It's a legit survey platform that's been around since 2009. And now, it has a new brand, website, and user experience to let you make money from the comfort of your own home.

This Unlock Surveys review is sharing how this new site works. It's also covering what to expect in terms of earning potential, rewards, and pros and cons.

Quick Summary

• A U.S. survey panel formerly known as Maru Springboard America
• Lets you earn PayPal cash and free gift cards for sharing your opinion
• Offers high-paying surveys and competitive rates
• Requires $25 to cash out
• People 18 and older who are U.S. residents can sign up

Is Unlock Surveys Legit?

Unlock Surveys is legit, and it's run by the same company that ran Springboard America, one of the oldest survey sites in the business. Overall, it's a free and easy way to earn extra money and gift cards in your spare time.

You can't earn a full-time income with this site. But it's a reputable side hustle that is very beginner-friendly.

What Is Unlock Surveys & How Does It Work?

Unlock Surveys is a free survey website that's globally available. It lets everyday people earn money online by sharing their opinions about popular topics like health, entertainment, politics, sports, and more.

Signing up is free. All you need to do is visit Unlock Surveys and complete a short profile questionnaire. This questionnaire asks you demographic questions like your age, gender, education level, background, income level, and similar questions.

Right off the bat, you get a 200 point welcome bonus. You also earn an entry into Unlock's $1,000 cash sweepstake for new members, which is pretty cool.

However, Unlock Surveys doesn't accept every member. So, you might not get into the panel based on the answers to various demographic questions, which is a downside.

This is the same system Pinecone Research and other premium panels use. But if you do get in, you can begin answering surveys that are available in your main dashboard.

Survey rates are fairly competitive. You generally earn anywhere from $0.25 to $1 or $2 per survey, but there are higher-paying surveys as well if you get lucky.

Surveys are the main way to make money with Unlock. So, you won't find diverse offerwall tasks like you do with some gpt sites. The company occasionally runs referral bonuses, but this isn't always the case. But if you just want to share your opinion to make money, this site could be for you.

Cashing Out & Rewards

Unlock Surveys requires 25,000 points to cash out a $25 reward. You can redeem your “Survey Points” for PayPal money or free gift cards to companies like:

• Amazon
• Best Buy
• Starbucks
• Target
• Walmart
• Uber

Unlock sends rewards electronically and typically pays members within one week. And the variety of gift cards plus PayPal cash is quite solid.

However, a $25 cash out minimum is definitely on the high side. In contrast, some of my favorite survey sites like Branded Surveys and Swagbucks only take $1 to $5 to cash out depending on the reward.

Earning Potential

You can likely make about $10 to $50 a month with Unlock Surveys if you answer a couple of surveys per week. Some members earn more, but how much you make ultimately depends on how many surveys you qualify for and how much time you invest into the platform.

The reality is that answering surveys for cash isn't a full-time job. Rather, this is just an easy way to make a bit of side money while you watch TV or relax around the house.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Easy and free sign up process
• You get a small sign up bonus
• Great variety of rewards, including PayPal cash
• Cash sweepstakes for members

Cons:

• High $25 cash out minimum
• This survey panel doesn't accept every member
• Only people in the United States can sign up currently

Other Survey Sites To Try

I think Unlock Surveys is an easy-to-use site with competitive rates. However, since it's not available to everyone, here are a few alternatives you can consider trying:

• Branded Surveys (my current favorite)
• Kashkick
• Swagbucks
• Survey Junkie
• Freecash
• Prime Opinion
• InboxDollars
• Rewardia

These alternatives also have lower cash out requirements than $25, which is a selling point. And you can always stack a few of these platforms to earn as much as possible.

Extra Reading – The Best Free Apps That Pay Real Money Instantly.

Who Can Sign Up?

To join Unlock Surveys, you must be 18 or older and be a resident of the United States. Additionally, you can't join the panel if you work in market research or a related industry.

Unlock has a “somewhere else” button you can check when signing up to indicate if you live outside of the United States. I think this automatically disqualifies you from the panel but I'm not 100% sure.

In any case, if you don't qualify for Unlock Surveys, you can try more globally-friendly sites like Toluna and YouGov.

Is There A Mobile App?

Unlock Surveys doesn't have a survey app. However, the website is mobile-friendly so you can still login on your phone and complete surveys there.

If your phone is the main way you answer surveys, I also suggest checking out Ipsos iSay and AttaPoll to earn more.

Is There Customer Support?

You can contact customer support by emailing [email protected]. There's also a useful FAQ section on the company website.

Final Thoughts

I hope this Unlock Surveys review clarifies how this new panel works and what to expect in terms of earnings.

Springboard America has been a long-standing favorite in the survey space. And I'm excited to see a rebrand and a new user-friendly site with great rewards.

I think a $25 cash out requirement is too high. So, it's my hope that Unlock lowers this in the future. And I wish more people could qualify for the panel since it has some specific demographic requirements.

That said, survey rates are competitive. If you're looking for an easy online side hustle, I think Unlock Surveys is worth trying.

Thanks for reading!

Want more ways to make money? Checkout:

• The Best PayPal Survey Sites.
• The Top Survey Sites For Teens.

The post Unlock Surveys Review – Is This New Survey Site Legit? appeared first on WebMonkey.

This legit app from Mobile Fox Limited lets you compete against other players to win cash prizes. And it even has monthly tournaments that pay out thousands of dollars to winners.

Our Solitaire Arena review is covering how this app works, our experience with using it, and what you should know before downloading it.

Want more quick ways to make money? Checkout:

• Branded Surveys: Share your opinion to get cash and gift cards!
• Kashkick: Answer surveys and play new games to win PayPal money!

Key Takeaways

• Solitaire Arena is a real money game where you compete against real players
• The app is available for iPhone devices
• Players can withdraw their cash winnings through PayPal or bank transfer
• Tournament matches pay anywhere from $0.50 to $50+

Is Solitaire Arena Legit?

Yes, Solitaire Arena is legit and lets you play competitive matches of Solitaire to win real money. The app has over 33,000 ratings and an average score of 4.7 stars, making it one of the highest-rated apps in this genre.

The app is also unique since you can get a $30 bonus to enter tournaments with. And some games pay a lot of money to winners. However, you generally have to deposit money to compete for cash with this app, so keep that in mind.

What Is Solitaire Arena & What Does It Offer?

Solitaire Arena – Win Cash is a cash game app for iOS from Mobile Fox Limited. It lets you play against other players in competitive tournaments and is similar to other game apps like Solitaire Cash and Solitaire Smash.

Signing up is free. Once you download the app, you enter your username and choose from 20+ avatars.

From there, a quick 5-part tutorial will show you the basics of the app. Solitaire Arena games are classic games of Solitaire. The difference is that each game has a five-minute time limit, and you score points as you place cards in the foundation stack.

You can cycle through the deck three times for free. Afterwards, shuffling the deck costs you points. And players all have identical decks, so it's a matter of speed and accuracy to be the player with the highest score at the end of the match.

This skill-based gameplay puts an exciting spin on a classic card game. And at the end of a tournament, you can earn a portion of the cash prize pool if you place in the top three players.

Note that there are also free games you can enter if you just want to have fun. You can also watch ads or save up lucky coins, the in-app currency, to eventually compete in paid games.

Finally, the graphical layouts of Solitaire Arena make it more fun. Rather than the standard green felt background, each game has a themed backdrop like a Wild West town or Alice in Wonderland. The back of the deck also matches the theme—a detailed, decorative touch. It would be nice if the sound effects matched the theme, but perhaps they’ll add this in future versions.

Finally, one feature I like about Solitaire Arena is that you can tap on a card and it will automatically go to where it fits. This can eliminate a few seconds of mental gymnastics, trying to figure out if the card will fit anywhere.

Earning Potential

How much you make with Solitaire Arena depends on the types of games you enter and how well you perform. Some tournament matches pay over $40 to winners, so this is one of the higher-paying apps in this genre.

Realistically, you need to deposit money to compete and win money. That’s just a fact of cash-prize app games. However, Solitaire Arena has some cash games you can enter just by watching an ad. There are also free daily prizes for logging in. Plus, you can eventually save up enough lucky tokens from free games to compete in cash games.

It's also worth noting that Solitaire Arena has a great referral bonus that provides $30 per referral. However, the friend who signs up has to make a deposit. You can text, WhatsApp, or Facebook message the referral code to friends, and family. Just know that there's a 10-person referral limit.

Ultimately, if you don't want to deposit money, this real money game won't make you that much. But competitive Solitaire players might be able to make some decent side cash.

How Do You Cash Out?

You can withdraw tournament winnings via PayPal or to your bank account. However, Solitaire Arena requires verifying your profile by taking a selfie and submitting a photo of government-issued ID. This requirement isn't uncommon for other paid to play apps but is worth noting.

Additionally, you can't withdraw bonus cash. Solitaire Arena often pays cash bonuses if you make a deposit. But this money can only be used to enter tournaments and can't be withdrawn, which confuses and frustrates some players.

Extra Reading – The Top iPhone Games That Pay Real Money.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• The game pays you with real cash
• Some tournaments are very high-paying
• You earn a $30 referral bonus for inviting players to join
• Solitaire Arena claims that you play against players of a similar skill level
• Large deposit bonuses for your first deposit
• Fun and exciting gameplay

Cons:

• You can lose more money than you make with this app
• You can't withdraw bonus cash which is one common complaint players have
• Limited number of free games available
• The app is only available for iPhones

Other Real Money Games To Try

Solitaire Arena is a popular app that caters to fans of this classic card game. However, there are plenty of other gaming apps you can try, including:

• Cookie Cash
• Solitaire Cash
• Blackout Bingo
• Solitaire Smash
• Pool Payday
• Big Buck Hunter
• Swagbucks
• Bubble Cash

Think about the types of arcade games you enjoy and then try one or more of the games above. If you stack them with Solitaire Arena, there's no reason why you can't turn your phone into a new side hustle!

Extra Reading – The Top Instant Pay PayPal Money Games.

Is Solitaire Arena A Scam?

Solitaire Arena isn't a scam. Keep this in mind, though: if you’re good at Solitaire, you can win a lot of money. If you’re just mediocre at Solitaire and/or your like to play for fun, this game isn’t going to be your golden ticket to quitting your day job. And you can lose more money than you make.

Another thing to keep in mind vis-a-vis scam concerns: as mentioned, bonus cash can't be withdrawn. It can be used for games to earn cash. If any of the cash in your “winnings” is still bonus cash (meaning, it hasn’t been used up) then that cash will disappear when you withdraw. This has led to some players believing they were scammed.

