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45 Best Product Testing Sites to Join in 2024

Here's a list of 45 legit sites where you can either get paid to test products or collect free products in exchange for your honest feedback. Plus, we answer some of the most common questions about product testing opportunities.
Jenni Sisson

  • Updated June 28, 2024
Product Testing Sites
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Product testing freebies can range from granola bars to sunscreen to running shoes. Some testers even get lucky and test appliances, like coffee makers and vacuum cleaners! And many testing programs pay you in cash or gift cards on top of the free items you receive. 

This article covers what you can expect as a product tester, explains the benefits of product testing, and provides a list of legit product testing opportunities that will send you free items in exchange for your honest opinion. 

You’ll also learn about a few less traditional ways to get free products.

The article is broken down into the following categories (just click the respective links to jump to the sections you’re most interested in): 

At the end of the article, you can also find a list of inactive product testing programs as well as a product testing FAQ section. 

Note: The sites listed in each section below are organized alphabetically, not in order of ranking. If you have experience with these or any other product testing sites, please let us and our readers know by leaving a comment!

Product Testing Companies

Product testing companies ship products to people who meet their demographic requirements, so you’ll need to fill out a bit of personal information for each testing program. You won’t meet the qualifications for every campaign, so you won’t be able to predict exactly when you’ll get a new product to test.

Here are a few of the most popular product testing companies we’ve found.

  • BzzAgent: Testers receive free products in exchange for social media posts about the items. Members typically receive about three items per year to test. 
  • Clicks Research: In addition to the products you receive, you’ll earn points for taking surveys about those items (which you can redeem for gift cards).
  • Daily Goodie Box: This company sends a box of samples and full-size products to a select few people who register. The secret to getting chosen for a box is to comment regularly on their social media pages. 
  • Gratsy: A product testing platform that tries to personalize the testing opportunities you receive based on your demographic information.
  • Home Tester Club: Primarily offers home and beauty product opportunities, and the platform is fairly selective about who it allows to sign up for testing roles. You’ll need to answer a series of screening questions to get approved.
  • Influenster: This product testing company targets social media influencers. Start by linking your social media accounts. If you qualify, brands will send products in a “VoxBox” (which is their name for a shipment of test items) to influencers that meet their target demographic. Filling out your “Snaps” (profile questions) on the Influenster app increases your chances of getting a VoxBox. Influenster focuses heavily on beauty items. 
  • Mesh01: A relatively new player in product testing, Mesh01 is a small company that focuses on outdoor and athletic products. This is a good fit if you’re an avid outdoors fan with hobbies like running, hiking or skiing.
  • PinchMe: Once a legit product-testing company, PinchMe’s user reviews have degraded significantly over the past few years. Members complain of delayed sample boxes (though they do arrive eventually) and spam emails after signing up. 
  • ThePinkPanel: In addition to testing beauty products, ThePinkPanel offers opportunities to participate in focus groups (online and in-person). They allow you to keep the tested products and often give gift cards as well. The program is only open to women in the United States and Canada. 
  • Ripple Street: Formerly House Party, Ripple Street got its start by sending free samples to testers who would host a house party to feature the promoted products. The company has a heavy focus on alcoholic beverages but also features other product categories like pet food, beauty and snack items.
  • Sampler.io: To get free samples with Sampler.io, you take quizzes and surveys to match you up with the free sample items that suit you best. They also occasionally offer coupons or discounts on select products.
  • Sample Source: If you’re looking for samples of makeup, beauty care products, cleaning products, health items or food products, Sample Source is a good resource. Plus, this site allows you to pick the samples you’re interested in when they become available. 
  • SheSpeaks: This company is very focused on social media. Testers even have a chance to be on SheSpeaks TV, their YouTube channel. SheSpeaks is a women-only product testing platform, as the products offered are aimed at women. 
  • Smiley360: To increase your odds of getting a box of free samples from Smiley360, you’ll need to fill out surveys, keep your profile info current, and stay active in their online community. User reviews suggest that Smiley360 is one of the more reliable product testing companies. 
  • Social Nature: If you want to get free, health-conscious and eco-friendly samples, Social Nature is the product testing company for you. You can request products that are vegan, gluten-free or all-natural. You can also boost (i.e., vote for) products you like so you can get a notification — and a discount! — when the product is available in a store near you.
  • The Insiders: This company offers free items you’re unlikely to get with other companies. (Recent examples include printers, lingerie and vacuums.) Register on their website to get emails about campaigns that fit your profile, and check their very active Facebook page for additional ways to get free stuff.  
  • Tomoson: Whether you have a large social media following or are trying to build one, you can use your accounts to get free products to review from Tomoson. Once you have a large following, you can earn cash as you promote product campaigns. However, user reviews of the platform complain of poor customer service and pressure to review products even if the products have yet to be delivered.
  • Try Products: A sister site to Daily Goodie Box, Try Products focuses on health supplements, food items and beauty product reviews. You can apply to try each product you’re interested in. Reviewers note that they receive a good amount of products, but some complain about the site sharing information with similar sample sites without authorization.
  • UserTesting.com: This site helps brands get real-time information on how their target audience feels about their products. To accomplish this, testers record a video and sometimes a screen capture while they give their thoughts as they order a product, open the packaging and/or try out the item. Testers are usually paid $10, and payments are made via PayPal. To apply, you’ll need to fill out some demographic information and complete a practice test. (We failed the practice test the first time, so read our UserTesting review for tips on how to pass it.) Be warned however: we applied for 46 tests and got accepted into none of them.
  • VocalPoint: As a tester for VocalPoint, you can test and review products in their concept and prototype phases, as well as products that have already made it to market. You can buy these products and get discounts on ones that are highly rated.

