AppsGeyser

Of all the easy ways to make money online, taking paid surveys and selling bandwidth rank high on the popularity list. Neither requires anything remotely akin to specialized knowledge or skills, but they work in very different ways: 

One involves responding to questionnaires for marketing firms, while the other sells a sliver of a person’s internet to businesses in exchange for meager payments.

Those appeal most to people looking for flexible ways of earning, though with varied requirements and earning potentials; each brings different concerns over security. A comparison of these two kinds of hustles will show you which fits best with your requirements.  

How Paid Surveys Work

Paid surveys are among the most popular ways to make an extra buck online. Companies and market research firms continuously want the consumer’s opinion to shape their products, services, and advertising strategies. 

To achieve this, they have to collect data by offering financial incentives to participants who complete surveys on a number of subjects, ranging from shopping habits to political views.

The signing-up process to such websites is rather simple. Most websites call for a user to create a basic demographic profile; this allows corporate companies to know who to invite for specific questionnaires based on their interests. 

Once they sign up, the users are sent invitations for taking surveys, after which they earn their cash, cards, or points redeemable in various forms. Likely the most regular formula follows the simple pattern of: complete survey, win gift card.

Although straightforward, paid survey sites come with several drawbacks. Not everyone qualifies for each survey, and many sites weed out participants in the middle of surveys. 

That is frustrating for some, since they can be well into answering a bunch of pre-qualifying questions before it lets them know they aren’t a fit for that survey. Another negative is that each survey pays differently, most only a few dollars for several minutes of work. 

Of course, there are a few high-paying surveys, but these are less frequent and often require certain qualifications. 

How Bandwidth Sharing Works

Bandwidth sharing is a passive income stream unlike paid surveys, which require active participation. 

This is how companies can utilize part of an individual’s internet bandwidth for any number of purposes: to enhance network infrastructure, conduct market research, or route web traffic. Users set up an application that works in the background and automatically shares unused internet bandwidth for payments.

The earnings via bandwidth sharing rely on many factors, including the location, the speed of one’s internet, and demand. 

Users in data traffic high-demand areas can obviously make more compared to those in less active data areas. However, generally, most incomes are somewhat low, lying in the margin of a couple of dollars monthly. That maybe little, though an advantage being that it involves no effort right after setup.

While bandwidth sharing is easy, there are a few security and privacy concerns associated with it. Since users are sharing a part of their internet connection, some are concerned about how their IP address is being used. 

While most legitimate bandwidth-sharing services have security in place to prevent misuse, it is still important to research and choose a trustworthy platform.  

Earnings Potential and Time Investment

Paid surveys generally have a little higher payout, but require ongoing effort. The more one puts into taking the surveys, the more one is going to make. 

In practice, it’s the reverse of economies of scale, as opportunities can be spotty and users won’t always qualify for the higher-paying ones. A few diligent survey takers can earn a decent side income from these, but for most, their earnings remain quite low on a monthly basis.

Bandwidth sharing is completely passive income. The payouts tend to be much lower than what could be made from taking surveys but it passively builds over time with no active participation. 

This makes it very appealing to people who would like to make money without dedicating their time. It is highly dependent on location and the amount of bandwidth available for sharing.

Ease of Use and Convenience

Paid surveys require users to be more active, meaning they have to log in to survey platforms, check for available surveys, and answer questions. 

While it is simple to do, the process can get repetitive and time-consuming. Many survey takers find themselves answering screening questions only to get disqualified, which can be frustrating. 

The process demands attention and effort; thus, it is not as appealing for those seeking a truly effortless side income.

Bandwidth sharing is a great deal more convenient, since it doesn’t require continuous engagement. In essence, the software can be installed and run in the background as one goes about his or her day while his internet connection creates small blocks of income. 

This, of course, is the better option for those who take a set-it-and-forget-it approach. Since the earnings are based on things like internet demand, though, the total payout may ebb and flow over time.

Security and Privacy Concerns

Both, one way or another, deal with sharing personal data. The paid survey requires users to state their demographic information and personal opinions for marketing and research purposes.

Several survey companies can sell or share the data to third-party companies, hence begging the question of privacy concerns. Though most of the reputed survey platforms are concerned about users’ data protection, one should pay proper attention to the privacy policies before signing up for any website.

Bandwidth sharing does not involve sharing personal information, but rather an internet connection; it also has its own risks. Since the network is used by external parties, some users are concerned that it could be misused. 

Reputable bandwidth-sharing services implement security measures to prevent such harmful activity, but the user needs to ensure they select a reliable service provider. Users who are sensitive about privacy need to check the data usage policies and security measures of the platform before subscribing to it.

Which One Is the Better Option?

This makes either of them a better option, depending on personal preferences and priorities. Paid surveys hold a bit higher earning potential but require continuous effort. 

They are much better for people who do not mind answering questions and can spend their time searching for them. However, the process may be tiring, and not everyone will qualify for enough to make it worthwhile.

This is perfect for passive earners. Although bandwidth sharing pays much lower, one does not need to invest any time in this form of passive income. 

This is ideal for people with stable, unlimited internet connections and don’t mind some company using part of their bandwidth.

People who want to maximize earnings may find that a combination of the two works best. Finishing surveys at any time one has some free time but allowing a bandwidth-sharing application to continuously run in the background does build up a small, consistent flow of extra money.  

Final Thoughts

Paid surveys and bandwidth sharing are equally easy ways of making extra money online, but each serves different tastes.

While it does take some time and effort to fill out the surveys, bandwidth sharing doesn’t require any extra effort for passive earnings. The question is about whether one prefers active involvement or simply does nothing. For those who won’t mind small, gradual earnings, using both methods together can be a practical way to boost side income without significant investment.