Who Can Use The App?

You must be 18 or older to play Solitaire Arena. Also note that cash tournaments aren't available in several states, including: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Indiana, and Maine.

Extra Reading – The Top No Deposit Real Money Games.

Is There Customer Support?

Solitaire Arena DOES have customer support. Click on the menu bar in the upper right-hand corner of the home screen and select support messages. If your question can’t be answered by the bot, you need to submit the issue and include screenshots.

The company replies within the customer support chat screen, but responses will not be instantaneous.

What Are Some Solitaire Arena Promo Codes?

Some Solitaire Arena promo codes you can use to earn deposit bonuses include:

• E754M9Z
• Y3T7XR9
• UG8VXX4
• 2D6P4XA
• Y9K7XX2
• UGTVRDG
• KFTWHD5
• MAPNDXR
• B49FJJD

These invite codes give you a $5 bonus when you make your first deposit. You can also follow Solitaire Arena on Facebook to see if new promos and codes get released.

Extra Reading – The Top $25 Sign Up Bonuses.

Final Thoughts

Solitaire Arena is one of many Solitaire apps out there. And if you enjoy this card game and competitive games, it could be a fun side hustle app to try out.

Just note that this isn't the best app to use if you don't want to deposit money to compete. In this case, you're better off using free side hustles like get-paid-to sites to earn. But there's plenty of money up for grabs with Solitaire Arena if it's the right app for you.

Thanks for reading!

Looking for more side hustle ideas? Checkout:

• The Best Real Money Bingo Apps.
• How To Get Amazon Gift Cards By Playing Games.

The post Is Solitaire Arena Legit Or A Scam? Our Honest Review appeared first on WebMonkey.

These user testing gigs don't require any experience to start. And you get paid with real money for completing tests on your own schedule, so it's quite flexible.

UserTesting, one of the leading website testing gigs out there, is the perfect example. The company pays testers with PayPal cash for their work, and it has hundreds of thousands of testers from around the world.

But is UserTesting legit? And how much can you realistically make with this website?

Well, I've been using the platform for over 6 years at this point and have made over $1,800. And my UserTesting review is sharing how it works, its pros and cons, and how to decide if it's worth it.

Looking for more money-making ideas? Checkout:

• Branded Surveys: Share your opinion to get PayPal cash and gift cards!
• Ipsos iSay: Another global survey site with fast payouts!

What Is UserTesting?

UserTesting is a customer feedback platform and usability testing platform that began in 2007. It lets companies get feedback from real people about the quality of their websites, apps, and online services.

For companies, UserTesting is an effective way to get valuable feedback to improve websites and apps. And for user testers, the platform is a flexible way to make money online.

If you've ever used testing platforms like TestingTime or PlaytestCloud, UserTesting should feel quite familiar. And I like the fact that it pays testers with free PayPal cash for their efforts.

Is UserTesting Legit?

Yes, UserTesting is legit. The company pays its users on time and works with hundreds of reputable companies for testing purposes. I've also earned over $1,800 from UserTesting over the last 6 years and can confirm it pays on time and is legitimate.

There are also plenty of other positive UserTesting reviews and payment proof online. The company is a leader in this space, and overall, it's a reliable online side hustle.

The main drawback of UserTesting is the fact that you don't qualify for every test on your dashboard. This means it can take some time to sift through the tests until you get accepted to one, which is the most common complaint about the site.

However, UserTesting is one of the highest paying sites in this side hustle category. And it's my favorite usability testing gig I've ever tried.

How Does UserTesting Work?

After using UserTesting for over 6 years, it’s safe to say that the platform is very easy to use. Overall, the entire process just takes four simple steps:

1. Sign up to become a tester
2. Apply to tests
3. Complete tests
4. Get paid

Let’s take a look at each of these steps in a bit more detail.

1. Sign Up For UserTesting

UserTesting is free to sign up for, and you create an account by signing up under the “get paid to test” tab. All you have to do is enter your email address to get started, and UserTesting sends you a sign-up link to create your account.

Just note that there are several UserTesting requirements to become a tester, including:

• Being at least 18 years old
• Having a PayPal account
• Having a Mac or Windows computer with at least 1GB of RAM
• Having a standalone microphone (not the one built into your computer)

In some cases, UserTesting gigs ask you to show your face, so having a webcam can help you qualify for more tests. This isn't a requirement, however.

Once you sign up, UserTesting sends you a short, unpaid practice test. This test ensures your device and microphone are working and that you can follow basic instructions and provide feedback in English.

If you pass this test, you can move on to filling out your demographics information which helps UserTesting match you with more available testing gigs.

2. Apply For Tests

Once UserTesting approves your account, you can begin searching for available tests and answering screener questions to try and qualify for them.

You can find paid testing opportunities under the “Available Tests” tab. Each test outlines the device you need to use (computer or phone) and how much the test pays.

Screener questions are mostly about your demographics and only take a minute or two to complete. Just keep in mind, you won’t qualify for every test based on your demographics, and this is unpaid work.

Also note that?UserTesting generally has few common test types you can apply for:

• $10 Test – The most common and takes around 15 minutes to complete.
• $4 Test –? A newer test type that takes a few minutes to complete.
• $30-$60 Test – Live testing sessions where you sit with a real person for 30-60 minutes and answer questions (oftentimes requires a camera to show your face as well.)

I like that there's a variety of test types and pay ranges. And even though you don't qualify for every test you complete screeners for, UserTesting is still a reliable way to make quick money.

3. Complete Tests

If you qualify for a UserTesting test, you receive more instructions about what the test is about and the steps you need to follow to complete the test.

Tests can involve all sorts of things, like creating a new account on a website, using a certain app feature, or just navigating around a platform.

Tests often have very specific instructions you need to follow as the tester. And the key to nailing these tests and keeping your rating high is to speak clearly, but to also speak your thoughts out loud.

In other words, the more you talk about what’s going on and the more feedback you give, the better!

This video from UserTesting user and YouTuber Side Hustle King shows a walk-through of how a test can look like if you're curious. And his video also gives tips on how to pass the practice test.

Overall, it's a pretty straightforward side hustle. After you submit a test, it goes into pending until UserTesting and the client review your work and approve it.

As long as you follow instructions carefully and provide as much feedback as possible, you shouldn't face disapprovals. And if you keep your approval rating high, you can qualify for more test opportunities.

4. Get Paid

UserTesting pays testers with PayPal money seven days after you take a test and it's approved. There's no minimum withdrawal amount either, so you always get paid for the tests you complete.

For example, if you take a $10 test on January 1st, you receive the $10 in your PayPal account on January 8th, assuming the test is approved.

At the moment, PayPal is the only way to receive payments. There are no free gift cards, bank transfers, or cryptocurrency rewards available. However, if you want to earn real money, this isn't really an issue.

And in my experience, UserTesting always pays on time. And of the $1,800+ I've made as a tester, I never received late payments.

How Much Does UserTesting Pay?

UserTesting pays $10 per test on average, and tests take about 10 to 20 minutes to complete. I’ve taken 160 tests in the last six years and earned $1,892 throughout my testing days on UserTesting. This comes out to approximately $11.8 per test.

In my consistent months of testing, I was earning between $300-$350 per month (usually due to completing one $10 test every day and the occasional live study here and there).

I think the more you complete tests and keep your rating high, the more tests you ultimately receive and qualify for.

In short, you can expect to make at least $150 to $200 per month if you keep a UserTesting tab open and complete one test every other day. And it's a nice way to get free PayPal money without much effort.

That said, your demographics are responsible for 90% of your success on testing platforms like these. So don’t get surprised if there are months where you barely get tests and months where you make much more.

Is UserTesting A Scam?

No, UserTesting isn't a scam, and the company has paid me on time for years and is one of the leading user testing gigs out there. There are also plenty of positive reviews and online payment proof, including my own screenshots which I've shared above.

The main reason people don't like UserTesting is that it's not always consistent. However, UserTesting is just a flexible gig app you can use, not a full-time online job.

As long as you have realistic expectations and stay consistent, there's no reason you can't make decent side cash with UserTesting.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Average pay of $10 per test
• You get paid with PayPal cash
• Lot of test options available
• Higher pay than most surveys sites
• Easy sign up requirements
• Easy-to-use platform
• Available in numerous countries
• Works with numerous devices

Cons:

• You don't qualify for every test, so there's some unpaid work
• You need a microphone to become a user tester
• No sign up bonus or referral bonuses

Other UserTesting Reviews

After making almost $2,000 with UserTesting over the last few years, I think it's a legit company and an excellent way to earn money online as a beginner.

That said, one of the best ways to see if UserTesting is legit is by looking at what other real users have to say about the platform.

So, let's take a look at what some other UserTesting reviews on Reddit are saying about their total earnings:

• Sauciestcoconut says: “I earned a total of $553 and completed 53 tests in my first 30 days.”
• FIREful_symmetry says: “I have made 240 bucks in the past week, but there are some weeks I only make 10 or 20 bucks.”
• UnFair-Leek-7647 says: “I started user testing in January 2022 and have done 62 tests so far this year for a total of $768. Not bad but ideally I'd like more. I usually get a minimum of 1-2 tests per week. But some weeks I could get 4-5.”

As you can see, it’s clear that earning money on UserTesting has its ups and downs. But it’s ultimately a lucrative online side hustle that can earn you a few hundred dollars per month.

This UserTesting review from YouTuber GigLife also shares how the platform works and what to expect in terms of earnings after one month of using it.

Overall, you won't quit your day job by using UserTesting. But it's one of the higher-paying gpt websites out there. And I like how quickly it pays and the fact that you earn PayPal cash.

The Best UserTesting Alternatives

If you’re interested in UserTesting and want to maximize your earning potential with other sites, here are a few of the best sites like UserTesting you can consider:

• PlayTestCloud – This site pays you to test apps and pays about $9 per short test.
• Userlytics – Make $50-$100 per month with tests that can pay up to $90.
• UserCrowd – Take super short tests that pay $0.20-$1 per test.
• TryMata – Most similar site to UserTesting that pays $10 per 20 minute test.
• Appen – A popular microtask site that sometimes has usability testing work.
• UserFeel – Make $10 through Paypal for 10-20 minute tests almost anywhere in the world.
• Remotasks –?A microtask site like Amazon MTurk that has a variety of testing gigs and short paid gigs.
• User Interviews – One of the best ways to get paid for market research and focus groups.