See more: Learn about sites that send you free samples without extensive product testing requirements.

Market Research Companies

There are many companies that focus broadly on market research as a whole, with product testing representing one facet of that research. These companies mostly offer paid online surveys, but they sometimes request that you test products as well.

  • Crowdtap: Crowdtap’s surveys are shorter than most other platforms, with payout starting at just $5. Users note making $20 to $25 per month with minimal effort, with a small but steady stream of test product opportunities.
  • Ipsos I-Say: This company is primarily an online survey firm (though it’s part of a larger conglomerate that also offers mystery shops). Some I-Say surveys do involve product testing.  
  • Product Report Card: This site offers online focus groups, product testing, clinical trials, online surveys and more. Tasks pay anywhere from $0.50 to $400. Note that this site has mediocre reviews, with users complaining of a high disqualification rate. 
  • Schlesinger Group: Product testing is just one of the many services the Schlesinger Group offers; they also conduct mock jury trials, clinical testing, usability testing and more.

Three popular market research platforms that rarely or never offer product testing opportunities are Survey Junkie, Branded Surveys and Opinion Outpost.

Product Testing Companies for Parents

Companies that produce items for children often enlist the help of parents to get feedback and recommendations in exchange for free products. If you want to maximize your opportunities to test products for your family, consider starting a social media account or blog dedicated to reviewing brands, as a few of these programs are available only to influencers.

  • Kolcraft: Mom Matters is Kolcraft’s product testing program for baby cribs, carriers, strollers and other nursery items. If you have a little one (or are expecting), this is a great chance to get some free baby gear.
  • Modern Mom: For moms with a strong social media following or active blog, Modern Mom will give you access to brand campaigns, exclusive contests, and opportunities to review free products. 
  • MomSelect: This is a mom influencer network that helps connect moms with relevant brands and products. Because participants are required to be FTC compliant, this program is more for moms who are looking to build a business than those just looking to try free stuff. 
  • Parent Tested Parent Approved: Many brands seek the coveted “Parent Tested, Parent Approved” badge that is doled out to top products. This company veers toward household and children’s products, such as diapers, cleaners, vitamins and bubble bath.

Test Directly for Brands

Individual brands often run their own user testing programs without going through research companies. Although you must fill out a profile for each brand you want to test, you’re less likely to be stuck with a box of random items you won’t use. The following companies allow you to sign up for product testing directly.

Food Products

This category used to have dozens of programs, but almost all of them have been discontinued.

  • Minute Rice: You can sign up with the Recipe Club online to test Minute Rice products at home, as well as receive coupons and other offers. 
  • McCormick: Sign up to receive McCormick spices and seasonings by mail. If you live near Hunt Valley, MD or New Orleans, LA, you can also sign up for local testing opportunities. 

