If you’re going to give so much of yourself to your smartphone, it darn well better give you something in return.
And we’re not talking about an endless Instagram feed to scroll through or an annoying rash of pinging notifications.
I’m talking about apps that pay you real money and give you gift cards for games, surveys, shopping, and more!
This list of the best money-making apps is sure to make your time spent on your phone MUCH more valuable!
Start sharing your opinion, earn points, and cash them out for free gift cards or cash today. Claim your FREE $10 sign-up bonus now!
Key Takeaways
Looking for a quick rundown of my favorite money-making apps to fill your bank account up?
Here are my top picks overall for making money:
- Best Overall – Swagbucks
- Best Survey App – Survey Junkie
- Best Cash Back App – KashKick
- Best Investment App For Beginners – Fundrise
Best Money Making Apps – Survey Edition!
Survey companies pay out easily and they’re my top picks for money-making apps! You can download them on any device and make more money today.
These companies dish out valuable cash rewards to users who fill out polls and surveys (which help brands tweak their products, update their marketing strategies, and more).
Don’t get us wrong: Filling out paid surveys from these free apps isn’t going to make anyone a millionaire overnight.
You can usually churn out a few bucks per day with these programs and money-making apps.
But hey, a few dollars is a few dollars that can go towards bills, your next vacation, or even some extra coffee and self-care to get through the week!
Using survey apps that pay you money is a mindless activity that you can easily do in front of the TV.
And in a few months’ time, you’ll earn extra money or a free gift card you can actually do stuff with!
1. Swagbucks
Swagbucks will pay you to take surveys, watch videos, play games, and even get coupons and cash back when shopping online.
Swagbucks offers good payouts at $0.50 – $2 per survey or game in about 15 – 20 minutes, which is cool to earn cash without doing much work.
If you’re wondering whether survey apps are legit, check out this figure: Swagbucks has paid out almost $300,000,000 in rewards to date.
That’s freaking bananas, and you can download the app free, with no credit card info needed!
Swagbucks offers gift cards like Amazon, Target, Walmart, and even through your PayPal account.
Start sharing your opinion, earn points, and cash them out for free gift cards or cash today. Claim your FREE $10 sign-up bonus now!
2. Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is the most popular spot online to earn rewards for sharing your thoughts and one of the firsts I took for a spin on.
Over 5,000,000 users are on Survey Junkie, and they offer plenty of surveys for you to answer and get paid!
Survey Junkie doesn’t offer other ways to earn cash besides surveys, but since that’s all they’re about, they offer more surveys that you can qualify for.
The interface is really easy, too- you’ll see how long a survey will take and how much you’ll earn for it.
Plus, it’s nice having cash dropped into my PayPal account every week!
Read my Survey Junkie Review to find out more about earning money from surveys.
Want to make money from your couch? Survey Junkie pays out over $40,000 daily to its members for taking paid online surveys. Get your share today!
3. InboxDollars
Aside from its quick and simple surveys, InboxDollars also offers rewards and gift cards for watching videos and playing games.
I like InboxDollars because of the variety of simple tasks and activities you can get paid for and the great ways you get paid!
You can earn points to redeem for PayPal cash, prepaid debit cards, and gift cards from Apple, Target, eBay, Amazon, and so many more.
This money-making app is available for both macOS and Android, and you can learn all the ins and outs from my InboxDollars review.
Grab your FREE $5 sign-up bonus now and start earning extra money taking surveys, watching videos, and playing games!
4. Pawns.App
Pawns.App is another great survey app where you can answer surveys for fast cash.
Surveys are its newest paying activity, so they’re aren’t as many as you’d find on Survey Junkie, but new offers are opening up every day.
Pawns.App is actually known for paying you to share your unused bandwidth- for up to $10 a day, according to Pawns.App.
Sharing bandwidth is basically sharing your internet throughout the day- which is great if you don’t work from home.
You may as well get money for something you aren’t using!
Read my honest Pawns.app review to learn more.
5. Opinion Outpost
Opinion Outpost offers cash rewards via PayPal, Amazon, or Visa gift cards, which you can use on yourself or whatever you need!
Free money doesn’t go to waste around here, and I think you should wrack in the benefits too.
