At-a-Glance Comparison

Get a look at the differences between ySense and Nielsen Pulse with this overview of their features and benefits.

ySenseNielsen Pulse
ySense
  • Virtually unlimited ways to earn on demand
  • Get paid whenever you like, no minimum cashout
  • Payments PayPal, gift cards, and various other online payments
  • Win daily prizes and participation in weekly contests
  • Been paying members on time, every time since February 2007
  • Operated by prestigious market research firm Prodege
  • USA-based ySense members can watch videos to earn cash credits
Nielsen Pulse
  • Run by Nielsen, a global market research company with over 100 years in the business
  • Earning is passive — once set up, points accumulate automatically every day
  • One-time setup bonuses available for connecting devices and streaming platforms
  • Available on Android and iOS; connected TV devices can also be registered
  • Rewards come in the form of brand vouchers and gift cards
  • No joining fee, and you'll never be asked for credit card information
  • Participation helps inform how media companies and brands understand consumer behavior
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse Yes
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse Yes
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
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Rating Comparison

Which is better, ySense or Nielsen Pulse? See how their expert and user ratings compare.

ySenseNielsen Pulse
ySense
[4.6/5]
Nielsen Pulse
[4/5]
ySense
[5/5]
Nielsen Pulse
[3/5]
ySense
[4.5/5]
Nielsen Pulse
[4/5]
ySense
[4.5/5]

Read 28 Reviews

Nielsen Pulse
[/5]

Read 0 Reviews

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Rewards Comparison

Compare ySense rewards and Nielsen Pulse rewards to see how their redemption options stack up.

ySenseNielsen Pulse
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse Yes
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse Yes
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
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Opportunities Comparison

Compare how you can earn money with ySense and Nielsen Pulse and find your next side hustle.

ySenseNielsen Pulse
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse Yes
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
ySense Yes Nielsen Pulse No
ySense No Nielsen Pulse No
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Service & Snafus

Learn about customer service and potential issues with ySense and Nielsen Pulse before you sign up.

ySenseNielsen Pulse
ySense

Having been around since February 2007, ySense (formerly Clixsense) has one of the top customer service teams. They resolve all payout issues quickly and are known for their speedy replies.

Nielsen Pulse

Nielsen Pulse offers email-based support for US panelists at uspulsesupport@nielsen.com. The website also includes a Contact Us page with the same email address. There's no live chat or phone support listed.

The terms also allow panel members to contact Nielsen directly to request account deletion if they choose to leave.

Given that Nielsen is a large, established company, their support infrastructure should be reasonably reliable — though response times are not published, and the absence of live chat may be frustrating for users with urgent account issues.

ySense

The only issue with ySense is a fair amount of survey disqualification. Thankfully there are a ton to take, but many users report repeated disqualifications.

Nielsen Pulse

The biggest sticking point for many users will be the privacy trade-off. The app requires you to grant location permissions, notifications, and install a research VPN on your device. Nielsen uses this access to track your device usage, web activity, streaming behaviour, and purchases. The terms explicitly state that this can include sensitive personal information such as race and ethnicity.

You also won't know if you qualify until after you complete the eligibility survey. Those who don't qualify are put on a waitlist, with no guarantee of ever being admitted to the panel.

Membership is household-wide by agreement. When you sign up, you're agreeing on behalf of all household members whose devices the app is installed on — and you're required to inform them and get their consent before doing so.

People employed by TV networks, cable or satellite providers, digital media platforms, or other media companies are not eligible to join. You also must keep your panel membership confidential and are not permitted to publicly identify yourself as a participant — including in app store reviews.

Points expire after 12 months and have no cash value. If you leave the panel for any reason, any unredeemed points are forfeited. Nielsen can also modify or discontinue the rewards program at any time.

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Final Verdict

See our closing thoughts to help you decide if ySense or Nielsen Pulse is better for you.

ySenseNielsen Pulse
ySense

ySense won't pad your bank account like a $100 focus group, but they offer a number of ways to earn including the ability to make money just for browsing the web, watching videos, performing search task and of course surveys.

With strong customer service and cash payouts, there's no reason not to give ySense a try. It might not be for everyone, but the no minimum cashout threshold in addition to instant payments make this an attractive program for those who need money fast.

Nielsen Pulse

Nielsen Pulse is one of the more straightforward passive earnings programs out there. You install the app, go through a brief setup, and points accumulate on their own. There's no survey grind, no daily check-ins, and no tasks to complete. For the right person, it genuinely is close to set-it-and-forget-it income.

The catch, of course, is that what you're trading for those rewards is fairly deep access to your device activity. The research VPN in particular is something that gives users pause, and rightfully so. Nielsen has a long track record and a legitimate reason for collecting this data, but you should go in with clear expectations about what you're sharing.

If you're comfortable with the data sharing arrangement and you pass the eligibility survey, Nielsen Pulse is worth a spot on your phone. It's a credible program from a credible company, and passive rewards without any active effort are hard to beat.

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