Household Goods

  • Good Housekeeping: That coveted Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval comes from product testers’ ratings. Only GH+ members are eligible to become testers (membership includes a subscription to the GH magazine and costs $20 per year). 
  • Philips: Past test products from Philips have included electric shavers, pacifiers, high-powered blenders and electric toothbrushes. 
  • Procter & Gamble: Super Savvy Me is P&G’s product testing program for the UK and Ireland. They have a survey/rewards program for U.S. users, but there are no samples available. 
  • Southern Living Magazine: Signing up for The Porch (Southern Living Magazine’s newsletter) allows you to try free samples, some of which are products that haven’t even hit the market yet.
  • Johnson & Johnson: The J&J Friends and Neighbors program lets users do product testing, online surveys, online discussion groups and focus groups. They also allow children under 18 to do product testing on child-focused products with parental consent.

Personal Care and Cosmetics

  • Glamor Beauty Club: This U.K.-based product testing group samples items such as makeup, skin care and hair care products. Members also get event discounts and early access to the Glamour Beauty Festival.
  • InStyle Trendsetters: InStyle Magazine allows you to sign up as a Trendsetter, which lets you take surveys, do product reviews, and participate in research studies. Each time you participate, you’re entered to win one of their quarterly sweepstakes.
  • L’oreal: Although it’s best known for makeup, the company recruits both men and women to test hair color, hair care, styling, personal care, skin care and sun care products. This program is open to U.S. residents only. Note that as of October 2022, the login page for this program was active, but the registration page was not.
  • Redbook Magazine: If you’re an expert in fashion, beauty, fitness, entertaining or crafting, you can apply to test products in your niche by joining Team Red. The application asks you to share your social media following, as well as a 500-word writeup about why they should pick you to share opinions with the magazine. 
  • Vogue Insiders: Members of Vogue Insiders are among the first to try out new products and services from brands like Prada, Secret, Caress and more. You’ll also get the chance to attend Vogue events in your area and win prizes.

Sporting Goods and Fitness

Note that with some of the programs below, you have to return your used gear after the product test period is over. This is true of big names like Nike and Adidas, which evaluate the returned gear for wear, manufacturing defects and other factors. 

  • Adidas: Open to men and women in America and Europe, the Adidas product testing program assesses things like athletic shoes and apparel. Note that the maximum foot size you can have for testing is men’s 9.  
  • Brooks: The Brooks Ambassador Outreach program seeks runners with a “run happy” mentality and a solid social media following to test and review their athletic shoes.
  • FitBit: Anyone can apply to beta test FitBit’s new products. You do not have to own a FitBit to do the testing. These are new updates or new products that haven’t hit the market yet, so you’ll have to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
  • New Balance: The product testing department for New Balance will send you new prototypes of athletic shoes in exchange for an honest review. 
  • Nike: The Voice of the Athlete program recruits people to test their products, write reviews, then return the items for further testing. Children and teens can also do testing with parental consent.
  • Saucony: As a premier brand of running shoes, Saucony’s product tester application is pretty thorough; you’ll be asked about what surfaces you run on, what part of your foot hits the ground first, and your average running pace (among many other questions).  
  • Under Armor: Even if you live outside the U.S., you can sign up to test apparel and athletic gear in Under Armor’s field testing program. Those who work in (or are related to someone who works in) the footwear, apparel, or sporting goods industry are ineligible to be product testers. 

Mystery Shopping Companies

In addition to product testing, mystery shopping is a great way to get stuff for free. And if you’re lucky, mystery shops will reimburse your purchases as well as give you a small cash payment on top of it. 

If you want to learn more about becoming a mystery shopper, check out our beginner’s guide to mystery shopping.

  • Coyle: This company offers some of the most coveted mystery shops, most of which are high-end restaurants or hotel stays. The competition for these shops is fierce, but you can get your foot in the door with some phone shops or mid-level restaurant shops.
  • Amusement Advantage: This secret shopping company is my favorite. You can take a date, a friend or your family to fun outings like theme parks, zoos, aquariums and bowling alleys for free! Most shops are kid-friendly, which is unique among mystery shops.
  • Customer Impact: This company offers a wide variety of mystery shops in many different locations. Get gasoline, a burger, or even your taxes done for free.
  • Intellishop: The shops for this company are many and varied. They focus on the retail and fast food industries. Past shops have included burger joints, chicken restaurants, oil changes and more.
  • SeeLevelHX: SeeLevelHX offers similar shops to Customer Impact and Intellishop — there’s a good amount of variety, but the focus is on retail and fast food. They offer good pay and prompt payment via PayPal.

