test is fair, the company is large and pays on schedule, and it costs nothing to apply. If you have a good microphone, speak clearly, enjoy giving opinions and can check your dashboard during the day, one or two $10 tests a week is realistic, with the odd $30-plus live conversation on top.
It isn’t worth building around. You don’t control how many tests you get, screeners are unpaid, and a cancelled payment can wipe out a week’s work. Run it next to Prolific for research studies, and if you have a degree or specialist skill, the AI-training platforms in our guide to getting paid to train AI with no experience pay far better per hour, from DataAnnotation and Alignerr to expert networks like Mercor. Microtask sites like Clickworker accept almost anyone but pay much less.
UserTesting FAQ
Is UserTesting legit or a scam?
UserTesting is legit. It is a Bellevue, Washington company founded in 2007, taken private for about $1.3 billion in 2023 and renamed Auros at the corporate level in September 2026. It pays testers through PayPal, usually 14 days after each test, and never charges to join.
How much does UserTesting pay?
UserTesting’s published rate table lists $4 for a 5–7 minute test, $10 for a 15–20 minute test and $30, $60, $90 or $120 for live conversations of 30 to 120 minutes. Surveys often pay $1, according to testers.
How often do you get tests on UserTesting?
UserTesting says most contributors take one or two tests a week. Many invites end at the screener questions, which are unpaid, and testers with higher ratings receive more invites.
How does UserTesting pay you?
Only through PayPal, in US dollars. Payment usually arrives 14 days after you complete a test, and customers can cancel payment for tests that don’t meet the requirements.
Is UserTesting now called Auros?
The company behind UserTesting renamed itself Auros on September 29, 2026. UserTesting continues as the product brand for testers, with the same website, app and support center.
Is User Interviews a UserTesting alternative?
Not an independent one. UserTesting bought User Interviews in January 2026, and both are now brands of Auros. Prolific is a separate alternative.
Sources
- UserTesting, About us
- UserTesting, Thoma Bravo and Sunstone complete acquisition (Jan 2023)
- UserTesting, acquires User Interviews (Jan 2026)
- Business Wire, UserTesting rebrands as Auros (Sep 2026)
- UserTesting, Get paid to test
- UserTesting, Make money online
- UserTesting, Contributor FAQ
- UserTesting support, Applicant FAQ
- UserTesting support, Payments FAQ
- UserTesting support, Surveys FAQ
- UserTesting support, Live Conversations FAQ
- UserTesting support, Why aren’t there test invites?
- UserTesting support, Why did my rating drop?
- UserTesting support, Contributor Code of Conduct
- UserTesting support, Protecting your privacy
- UserTesting help center, contributor compensation
- Trustpilot, UserTesting reviews
- Trustpilot, deactivation review (Oct 2026)
- Google Play, UserTesting app
- Apple App Store, UserTesting app
- BBB, UserTesting
- r/usertesting, “Apparently they only want the rich”
- r/usertesting, $1 survey for 35–40 minutes
- r/usertesting, payment cancellations July 2026
- r/usertesting, deactivated and lost payments
- r/usertesting, stagnant payout rates
- r/usertesting, after 2 years and 440 tests
- r/usertesting, first $10 earned
- r/usertesting, survey ended for answering too quickly
- r/usertesting, UserTesting buys User Interviews
This review is based on UserTesting’s own contributor FAQ, support and help-center articles, its press releases and the Auros announcement, and tester experiences on Trustpilot, the app stores and Reddit, all linked in the text and checked on October 30, 2026 — see how we review. There are no affiliate links in this article. Rates and policies change; check the linked sources for current terms. Research and drafting were AI-assisted; all facts and the final judgment are the author’s.