Tom also made a video that covers similar hustles, like using microtask websites like Clickworker and Amazon MTurk. But the bottom line is you can combine all of these user testing gigs and other sites into a nice side hustle stack.

Extra Reading – How To Make Money In One Hour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Make A Lot Of Money On UserTesting?

Most people can likely make $10 to $200 per month with UserTesting. How much you earn depends on how much effort you put in, how many screeners you complete, and your demographics.

If you want to earn $5,000 a month, this isn't the right gig. But it's a flexible side hustle you can use to make some beermoney.

How Long Does It Take To Get Approved On UserTesting?

The UserTesting application test takes about 10 to 20 minutes to complete. Once you submit the test, you usually hear back about UserTesting approval within a few business days.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully this UserTesting review helps you understand how this platform works and what to expect in terms of earning potential.

After taking 160 tests on the site, it’s safe to say that it’s become one of my favorite online side hustles today. And the tests are actually pretty fun once you get into them (a lot more enjoyable than cash survey sites in my opinion).

Just have realistic expectations in terms of earnings. A few hundred dollars a month is a great month for UserTesting. But don't expect to earn $10k a month or anything even close to that amount.

Thanks for reading!

Want even more money-making ideas? Checkout:

• The Best Websites Like Appen.
• The Best Same Day Pay Side Hustles.

The post Is UserTesting Legit Or A Scam? (Honest Review & Earnings!) appeared first on WebMonkey.

If you're dreaming of finding a job that pays at least $35 per hour, the good news is that there is a variety to choose from! To help attract and keep employees, companies are raising many salaries and offering higher hourly rates than ever before. This competitiveness works in your favor, and can help increase your paycheck. If you're starting to job hunt or are just thinking about some different career options, this article shares some possibilities to consider. 

$35 An Hour Is How Much Per Year?

Before we look at different jobs that pay $35 per hour, here's some of the math you'll need to know about this level of income. 

Earning $100 per hour means you earn:

• $67,200 per year
• $5,600 per month
• $2,800 biweekly
• $1,400 per week
• $280 per day

The Best Jobs That Pay $35 An Hour Without A Degree

Don't have a college degree or a formal education and still wondering if you can make $35 per hour?

The good news is that you can earn this level of income without attending college.

While some of these positions may require leadership or past employment experience in order to obtain this level of income, making this amount of income is definitely possible. 

Freelance Writer

Do you have writing skills, a computer and a reliable internet connection? You may be able to put those language and grammar skills to good use while making an income from home. 

To get started, you'll need a few pieces for your portfolio and the drive to start searching online on freelance sites for available opportunities. While some freelance writing gigs pay by the word and others pay a flat rate, overall once you obtain some experience you can earn quickly for your writing. Expect in the beginning to work for a lower price and then as you grow your portfolio and experience, you can charge higher rates for your work. 

Unless you find a full-time writing position, one draw back to freelance writing is that you may not have enough work to consistently earn $35 or more per hour. You may need to really hustle or supplement with another form of work until your client roster begins to grow.  

Blogger

Always dreamed of having your own business that you can do right from home? Over the last two decades, blogging has bloomed from online journals to a full time business for many. According to Semrush, there were over 31.7 million blogs in 2020 and demand is growing regularly from consumers for this type of content marketing.

While success does not happen overnight, blogging can be an affordable side hustle business to start. With minimal start-up expenses other than a domain name and web hosting, someone who loves to write and is web savvy can typically get rolling pretty quickly. Knowledge of social media and SEO is also a big plus. 

One benefit of blogging is once your website starts to draw traffic, there are types of passive income that you can earn. 

Making money from blogging can be a little slow until you build up your traffic and social media followings, but as you grow you can qualify for selling sponsored articles and social media posts to brands. Running display ads and adding in affiliate links can also offer an additional source of ongoing income.

SEO Specialist 

Love all things SEO and know your way around analytics and algorithms. SEO specialists are in demand and while a college degree is a plus for an SEO position, it isn't necessarily required. If you have equivalent experience you should qualify. Having additional certifications or the interest and ability to obtain them is also a huge plus. 

Personal Trainer

Do you love working out and want to help others get in shape? Being a personal trainer can help you take your love of fitness to the next level. Depending on the employer, a degree isn't necessarily required and once you pass one or more of the certification courses, you'll be eligible to apply for positions. 

Editor

Love words, but prefer to edit than write? If you are great with grammar, you may be able to put your skills for words to good use as an editor. Online publications are soaring and as more and more go online regularly, editors are needed to review content, make sure the content is quality and to make any needed corrections. While you will typically need writing and editing experience to get hired as an editor, a college degree is not necessarily needed and this can be a rewarding career for those who love to read. 

Social Media Manager

One of the growing categories of jobs that pay $35 dollars an hour are social media managers. If you are creative and know social media inside and out, this position will utilize your social media savvy to help a company communicate with its audience. While a college degree is usually preferred by employers, it is not required if you have adequate experience.

Delivery Driver 

Have a clean driving record and can pass a background check? Delivery drivers are in demand, especially by the nation's largest services UPS and FedEx. According to GlassDoor, the FedEx drivers average between $10 and $44 dollars per hour including available bonuses and additional compensation. 

Warehouse Managers 

While a degree or experience would give you a boost when applying, some warehouse and shipping management positions do not require previous experience. Applicants will need to be skilled in using technology and any previous experience managing others is a plus. 

Police Dispatcher

Interested in helping people and flexible with your hours? Police and fire departments have excellent support positions and these are typically jobs that pay $35 per hour. Police dispatchers typically do not require a college degree or previous experience. Applicants should have a high school diploma or GED, be able to stay calm in stressful situations and be fluent in English. 

Police Officer 

Another opportunity to help others is to become a police officer.

While a degree can give you an added edge, it is not required in all areas. Typically police officer candidates need to be a United States citizen and be able to pass a background check, as well as physical and psychological testing. A driver's license is required, as well as a high school diploma or GED. 

Jobs That Pay $35 An Hour That Require A Degree

Have a diploma and want to put it to good use? Here are a few jobs in this salary range that require a degree and / or additional experience.

Web Developer

Love to code and create websites? If you have a college degree (or equivalent experience) developing websites may be a career path for you. Knowledge and experience in programming applications is required. You'll also need to have the ability to work in a fast paced environment and work with clients both online and in person. 

Registered Nurse

If you've always wanted to be a nurse, the good news is that RN's are in high demand and typically are paid well. 

A degree is required to become a registered nurse. At least an associate's degree is typically required, and those individuals with a bachelor's degree or higher can typically qualify for higher salary positions. Registered Nurses also must take the licensing exam and apply to their state nursing board. 

Accountant

Accountants help businesses and individuals manage their money, keep financial records and prepare financial documents like profit and loss statements. 

You may be able to become an accounting assistant without a college degree if you have some previous accounting experience. However, in most states to become a Certified Public Accountant you will need a bachelor's degree and pass the CPA examination. 

Data Analyst

If you're all about using research and numbers to solve problems, becoming a data analyst may be a great fit. Some programming understanding and ability may also be required. While a degree is preferred for those applying for data analyst positions, if you have comparable experience and certification that verifies your skill you will qualify. 

Tips For Landing A $35 An Hour Job

Final Thoughts

Whether you have a degree, previous life experience or are starting fresh in the job market, there are a wide variety of jobs that pay $35 dollars an hour.

While you may need some previous experience to ramp up to this salary amount it is possible to find jobs that pay $35 an hour with no experience. Have a job in this salary range that we missed? Leave a comment below! 

The post Jobs That Pay $35 An Hour appeared first on WebMonkey.

Shopping apps have helped people across the world save money and score promotional offers near them.

I mean, who wouldn’t like to make a few extra bucks for doing something they were already doing? I’ll take a free cup of coffee any day!

Shopkick, a shopping app based in Silicon Valley, has helped users earn over $85 million in gift cards just by doing average shopping stuff. 

In this Shopkick review, we’ll be discussing the pros, cons, and all the fine details of this app to find out if it’s truly worth downloading. Be sure to read until the end to find out if Shopkick deserves a spot on your smartphone’s homescreen.

Let’s get started…

What is Shopkick?

Shopkick is a smartphone app that offers users the ability to earn points (or kicks as they call it) by scanning items, walking into certain stores, making purchases, visiting online partners, and more!

Founded in 2009, Shopkick has accumulated over 7.5 million users on their app, making them one of the largest shopping rewards apps. It is currently available on the App Store and Google Play Store, but is limited geographically because of the companies partnered with the app.

How Shopkick Works – How Do You Earn With Shopkick?

Shopkick has a few ways to earn kicks, which can be redeemed for gift cards at popular stores. Here are the ways you can earn kicks:

Walk-in Stores

You can earn kicks just by entering a store. That’s right, you don’t actually have to buy anything. Here’s how you do it:

1. Open the app
2. Make sure bluetooth, microphone, and wifi is enabled
3. Walk into a participating store
4. Your phone will automatically connect
5. Kicks will be awarded to your account

It’s that simple! Once you have everything enabled, all you’re really doing is opening the app and walking inside.

Scan Barcodes

When you’re in a store, you can scan items without having to purchase them and still earn kicks. Here’s how to scan barcodes:

1. Go to the “Earn” tab on the app
2. Select “Clicks Nearby”
3. Select the proper store address 
4. Tap the scan icon
5. Scan the barcode and earn kicks

Be sure to scan in good lighting while also double checking that you have the right store address and the right item as well.

Purchase with Linked Card

Making purchases in stores is as easy as linking a Visa or MasterCard to your account and waiting 24 hours for verification. Now anytime you shop at a qualifying store, you’ll automatically be rewarded for your purchase. The purchase only qualifies if it is a credit transaction, not debit.

Shopkick does not store any credit card information in their personal data base. They work with Visa and MasterCard to manage the credit card on file, so it is 100% safe to link your card.

Purchase and Upload Receipt

On top of using a card, you can also scan receipts to earn kicks. Here’s how to scan receipts:

1. Go to the “Earn” tab
2. Select “Kicks Nearby”
3. Choose your store
4. Select the “receipts” icon
5. Browse the list of items available

Once you have the list, you can see which items are eligible to earn kicks and make purchases accordingly.

Make Online Purchase

Making an online purchase can also earn you kicks as long as you shop directly through the Shopkick app. Once you have that open, here’s what you do:

1. Go to the “Earn” tab
2. Select “Kicks Online”
3. Make an online purchase
4. Earn kicks after 72 hour confirmation

This is the great thing about the Shopkick app. You can literally earn points whether you’re in-store, online, or just scanning things without spending a dime!