The surveys are quick and easy, and if you’re going to be quizzed on stuff, you may as well make money for it!
6. Google Opinion Rewards
Google Opinion Rewards is another way to take surveys and earn extra cash fast.
You’ll answer questions about products or places you’ve visited- surveys can really be about anything!
You can either accept payment through the Google Play Store or direct deposit to PayPal once you have $2 in your rewards account.
Google Opinion Rewards will notify you when new surveys are up for you to take, and you can set up to get PayPal transfers when you hit the minimum.
7. MyPoints Surveys
MyPoints is a rewards website that gives you points for simply giving your opinion.
Similar to all these others, they’re mostly questions for market research, and you can quickly make $2 an hour in your downtime.
Plus, this is Britanny’s favorite way to take surveys for free gift cards to Starbucks, Amazon, iTunes, and more!
You can then exchange those points for cash or prizes! I like that I can bulk up cash via PayPal every week.
8. Toluna
Toluna is another survey site where you can earn $1 – $5 per survey, with easy payouts from PayPal or in sweet gift cards.
But you need to know your points can expire on Toluna, so be sure to stay active and cash out whenever you can- you don’t want to waste the extra money you’ve earned!
Cash Back Apps and Shopping Apps
There are other money-making apps that get you money back on your spending habits!
Rewards apps are one of my favorite free money hacks. Plus, it’s another way to snag a gift card, which I love.
Now, many people use their reward credit cards to earn cash back- but you don’t need credit cards to get those perks.
These other apps help make it possible to save money and earn rewards.
From groceries to getaways, we all have to spend money- both to survive and to enjoy life, you might as well earn back a percentage of every dollar you spend if you can in cash back.
Not only can you get the app from Google Play, but you can get browser extensions for when you shop online.
9. KashKick
As with any good survey site, KaskKick is free to join, and you can make fast cash answering questions.
Not only that, but you can earn cash from playing games, shopping online, and other small tasks that don’t take more than a few minutes.
You can make $0.10 – $4 per survey, and you only need $10 to cash out for PayPal cash.
Read our KashKick Review and discover how much money you can make!
10. Upside
Things are getting expensive as we get older, and one of the most frustrating costs in our house is filling our gas tank!
Gas got very cheap during the pandemic, but shot up in cost once everyone started going back to work.
I wanted to find ways to save on gas, without having to skip trips to the beach or visiting family out of town.
I found Upside, which can have cash back on gas as well as discounts so that you fill up for less.
Want to learn about their other cash back offers? Check out my Upside Review!
11. Fetch Rewards
Fetch Rewards has made earning free money and cash back easier for in-store purchases.
You earn rewards for shopping and scanning your receipts.
Once you hit 5,000 points, you can cash out for a $5 gift card from Amazon, Target, Starbucks, and more.
Read my in-depth Fetch Rewards Review to see how you can start saving today.
12. Honey
Honey is a cashback and coupon site that can save you money and get money back in your pocket when you shop online.
You can use the Honey extension to automatically find deals and coupons for your online shopping.
When I go to checkout, my little Honey friend pops up right away to let me know I’ve got coupons to try!
When there are no coupons available, it’ll pop up and let me know if I can get cash back on online purchases instead.
Read my Honey Review to learn more about how you can save and get cash back from Honey.
13. Capital One Shopping
Capital One Shopping is another great browser extension that can automatically look for deals.
They try to find any available deals on what you have in your cart, plus you can check their website for other deals and savings.
They partner with so many online retailers that you have a lot of options!
Check out my full review of Capital One Shopping to find out more.
14. Rakuten
If you’re shopping online at brand-name and department stores like Old Navy, Kohl’s, or Macy’s, you can earn back by clicking through Rakuten first.
You can shop on the site and earn cash back when making in-store purchases you want and need.
The site also offers a rotating selection of special daily deals, as well as a valuable $25 refer-a-friend program.
When I first started, this was only an Android app, but now you can snag this in the Apple store with no problem!
15. Ibotta
The last on my list of money-making apps in cash back is Ibotta.
Ibotta offers straightforward, cash-back rebates on everything from fresh produce to name-brand and store-brand options.