Amazon Vine

Online sellers know that good reviews are their lifeblood, so there used to be dozens of websites that would offer you free products in exchange for Amazon reviews. However, Amazon recently changed its terms of service to forbid incentivized product reviews. As a result, almost all of these sites have shut down. 

These days, your best opportunity to review Amazon products is through the company’s Vine program. Vine Voices are product testers who review and rate products to help customers make informed decisions.

This program is invite-only, but you can increase your chances of getting selected by leaving helpful reviews on Amazon.com. Other Amazon users can rate your reviews up or down (similar to Reddit), and the more helpful reviews you have, the more likely you are to be selected — particularly if you establish yourself as an expert in a niche category of products. 

Reviews with photos are most likely to be upvoted.

Note that there is no legitimate way to test products for Amazon and get paid cash.

Invitation Only Programs

The product testing programs listed below are available by invitation only. While the specifics of how to get an invitation vary by program, the most common way is by leaving honest reviews on the platform you’d like to be invited to.

One of the most well-known invite-only programs is TryIt Sampling, which allows you to test a variety of products such as shampoo, dog treats, pharmaceuticals and shoes. They have separate programs for the USA, UK, France and Germany.

TryIt is widely considered one of the most legit product sampling sites and often offers dozens of items at a time. You can learn more about it in this TryIt Facebook group, where members discuss and post pictures of the test items they’ve received.

To join TryIt, you have to fill out an application on their website.

Other invite-only programs include:

Start a Blog

You can earn free samples or an occasional gift card as a product tester, but if you want to make real money testing products, starting a blog is your best option. 

Brands and manufacturers know the power that online influencers have with their audiences, and they’re willing to pay to tap into it. 

Once you gain a following, you can make hundreds of dollars per post to write articles on products that are relevant to your niche and readers. This can come in the form of sponsored content (when a brand asks you to weave their product into a blog post) or a review post (when a brand sends you a product and asks you to write up a review).

As with product testing, the company will send the blogger a sample of the product that they usually get to keep.

Things can get a little ethically tricky with paid or sponsored posts, particularly if you don’t like the products the manufacturer sends you. Always disclose when your article is paid or sponsored, and be honest in your write-ups. False positive reviews may make you money in the short term, but you will sacrifice your readers’ trust if you embellish or sugar-coat your true opinion. If you don’t want to write a negative review, you can return the product.

If you end up loving a product and you think your readers will too, you can see if the brand has an affiliate program. By adding affiliate links to your blog post, you’ll get paid a commission each time a reader clicks on your link and buys the product. This way, you can get paid for your post again and again.

For more info on starting and monetizing a blog, check out our full guide on how to start a blog and make money.

Inactive/Discontinued Programs

The programs listed below have closed their product testing programs, or users have indicated that they no longer receive communications or product shipments.

We update this list periodically throughout the year. This last update was on June 24, 2024. 

  • American Consumer Opinion
  • Arrid
  • Asics
  • Bosch Tools
  • Brillo Connection
  • DeWALT Tools
  • Franklin Foods
  • Fruit of the Loom
  • Gathr
  • General Mills Advisory Panel
  • Hoover/Orek/Dirt Devil
  • Elle/Marie Claire
  • Kaboom
  • Kellog’s
  • Kraft First Taste
  • Mattress Firm Pillow Talkers
  • Mead For Teachers
  • Microsoft User Research
  • Mizuno
  • New Trent
  • OxiClean
  • Red Robin
  • Reebok
  • Russel Athletic
  • Seventh Generation
  • Snuggle Bear Den
  • Step 2
  • Tide Development Team

Product Testing FAQs

You probably haven’t heard as much about product testing as you have about other income streams and savings methods. It’s a lot less publicized than couponing or mystery shopping. As such, we’ve compiled a list of FAQs to help you decide whether to try becoming a product tester.

What are the best legit product testing sites?

TryIt Sampling is widely considered the overall best product testing site, as it offers a combination of numerous testing opportunities and a wide variety of item types (including valuable items, like appliances).

Beyond that, the best product testing site for you depends on your demographics and online activity. Sites aimed at influencers often send you expensive products to try, but you need a strong social media presence to qualify for these programs. On the other hand, if you’re a parent with young kids, you may do better with one of the kid/family-focused options mentioned above.