Watch Videos

Shopkick also includes in-app videos, which you can watch for a certain amount of kicks. Although these videos are easy to watch, the amount of kicks you earn from them won’t break the bank. They’re really useful to add a few more points to your account for doing virtually nothing.

Redeeming Kicks – What Shopkick Rewards are available?

One kick is worth $0.004, meaning every 250 kicks will give you $1 in gift cards. Here’s how you redeem the kicks for rewards:

1. Go to your Kicks Center
2. Select “See All Rewards”
3. Choose the reward you want
4. Select the amount
5. Tap “Redeem”

There are a lot of gift card options to choose from and you can choose to have your rewards sent as Paypal cash. Here are some of the gift card options available:

• Amazon
• Target
• Walmart
• Starbucks
• AMC
• Best Buy
• Sephora
• Ebay
• Uber
• Nike

There are many other gift card options available that you can see from the full list here. 

Which Stores Work with Shopkick?

Here are a few popular stores that work with Shopkick:

• Target
• CVS
• Marshalls
• Best Buy
• TJ Maxx

But before the list goes too long, you should note…

A lot of major retailers will have options, but offers change and it depends on your area. I recommend you download the app and see what’s available for yourself because that’ll really give you the most accurate answer.

How Much Can I Really Earn?

Well, that really depends on how often you shop or how invested you are into the app. As an example, we’re going to assume you went into a popular grocery store and did a quick shop:

(These are all averages)

Walking into a store: 25 kicks

Scan 3 Items: 90 kicks

Buy 1 Eligible Item: 200 kicks

Watch a video: 10 kicks

Total Kicks: 325 (Worth $1.30)

Keeping in mind that the minimum amount to redeem a gift card is $2, you won’t even reach that on an average day at the store. So depending on where you live and your shopping habits, expect to make no more than $5-$8 per week if that.

Extra Tips & Ways to Earn Kicks

You might find these few little tips to be useful in making extra kicks the next time you open your Shopkick app…

Turn On Notifications and Bluetooth

Turning on these 2 simple things will make it so that you never miss an offer again. You will be notified when there are specific promotions in your area and other easy ways to redeem.

Enabling bluetooth will allow you to walk into stores and immediately earn kicks for having the app open. Both of these options can be the difference between an extra gift card every week!

Shopkick Hidden Kicks

When you open the app, head over to the discover tab. Shopkick claims to have a little treasure hunt for you to find instant surprises which reward you with kicks for finding them.

What a fun and easy way to earn a few extra rewards!

Refer Friends

This is possibly the most underrated thing on the app! This had to be included in the Shopkick review to make sure you use it wisely!

If you refer your friends to use the app, you earn 250 kicks. You can invite up to 100 friends equating to 25,000 kicks! 

On top of that, you’ll earn a piece of your friends’ kicks when they earn, giving you even more points. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to earn free money.

Shopkick Pros

Shopkick has many amazing benefits. Here are a few pros of using the app:

• Free and easy to use
• You don’t have to spend to earn
• Make money doing something you were already doing
• Earn gift cards to your favorite stores
• Get notified about promotional offers
• Huge variety of rewards and ways to earn

Shopkick Cons

Everything has its disadvantages, but that doesn’t make it bad. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• 1 Kick is only worth $0.004 
• You most likely won’t make more than $10 a week
• Not all stores are eligible
• Location matters 
• It may take a while to earn

All of these cons can honestly be looked over considering it’s completely free to use and doesn’t negatively affect you in any way (unless you live somewhere that you can’t earn).

Final Thoughts – Is Shopkick Worth It?

Can you quit your full time job? No. Can you save some money on your coffee every week? Absolutely!

The amount you earn is really predicated on the effort you’re willing to put into it. If you have the app open when you enter a store, scan a few items, and scan your receipt, you can definitely gain points. These points rack up long term and can eventually save you hundreds of dollars.

Remember, the app is free and you don’t have to go out of your way to earn kicks. You’re already going to be shopping and who doesn’t want to earn a gift card in the meantime?!

Here’s what I recommend…

Download the app. See if there are enough available stores near you to make it worth using. If there are, turn on your notifications, shop, and enjoy your points!

If not, you’re only missing out on less than $10 a week, and there are plenty of other passive income apps that will make that up.

Give it a try, it can’t hurt!

The post Shopkick appeared first on WebMonkey.

It’s also safe to say that humans love music.

According to Neilsen, the average person listens to music for more than 4.5 hours every single day. Thanks to the rising popularity of streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Music and improving data rates, it isn’t surprising that this figure is on the rise as well.

Considering how much time we spend listening to music, wouldn’t it be amazing if you could actually get paid to listen to music?

Well, thanks to these apps, you can finally start earning passive income and getting paid to listen to music!

Radio Earn:

If you'e looking for one of the most popular apps that pays you to listen to music, you have to start with Radio Earn.

Radio Earn is a free radio service that currently allows users from 35 countries to tune into radio stations and earn money for their time.

Current Music

Fix Music App

Podcoin

Playlist Push

KW:

– get paid to listen to music (1,600 0.26comp)

– make money listening to music

– apps that pay you to listen to music

– radioearn

The post Get Paid To Listen To Music With These 7 Legit Sites! appeared first on WebMonkey.

how to write a blog post

how do you write a blog

what is search engine optimization

blogging for beginners

how to start a successful blog

The post Blog Post Guide appeared first on WebMonkey.

According to the Colloquy Loyalty Census Report,?loyalty program membership in 2017 growth grew by 15% to 3.8 billion, largely due to cash back incentives.

However, finding the best reward apps can be a difficult task however, especially considering just how many choices there are. So, I’ve decided to break down the best shopping reward apps into one comprehensive list, so get ready and start earning some free money!

Want To Make & Save Even More? Checkout:

• Branded Surveys – Share your opinion to get free gift cards and PayPal money!
• EarnIn – Borrow $100 per day against an upcoming paycheck without membership fees!

The Best Reward Apps

1. Freecash

Freecash is a new rewards platform I've been using the last few months. And it's basically a discovery rewards platform with 100+ earning options.

All you have to do is sign up with your email. You can then earn by answering surveys, installing apps, shopping online, watching videos, and more.

I like Freecash's shopping offers since some of them pay $50 to $100+ in cash back. The real cash games are quite lucrative too. Just make sure you download a few mobile games or answer some surveys after you sign up so you start earning.

Freecash lets you cash out right to PayPal. There's over a dozen gift card rewards and crypto up for grabs as well.

Start earning with Freecash!

2. Capital One Shopping

If you shop online regularly and live in the United States, Capital One Shopping is a must-try shopping extension. In fact, it's one of the best ways to save money upfront rather than relying on future cash outs.

With Capital One Shopping, you automatically apply coupon codes at thousands of online stores in the United States. This saves you the time of digging up coupon codes yourself, and the savings are instant if codes work.

Furthermore, you can also earn shopping credits by shopping at select partners. Credits are redeemable for a wide variety of free gift cards once you earn $5 in credits. Plus, you can use the Capital One Shopping app to save while shopping on your phone.

Start saving with Capital One Shopping!

Note: Capital One Shopping compensates us when you sign up using the links provided.

3. EarnIn

Want access to your paycheck much earlier? Then EarnIn could be the app for you.

This U.S. cash advance app lets members borrow up to $100 per day and $750 per pay period to get their paychecks earlier. And it's a great way to get quick cash if you need to pay rent or other bills.

The app works by connecting to your bank account to view your paycheck history. It then determines how much you can borrow, and you can steadily increase your limit over time.

We like EarnIn because it doesn't charge interest or require a credit check. And you just pay back your advance once your paycheck hits. However, you need stable paychecks to qualify for EarnIn, so keep this in mind.

?Get started with EarnIn!

4. Rocket Money

Tired of wasting money on expensive subscriptions and overspending? Then Rocket Money is the app for you.

This all-in-one money app helps you automatically create a budget that works for you. And it helps you save more money by monitoring your subscriptions and notifying you of ones you might want to cancel.

You can also check your credit score and monitor your net worth with the app. But the real power comes if you upgrade to Rocket Money Premium.

That's because Premium members get even more budgeting tools. Plus, they can work with Rocket Money's team to have them contact their phone, internet, and cable providers to negotiate lower bills on their behalf.

This is a passive way to save more each month. And we love that Rocket Money is a rewards app that focuses on budgeting and saving first.

Try out Rocket Money today!

5. Kashkick

If you live in the United States and want to get PayPal cash in your spare time, you need to check out Kashkick.

This rewards website pays you to complete short surveys. It also lets you make money with real money games and by downloading and discovering new apps.

My favorite part is that Kashkick pays you right to PayPal once you earn $10. And it's one of the fastest-growing gpt sites in the industry.

Try out Kashkick today!

6. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a versatile way to make money online, and lets you earn with surveys, gaming rewards, download offers, videos, and shopping rewards.

Swagbucks has a fairly extensive list of partners, including Amazon, Sephora, Macy’s, RONA, Home Depot, Nike, and Roots.?Plus, you can even get paid to scan barcodes if you use Swagbucks Magic Receipt, a new grocery rewards section the platform has.

Overall, this is a very robust get-paid-to website with plenty of freebies up for grabs if you're willing to put in the effort! And it's a realistic way to get paid to shop if you take advantage of the cash-back offers.

Sign up for Swagbucks today!

7. InboxDollars

Another U.S. rewards site that I've used over the last few years is InboxDollars.

This website is similar to Swagbucks and lets you earn by uploading receipts and completing shopping offers. It also has cash surveys, games, and a juicy $5 sign up bonus for new members.

Signing up is also completely free. You can cash out at $10 to $15 with PayPal money or dozens of gift cards from major retailers. And if you like the idea of InboxDollars, you can check out its sister website, MyPoints, and snag another easy $5 bonus.

Get $5 from InboxDollars!

8. Ark7

Want to earn passive income while adding real estate to your portfolio? Then Ark7 could be the perfect fit for you.

This investing platform lets you invest in shares of income-generating rental homes. And with shares starting as low as $20, it’s incredibly accessible and is democratizing real estate investing.

We also love Ark7 because it sends out distributions from rental profits monthly. So, you can buy shares and then begin earning steady payments as a shareholder.

What makes Ark7 stand out is that it also has an active trading marketplace where you can sell shares. This helps ensure liquidity, and it lets investors sell their shares to benefit from property appreciation.

