Modern software developers place a great deal of importance on what they call the user experience. It is no longer enough that a website, mobile app, or a PC app functions properly. It is also important that the users find the software easy to use, and fun to use.
The only way to test that is to put the software in front of real people and let them test it. That’s great news if you have been looking for a job you can do from home, because the home software testing market is booming. If you have a knack of finding bugs in software, or you have an ability to see how software could be improved, you could be earning money working from home on software testing jobs.
Do you Need Any Experience or Qualifications to Test Software at Home?
There are many websites that you can apply to become a paid software tester at home. Most them of them don’t charge you anything to join and they don’t ask you for any qualifications. You will need to complete an application form. You may be asked to do a short online interview or test.
In most cases, the software developers don’t want qualified software or IT technicians. They want everyday people to test the software. In some cases, testing jobs are offered based on demographics. For example, a shopping app for women’s shoes, would most likely be offered to women.
What Equipment do You Need to Earn Money Testing Software at Home?
Software testing jobs at home are available on all types of platforms. So, at a minimum, you will need a desktop computer, tablet or mobile phone, and a reliable internet connection. You can start software testing with any one of these.
If you have multiple devices, you will be able to do more work. Some software testing jobs require that you have a webcam and microphone. You may also need hard drive space on your device to download testing software and apps. As with most online work at home opportunities, a quiet space where you will be able to concentrate will also be helpful.
What Type of Software Testing Will I be Asked to Do?
Companies that develop software want to understand how people will interact with the software that they have developed. They use the feedback from people who work from home testing their software to improve their apps. This includes both apps that you may have to download onto your phone, and websites.
There are two main types of tests that you might be asked to perform. These are usability tests and bug finding tests.
A typical usability test would involve you performing tasks on an app, or perhaps searching for a product on a website. While you are carrying out the test, you might be asked to speak out loud what you are doing and what your thoughts are about the performance of the software. You may also be asked to write a short report or complete a questionnaire.
Bug testing is a bit more specific. This is one area of software testing at home that some IT experience would come in useful. Some companies will ask people to use their software with the specific aim of finding software bugs. In some cases, you will be paid based on how many bugs you find. You can also sometimes earn bonuses for finding critical bugs.
How Much Do You Get Paid for Testing Software at Home?
The pay per software test will vary depending on the type of the testing that is required. You will get paid more for bug testing, but you usually need to find the bugs to get paid. As a general guide, you will earn an average of $5 to $10 per test. You can earn as much as $100 per test.
The average length of time a test will take will be between 10 and 40 minutes. For most people, working from home testing software will provide a nice additional income. Some people, though, do earn a living testing software online.
If you are good at it, some people have said that earn as much as $100,000 per year testing software at home.
How to Find Work from Home Software Testing Jobs
There are quite a lot of websites offering work from home software testing jobs. Each one has their own requirements and may have slightly different types of jobs on offer. Like all freelancing sites, you may have to prove yourself first and build up a good reputation before you get lots of work.
So, it might be advisable to sign up for just one or two sites first to get used to the doing the work, before you sign up for too many sites. Here’s a few of the best home software testing job sites:
UserTesting is a usability testing site opportunity that is open to people anywhere in the world. They pay between $3 and $10 per test. Most tests will earn you about $10. Tests will take you between 10 and 40 minutes to complete. Payments are made via PayPal seven days after the test has been completed.
Erlibird is a usability testing site that offers people up to $10 per test to test software at home. To earn your money, you must complete the tests and leave your feedback. Payments are made via PayPal 7 days after you have completed a project.
Enroll is a testing site that has a focus on quick, simple tests. You get paid a few cents to a dollar for each test. But, many tests only involve one or two clicks and a bit of feedback. This could be a nice site to fill in some spare time, but it’s not going to make you a huge amount of money.
StartUpLift is a usability testing site that has a focus on websites. You can get paid $5 per test you complete. Payments are made via PayPal. You will need a laptop or a desktop to work for StartUpLift, and you may be asked to install different browsers for some tests.
TestIO is a site that will offer you bug finding software testing. The site claims that you can make up $50 per test. The payments are calculated based on the bugs that you find. The average payment per bug is $3 to $5. Payments are made monthly via EBA, PayPal, or Payoneer.
MyCrowd is a bug finding software testing jobs site. It pays between $2 – $15 per bug found, depending on the severity of the bug. This is one of the sites where some IT knowledge would come in useful. Payments are made via PayPal.
