Some of the world‘s largest companies pay Testbirds to have real people break their apps before their own customers do. This has established Testbirds as a globally recognized app testing firm. They match everyday testers with companies that need honest feedback on digital products before launch. The question we try to answer in this Testbirds review is whether the money is actually worth your time as an American. Let’s get right to it.
Quick Facts
| Platform Name | Testbirds |
| Earning Potential | €10 – €50 per test |
| Typical Duration | 50 to 75 min per test |
| Payment Frequency | Twice monthly |
| Required Equipment | Smartphone or Computer |
What’s Inside
- Is Testbirds real and safe?
- How hard is it to sign up?
- Can I do this whenever I want?
- How much money can you really make?
- When and how do you get paid?
- What stuff do you need to start?
- Is the work easy or hard?
- The Pros and Cons of Testbirds
- Final Verdict: Is Testbirds worth your time?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Is Testbirds real and safe?
Founded in 2011, headquartered in Germany and publicly working with over one million testers across 193 countries, there is real credibility here. Most complaints you find online are not about fraud, rather people being frustrated about not getting enough tests. This signifies people enjoy the experience and want more of it, but admittedly being based in the US, does work against you as it is a secondary market for this European company.
How hard is it to sign up?
The process is what you would expect when joining an app testing platform, it’s easy but somewhat involved. Providing your information is simple, however, every new tester must complete a qualification test before paid invites start coming in. It takes roughly 75 minutes and asks you to navigate a real website, document what you find, grab screenshots and write a report. Testbirds staff review it and decide if you are or out. Either way, you collect €5 for finishing it. And yes, we know the currency is not American, which further emphasizes this as a European first gig.
💡 Insider Tip:
Add every device you own to your profile. Most people sign up with one phone and then wonder why months pass with nothing in their inbox.
Can I do this whenever I want?
You do not browse tests and pick one, rather Testbirds sends invites to you. When a project needs your specific device and fits your profile, an email shows up with all the details including a completion window. You decide at that point if you want to take it and work within the project deadline.
US-based testers should go in with lowered expectations on frequency. Testbirds is a European company so Germany and the UK get more projects. That is just the reality.
How much money can you really make?
Usability tests pay a flat €10 to €50 depending on the complexity level. Bug-finding tests pay €1 to per €5 depending on the severity level. There are also what they call BugAbility tests, which simply combine both types. Those are the ones worth jumping on when they come in as they pay the most.
Active US testers report earnings somewhere in the range of €20 to €80 per month when things are moving with the important caveat that some months you will earn zero.
When and how do you get paid?
Testbirds compensates in Euros via PayPal or bank transfer, paid out twice a month (mid and end of month). It is not automatic as you have to request the payout yourself once your balance hits €10. PayPal takes in a few business days after request and bank transfer takes longer, sometimes up to two weeks.
Because Testbirds calculates performance compensation in Euros (€), independent contractors outside the Eurozone assume the financial risk of fluctuating foreign exchange rates and potential PayPal currency conversion fees upon withdrawal. Furthermore, testers assume the administrative risk of uncompensated time if logged bugs are rejected by the client’s validation team.
What stuff do you need to start?
Any smartphone, tablet or computer works. The more devices you register, the more tests you get matched to so it’s worthwhile to add them all). You will also need a PayPal account for the fastest payout. There are no downloads or special setup required as everything runs in a web browser.
Is the work easy or hard?
The challenge is the same regardless of the app testing website. Clicking around a website is easy, but writing a report that actually gets approved is a different story. Testbirds is paying for your ability to explain what went wrong and how to reproduce it. This means that any vague reports get rejected with no pay. They usually give you a chance to revise before a full rejection so always fix what they flag and resubmit instead of giving up.
The Pros and Cons of Testbirds
| The Pros | The Cons |
|---|---|
| Rock-solid credibility: BMW, Audi, Allianz are clients. | Slow invites for US testers: Europe gets the bulk of projects. |
| No experience needed: If you use apps daily, you qualify. | Invite-only: You cannot browse or pick your own tests. |
| Bug bonuses: Sharp testers earn on top of the base rate. | Euros only: Currency conversion takes a small cut. |
Final Verdict: Is Testbirds worth your time?
This one is right on the edge of recommendation for Americans. Testbirds pays real money for real work but you cannot force invites to come in faster. The wait between projects can be genuinely frustrating.
The Bottom Line: If you have time, it’s worth signing up for an account and then forget about it vs. checking your inbox every day looking for invites. Take advantage of the invites to show up and you’ll be happy but don’t expect them that often.
Frequently Asked Questions
You do not get paid for duplicates. Before you submit anything on a bug test, check the list of bugs other testers have already logged. Look first, submit second.
You can register shared devices, but make sure you can get to them whenever you need to. If Testbirds asks you to follow up or reproduce something on that device and it is not available, you are stuck.
Testbirds allows testers under 18, which most platforms do not. But a parent or guardian has to fill out a consent form, sign it, and upload it as a PDF before the teen can participate in any paid project.
Silent Mode pauses your invitations without closing your account. If you go on vacation or get swamped at work, turn it on. Do not just ignore invites instead. Do it enough times and your account gets frozen.
YTestbirds does not withhold anything, you are treated as an independent contractor. In the US, if your total freelance income across all platforms goes over $400 in a year, self-employment tax rules apply. Since Testbirds pays in euros, track the dollar value of each payout at the time you receive it.