Take the Atlanta T-3 property as an example. This property originally sold at $20 per share. But its peak price soared to $35, allowing investors to achieve over 50% appreciation.

We also like that Ark7’s team hand-screens and properties and adds new investment opportunities regularly. So, browse its marketplace today to find exciting new investment opportunities.

Start investing with Ark7!

9. Cash Giraffe

Do you have an Android device? If so, you need to check out Cash Giraffe.

This is an exciting app that pays you for playing games. And it's our favorite reward app if you spend time gaming on your phone each week.

All you have to do is download the free app. You then choose games in your games library to download and play.

The more you play, the more you earn. And Cash Giraffe lets you cash out with PayPal money and free gift cards.

Don't have an Android? Don't sweat it! You can also check out our guide on the top iPhone money games paying people right now.

Try out Cash Giraffe!

10. Bridge Money

Bridge Money is a new U.S. rewards app that lets you earn passive rewards when you shop with linked cards, just like Pogo.

The app also has numerous other ways to earn, including online surveys, cash games, sponsored shopping offers, and referral bonuses. And you can cash out to your bank account once you earn $4.

Most transactions pay $0.02 to $0.20 worth of coins. The more active offers are more lucrative, and you can also upgrade your account to a paid Earn+ membership to earn even more cashback when you shop.

Bridge Money is also rolling out a savings account that pays an impressive 5% APY. And if you like passive income, this app definitely belongs on your smartphone.

Try out Bridge Money!

11. Scrambly

Scrambly is a new discovery rewards website and app that's currently available in the United States and Canada.

I've been using Scrambly for the last year and have since earned over $400. It lets you earn by downloading new apps, playing games, shopping, and by signing up for new products and services.

The team at Scrambly adds new offers all the time to keep things interesting. And it also launched an Android app recently which is pretty cool.

You can cash out via PayPal at only $1 as well which I like. Scrambly also has a variety of gift cards for you to choose from.

Try out Scrambly today!

12. HealthyWage

Want to get paid to workout and lose weight? Then you need to try the HealthyWage app.

This innovative rewards app pays you for setting and completing a weight loss goal. You place a wager on yourself to reach your goal. If you do, you get your wager back?plus?a cash prize for your efforts.

HealthyWage has tournaments too paying up to $10,000. And this app is an exciting and encouraging way to earn money while improving your fitness.

You can use HealthyWage's calculator to see how much you can potentially earn. Our HealthyWage review also has more details if you're curious to learn more.

13. Bonus Bucks

One new and exciting rewards platform you can use to get free gift cards is a website called Bonus Bucks.

With Bonus Bucks, you earn free gift cards by completing quick online deals and tasks. And you can even earn $750 gift cards to major brands like Amazon, Sephora, Walmart, and Cash App.

Tasks you have to complete can include tasks like installing apps, signing up for free trials, shopping online, and completing surveys. Once you complete enough deals for a certain gift card threshold, Bonus Bucks then sends you your gift card reward electronically so you can enjoy it.

Sign up for Bonus Bucks!

14. Upside

With gas prices on the rise, another one of the best reward apps you can use right now is Upside, formerly known as GetUpside.

This app lets you earn up to $0.25 per gallon of gas at thousands of participating stations across the United States. And you can also earn cash back for restaurant and grocery store purchases as well.

Here's how Upside works:

1. Claim a cash-back offer within the app
2. Pay for that offer and get your receipt
3. Submit the receipt through the app
4. Earn real cash back

You can redeem your cash back for PayPal cash as well as a variety of free gift cards to companies like Amazon. And the best part is that Upside works with 45,000+ brand locations nationwide, including most major gas stations and many fast food joints.

If you're tired of overspending on gas and want to save more money, Upside is a good reward app to try out.

Try out Upside today!

15. Shopkick

Shopkick is another popular rewards app, and you can benefit from shopping online or in-store with Shopkick.

Shopkick users can earn ‘kicks' for buying partnered products online or in-store, but you can also earn points for simply scanning items as well or walking into stores.

Kicks are redeemable for gift cards to companies like Target, Starbucks, Subway, or Amazon. And Shopkick is currently partnered with more than 250,000 retail locations, so you can definitely find a way to earn cash back with this app if you live in the United States.

If you want a mix of a rewards app, cash back portal, and mystery shopping gigs, apps like Shopkick are definitely for you.

Pro Tip: Sign up for Shopkick with my promo code TOW to get a $5 bonus after you earn your first kicks!

Start earning with Shopkick!

16. Rakuten

Rakuten is a popular reward app and website that pays you with cash back for shopping at thousands of different partners.

It's basically a massive cash-back shopping portal, and you can usually find deals ranging between 0.5%-8% cash back, or even higher depending on the partner.

Amazon, Sephora, Groupon, Old Navy, Home Depot, Forever 21, and so many other stores are partnered with Rakuten and have products available.

Rakuten pays you quarterly as long as you have at least $5 in your account, which is pretty easy to earn with a few purchases.

I’ve earned $1,200 in total by referring friends to Rakuten and shopping at some of its partners. You can checkout my review of Rakuten to learn more.

You can also sign up for Rakuten with my referral code! You’ll help me out, and new Rakuten members receive a sign up bonus of $30 when they spend $30 or more within 90 days.

17. Pogo

When it comes to earning PayPal cash passively, Pogo is one of the best reward apps out there right now.

This app pays you with small amounts of cash every time you shop and share your transaction data. All you have to do is sign up, link your cards to the Pogo app, and then you get paid whenever you shop.

I like Pogo since it's completely passive, so you basically get paid for doing nothing. And the fact you're earning real cash is a bonus. You can also answer short surveys to earn more cash. Pogo lets you cash out at just $3, which is also a pretty low threshold.

Sign up for Pogo!

Extra Reading – The Best Passive Income Apps.

18. Fetch Rewards

Fetch Rewards is a free receipt scanning rewards app and is available for iOS or Android devices. Fetch Rewards is only available in the United States, but this app is a tad different than other reward apps.

See, Fetch Rewards pays you for being brand loyal, not store loyal. As long as your receipts contain partnered brands, you earn points. It doesn't actually matter where you shop, provided you are in the United States.

Fetch Rewards has plenty of popular brand partners, including Pepsi, Kraft, Heinz, Dove, and Taco Bell.?The cash out minimum is also conveniently $3. Gift card options include Amazon, Target, Walmart, Dunkin Donuts, and plenty of other major retailers.

Signup for Fetch Rewards!

19. Drop

Drop is an easy-to-use iOS and Android app that rewards you for shopping and aims to “supercharge your credit and debit cards. And it's one of the best reward apps out there if you regularly shop through your phone.

All you have to do is link your debit or credit cards to Drop, and you will earn Drop Points when you spend on active offers.

Drop Points are redeemable for a variety of rewards such as gift cards to Amazon, Starbucks, and many popular restaurants. Payouts happen fairly quickly, and users are notified of their awaiting rewards via email. You can also use the Drop app to make money playing video games and by answering short brand surveys.

To date, I've earned roughly $50 from Drop without putting in any effort, so it's definitely an effective rewards app to try out!

20. NCP Mobile

Like other leading rewards apps, one nifty app that pays you for sharing your opinion about the products you enjoy is NCP Mobile.

NCP Mobile, or the National Consumer Panel app, is a rewards app that pays you to upload info about the products you buy and then complete short surveys about your experience.

The app is available for Android and iOS if you live in the United States. Once you're a member, you just use the app's barcode scanner to scan and enter your daily purchases to begin earning.

If you consistently scan products and answer surveys, you can probably cash out a couple $10 gift cards with this app each year.

Download NCP Mobile!

21. Amazon Shopper Panel

Speaking of free Amazon gift cards, another must-try rewards app if you live in the United States is the Amazon Shopper Panel app.

This app is owned by Amazon, and it lets you earn free gift cards for uploading your shopping receipts. All you have to do is upload at least 10 non-Amazon receipts per month to get a $10 Amazon gift card credit in your account.

This is over $100 in Amazon gift cards every year for just a bit of effort. And the app sometimes has short surveys you can complete to earn more.

Extra Reading – The 20+ Highest Paying Apps.

22. Dosh

Dosh is undeniably one of the best reward apps on the scene despite the fact the app has only been around since 2017.

Dosh, like Drop, is very straightforward. Just connect your card to the app and then enjoy cash back when you shop at a variety of stores.

Some popular stores you can earn rewards from include Walmart, Target, Walgreens, Nike, Forever21, and Guess.

Apps like Drop make you pre-select shopping offers to earn shopping rewards. In contrast, Dosh automatically detects when you spend and pays you accordingly. This makes Dosh a pretty humble yet effective source of passive income, and it's definitely a must-download reward app.

23. Checkout 51

Checkout 51 is a popular receipt scanning app that is similar to Fetch Rewards. The app partners with almost major grocery stores and companies like? Costco, Canadian Tire, Dollarama, and Walmart.

When you purchase eligible items and upload a receipt for proof of purchase, you earn cash back. Items typically earn less than $1 in cash back, but occasional offers like razors or beauty products can earn more.

If you frequently grocery shop and enjoy the Checkout 51 offers, you can expect to earn around $20-$30 per month.

Extra Reading – 12 Ways to Make & Save Money In A Pinch.

24. Ibotta

Ibotta is a popular receipt scanning app that lets you earn rewards for purchasing from select stores and partners. Simply go shopping, send a picture of your receipt with the Ibotta app, and earn cash back on eligible products.

Ibotta currently partners with over 500 retail chains, including Walmart, Publix, Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy, Target, and many more popular shopping destinations.

Groceries are really where Ibotta shines, but the app can also earn you cash at certain hotels, restaurants, clothing stores, or home good stores.

You must earn $20 before cashing out, and payment methods include PayPal or various gift cards. You can also read our post on Ibotta vs Rakuten to find the right cash back reward platform for you!

Extra Reading – Fetch Rewards vs Ibotta.

25. Receipt Hog

Receipt Hog is yet another popular rewards app where you earn money for scanning receipts. And the main perk of this receipt scanning app is that you can upload any kind of receipt to earn ‘coins.'

With your Receipt Hog coins, you can redeem Amazon gift cards, pre-paid Visa cards, or PayPal cash. 200 Receipt Hog coins is equal to $1, and most of the receipts I’ve uploaded have granted me 20 coins, or $0.10. It's a slow process, but it's easy.

On the bright side, Receipt Hog also has a Hog Slot game where you unlock spins by uploading more receipts. Prizes include bonus coins and cash, and you never know when you'll get lucky.

