uTest.com- Earn Money Testing Software

Updated on: by Amy Kennedy

uTest.com

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I ran across this company, uTest.com, while searching for job leads to post on the daily job board. I was immediately intrigued by this company and could not wait to get enough time to really dig around the site and learn all I could so I could share with you all. What I found was exciting!

What is uTest.com?

uTest is a company that tests for usability and software bugs for their variety of clients. From mobile apps to websites, uTest tests them all! Thankfully for us, they use online based testers to complete the job! While anyone, from anywhere, can join uTest for a chance to earn money testing, you will have the most earning potential if you
have experience and are technically savvy. But don’t worry if you are not, you can still make some extra money online with uTest!

What Do uTest Agents Do?

After registering with uTest and filling out your profile information, you will receive test invites when your profile matches available work. Each test will give instructions and let you know what is expected before you, as a tester, can decide whether to accept or decline the work. Some of these may require a download of software to your computer or of a smartphone app- whatever is needed at the time.

Do I Need to Be Experienced or Technically Savvy to Test for uTest?

As we discussed before, although not a requirement, it seems to me that it would help you be one of the top earners. There are different brackets that testers fall into. After completing work with uTest you are given a rating in response. Each rating will put you into a bracket and the higher your bracket, the higher your pay and the better chance you have to be invited to test.

How Much Does uTest Pay?

uTest pay varies per project. Each test lists the pay before you accept or reject the project. As an example, one of the projects I can see on my dashboard at uTest shows a base pay of $23. In addition, this particular test increases the pay for every software bug or error found- $8 for every ‘exceptional’ bug found and an extra $4 for every ‘very valuable’ bug found. Not only do you have potential to earn more based on your ability to find software bugs with this test but if you are experience with uTest and fit into one of the rankings I talked about earlier, then you can be paid even more! For example, the highest ranking testers (the gold ranking) receives a 10% increase of pay!

uTest claims the highest ranking testers earn a range of $1000 to $10,000 a month! Do I think this is a reasonable rate for most of you readers? NO. I don’t want anyone going into this with unrealistic expectations. If you happen to be one of a rare breed who understands software coding and can understand what types of things to look for to catch-all those errors or bugs in the software- then you have a good chance (if enough work is available) to make a good earning with uTest. But for the average user- this is just a way to make a little extra money from time to time.

How and When Does uTest Pay?

uTest pays through either PayPal or Payoneer. You are able to decide and set up your payment method during registration or at any time you desire. Payments by uTest are made twice a month, the 15th and the last day of the month.

Payoneer account holders must have at least $10 pending to set up your payment method. PayPal account holders do not have a minimum balance requirement.

Is There Any Equipment Required or Needed for Download?

Every test is different, yes I know I keep saying that- but it is true. Each test is likely to be unique in its own as each client has different needs and each will be for different devices and so forth. Depending, you may be asked to download software or mobile apps. Of course, this information will be made clear to you before you accept the project.

Registering does not require any downloads because uTest’s platform is completely web-based .

Does uTest Let Anyone Be a Tester?

Actually, yes they do. Apparently it doesn’t even matter where you live in this world, just as long as you are at least 18 years old and can use PayPal or Payoneer to receive your payments, then you can register with uTest. However, registering does not mean you will receive work. If the client is looking for English-speaking testers, then only English-speaking agents will be invited to the project. So certain factors will decide the amount of work offered to you.

Pros and Cons

Working for uTest.com (Applause) as a tester has its advantages and disadvantages. Here are some pros and cons to consider:

Pros:

  1. Flexibility: uTest offers flexible working hours, allowing you to choose projects and tasks that fit your schedule. You can work from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection and access to the required devices.
  2. Variety of Projects: uTest provides access to a wide range of testing projects from different companies. This diversity allows you to work on various applications, software, and devices, gaining exposure to different technologies and industries.
  3. Learning Opportunities: As a tester, you have the opportunity to learn and enhance your testing skills. You’ll gain experience with different testing methodologies, tools, and platforms, which can be valuable for your professional development.
  4. Global Community: uTest has a large and diverse community of testers from around the world. You can connect and collaborate with other testers, share knowledge, and learn from their experiences.
  5. Compensation: uTest offers compensation for the testing work you perform. The pay rate varies depending on the complexity and duration of the projects, but it can be a way to earn some income while honing your testing skills.

