uTest Review: Working from Home as a Software Tester | gigworker.com (2023)

Many companies and entrepreneurs aspire to enter the technology sector every year, but before an app or software hits the market, it takes real people to make sure it works.

By signing up for uTest, you can join a large community of software testers earning money from home.

Software testing services are in demand.applause- the company behind uTest - has been an industry leader for over a decade, sending quality feedback to leading tech brands such asAbout, Paypal eAirbnb.

But to get feedback from a diverse user base, they need tech-savvy people like you participating in paid projects available on uTest.

If you are interested in getting one of a kindwork show at homewhich has the potential to become a full-time job, keep reading to learn more about uTest and how you can make money from software and app testing.

What is uTest?

uTestby Applause is a platform that connects freelance quality assurance (QA) professionals with software testing gigs.

When freelancers are needed for a specific project, the company allows its global user base to apply and selects the most qualified users.

Your main job as a uTester is to find bugs or other issues in a specific app so developers know exactly what to fix.

Although competitors likelion's bridge,user sensationEUserlyticsGaining popularity in the software testing space, uTest remains one of the most trusted QA outsourcing platforms today.

Founded in 2007 by Doron Reuveni and Roy Solomon, the company has had an A+ Better Business Bureau rating and nearly 4-star Trustpilot ratings for over a decade.

It is a legit company that can help you earn money on a flexible schedule.

This is how uTest works

By joining the uTest community, you can subscribe to any project that will be published on the user's platform.

When you are qualified and selected for a project - known as a "testing cycle" - you get access to an application to start testing.

There are three main ways software testers can earn money on the uTest platform, which we'll detail below.

find errors

The most common way for testers to earn money on uTest is by submitting one of five types of bugs:

• content errors,This includes incorrect grammar and bad translations.
• crash error, which include sudden closing of mobile apps and frozen websites.
• functional errorsthat contain broken links and unresponsive buttons.
• performance error,This includes slow loading and slow interfaces.
• visual errors, which contain misaligned content and inconsistent colors.

Users are paid per bug found and approved.

You will always receive a base payment for each of these bugs, but if you find some particularly useful - especially those that affect the overall functioning of an application - you can earn significant bonuses.

test case

From time to time you may receive a test case.

This usually means that you will be asked to confirm that there is an error or that an error has been corrected.

They typically pay less than bug submissions, but they're still an easy way to earn money.

In rarer cases, you may be asked to write a test case from scratch.

While these gigs pay more, they usually require some technical knowledge.

You will not be invited to this type of project unless you have completed a relevant course through the “uTest Academy” available on your user platform, which can help you develop your QA skills.

usability research

Finally, you may be asked to do a usability test instead of a pattern test.

In this case, you will receive a survey that you must complete.

This survey will ask about the general user interface of the application or software you have been assigned.

Similar to test cases, you get paid for each completed usability survey.

tester requirements

So what does it really take to become a software tester at uTest?

As long as you are 18 years old and have a laptop and smartphone, you are likely to qualify to be part of the testing community.

The software testers on the platform range from novices to professional testers and are based all over the world.

While extensive software experience is not a requirement - the platform's features help you get comfortable with testing and new skills - the most successful users tend to be intimately familiar with software testing.

QA engineers, developers, project managers, and the like tend to qualify for more projects, find more bugs faster, and, as a result, get better ratings from testers.

However, as long as you meet project-specific qualifications (which are often based on location, equipment, and lifestyle), you still have the opportunity to take on many projects.

How much money can I earn with uTest?

It's hard to say exactly how much you'll earn with uTest, as your earnings vary greatly depending on the type of project you work on, the quality of bugs found, and the amount of work you're willing to take on. .

Some users report an average base salary of$11 an hour, while others make hundreds of dollars (or even thousands of dollars) a month as part-time testers.

Consistent, quality feedback remains one of the best ways to get bigger payouts.

Not only do you receive bonuses for finding valuable bugs, but if you are selected as a customer's "Favorite Tester", you will receive a 5% bonus on any future bugs you find for that customer for the remainder of the testing cycle.

Your tester rating also affects your earnings.

Top Testers, known as Gold Testers, receive a 10% bonus on their approved reports.

Silver testers receive a 5% bonus, while Bronze testers receive a 2.5% bonus.

However, you must advance from Unrated to Ranked to Proven before you have a chance to become a Bronze tester.

Again, promotion depends on the quality of your work.

All payments are processed twice a month (on the 15th and last day of the month), depending on your location, via PayPal or Payoneer.

No tax will be withheld on these payments, so remember that you will payTaxes for Independent Contractorsin addition to your income taxes on any income you receive.

Entry as a freelance tester

To earn money as a software tester, you must first join the uTest community.

Follow these steps to complete the simple uTest registration process.

go to firstutest.com/signup/personaland fill in the form with your first name, last name, email address, date of birth, gender and languages ​​spoken.

Then tap the Next: Location button.

On the next page, enter your city, state, zip code and country.

This information may auto-populate if you have location permissions turned on, but make sure it's correct.

Then tap Next: Devices.

Select the correct information about your computer and mobile device.

Again, some of this information may be auto-populated, so you'll want to check for accuracy.

Then tap Next: Last Step.

Enter your preferred password in the fields provided.

Then, read and accept the uTest Terms of Service, Code of Conduct and Privacy and Security Policy.

When finished, tap Setup complete.

You should receive an email from uTest in your inbox.

Open this email and tap "Confirm Email Address" to officially create your account.

Once confirmed, you are officially ready to sign up for test projects and start earning money.

This is how you get your first test projects

After completing the above steps, you are a fully activated uTester on the platform.

You can now apply for current projectsuTest project pageclicking on the ones that interest you, reading the description to see if you qualify, and tapping apply to fill in your information.

However, it can be difficult to get approval for projects based solely on the information you must provide.

UTest has a large community, so you may not receive a project invite even if you qualify.

To get a tester rating and be approved for more projects – or even receive direct project invites – you should prioritize these two steps:

• Complete your profile:Once you are logged in, you can gothis pageto enter more details about yourself, your devices, your payment methods and your current subscriptions.
• Take the uTest Academy courses:these simple courseswill help you to increase your rating as a tester and get certified for different types of testing opportunities.

When you start receiving projects, make sure your feedback is as thoughtful and valuable as possible so that you can become a highly rated tester and stand out.

Try apps for real money

If you have extensive software testing experience or are willing to learn best practices, you can use uTest to earn extra money - or even make a full-time living.

This is one of the web's most trusted platforms for QA professionals, making it safe and easy to start earning.

Of course, software testing isn't for everyone.

If you prefer to test physical products and websites, or even give your opinion on apps without checking for flaws, check out our guide to 12 of thebest product test showsavailable today.