Those 4 that creator Jackie Mitchell keeps coming back to are popular because they actually pay out, not just promise to.
1. Swagbucks - the low effort one. You get points for surveys, watching short video playlists, shopping through their portal, playing games. Most casual users make around $20 to $50 a month, cashout starts at $3 for gift cards and $25 for PayPal. Good for downtime.
2. User Interviews - higher pay for your opinion. Tech companies pay you to test an app or website and talk through what you think. Sessions are usually 30-60 minutes and pay $50 to $150.
3. FocusGroup.com - similar idea but more consumer panels and in-person or remote focus groups. They publish 250-300 studies a month, most pay $50 to $200, usually as Visa cards. You do have to apply and get screened.
4. Prolific - best if you get tired of being disqualified from surveys. It's academic research from universities, so if you see a study you are already qualified, and they enforce a minimum hourly rate.
Quick reality check if you're not in US/ UK - Swagbucks, User Interviews and FocusGroup are mostly US / UK focused and Prolific is selective about countries. You can still sign up, but payouts and number of studies will be much lower outside those regions. If they show limited availability, platforms like Toluna, ySense, or Prolific alternatives like Testbirds tend to work better in countries like Nigeria and still pay via PayPal.