Cons:

  1. Uncertain Work Availability: As a freelance tester, the availability of testing projects can be unpredictable. There may be periods of time when there are fewer projects available, resulting in a temporary reduction in earning potential.
  2. Competitive Environment: Since uTest has a large tester community, competition for projects can be fierce. You may need to actively pursue projects and stand out among other testers to secure assignments.
  3. Communication and Support: Some testers have reported occasional issues with communication and support from uTest. It’s important to be proactive in seeking assistance or clarifications when needed.
  4. Payment Structure: uTest pays testers based on the completion of test cycles, which can sometimes lead to delays in receiving compensation. It’s essential to familiarize yourself with their payment policies and ensure that you understand the payment terms for each project.

Where Can I Learn More and Sign Up?

You can visit the registration page at uTest to sign up and they have answers to what seems like any question on their Help page.

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Comments

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Jess

August 8, 2011 at 1:19 am

Nice! Very detailed and informative. Number one work at home site, Miranda! WOOT!

Anna

August 8, 2011 at 8:30 am

This is really interesting! Especially for people who are skilled in spotting bugs in computer programs. Would be easy to earn a nice sum of extra cash here. Thanks!

Jess

August 9, 2011 at 12:02 am

Yeah, I am not skilled at spotting anything..LOL

Carla E.

August 8, 2011 at 9:38 am

This seems like a fairly simple opportunity to generate income on the side. I think I could squeeze this last egg in my basket without becoming overworked.

Jess

August 9, 2011 at 12:02 am

ahah carla. better hop to it, easter bunny 🙂

Krishna

June 8, 2012 at 8:03 pm

Happy Birthday uTest , it was a very fast 1 year.Could you post following stats for year1. Total Bugs fleild2. Total Bugs Accepted3. Total Projects and Releases4. Total amount earned testers during this phase (if possible)5. Top 5 testers (by ratings + total bug posts)Both utest Team members and testing community has played an very important role in success of utest. Why not honor the top testers and giving some credit to them in blog write up along with some gifts.Have a very happy year 2Best Wishes.Ram Shankar

Genry

November 20, 2011 at 12:12 am

Was never got real projects. 2 projects I took a part were startups which were doing their best to decline valid bugs, so we were arguing like a lot, other testers complained too via forum. Well they remove these posts by moderate. To sum up I reported 87 bugs in total, 75 of them were valid 99.9%. ‘ ended up with 16 accepted and paid.
Timewise: spent about 74hrs in all test cycles. Earned: 185$. Finally I guess due to complaints I have no more invitations but I still kind a in that huge number of testers 60k or more. I suspect whoeverleft them email counted as tester. Apparently utest are Big liers, faking results, resources and honestly customers

Miranda Grimm

November 21, 2011 at 3:43 pm

Thank you for sharing your experience.

I have a friend who was invited, she accepted the project but had trouble getting the app they needed on her phone, so she never did anything else with the project. She was still paid the base rate of $35 and never did anything! She said they were very helpful to her.

But, it is a different scenario than you experienced. I would like to learn of other sites like utest and report on them as well.

Thanks for commenting!

Ams

December 8, 2011 at 5:03 pm

I submitted another comment with some general info below, but I wanted to take a minute to respond to this one comment as well. I would have to say that Genry’s experience isn’t really typical and it surely doesn’t match mine.

Genry says:

“Was never got real projects. 2 projects I took a part were startups which were doing their best to decline valid bugs, so we were arguing like a lot, other testers complained too via forum. Well they remove these posts by moderate. To sum up I reported 87 bugs in total, 75 of them were valid 99.9%. ‘ ended up with 16 accepted and paid.”

If you had concerns about whether your cycle’s rejection rate was out of line, you should have sent an email to the test cycle PM. You can also dispute a rejected bug.

Furthermore, there’s no need to argue with a customer, ever. Full stop. As with any job, you should always be professional in your communication. You can disagree without being argumentative. Discussion threads in the test cycles can’t even be deleted at all, so I know that didn’t actually happen. If you are badmouthing a customer in the general forum, they have every right to delete your post. What’s more likely is that posts here were deleted (if that even happened) due to the fact that you’re not supposed to discuss test cycles in the public facing forum due to customer confidentiality.

To be fair to Genry, I will say that I occasionally get a project with an unreasonable customer, although it’s not common. I can only count 2 out of over 500 hundred test cycles I’ve participated in that were bad enough to be noteworthy and a small number of other ones where there was poor communication or some other problem. In cases like this, you can follow up with the cycle’s PM privately to raise any issues. There are a few companies I won’t test for anymore and I just decline them if they should happen to offer me additional work. There’s not need to get all bent out of shape about it though.