You can also try out ReceiptPal if you want a similar app to ReceiptHog.

Extra Reading – How To Earn $1,000 In 24 Hours.

Final Thoughts

None of the apps in this list are going to earn hundreds of dollars per month (unless you have a serious shopping budget). However, if you take advantage of a few of these popular reward apps, you might be surprised at how much you can earn annually.

They might seem tedious or irrelevant at the start, but even completely passive reward apps like Dosh or receipt scanning apps like Receipt Hog can make a difference over time.

If you implement a few of these apps, you will earn a couple of free gift cards every year, so you might as well try them out!

Looking for other ways to make extra money? Checkout:

• How To Make Quick Money In A Day.
• The Best Apps To Earn Amazon Gift Cards.
• How To Make $300 Dollars Per Day.

EarnIn Disclaimers:

1: EarnIn is a financial technology company, not a bank. EarnIn services may not be available in all states. Bank products are issued by Evolve Bank & Trust, Member FDIC.

2: Subject to your available earnings, Daily Max and Pay Period Max. Restrictions and/or third party fees may apply, see?EarnIn.com/TOS for details.

3: EarnIn does not charge interest on Cash Outs. EarnIn does not charge membership fees for use of its services. Restrictions and/or third party fees may apply, see?EarnIn.com/TOS for details.

4: Fees apply to use Lightning Speed. Lightning Speed may not be available to all Community Members. Cash Outs may take up to thirty minutes, actual transfer speeds will depend on your bank. Restrictions and/or third party fees may apply, see?Cash Out User Agreement for details.

The post The 25 Best Reward Apps For 2024 appeared first on WebMonkey.

However, there are both subtle and significant differences between the two programs, and depending on your goals, you may find one more advantageous than the other.

You may also have budgetary issues to consider, such as whether you can afford the most advanced package, or if you can live without the convenient features that the free and low-cost plans do not include.

In this guide, we will discuss the pros and cons and then share our final thoughts on making your choice.

Are Visual Composer and WPBakery the Same Thing?

We might say that’s a fair question, considering the similarities in the product and the fact the two programs are seemingly related in history. While they both share a history, these two products are not the same, and they perform different functions.

If you look up comments on this great WordPress debate online. You might find a number of people claiming that both programs are the same, or are only slightly different, or are a deception by the company as if they are relaunching the same program by a different name. However, all this confusion stems from a simple name change and company evolution.

The WPBakery plugin debuted first and became one of the most popular page builders for WordPress, particularly at the time when the competition was minimal. It was also called Visual Composer, back in the day, and was one of the first successful page builders.

The creators originally sold the first Visual Composer and called it a Page Builder. When the company decided to sell the Visual Composer Website Builder, an altogether different plugin, they had many different marketing issues to contend with, including name confusion.

The situation started when the creators of the original WPBakery (then called Visual Composer Page Builder, which was a plugin everyone liked) wanted to change the name to the Visual Composer Website Builder, the newer product.

The creators also wanted to address two different markets: the lifetime license and the yearly license model, including more frequent updates and cutting-edge features.

However, things got complicated since they had a lifetime license deal with the company Envato for releasing products. Adding powerful new features would also require higher production costs, sustainable with a yearly license model, but not a one-time for-life purchase.

The creators could not sell another “Visual Composer” program outside the existing agreement. They saw no other choice but to create a new product entirely, while still honoring the original contract. Everyone agreed that a name change was required, so the Visual Composer Page Builder became the Visual Composer Website Builder.

Here's a video on YouTube explaining the complex WPBakery situation.

Who Created Both Plugins?

Some say the company was called CodeCanyon, although the official company name is still Visual Composer, according to the official website. The founder and programmer of the group, Michael Makijenko, recently visited Reddit to help make the situation clear to users and clarify some points.

He also expressed an interest in moving away from the established marketplace to break new ground with a reimagining of Visual Computer, while also moving closer to the open-source community and the GPL license.

Overview of WPBakery

Now at first glance, it seems like the newer product is, the better one. But many users still like WPBakery, and not just because of its price. Let's discuss the differences between each plugin.

WPBakery is the original launch of Visual Composer Page Builder and is designed to fit with any WordPress theme. You can work with almost any WP theme and improve the page's elements by simply installing the WPBakery plugin. Buying the plugin gives you access to layout templates, add-ons, unique pages, and over 50 content elements to use.

The plugin is a drag-or-drop style, meaning you don't have to learn complicated coding. A Skin-Builder lets you customize the colors of your website and other design or elements styling.

The Template Library offers premium-quality templates and can improve the overall look of your website. Even though WPBakery is considered the older plugin, it is still updated for technical issues and even new templates.

The Extendable API allows developers to work with the content elements smoothly. Even better, the plugin still had a dedicated support team to offer technical support. The Advanced Grid Builder lets you work with more complex grids on the page, such as portfolio display options or individual posts. Choose from over 40 styles with additional custom options.

Layouts are mobile-ready and also display accurately on practically every modern device. The plugin is also compatible with multilingual translation, Yoast SEO, parallax effects, and works with image filters.

WPBakery is by no means a turnkey solution. After all, add-ons for the plugin are everywhere, and you may need to buy your favorite add-on feature from a third party. The additional cost could be another $50 or less.

Lastly, you can specify whether you want certain users (or groups) to have access to WPBakery or if you want to restrict privileges.

Pros

• Fairly easy to use, with a point and click system that does not require coding knowledge
• Easy to learn, within hours for simple operations
• Compatible with multiple themes and WordPress versions
• You can disable Guttenberg for a less confusing operation
• New templates added every month

Cons

• There is no real free version since it's a sandbox demo only
• If you uninstall WPBakery, it leaves extra code behind, which could affect performance

Overview of Visual Composer

Visual Composer Website Builder is not just an updated version of WPBakery (or the old Visual Composer Page Builder), but a complete revamping of the program. Visual Composer is a drag-and-drop website builder with a fast and easy-to-use drag and drop builder.

In addition to a drag and drop design, you also get high-quality templates, extensions, and elements, as well as WP “blocks” (the new standard in publishing content).

The reboot of Visual Composer is designed for beginners and simplifies much of the WordPress process. You can start from a template or customize your look. The most important factor is that Visual Composer changes the entire way you work with WordPress. The interface is easier to use, less WordPress-centric, and more its entity.

With a new interface, you can design pages faster and customize content elements that will display on all mobile devices and tablets, and desktops. You can also use WooCommerce blocks and download new elements to create rich content or make the plugin compatible with many other WordPress products.

The company markets Visual Composer as a plugin “will work with any WordPress theme,” just as WPBakery suggested. However, in addition to making the process faster, Visual Composer also lets you view changes instantly with a Tree view and a “live” Frontend and Inline editor. You don't have to “preview” to see a change, with a live viewer.

The ability to customize elements of the page and spaces, backgrounds, borders, and other special effects, is what gives Visual Composer Website Builder (as opposed to just a page builder) its edge.

Other helpful features include integration with Unsplash stock photo images, pop up builders that suggest high-conversion tools, and smart Analytics with insights into your traffic and audience.

Visual Composer also integrates with third-party add-ons, and they may come at an extra cost.

Pros

• A more modern look that transcends the typical WordPress interface
• Cleaner code and, therefore, some say better performance
• Over 200 templates to choose from
• Save rows, elements, or sections
• Ability to change global or page headers, footers, and sidebars with a drag and drop solution

Cons

• Requires more time to learn than WPBakery
• More expensive, not only because of yearly fees but also for multiple sites
• Some claim although the site is friendlier for newcomers, it offers less customization overall

Comparisons Between Visual Composer and WPBakery

There are both primary and minor differences between these two programs. Still, the most important difference is that WPBakery is shortcode based, meaning every feature happens due to WordPress shortcodes. Users can execute these short single-line commands with just a point and click operation.

However, Visual Composer works with different technology. The program generates static HTML to create content, not shortcodes. Designers believe this ensures cleaner code overall and better performance.

One problem with WordPress builders is that if you delete the builder plugin, later on, you will still leave bits of shortcodes behind on the code, which could compromise performance. Visual Composer Website Builder doesn't use shortcodes and so will never leave these trace pieces of code. You can even use the Tree view to see the page in layers to make sure it's clean.

It's not merely that Visual Composer is faster — more like it's more enjoyable and fun to use for people who are not entirely comfortable with WordPress and its shortcodes. But even if it does have a smoother interface, it still requires some getting used and some extra time for learning the changes.

In short, imagine switching to a different design than WordPress without actually leaving the WordPress CMS coding behind. Then again, if you are comfortable working with shortcodes, you can add shortcodes into your content using Visual Composer's interface.

The website builder also has over 100 features and templates to choose from and is compatible with most other WordPress plugins, such as Gutenberg, WooCommerce, Yoast, and Gravity Forms. The Visual Composer Website Builder lets you create professional headers and footers and layouts that would be more difficult to achieve with WPBakery (although not impossible).

Another advantage to Visual Composer is that its yearly subscription covers your cloud-based hub, which allows you to download all the elements as you need them. No need, then, to flood your website with preset elements.

At the same time, good reviews of Visual Composer do not imply that WPBakery has outlived its usefulness. WP Bakery continues to be updated and improved, as the creators honor the original contract and one-time payment model. Visual Composer adds more features for a yearly membership fee.

The best way to remember it is that WPBakery is ideal for creating multiple variations in your content. However, if you want to design a truly eye-catching website, and more importantly, make the process easier for you, then the new Visual Composer would work better.

Payment Options

Both plugins do require an initial investment, with WPBakery being the far more affordable option. There are two licensing packages:

• $45 one-time or lifetime membership fee, but only for a single site license
• $245 extended license for “Software as a service” or subscription-based software development

WPBakery comes in version 6.4 and does not have a free version. However, you can try the demo version by registering a name and email address to receive a newsletter. The demo version lets you try a sandbox version of the site, meaning you can preview how it would look, but you cannot publish it.

The $45 package provides complete access to WP Bakery's tools and free updates, premium level customer support, and access to a template library.

Visual Composer Website Builder has four licensing selections:

• Free
• $59 for a premium license and unlimited access
• $149 for three websites
• $349 for a developer's unlimited license

Visual Composer's premium license for one site offers unlimited access as well as customer support. The price includes one year of updates and tech support and total access to the “hub,” which simplifies most of the website builder.

Unlimited access also includes premium page templates, global templates, the ability to import or export templates, elements and compatibility customization, Woocommerce support for e-stores, and header/footer editing.