How realistic is becoming a product tester?

Product testing opportunities are absolutely legit, and it is 100% realistic to think that you can sign up for the options on this list and actually receive products. However, signing up does not guarantee that you’ll receive products from any particular program; that depends on whether you happen to fit the demographic profile needed at that particular moment in time. On top of that, a realistic expectation is that you will occasionally receive a product to test — it won’t be an everyday thing even in a best-case scenario.

How often will you receive products to test?

The frequency varies depending on the platform, but you should expect a trickle rather than a flood. Additionally, while most product testing companies allow anyone to sign up for free, you’ll only get products to test and review if you meet the target demographic for the product.

This can be frustrating, because even if you are a great reviewer, you may go long stretches without any products or freebies. For this reason, product testing is best suited for patient souls who are looking to occasionally get some cool, free stuff — not those who are looking for a consistent side hustle.

If that’s what you’re searching for, check out our list of the best side hustle ideas.

What do product testers do?

Testers try out the products that testing companies send them. Products can be anything from shoes to makeup to dog food. After using the product for a designated period of time, testers write a product review — sometimes on a company website for internal feedback, and sometimes on social media to encourage company engagement.

How much work is required when testing products?

It depends on the product. If you’re testing a granola bar, a few bites may be enough to write a review. If you’re testing a pair of athletic shoes, the manufacturer may want you to try them out for a few weeks before you give your opinion.

In the case of a granola bar, the product test may consist of a short survey where you answer a few multiple-choice questions or write one or two paragraphs.

But let’s say you sign up to be an Adidas product tester; in this case, you might be asked to evaluate a pair of running shoes, which could require keeping a detailed, weeks-long record of how often you ran, how far you ran and the conditions (hot/cold, rainy/dry, etc.).

In other words, the expectations and amount of work required varies dramatically.

One thing to keep in mind is that once you commit to testing a product, you need to complete the product review. Otherwise, you’ll be unlikely to receive future shipments from that particular product testing website.

Do product testers get paid?

A limited number of companies offer the opportunity to test products for money, but most treat the free products you receive as your payment. Occasionally, product testing companies reward their testers with gift cards (or points that can be redeemed for gift cards). A few select programs, like UserTesting.com, offer paid product tester roles. Additionally, Mystery Shopping companies usually pay a per-shop fee on top of whatever free product you receive.

Are there full-time or part-time product tester jobs?

No. In fact, most product testing companies treat testers as volunteers. That’s why this should be viewed as a money-saving hobby rather than a full-fledged side hustle: there’s no way to predict when you’ll have a product to test, and the pay is comprised of free product and (sometimes) a little extra money as compensation for your time.

How can you identify a product testing scam?

Product testing may not earn you big bucks, but the legit companies won’t ask you to pay money for anything.

Steer clear of any company, app or website that insists you must pay them before you get “free” products, and avoid anyone who promises a hefty cash payment for a small amount of your time or a couple reviews; if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

Additionally, you do not need to pay for access to product testing opportunities (every option on this list is freely available), and there is no training or certification required to test products.

Is Product Testing USA a legit site?

While this site isn’t a scam in the truest sense (they’re not collecting any money from you), many user reviews claim that the company is notorious for spamming your inbox. Users also note that the surveys are lengthy, and the products to test are few and far between. 

Is Testerup a legit site?

Testerup claims to offer product testing opportunities, but during our research, only mobile game app tests were available. You can learn more in our Testerup review.

Does Apple use product testers?

While it would be amazing to get the next generation of iPhone for free, it isn’t likely to happen. Apple tests its products in-house on their own employees. In fact, many product-testing scams offer high-value products (like iPhones) to lure in would-be testers.

Product Testing Sites: Final Thoughts

You won’t make a lot of money doing product testing, but you may save yourself some cash on food, household items, or cosmetics by signing up. If you’re lucky enough to score a more expensive item like an appliance or a bottle of cologne, you can even sell it online after you’re through testing it.

If you enjoy getting stuff in the mail, becoming a product tester is a fun way to try out new products for free. Check out a product testing company’s reviews and what samples they send before signing up. Choose reliable companies that offer products you use or are interested in.

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Jenni Sisson
Jenni Sisson is a freelance writer and editor focused on personal finance, technology and entrepreneurship. She is a serial side hustler and the host of the Mama's Money Map podcast. Reach out via her website.

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