You always have to option to decline a test cycle at any point. There’s also a set of checkboxes that allow you to tell uTest why you’ve turned it down. One of the choices is actually “No interest in this customer”. You can use the “Other” field to explain further.

That said, I’ve seen many testers submit bugs based on how they think an app should work, not based on actual functional problems with it. So if you feel that “99.9%” of your bugs were valid, but only 16 of them were accepted, perhaps the problem is not with uTest or the customer. To date, I have filed well over 1,500 bugs and have a rejection rate of less than 4% according to my profile statistics. So it obviously isn’t an issue that occurs with every test cycle and every tester.

If your bug writing convention and your communications with customers are written using the same grammar and spelling as in your comment, I can see where you might run into issues with a high rejection rate due to the customer not understanding what you’re trying to convey. There are plenty of testers who are not native English speakers who still manage to raise issues in an understandable way so that isn’t even really an excuse. It’s also not the customer’s fault if you file poorly written, unreproducible, out of scope or duplicate bugs.

Furthermore, I think you’ve spent way more time to earn your $185 than you should have. To me, this says you’re probably not very experienced at testing and maybe are perhaps not the best person to objectively evaluate how valid your own bugs may be. You say,

“Timewise: spent about 74hrs in all test cycles. Earned: 185$.”

To put this in perspective, by looking at my monthly earnings and project tracking software I can tell you that with an average of 50-80 hours of time invested per pay period, I will earn about $2,500 to $5,000. Depending on what types of testing I’m working on at the time, I tend to earn around $30-$50 an hour. Sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more, but I’ve never averaged out to less than $20/hr. This is very much in line with what a software tester or QA test engineer would earn in a traditional brick and mortar job.

And finally, this is simply not true:

“Apparently utest are Big liers, faking results, resources and honestly customers”

I’ve worked with lots of uTest project managers and every kind of customer, from 2 person startups to Fortune 100 customers. The exceeding majority of them have been responsive and easy to work with. And the (very, very) rare times when they haven’t, I’ve always been able to address issues at least to some degree of satisfaction through the proper channels at uTest.

One thing you are probably correct about is that you’re no longer receiving project invitations because you complained. However, it’s not the fact that you complained, it’s more likely the manner in which you complained. It’s ok to push back when there’s truly a problem, but uTest is just like any other job- if you’re difficult and argumentative, nobody is going to be willing to work with you.

Obviously, you have an axe to grind with uTest. That’s fine if it’s not for you- it’s not for everyone. The name calling and misrepresentation isn’t necessary though. You can simply close your account in your profile and be done with them.

In order to be successful working for uTest, you need to be professional and treat it like a serious, actual job. If you do, the sky’s the limit. If not, you won’t get invited to projects anymore.

Honest Joe

August 13, 2012 at 6:52 pm

I believe you are way out of line here. Everyone has different experiences and as a new tester mine have been horrible. I have over twenty five years of experience in software development with a lot of it in testing. So I think I’m qualified. To begin with you have to participate in an unpaid “Sandbox” project. If you are not one of the first to jump on the project when it opens it is not easy to find bugs after all the obvious ones have been cherry picked over by 50 other people. I turned down a few Facebook related assignments that came my way. I finally accepted a test cycle that involved software to download. The initial scope of the assignment was not properly described. Apparently two test cycles were opened for this assignment by I was only offered one of the two. I was tester number 7 on the list but was not assigned any test cases. The ones that were assigned were cross linked with the other related test cycle not the current one. I spent several hours downloading, configuring, reading the Help information and using the discussion threads trying to figure out how this product worked. My questions were not answered within 24 hours as required and in fact not at all. When the test case issue was resolved i was still not assigned any test cases. There were only a few people assigned test cases which I presume were existing testers with a track record. There was no opportunity to discuss this offline as you say with the project manager or the project lead. I filled out a survey complaining about the project manager but no one at uTest contacted me. So in total I spent about 4 hours in the sandbox project and got 3 of the 4 bugs I submitted approved with no money. I spent at least 8 hours on the first project I accepted and have no opportunity to make any money on it. For me uTest is a bust. I cannot see making any money on this whatsoever unless you simply test a website as in the sandbox and get in early on the project so you can find bugs before others do. Since they violated their terms of agreement with me I can only say this is not a reputable company.

