We’re hooked on our devices, but did you know your smartphone can actually make you money every month?
Here are some of my favorite money making apps.
Some are completely passive after you set them up, while others take a little more time.
Pick and install the ones that make the most sense for you!
For each, we’ll take a quick look at how they work and how you can earn money and get paid for using them.
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Best for Quick Surveys
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Join 20 Million Members
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Best for Testing New Games
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Swagbucks has paid out over $470 million to users over the last 10+ years. |
Super popular survey app that rewards you for sharing your opinion. |
Get paid to test new games, complete offers, and answer short surveys. |
Swagbucks has paid out over $470 million to users over the last 10+ years.
1. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a recognized leader in the online survey space. The long-running app has paid out hundreds of millions of dollars to users over the years.
You can earn rewards for shopping online, answering surveys, playing games, and watching videos (read: ads).
Cash out for gift cards from major retailers.
Sign up through my referral link for a $10 bonus.
Swagbucks has paid out over $650 million to users over the last 10+ years.
- Quick and easy to use
- Lots of ways to earn
- $10 sign-up bonus
- Surveys don't pay much
To earn more, you might want to consider in-person or online focus groups–and my personal favorite of those is User Interviews. (Feel free to check out our full User Interviews review for more details.)
2. Freecash
Freecash pays you real money to try out new casual games. You can cash out through Bitcoin, Amazon gift cards, and more.
One user described the offers available on the platform as “better than any of the other similar apps I use.” Another reviewer called Freecash “an absolute game-changer.”
According to the app, a typical user can expect to earn around $17.53 per day just playing games.
Freecash has game offers for iOS, Android, and PC, with some paying out hundreds of dollars. (But the app itself is only available on Android and web.)
At press, the app had over 2,700 different games to choose from, offering plenty of variety for players.
As is common, you’ll earn more the more you play in each game, and reaching the highest tier may require some in-game purchases.
(But even if you don’t reach the highest level, you should still earn milestone payouts for however far you do get.)
3. Survey Junkie
With Survey Junkie, you get to be the influencer — and give your opinions to hundreds of partner brands.
As one of the highest paying survey apps, Survey Junkie offers popular gift cards and cash outs via PayPal. Just 3 surveys a day can earn you $40 a month.
Join the 20+ million members and get started today.
Super popular survey app that rewards you for sharing your opinion. Survey Junkie doesn't have all the bells and whistles as other platforms, but they've been doing online surveys well since 2013.
- Simple and easy to use.
- Variety of cash-out options, including bank and PayPal transfers.
- Low $5 minimum to cash out.
- On an hourly basis, surveys don't pay well.
- Bugs: Sometimes surveys fail mid-way through without paying.
- Surf to Earn is probably not worth it unless you're a heavy survey taker.
4. Scrambly
Launched in 2022, Scrambly is a relatively new cash back rewards platform. In that short time, however, the service has grown to over 2 million users.
Get paid to try new games, complete offers, and more. It won't replace your job, but Scrambly is a fun and legit way to make a little extra money online.
A $0.50 bonus when you join already gets you halfway to your first cash out.
- Easy and free to use.
- Wide variety of offers.
- Low minimum to withdraw (just $1).
- Some offers have strict requirements or require a lot of time.
- Only available in US, Japan, and Korea.
The website says you can earn up to $500 a month, but that’s probably a stretch. Still, in our testing, we earned a few dollars right away.
5. InboxDollars
Most InboxDollars surveys pay between $0.50 and $5, but occasionally you’ll see offers up to $20 or more.
You can also earn by:
- watching TV
- shopping
- completing offers through the app
InboxDollars pays you in real money—not points—and offers a free $5 sign-up bonus.
6. KashKick
KashKick is a newer app that pays you to answer surveys, test new games (up to $150 each!), and redeem money-saving offers.
With the slogan “get paid to have fun,” KashKick is rated 4.5-stars in the App Store.
