CloudResearch alternatives, compared on price, reach and checks.

CloudResearch Connect took over many MTurk studies. Here's how it compares with the other panels researchers use, and where SampleLabs fits.

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In short

CloudResearch Connect adds a 40% fee to participant pay, or 25% for academic and non-profit researchers, and covers six English-speaking countries. The main alternatives are Prolific, SurveyMonkey Audience and SampleLabs. On SampleLabs, 100 five-minute responses from the audience you pick cost €261.90 before VAT (€2.62 each) and arrive within 1 to 4 days, or within 48 hours with Speed boost, with bot and AI checks included on surveys built in SampleLabs.

Facts about CloudResearch checked on 24 October 2026. See the sources.

What SampleLabs covers

What researchers use CloudResearch for, and how SampleLabs handles each.

Covered 4

Survey responses from a vetted panel
Targeting by country, profession and demographics
Checks for rushed answers, bots and AI
Results within days

Partly 1

Large or hard-to-reach samples: 2,000 and up go through Agency

Not covered 3

Targeting by scores like personality traits
A lower rate for academics
AI training and labelling tasks

CloudResearch and SampleLabs, side by side

What it is: CloudResearch: Connect, its own participant pool, plus Prime Panels, a mix of market research panels for bigger samples.; SampleLabs: A research panel priced per response, with a survey builder and quality checks in the same place.
How you pay: CloudResearch: Participant pay plus a 40% fee, or 25% for academic and non-profit researchers. Pay must be at least $7.50 an hour.; SampleLabs: One price per response, with participant pay included. You see it before you pay.
What 100 responses cost: CloudResearch: Depends on the pay you set, plus the fee. Prime Panels are priced per study.; SampleLabs: €387.50 before VAT for 100 five-minute responses from the audience you pick.
Countries: CloudResearch: Connect: the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.; SampleLabs: Filter by country when you order. Agency projects run in 130+ countries.
Bots and AI answers: CloudResearch: CloudResearch says its Sentry check screens every participant.; SampleLabs: Rushed answers are rejected. Surveys built in SampleLabs are also checked for bots and AI-written answers.
Your survey: CloudResearch: Bring your own survey, or use CloudResearch's AI survey tool, Engage.; SampleLabs: Build it in SampleLabs, or link to a survey from any other tool.

The alternatives to CloudResearch

Each one is best for something different. Prices are what each company publishes, checked on the date at the top of this page.

SampleLabs

Best for a fixed price per response, with bot and AI checks included on surveys built in SampleLabs

An ID-checked research panel you order from online, with a survey builder and quality checks in the same place. Rushed answers are rejected before they count.

Price: 100 five-minute responses from the audience you pick cost €261.90 before VAT (€2.62 each) and arrive within 1 to 4 days, or within 48 hours with Speed boost.
Prolific

Best for academic studies across many countries

A participant panel for academic, AI and market research. Prolific says it has 300,000+ active participants in 40+ countries.

Price: Participant pay plus a 42.8% fee, or 33.3% for academic and non-profit researchers. Pay must be at least £6 or $8 an hour.

Prolific's own page
SurveyMonkey Audience

Best for teams who already build in SurveyMonkey

The panel inside SurveyMonkey, aimed at market research. SurveyMonkey says it reaches people in 130+ countries.

Price: From $1 per response, by SurveyMonkey's own pricing.

SurveyMonkey Audience's own page
Qualtrics panels

Best for teams already paying for Qualtrics

Panels you buy inside Qualtrics, for surveys built there. Orders up to $15,000 can be bought online; bigger ones go through Qualtrics' sales team.

Price: Not published. Qualtrics shows the cost in your account before you buy.

Qualtrics panels' own page

What SampleLabs doesn't do

No academic rate

CloudResearch charges academics and non-profits a lower fee. On SampleLabs everyone pays the same price per response.
No targeting by scores

CloudResearch can pick people by scores such as personality traits. SampleLabs filters by country, profession, demographics and more.
You don't set the pay

On CloudResearch you choose the hourly pay. On SampleLabs you pay one price per response and we pay the participants.

Moving your study to SampleLabs

Set your size

Pick how many responses you need and how long your survey is. The price shows straight away, in euros, dollars or pounds.
Choose your audience and pay

Filter by country, profession, demographics and more, then pay by card. No account or sales call needed.
Add your survey

Link to a survey you built in Qualtrics or any other tool and add the completion code, or build it in SampleLabs. We launch it and the responses come in.

Questions people ask

How much does CloudResearch cost?

CloudResearch Connect adds a 40% platform fee to what you pay participants, or 25% for academic and non-profit researchers, and pay must be at least $7.50 an hour. CloudResearch quotes Prime Panels per study and doesn't publish their prices.

Which countries does CloudResearch Connect cover?

CloudResearch says Connect covers the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. Its Prime Panels reach more countries for bigger studies.

Is CloudResearch better than Prolific?

Both say independent studies rank their data quality first. CloudResearch Connect has a lower fee for companies (40% against Prolific's 42.8%), and Prolific covers more countries (40+ against Connect's six).

What happened to CloudResearch's MTurk Toolkit?

CloudResearch retired the MTurk Toolkit on 30 September 2026, the day Amazon closed MTurk. It now points MTurk users to Connect.

What is a cheaper alternative to CloudResearch?

It depends on how long your survey is and how much you'd pay per hour. On SampleLabs, 100 five-minute responses from the audience you pick cost €261.90 before VAT (€2.62 each) and arrive within 1 to 4 days, or within 48 hours with Speed boost.

Can I use my own survey tool instead of CloudResearch?

Yes. On SampleLabs you link to a survey from Qualtrics or any other tool and add the completion code, or build the survey in SampleLabs.

How does SampleLabs check for bots and AI answers?

Rushed answers are rejected before they count. Surveys built in SampleLabs are also checked by Protect for bots and AI-written answers, and the page on how we check for AI explains each check.

Where these facts come from

Every fact about another company on this page comes from these pages. Prices and products change, so check the date. Spotted something out of date? Email [email protected] and we'll fix it.