The three websites package includes the same features, but for three different websites.

The higher-end package covers everything else, from license and developer's management, or for agencies who want to use the system for multiple websites.

Free Options

WPBakery Page Builder does let you take a test drive with their “dedicated demo server.” You have your copy of WordPress to experiment with, as well as shortcodes and content preloaded for you to use. Play with layouts or start with a completely blank page with no wait time.

Visual Composer Website Builder has a lifetime free option with regular updates. While the best features are on the premium plan, the free plan does allow you to get started and build according to your need.

With a free plan, you get an unlimited publishing platform for one website, a limit of 30 elements, and a limit of 10 templates. You even get API options and insights analytics for your site.

However, before you conclude free is all you need, remember that the basic free site for publishing does not include the more complex theme builder, Woocommerce features, or the header/footer/sidebar editor that makes things so easy. You can publish a site, but it won't be the best it can be under the free plan.

WPBakery

• Free demo only to see how your site would look, no publishing

Visual Composer Website Builder

• Free plan for one site but not all features are enabled
• No customer service

Upgrading from WPBakery to Visual Composer Website Builder

Unfortunately, the process is more complicated than a simple upgrade.

Let's say you want to update Visual Composer. In that case, you log in to the account and then click the license section and “upgrade license.” You make a payment and then wait for the upgraded license to go through.

However, because Visual Composer and WPBakery are two completely different programs, using different technologies, there is no way to import data between the two plugins, at least not as of 2023.

Creating Forms

Some of the most important parts of a website are the interactive forms that visitors fill out. These forms can create leads for future sales. While both our reviewed programs have add-ons for building custom forms, these are third-party developers.

However, adding the forms is easy. After installation, all you have to do is enter a shortcode anywhere on your site. You can use the Visual Composer Interface to create an element or the WPBakery for automatic plugin coding.

Whether you want to add a contact form, login or register button, or a complex booking form, all you have to do is drag and drop. Forms that integrate with site-building plugins will work on any modern tablet or mobile device.

Even if you don't want to use shortcode placements, compatibility elements can be added directly, as with the popular “Gravity Forms” or WP Forms.

Using WooCommerce

WooCommerce is an open-source plugin designed for WordPress and known for its simplicity in installing and integrating with other plugins. While it is a separate entity from the two web builders, WooCommerce is a free plugin and compatible with both.

Visual Composer lets you add WooCommerce content as an element, such as a price and “add to cart” feature, or even a column or gallery. You can also activate a feature product list, bestsellers list, or order tracking status.

For WPBakery, WooCommerce offers 16 layouts and four styles to choose from, as well as pluses like an Action Tooltip for hovering and a Disable Action Button for customizing. You can also count on unlimited colors, filtering products, and other nic effects like infinite scroll, pagination, and AJAX loading.

Frequently Asked Questions

I've heard WPBakery can crash and send an error message. Why does it happen, and how can I fix it?

WPBakery usually experiences problems because of coding errors, since its main operation is automatically creating bits of code. However, errors can occur if those codes are corrupted. What the WPBakery staff suggests upon receiving an error message is that you:

• Resave the page by clicking “update” (this can refresh and get rid of some minor issues)
• Update your plugin and or theme, just in case there is a compatibility issue
• Disable any extra plugins by third-party developers that may be conflicting with WPBakery
• Check for any conflict between your site name and the site URL

When working with the newer program, you might notice a 500 error, which could include several messages, as the Visual Composer website indicates. Similarly to the other program, refreshing the page or disabling conflicting plugins could resolve the issue.

If there is a PHP or .htaccess issue, you may need to contact customer support or your web hosting provider.

What is the difference between elements, widgets, and blocks?

In many cases, it's a play on words. Sometimes they are called widgets or modules, while WPBakery refers to them as content “elements.” The point is, they are “drag and drop” features and so are deposited onto a page if you're using either of the two webpage building programs of our discussion.

If a plugin has different “elements” offered, then these would probably include popular modules like text blocks (for paragraphs), video players, social media links, image carousels, and grids for less “centered” and more stylishly placed features on the page.

You can also manually enable or disable post types, meaning you can decide if you want to change just posts or separate rules for pages or active posts. When you load a template, you automatically load a layout with preset blocks or elements and add it to an existing page.

You can then replace the default text with your text and images, keeping the template format. Depending on your chosen plan, you could also adjust more advanced content elements, like a button's size.

Should I use a template or design my site starting from a blank page?

While it's tempting to want to start your new page and customize the look for originality, the results are often not what you saw in your head. Visualizing how a website should like and then trying to recreate that with an abstract approach can be very difficult for first-timers.

Many new users prefer activating templates with preset layouts, available with both WPBakery and Visual Composer Website Builder.

There are two distinct advantages: one, that the site looks more professional than a site that has no sense of balance or structure, and two, that the website owner can focus more effort on developing high-quality photos, videos, writing, and graphics.

It's also important to remember that search engines like Google and Bing are counting on websites to look “standardized,” clean and professional, and to display properly on multiple devices. If poor web design compromises the site, there may be search engine penalties.

What are the most common errors website owners make?

One common thought is that it's better to be original than overly standardized, and generic websites are indeed a turn-off. It's also true that some web design ideas are trendy and may eventually go out of style.

However, practically every involved in web design agrees that using templates and professional layouts will prevent you from making common mistakes that may come with a “blank page” approach.

• A webpage that's too busy with crammed text and or graphics
• A webpage that's too minimalist and doesn't get the point across
• No distinct brand image, leading to too many variations of graphics, fonts, text paragraphs, and images
• Poor call to action
• Poorly designed reading sections often called “white space”
• Nothing scannable, which loses the interest of readers
• Images that distract from the message
• Confusing navigation or pages that are never seen
• No target audience identified
• No contact information
• Haphazardly placed ads

While using a template will not automatically create a “brand look” for you, it will help tremendously. You can rest assured that working from a template and simply replacing images and text in the designated areas will ensure a clean and attractive look.

Besides, successful templates come with a proven track record of marketability. In most cases, unless you've hired a web designer that studies new trends, it's always better to go with a template design versus the unknown.

Remember, you can always add on additional pages when the time is right, particularly landing pages with a call-to-action, rather than risking overloading the homepage.

Conclusion

When it comes to reputation, both WPBakery Visual Composer and Visual Composer Website Builder have a strong online presence and a devoted following. Website builders who enjoy working with the freedom of a WordPress interface and bits of auto-generated code will have no problem integrating WPBakery.

Visual Composer Website Builder will aim to please those who want a new look and interface with static HTML instead of the usual shortcode. Many prefer the latter because of the lesser chance of bad coding. Critics of Composer may well focus on the idea that VCWB is essentially just an upgrade of WPBakery, not without its critics.

While reading reviews is helpful, don't forget to try each program yourself to get the full experience. Why not try a free demo of the original program or a free (and upgradeable) plan for its more comprehensive successor to see which you prefer?

The post Visual Composer vs. WPBakery WordPress Page Builder – Which is the Best? appeared first on WebMonkey.

WordPress doesn’t have full, built-in backup functions. It has control panels like cPanel X and phpMyAdmin that will back up your posts, pages, and comments, but not your theme files or images, among other things.

What do you do?

That’s where backup plugins come in. We developed a list of the seven best WordPress backup plugins to help you out so you don’t have to waste so much time finding a good one by yourself.

What Is the Best WordPress Backup Plugin?

1. UpdraftPlus
2. VaultPress
3. BackupBuddy
4. BlogVault
5. Duplicator
6. BackWPUp
7. WPVivid

Plugin Summaries

1. UpdraftPlus is one of the most popular WordPress backup plugins available right now. It allows you to back up your entire site into the cloud in utilities like Dropbox, Amazon S3, Swift, email, etc. It only takes a few steps to back up or restore your site, and you can even schedule backups so you don’t have to worry about remembering to do it.

1. VaultPress is now part of Jetpack, and WordPress’s designers created Jetpack to work specifically with their platform. You can restore your website from anywhere, reducing downtime when something goes wrong. It also allows you to experiment with various features and coding because restoring your backup is easy.

1. BackupBuddy will back up your entire website, not just the core database. With only five steps, you can duplicate your entire website right from your WordPress dashboard. BackupBuddy is so thorough you get a complete duplicate of everything, including your image library and files, widgets, other plugins, and more.

1. BlogVault is a comprehensive WordPress backup plugin stores your backups on its own server so it doesn’t put any additional load on your server or create storage overhead problems. You can set it to back up your site daily, meaning you’ve always got a fresh backup on hand if something goes wrong.

1. Unlike many other WordPress backup plugins, Duplicator allows you to back up, clone, migrate, copy, or otherwise move your entire website. You can also use Duplicator to preconfigure different WordPress sites so long as you use some of the same components across each site.

1. BackWPup is a unique plugin that you can also get as a standalone app. BackWPup is one of the most popular WordPress backup plugins you can find. It can save your entire installation in a .zip file and back up your website in the cloud. It has some requirements others don’t, but it’s easy to use and very reliable.

1. WPVivid allows you to schedule backups, copy your site, and migrate your site to another server or domain. It also gives you the ability to clear away unused images before backing your site up to remote storage. Perhaps its best feature is that you can choose to back up your entire site, your core database only, or just your files.

1: UpdraftPlus

UpdraftPlus is a comprehensive, general-purpose backup plugin and easily one of the highest-rated and most popular WordPress backup plugins available. You don’t just get the ability to back your website up into the cloud. UpdraftPlus allows you to store your site on the widest range of cloud storage utilities available as well.

You get the ability to migrate your site in addition to backing it up on whatever storage utility you choose. UpdraftPlus is easy to use so you can back up your website with as little hassle as possible.

Pros

• Pre-update backups let you store everything before updates and upgrades
• No ads on the premium version
• Allows restoration from other backups

Cons

• Potential problems migrating from one server to another
• Updates and support come with an annual price
• Expensive for a plugin

Ease of Use

As with any WordPress plugin, you have to install Updraft Plus on your site. However, once you have it and set it up, creating a backup takes one click. You can manage every site backup in one place, whether somewhere on the cloud or Updraft’s own storage option.

You can also manage the backups for all your websites via one central location with a single password. In short, Updraft Plus simplifies more than just backups.

Help and Support

You can get help and support from Updraft’s YouTube channel, discussion forums, and FAQ sections. If you want direct support from the company itself, though, you need to purchase the premium option and renew it every 12 months or buy the support option by itself.