7. Cash Giraffe
If you love discovering and playing new games, why not get paid for it? Cash Giraffe connects you with new games that are trying to attract more players.
The app tracks the time you spend playing and rewards you for hitting certain milestones.
As you earn more Cash Giraffe tickets, you can cash out for gift cards or deposit directly into your PayPal account.
While Cash Giraffe is relatively new, it’s earned positive feedback so far. With over 10M downloads, it’s rated 4.4-stars on the Google Play Store.
8. Sharetown
Not many people know about Sharetown, but I’ve connected with side hustlers earning $3,000+ a month with this app.
Sharetown matches you up with gently-used mattress and furniture returns from direct-to-consumer brands.
Since the items aren’t new, the companies can’t really take them back and resell them — but you can. The Sharetown reps I’ve connected with report earning $100-250 per item.
And the cool part is the inventory doesn’t cost you anything until it sells.
But you can’t just download the app and get started. You have to apply first to make sure the company needs additional reps in your area.
Check out our full Sharetown review to learn more about how it works.
Sharetown reps make money by reselling gently-used furniture and bed-in-a-box mattresses. Top reps earn $4000+ per month.
- Low startup costs
- Great earning power
- No hunting for inventory
- Requires a truck or SUV
- Bulky items to store
- Not available in all areas
9. Arrived
Arrived is a real estate investing app that lets you buy shares of cash-flowing rentals for as little as $100.
- Earn quarterly dividends
- Completely hands-off
- Low minimum investment ($100)
- Limited liquidity
- Not super diversified
- Listings can sell out quickly
The company pools money to buy rental properties, manages them, and then distributes the cash flow every month.
10. Fundrise
I’ve been a Fundrise investor for years and like their long-term outlook and consistent quarterly dividends.
With just a $10 minimum, you can start building a portfolio of commercial real estate.
Fundrise is one of the best and largest crowdfunded real estate investment platforms, with $7B under management. The company makes institutional quality investments available to everyone, starting at just $10.
- Start with just $10
- Quarterly cash flow
- Instant diversification
- Healthy historical performance
- Lower volatility
- Liquidity
- Not as diversified as public REITs
- Limited operational track record
- Weaker upside
11. Robinhood
Robinhood is an online brokerage that gives new customers a free stock when you sign up—worth up to $200.
It’s a random draw–not your choice, unfortunately. I got Groupon (currently worth about $15), but Microsoft, VISA, and Johnson & Johnson are options.
12. Fetch Rewards
One category of apps you’ll want to be aware of is cash back apps. Many of these will basically give you free money just by tracking the spending you’re already doing.
Get cash back for every receipt, plus bonus payouts for buying specific products and brands. Use referral code BG5MP to get 2,000 free bonus points added to your account.
- Super easy to use
- Tons of cash out options
- Earn more from popular brands
- $0.02 minimum receipt value is on the lower end
- Some rewards have high minimums
And of course, this is on top of the credit card rewards I hope you’re already earning too!
For example, the Fetch Rewards app is a favorite of mine because it’s super easy. You earn points just by snapping pictures of your grocery receipts, which you can cash in for gift cards.
Pro Tip: Use referral code BG5MP when you sign up to get 2,000 free bonus points added to your account.
13. Upside
Use the free Upside app to get up to 25¢/gallon cash back on gas at thousands of locations all around the country. You can find cash back offers at nearby restaurants and grocery stores.
Plus, get a $5 bonus on your first $10 purchase with promo code “sidehustle”.
Upside is a popular cash back app for gas, groceries, and dining. Consistent users earn an average of $290 per year in free money. Use promo code sidehustle to get a $5 bonus on your first $10 purchase.
- Easy to use
- Strong cash back offers
- Variety of payout options
- You have to remember to "activate" your offers
- Participating locations may be limited
- Tight time limits to claim (usually 4 hours)
You just have to tell the app where you’re filling up and what credit card you’re using.
