So, you’ve built your survey on Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or Qualtrics. Great! But now comes the big question: how do you actually get people to respond?
Here are three of the best platforms where you can find participants for your online survey.
1. Prolific – Built for Researchers
Prolific is one of the most trusted platforms for recruiting survey participants, especially in academia.
Why it’s great:
- Participants are prescreened—so you can target exactly who you need (by age, country, education, etc.).
- Known for high-quality data—less “spam” or careless responses compared to other platforms.
- Transparent pricing—you pay participants fairly, and Prolific adds a small fee.
Best for: Academic research, psychology experiments, and any study where reliable, thoughtful responses are key.
2. Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) – Large Participant Pool
MTurk is Amazon’s crowdsourcing marketplace where people (called “workers”) complete small tasks for pay—including surveys.
Why it’s great:
- Massive global pool of participants.
- Fast turnaround—responses often come in within hours.
- Flexible: you can set custom qualifications for who can take your survey.
Best for: Market research, pilot studies, or projects where you need quick responses at scale.
3. SurveyMonkey Audience – Targeted Respondents On Demand
If you’re already using SurveyMonkey, their built-in Audience feature lets you buy responses directly.
Why it’s great:
- Access to millions of respondents worldwide.
- Advanced targeting (e.g., by job title, industry, demographics).
- Data comes integrated into your SurveyMonkey dashboard—no extra setup needed.
Best for: Business and market research where specific demographics are needed.
Quick Comparison
| Platform | Strengths | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Prolific | High-quality academic data | Research studies |
| MTurk | Fast & affordable scale | Market research, pilots |
| SurveyMonkey Audience | Easy integration + targeting | Professional/business surveys |
Final Thoughts
- If you’re an academic researcher → Prolific is your best bet.
- If you need lots of responses quickly and cheaply → MTurk works well.
- If you’re doing business or customer-focused research → SurveyMonkey Audience is the smoothest option.
The platform you pick depends on what matters more: speed, cost, or data quality.