Ams

December 8, 2011 at 2:31 pm

Hi-

I’m a Gold rated tester with uTest. I have an extensive background in QA, testing and IT, so I’m looking for more than a couple extra bucks here and there. For me, uTest has been absolutely wonderful to work for, so I’m glad to see you covering them.

First of all, in the spirit of full disclosure, I am not responding officially on behalf of uTest. I’m just a tester who really likes working for them and has been successful there. I did wanted to clarify a few things in case anyone else is interested in registering there.

(First of all, just a quick nitpick- uTest doesn’t have “agents”, they have testers.)

I’m not exactly sure what you mean by “base rate”. What I think you’re trying to explain is that some test cycles (but not all) have a test case you can fill out and get paid for along with being paid for submitting bugs. Some test cycles do not have a test case. For these, you will be paid just for approved bugs.

Each test cycle has a different payout rate for bugs. It can vary anywhere from $3 to $40 and occasionally more (special projects). In addition, the payout can vary for the three different types of bugs: GUI, Technical and Functional. Some test cycles also pay a nominal amount (usually $4) for a product review and $1 – $2 for feedback.

There is a payout bonus as mentioned for valuable bugs. This is anywhere between $5 – $10 per bug added to the base payout (maybe this is where you got the base payment thing, since test cases and their payouts are also listed in this table).

Some test cycles have a most valuable tester bonus or a bonus for a certain number of approved bugs per tester. In addition, a project manager can decide to send you a bonus for good work at their discretion or based on a recommendation by the customer.

Testers are ranked by performance. They’ve recently revamped this system, so the ranking levels are now Rated, Proven, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Bronze testers get an additional 2.5%, Silver testers get 5% and Gold testers receive a 10% payout bonus on all approved bugs and test cases.

All of this information is available in the tester help topics.

While uTest does have some usability testing available, it’s really not the same type of work as Usertesting, Userfeel, Userlytics or TryMyUI. There are 4 different types of testing available: Functional, Load, Security and Usability. It might be a good idea to update this so that people don’t think it’s the same thing as doing the website reviews.

There are testers who are there for a few bucks here and there, but you can definitely make between $1,000 and $10,000 a month at uTest. However, it would be difficult to do so if you’re not very technically inclined or do not have testing/QA experience. I have seen testers without much experience do well, but these people are usually very proficient with technology already.

At a minimum, a tester would need to be comfortable with the following skills: uploading and downloading files, installing and configuring software, scripts and apps on their own without much hand holding, be able to read and understand written directions and need good writing skills (for filing bugs that are clear and easy to reproduce). Having some basic software troubleshooting and debugging skills is helpful. It also helps to know how to take screenshots, read log files and use MS Word or Excel in order to fill out test cases and view spec documents.

In order to receive a decent amount of work, you should have broadband internet, a relatively recent PC running at least Windows Vista (preferably Windows 7) or an Intel-based Mac and probably a smartphone. uTest has testing work available on other devices such as e-readers and tablets as well.

If you’re a new tester and you’re not receiving any projects, you will want to look in the forum and at the help for some advice on how to complete the sandbox test and fill out your profile.

I read Genry’s comment and it doesn’t really line up with my experience at uTest at all. In the interest of keeping this comment readable, I will respond to that separately.

kingkong

June 21, 2012 at 5:27 pm

Black box testers make 15 to 20 per hour off-shore.
An intern with a masters degree in computer science can make 30 per hour.
Testers can make anywhere from 30 to 80 per hour in the US depending on your capability.
Of course, those that can code can make significantly more then that.
Hope this helps! Happy testing!

Sebi

June 30, 2012 at 2:23 pm

I did 3600$ this month, so I am starting to be a believer! 🙂

Brian

July 31, 2013 at 11:09 am

How many hours did you put in for this $3600. I am currently a contractor making approx $4000+ every 15days working at large corps. I am considering working from home and would like to get an idea how much realistically I can really make doing this utest thing or other croudsourced type testing.

thanks
Brian

kur

August 28, 2012 at 9:56 pm

hi,
i participated i utest and i was not selected in sandbox program.Will i have the chance to work on any future projects??

Mike Johnson

October 6, 2012 at 1:09 pm

“My questions were not answered within 24 hours as required and in fact not at all.” I also have a gold rating. The terms of service provide that the tester has a right to clear answers (or at least a good faith effort to obtain them) within 24 hours. You cannot ask specific questions about bugs in the forums. You cannot ask “is this or that a bug.” You can ask what parts of the website or app the customer is interested in. If they aren’t interested in your findings, you might (probably will) get rejected. You won’t get paid for “works-as-designed bugs.”

