About Us

How We Rank the Best Ways to Earn in Your Spare Time

Everything here is ranked by real hourly rate — what you actually earn, not what platforms advertise.

Why TimeLeftToday Exists

Most "make money online" sites rank platforms by affiliate commission — the platforms that pay the site the most get the top spot. That means genuinely excellent platforms like Prolific Academic get buried while low-paying platforms dominate.

We built TimeLeftToday to fix that. Every platform is ranked by one thing: how much you actually earn per hour. We track real earnings, updated monthly, and we disclose all affiliate relationships clearly.

Our Ranking Methodology

1. Real Hourly Rate (60% of score)

We calculate effective hourly rate by dividing total earnings by total time — including disqualifications, loading times, and cashout delays. Most platforms look better when you exclude disqualifications. We don't.

2. Disqualification Rate (20% of score)

High disqualification rates waste enormous time. We track both the rate and average time-wasted per disqualification. A platform that screens you out after 15 minutes costs you more than one that screens you in 2.

3. Payment Reliability (10%)

Does the platform pay consistently? How long does cashout take? Minimum payout thresholds? A platform paying $10/hr but delaying payment 30 days is worth less than $8/hr with instant cashout.

4. Consistency & Availability (10%)

Some platforms have lots of studies some days and nothing on others. We track average weekly availability so you know what to expect from each one.

Affiliate Disclosure: Some links on this site are affiliate links. We may earn commission if you sign up through our link — at no cost to you. This never affects rankings. Full disclosure policy →

How We Collect Data

  • Our own testing: We hold active accounts on every major platform and track earnings monthly.
  • Community data: We aggregate self-reported earnings from r/beermoney, r/WorkOnline, and our newsletter subscribers.
  • Platform data: Where platforms publish verified averages (e.g. Prolific's mandatory minimum), we use and verify that data.

Rankings are updated at the start of each month. Last updated: April 2026.

What We Are Not

We are not a get-rich-quick site. The platforms we recommend won't make you financially independent. Most people earn $50–$300/month in genuine spare time — that's the honest range. We highlight what's achievable with the right platform stack and consistent effort, not outlier results.

Contact & Corrections

Spotted an error? Have updated earnings data? Want to suggest a platform? Get in touch. We update incorrect information quickly.

Quick Facts

  • 📅 Founded: January 2025
  • 🔄 Rankings updated: Monthly
  • 🌍 Primary coverage: US, UK, Canada, Australia (+ 40 countries)
  • 📧 Newsletter: 3,800+ subscribers

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