Upside also gives you cash back at participating grocery stores and restaurants, too!
14. Rakuten
The Rakuten shopping app (formerly Ebates) is a well-established leader in money saving apps—the company’s been paying users back for over 20 years!
The app offers cash back, in-store cash back, and a cash back button extension for online shopping. Shop almost every retailer on the planet and earn up to 40% cash back.
I look forward to my “Big Fat Checks” every quarter!
Join through my referral link and get a $30 sign-up bonus.
15. Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel
From the same company behind National Consumer Panel, Nielsen rewards you for sharing internet usage behaviors.
Simply download the app to all of your registered devices. The app isn’t intrusive and won’t slow down your devices.
As they track your usage, you earn points — up to $50 per year. Users can redeem points for prizes and sweepstakes entries.
16. MobileXpression
MobileXpression is a market research panel that pays you in exchange for data from your mobile phone.
Download the app and allow it to work in the background recording your browsing habits while on your phone. By participating with Mobilexpression, you’ll earn weekly credits redeemable for gift cards to popular retailers.
Realistically, this is an un-intrusive background app that will probably earn you around $20 a year in passive income.
And you’ll earn a free $5 gift card after your first week.
17. Honeygain
I’ve seen a lot of buzz lately around a new app called Honeygain.
According to the site, you can earn up to $30 a month when you share 10 GB a day of “your unused net traffic with data scientists.”
Just install the app (available on Windows, MacOS, and Android), connect it to the Internet, and earn rewards passively.
On average, it takes users 48 days to reach $20.
Before you get started though, make sure you’re truly on an unlimited plan as it sounds like this could chew through a lot of bandwidth in hurry!
18. Lightster
You can earn $1 per minute sharing your opinion and feedback with brands through Lightster.
The market research app matches you with paid studies based on your profile.
To get started, you’ll add some demographic information about yourself and answer some questions about your experience and interests.
After that, you may see some questions pop up in the app. Answer those to qualify for paid sessions.
I got invited to my first half hour brand conversation within a couple weeks of downloading the app, and got paid (via Amazon gift card) right away.
19. Field Agent
Field Agent presents a list of tasks you can do based on your location.
If you happen to be driving around somewhere and the store in the list is near, just accept the task and start earning money.
Most of these gigs involve evaluating product displays or checking on inventory. They typically pay $3-10 apiece, depending on complexity and the time involved.
Major retailers like Costco and Walmart are listed for product surveys and audits. No purchases are necessary.
Just load the Field Agent app on your phone and start earning quick cash while on the go.
For more, check out my full Field Agent review.
20. Rover
With the Rover app, you can get paid to walk dogs.
The service has a large database of dog owners looking for help from people like you.
According to Rover, top dog walkers are earning $1000 a month.
21. HealthyWage
If you’re trying to lose weight, take a look at HealthyWage.
You pick your weight loss goal, bet on yourself, and win money if you make your goal. In this scenario, walking can help you lose weight, meet your goal, and get paid to do it.
The average prize is over $1,300!
To discover more about this program, read my review on HealthyWage.
Bet on yourself to hit your weight loss goal, and win an average of $1300 when you achieve it.
- Get paid to build healthy habits
- Set your own goals and timeline
- You'll lose money if you don't hit your goal
- Prize may not be motivating enough
Conclusion: There Really Are Apps That Pay You!
Yes, you can turn your smartphone into a money making machine by installing a few apps.
Hopefully a few on this list were new to you and you decide to give them a shot. Feel free to report back on your results in the comments below to help future readers!
I haven’t tried all of them, but the handful I do use have already netted me well over $1000 in benefits. I think with a little effort and attention you can have a similar experience.
The Most Overlooked Money Making App?
While these apps are great, the most overlooked money making app that’s already on your phone is … wait for it … the phone itself!
As in, call a prospect, figure out their pain points, and make a deal to help them.
If you’re still looking for ways to make extra money, be sure to check out our full list of side hustle ideas!
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