Is Toloka Legit? Our Review of This Easy Online Side Hustle

Toloka says you can earn money “wherever and whenever you want.”

But does it deliver?

And how much money can you really make?

We connected with Toloka user Nate Sanchez to gather additional feedback for this review.

Nate used the app for several hours and learned from other users’ experiences.

Based on his experience, Toloka won’t be a great fit for most, and in this Toloka review, we’ll cover:

• how Toloka works and how you can make money
• how to maximize your income
• pros and cons of Toloka
• some Toloka alternatives

Ready? Let’s do it!

What is Toloka?

Toloka started in 2014 and is a global platform providing crowdsourced AI solutions. Operating under Toloka AI, the platform provides data labeling and collection services for artificial intelligence companies.

Based in the Netherlands, Toloka offers services in over 100 countries and 40+ languages. The platform enables developers to gather high-quality data from a global workforce to train AI models.

While Toloka originally started as part of Yandex (a Russian technology company), it has since spun off into a separate company. 

They also have an extremely informative FAQ site covering the most common questions.

Is Toloka Legit?

Toloka is a legitimate platform that offers real payouts.

This is backed by Nate, our Toloka tester, and users on Reddit and Quora who’ve shared positive experiences of earning money through Toloka.

Many describe the platform as a reliable source for completing microtasks and receiving payments as promised.

How Does Toloka Work and How Do I Make Money?

Toloka doesn’t offer tasks directly to users.

Instead, it serves as a platform where tech companies post microtasks for individuals to complete. These tasks help improve the accuracy of AI models.

The tasks can include things like:

• comparing YouTube channels
• taking photos or videos
• labeling images

The idea is that users can pick up quick tasks during their free time and make a bit of extra of money in the process.

Once a task is accepted, you’ll typically have a couple hours to complete it. (But most tasks only take a few minutes.)

After you finish a task, it gets reviewed and (hopefully) approved. You can withdraw your earnings within a day or two.

Toloka only has a $0.02 minimum before you can cash out — the lowest of any side hustle platform we’ve seen.

The money will be sent directly to your bank account through transfer partners like Papara or Payoneer.

How Much Money Can You Make on Toloka?

Toloka lets you take on as many tasks as you want, so your earnings are determined by your time invested and the availability of tasks.

However, there’s a major downside to the platform.

Most tasks pay between $0.01 and $1.00, and the time required to complete them can range from a few seconds to several minutes.

To their credit, Toloka lists the estimated hourly rate for each task before you start it:

The figures aren’t impressive.

Many tasks fall short of $3.00 per hour, with several being even lower.

“In my personal experience, I only earned a few cents after completing several tasks,” Nate shared.

“Faster workers may earn slightly more,” he added. “But based on various forums and online discussions, earning $5-6 a day is considered good.”

For the time and effort involved, the payouts aren’t huge.

How to Maximize Your Toloka Earnings

Since the work on Toloka is simple, tasks get snagged quickly. How much you can earn depends on demand and the number of people completing tasks.

To win jobs, check the platform as often as possible to catch tasks before they’re taken.

Toloka promises higher-paying tasks for users who complete basic training in the app.

The reality?

Nate said, “This training can take up to an hour. The extra earnings—often just a few cents per task—don’t justify the time invested.”

Pros of Using Toloka

Easy to Get Started

Getting started with Toloka is simple:

• Download the app.
• Create an account with username/email or log in using your Google account. This adds an extra layer of security through Google’s authentication.
• Answer a few quick questions about the types of tasks you’re willing to perform.
• Begin working on the available tasks.

Well-Built and Laid-Out Platform

The platform is user-friendly, with a clean and professional design that adds to its trust factor.

Each task includes helpful information such as the:

• estimated completion time
• pay per task
• projected hourly earnings

That makes it easy to assess whether a task is worth your time.

Make Money on Your Phone

Some similar microtask sites only work on a desktop or laptop, so I like how many Toloka tasks can be done from your phone.

Still, it’s not one of favorite money-making apps.

Low Minimum to Cash Out

One other nice thing about Toloka is that you can cash out after earning just $0.02.

And if you’re frustrated by how long it took to earn those two cents, it might be the first and only cash you’ll make on the site.

Cons of Using Toloka

Unfortunately, there are more cons than pros with Toloka.

Low Earnings

First, the money you can make is not worth the time.

Even a traditional minimum wage job would likely pay more than you can earn on this platform. Other side hustles are probably a better use of your time. 

Privacy Concerns

Per Nate, “Some of the tasks available on Toloka can feel intrusive. For instance, when I first logged in, the only tasks offered involved taking photos or videos of myself. How weird is that?

“While I’m not overly concerned with privacy, it pushed my boundaries. These tasks paid more than others, suggesting others weren’t grabbing these tasks either.”

Sketchy Payout Sites

Lastly, the payment platforms Toloka uses—Papara, Qiwi, and Payoneer—have concerning reputations. 

Some users reported unexpected service fees, with up to $30 being deducted without warning, while others said their money disappeared.

Many also struggled to get in touch with customer support. The absence of mainstream payment services like PayPal raises a serious red flag to those considering Toloka.

Is Toloka Worth It?

Toloka is a legitimate platform. You can earn real money by completing tasks. But it may not be the best option for your time investment. 

Only you can make this decision. 

Tasks pay small payouts, which takes a long time to earn cash. 

While they use money transfer services like Papara and Payoneer, these brands aren’t as well known as something like PayPal.

Considering the minimal return for the time spent, many users, including Nate, found that Toloka isn’t worth it.

I mean, Trust Pilot has a 2.2 out of 5 stars — ouch!

Other platforms offer similar task-based earning opportunities but with better security, more reliable payment options, and higher rewards for your effort.

Survey sites might even be a better option for you!

Toloka Alternatives

If Toloka isn’t a good fit for you, here are some additional options.  

Clickworker

Clickworker is a website and app that pays you to complete short tasks.

This could be data entry, content creation, or web research.

Clickworker is a legit, easy side hustle, but like Toloka, it doesn’t pay a ton. 

Remotasks

Remotasks pays you to help train AI by completing small tasks like image tagging, data entry, or transcription.

If you’re good at repetitive tasks and want to work from home, this might be a good fit for you.

You can sign up, complete the training, and take on available tasks.

The more tasks you complete, the more you earn. In our Remotasks review, we earned around $15 an hour.

This is a low-effort way to make money while helping develop future technologies.

Prolific

Another lesser-known site to make money is Prolific, which specializes in “world changing” academic research.

Their academic nature makes hourly rates higher than many survey sites, with some users reporting earning $10-$30 a day on Prolific.

Check out our full Prolific review to learn more.

Mechanical Turk

Earn a small fee ($0.01 to $3) for each micro-task you complete on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk.

It can be tedious work, but over the last few years, Mike Naab earned over $50,000 on Mechanical Turk in his spare time completing surveys and other small jobs!

Serious About Making Extra Money?

• Start Your Free $500 Challenge. My free 5-day email course shows you how to add $500 to your bottom line.
• Join the free Side Hustle Nation Community. The free Facebook group is the best place to connect with other side hustlers and get your questions answered.
• Download The Side Hustle Show. My free podcast shares how to make extra money with actionable weekly episodes.