Even so, you get access to extensive help should you run into trouble backing your site up, migrating it, or anything else. Even with the free version, you can access the FAQs, YouTube channel, and free forums.

Pricing

• Personal (up to two sites): $70 upfront, then $42 annually
• Business (up to 10 sites): $95 upfront, then $57 annually
• Agency (up to 35 sites): $145 upfront, then $87 annually
• Enterprise (unlimited sites): $195 upfront, then $117 annually
• Gold: $399 annually

Updraft does offer a free plan, but you don’t get very many features with it.

2: VaultPress

VaultPress is now part of Jetpack, making it even better for WordPress users since Jetpack is one of the most commonly used WordPress plugins available. Many of us have never worked on a WordPress site that didn’t have it.

Many web developers use VaultPress to ensure their clients’ sites never experience more than a brief hiccup. You can restore any backup with just a few mouse clicks, so if your site's most recent versions are problematic, you can revert to the last version that worked and go from there.

Pros

• Real-time backup and security scanning
• Daily backups and scans so nothing goes unnoticed
• VaultPress will identify and fix severe threats and then notify you of what happened

Cons

• Requires a subscription fee for the best features
• Not designed for WordPress Multisite, even though you can access all your sites with one login
• Limited available plans

Ease of Use

VaultPress has almost unmatched compatibility with WordPress. Installing it is as easy as installing Jetpack. Without having to do much more than install and activate, VaultPress is up and running and regularly taking snapshots of your site. You can even access all of your sites through a single login.

As part of Jetpack, you can disable VaultPress with a click if you want to, just like every other feature in Jetpack, which means that you can turn it off and install something else if you decide VaultPress is not for you.

Help and Support

If you’re a paying customer, you get priority access to customer service representatives via email. However, if you don’t have a subscription, you need to use WordPress’s and VaultPress’s FAQs and support forums to find solutions to your problems.

You can also email your questions directly, but you might be waiting a while for an answer. Paying customers get priority support via email.

Pricing

• Real-time backups (recommended for ecommerce, news sites, membership sites, and discussion forums): $20-$50 per month
• Daily backups (recommended for restaurant websites, blogs, brochure sites, and resume sites): $3 – $20 per month

If you need more than what VaultPress offers, you can check out Jetpack for the following prices:

• Premium: $99 per year
• Professional: $299 per year

3: BackupBuddy

One of the best things about BackupBuddy is that it’s the original WordPress backup plugin, so they’ve had a lot of time to refine it. Besides backup capability, BackupBuddy also provides many other security features, including malware detection and more.

BackupBuddy backs up everything on your site, even your other plugins, widgets, users, and more in addition to the core database. You can also customize your backups based on what you need.

Pros

• Scheduled, automatic backups
• Ability to send or store your website remotely
• Instant email notifications for things requiring your attention

Cons

• Migrating and cloning are developer features, not available to every user
• Only one gig of free storage space
• Expensive compared to other backup plugins

Ease of Use

You can install BackupBuddy in five steps, so it’s a little more complicated than other plugins that only require you to install and then run them with a single click.

Help and Support

You need to register on BackupBuddy’s website to take advantage of their help and support. However, they have a convenient email form that anyone can fill out, meaning you can ask questions before spending money on the plugin.

BackupBuddy also has a comprehensive FAQ section, WordPress tutorials, webinars, libraries, and even some actual training.

Pricing

• Blogger (one site): $80 per year
• Freelancer (up to 10 sites): $127 per year
• Gold (unlimited sites): $199 per year

4: BlogVault

Hundreds of thousands of websites trust their backup needs to BlogVault. Even if your website is down entirely, your backup is still up and running so you don’t experience any downtime at all. They also store your backups on their servers so there’s no load on yours.

Furthermore, you can see and compare backups to your current site on their dashboard, helping you see what’s still in place should your site crash.

Pros

• Incremental backups ensure your site continues to run at top speed
• Independent backup storage so you can access your backups whenever you need to, especially when your site is down
• Daily backups for WordPress sites

Cons

• Many security features require you to upgrade from the basic plan
• If you want or need more than ten manual syncs a day, you can’t get them
• Staging and migration features also cost extra money

Ease of Use

You can get started with BlogVault in less than five minutes. All you do is log in to your WordPress dashboard, install BlogVault, click auto-install, and then activate it. Then you’re done.

You can also update things without breaking the live site. In other words, you have no downtime, and there’s no need to have a backup actively running while you update, giving you the ability to update your site the way you want, whenever you want.

Help and Support

BlogVault provides customized support for everyone on any plan. You can submit a help ticket, browse their blogs and FAQs, or contact them directly through email to describe your problem in detail and get a direct response.

Pricing

• Personal (Basic): $8 per month
• Personal (Plus): $13 per month
• Personal (Advanced): $21 per month

• Small Business (Basic): $17 per month
• Small Business (Plus): $30 per month
• Small Business (Advanced): $46 per month

• Developers (Basic): $49 per month
• Developers (Plus): $79 per month
• Developers (Advanced): $149 per month

• Agency, up to 20 sites (Basic): $49 per month
• Agency, up to 20 sites (Plus): $79 per month
• Agency, up to 20 sites (Advanced):149 per month

• Agency, up to 50 sites (Basic): $69 per month
• Agency, up to 50 sites (Plus): $149 per month
• Agency, up to 50 sites (Advanced): $299 per month

• Agency, up to 100 sites (Basic): $99 per month
• Agency, up to 100 sites (Plus): $199 per month
• Agency, up to 100 sites (Advanced): $499 per month

BlogVault does have an Agency plan for more than 100 sites, but you have to contact them to get set up. They also offer a free seven-day trial.

5: Duplicator

Duplicator not only allows you to back up parts of your site and your entire site, but it also has excellent migration capabilities. You can pull down your live site to localhost for development and run a backup in the meantime. If you’re migrating to another domain, you don’t have to worry about things like SQL scripts.

Duplicator doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of other WordPress backup plugins. Still, if you’re looking for something that will allow you a full backup with complete migration capabilities, then you should check out Duplicator.

Pros

• Bundles every part of your website, including the core database, into one .zip file
• Allows for pre-configured sites
• You can schedule backups

Cons

• Limited number of cloud storage utility options
• You have to back up your sites manually
• Backup options are limited as well

Ease of Use

Duplicator requires some technical knowledge because you have to execute your backups manually. However, you also get to pre-configure your sites before backing them up or migrating them, saving you a lot of time and effort on manually configuring each site with the same themes and plugins.

Remember that if you have different themes and plugins on other sites, you’ll have to configure each one. But since many organizations try and keep things as uniform as possible, Duplicator works well for that.

Help and Support

You can find a comprehensive selection of help and support areas. In addition to the standard FAQ section, you can download their user guide, submit a support ticket, or contact the company directly to explain your problem or give your feedback. You can get help no matter what plan you have except for the free version.

Pricing

• Personal: $59 per year
• Freelancer: $79 per year
• Business: $129 per year
• Gold: $259 per year

6: BackWPup

BackWPup saves your entire installation, including /wp-content/, to an external utility in the cloud. You get full site backups and the ability to restore encrypted backups, too. You can also export your XML files, get a complete list of all your plugins, and even a log report via email.

Besides that, you can back your site up to multiple utilities in the cloud or to an FTP server, along with a database check, multisite support, and personalized premium support depending on what plan you have.

Pros

• Standalone app gives you emergency restoration
• Complete site and database backup
• Administration of logs and backup files

Cons

• You can’t see any plugin functions that don’t work because of your server’s settings
• You need several different things, including ZipArchive, curl, FTP, and more, for full functionality
• You have to contact the company to discover their full range of products

Ease of Use

You can install BackWPup on more than your WordPress site. If you’re installing it directly on your website, then you simply download, install, and activate. If you’re downloading it to an FTP server, you’ll find installation and use a bit more complicated.

On your WordPress site, you have to activate your license, which means logging into your account on their website to get your key. Then you have to go into the plugin's administration area to enter your license key and product ID number before you can use it.

Help and Support

To access any support area, you need to log into your account on BackWPup’s website. You also need to have a paid account to get the most out of their development and customer service team.

Pricing

• Standard: $69 upfront, then $39 annually
• Business: $119 upfront, then $59 annually
• Developer: $199 upfront, then $99 annually
• Supreme: $279 upfront, then $149 annually
• Agency: $359 upfront, then $199 annually

They have a free version, but like most free versions of anything, you only get a few features and a low customer service level and support.

7: WPVivid

If you’re looking for something with both backup and migration features as its core functions, then WPVivid may be what you’re looking for. You can download it as an extension that allows you to set up and control it for your main site and all child sites from your WordPress dashboard.

You can schedule auto-backups of everything on your site, including its core database, and customize it to serve your needs. You can also use WPVivid to migrate your site from one host to another.

Pros

• You can migrate your sites with a single click
• You get a single-click restore function as well
• If you only want to back up files to a specific size, you can set size limits.

Cons

• You can only download the free version from WordPress’s plugin repository
• Storage to a wide variety of cloud utilities only comes with paid versions
• No core or database table backups available with the free version

Ease of Use

WPVivid requires one click to activate after you install it on your website. Even better, if you decide WPVivid isn’t for you, you can uninstall it by merely deactivating and deleting it. You get automated backups for convenience, but you can also do manual backups if you choose.

Besides that, you can migrate your sites with just a single click, even if you’re migrating to a subdirectory or a new URL. WPVivid gives you the tools you need to customize your site migration, too.

Help and Support

Most of your support comes from submitting a help ticket, which may seem a bit inconvenient for you. However, you also have access to an exhaustive list of questions and issues and a YouTube tutorial for setting up and using WPVivid.

You can also browse WordPress’s WPVivid discussion forums to find answers to questions and discuss problems to which you can’t find answers anywhere else. Additionally, you can contact WordPress directly for help if you need to.

Pricing

• Basic: $99 one-time charge
• Freelancer: $199 one-time charge
• Ultimate: $299 one-time charge

WPVivid offers a free 14-day trial so you can see what it’s all about before committing to buying it.

Final Thoughts

The bottom line is that there are dozens of backup plugins for WordPress. You should do what you feel is best for you, but we think these seven plugins are the best ones available.

The WordPress backup plugin you choose depends on several factors, including what type of website you have and what kinds of features you need. Because of that, we can't make any specific recommendations. However, we believe you'll be happy with one of these backup plugins.

The post 7 Best WordPress Backup Plugins for Site Safekeeping appeared first on WebMonkey.