You might be surprised to find out broken links aren’t in scope. The sandbox will teach you to look for broken links. They are there, but real customers sometimes don’t want this data. They won’t tell you in advance. They could, but don’t. You’ll have to guess and find out. My experience is that, about 75% (or more) of the time, these types of questions are not answered within 24 hours. Expect 48 hours or not at all. Cycles commonly last 3 days, but may lock within < 24 hours.

Whatever the reason, you can forget about 24 hours most of the time. At the bottom of each page on this site, you have a link to privacy policy. You might find five pages on the site where that link is broken. Even though these are five of hundreds of specific pages, the customer may only want and pay for one report of one broken link. Some customers may want one, some may want all. However, by the time someone gets around to telling you (if they do at all) the point may indeed be moot. If you know the customer–if you rise to the experience level similar to that of a team lead–you'll know these answers. However, you may wash out your rating and just give up be for you reach that level. Note that the team lead, essentially a supervisor, is a fellow tester. He will compete with you for bugs in other cycles. It's not really in his interest to be your buddy. He's not your mentor. He or she may be somewhat helpful, but to the victor belongs the spoils in bug reporting, and each tester for himself. That's just the cold competitive reality. The lead won't undercut you, but he works for the customer, not you.

What's realistic? A a gold tester, I get about 5-15 invites per week. I turn down anything where the instructions look fishy (25-50%) or the product or it's passwords isn't functional for testing. If I can't get my question answered in 24 hours, I opt out of the cycle to protect my rating–where necessary. Emailing the community management is of no value. I tried it several times, and the questions still never got answered. The cycle and UTest staff seemed to get grumpy when asked questions, maybe due to workload. I'm not trying to annoy my bosses here, so I just learned to dummy up and shut up. I post to the forum. No answer after 24 hours, if I'm not 100% sure on my bugs, I just walk away and don't file. I try to get at least 1 solid bug per cycle for my rating. Note: the customer gets a carbon copy on every forum post. Why they don't answer I will never know. They're paying the bills. You'd think they'd want good bugs.

Let's be realistic. Forget $1,000 monthly without an IT degree. If you're silver or gold, expect 5 cycles a week, 1-3 bugs per cycle and maybe about $20 per cycle on average. However, You'll need to hit a rating to get this, and that might not happen in your first 90 days. I think only 10% of all testers are bronze, silver or gold.

Final Impressions. Do I recommend UTest? At this time I DO NOT. Reason: the 24-hour rule for test cycle questions is part of the agreement between tester and UTest. Right now, that rule just isn't being adhered to. My rating may change in the future. Second Reason: The effective pay rate is about $5 per hour, largely due to ineffective communications, as explained in reason one. Were this communications breakdown to change, I'd probably recommend them.

Brian

July 31, 2013 at 11:18 am

With me being a pro, I will not work for $5 an hour. I will go to onsite contracts if this has not changed.

Ariel

November 28, 2013 at 6:21 am

Very Interesting! I think I may give this a try. Microsoft should have used UTest before they released Windows 8! LOL

saqib ahmad

June 10, 2015 at 2:31 am

Strange But $4 is Little less amount for testing. I really like the fact that Payoneer is available for payment withdraw. I guess its a cool place to start earning few bucks..

Jack

August 15, 2015 at 12:11 am

Hey guys and galls! First time user of this site and I must say, I love it!

I did notice something though. The link you provided for uTest Registration does not work. Your link to the “Help Page” did provide a way for me to get to the registration screen. The “new” link would be: https://profile.utest.com/register

As an IT Major, this type of work looks very inviting! Time to register! Thank you for the information!

Kieu Nguyen

September 14, 2015 at 3:25 am

Hi Everyone,

I’m Kieu. I’ve worked software testing for 4 years. I’d like to earn extra income. How can I join?

Thanks for sharing

Thanh

August 1, 2016 at 2:33 am

Hi Kieu,

If you already had several years of experience in software testing, you are good to go with uTest. The above advice in the post is good enough actually. Anyway, if you would like to go into detail, you may want to check out this complete: http://www.asktester.com/freelance-tester-on-utest-an-utest-review/

It’s a complete and step-by-step guide, so you can follow easily.

Goodluck to you

Thiranja Lakrandika

November 4, 2016 at 5:57 pm

Greate post man. Really nice article, I have never worked with uTest before, But it seems I have to go there. Also valuable to look at the website uTester,com somewhat to this but you have to test websites for bugs there.