Just browse the app for available offers, then snap a quick photo of your receipt to get some cash back into your bank account.
As soon as I get home from the grocery store, I upload my receipt to get cash back immediately so I don’t forget or lose the receipt.
Read to see how Ibotta can pay you to grocery shop!
Other Apps That Help You Sell Stuff
They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. But as it turns out, it can be your treasure, too!
You can use money-making apps to sell that stuff and get money into your bank account quickly.
Rather than earn points for a gift card or get money back on your online purchases, you can earn cash by saying goodbye to things you don’t need anymore.
These selling apps will help you clean out your closet or rent out your spare bedroom, all while fattening your bank account.
16. Decluttr
Got an outdated CD or DVD collection? Is last year’s iPhone gathering dust in a drawer?
Stop keeping all that clutter and trade them in for cash!
Decluttr is the place to sell used tech, as well as media and games. It assesses no costly auction fees, and you’ll receive an expedient next-day payment.
17. Poshmark
Brittany has found some great deals on Poshmark, but I’ve also sold some items just as easily!
Poshmark is a money-making app known for beauty supplies, decorations, and clothes.
You can also post electronics, furniture, pet products, and more for sale as well.
You simply post the product with a good description and nice photos, with a set price.
However, people can send you an offer for your item rather than pay that price, but you can decide whether you accept it or not.
Then you can set up to get paid through Venmo, PayPal, direct deposit, and more.
18. OfferUp
From used furniture to used cars, you can sell just about anything on OfferUp.
Since they’re all local transactions, you won’t have to worry about the hassle of shipping.
Just meet up and exchange the item in person, similar to Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Easy peasy!
Offerup also bought Letgo, if you used to use that app, so it has even more users and buyers than before and more income potential.
Side Hustle Apps That Make You Money
Even if you work full time, the mobile-friendly gig economy has made it easier than ever to pick up a side hustle (or three).
Here are some apps that’ll help you earn money in your extra off time- and maybe even have fun doing it:
19. Steady App
Want to find side gigs that match your skill set and pay you a great hourly rate?
Steady is the perfect app for you!
You can sign up and use Steady for free to find side hustles that will boost your bank account and make your financial future greener.
Their features are top-notch to make your side hustles more successful.
It has Income Trackers to see how much you’re making from your side hustles, PLUS Income Boosters to see how you can make more.
20. Rover
Want to get paid to play with pets? No need to pay for vet school or adopt a pet yourself- you can pet sit and dog walk as easy side hustles!
All you have to do is download Rover and list yourself as a sitter or dog walker, get your account set up for direct deposit, and start working.
You can earn up to $1,000 per month by offering boarding, walking, or doggy daycare services.
Did we mention you also get to play with a plethora of pups… for cash? Yes, really.
Sign up now and earn your first $25 for free!
21. Instacart
Man, am I thankful for grocery delivery services!
If you’re a grocery shopping guru, you could get paid for your services by becoming an Instacart shopper.
You can choose between full-service shopping (where you provide personal delivery) or in-store services only.
You get paid in multiple ways as a shopper, download the app and check it out- using it to make money or to get your groceries will benefit you!
We used Instacart for our grocery shopping and had an amazing experience with our Instacart shopper.
To learn more, read my honest Instacart Review.
22. Amazon Flex
There’s a reason all those Amazon Prime packages make their deliveries timely. Amazon Flex is hiring people to deliver packages!
If you want to become part of the workforce that makes it happen, you could earn $18 – $25 per hour.
You’ll set your own hours and build your own schedule, all while delivering smiles.
It was so strange seeing my Amazon package being dropped off at 7:30 pm in a regular town car.
But after some research, I learned about Amazon Flex and how people are making side-money getting our deliveries handled!
23. Uber Eats
Want another driving app the make money so you have some other options?
Even if your old beater car doesn’t meet the exacting standards for ridesharing, you can still earn cash by driving it around!
With Uber Eats, you’ll just be delivering delicious dishes instead of passengers.
Plus, you can get same-day payouts up to five times per day.
You can also use Uber to drive people around, similar to ridesharing with Lyft.
24. Airbnb
Chances are you’ve used Airbnb to find affordable vacation housing- so why not use it to turn your own space into an earning opportunity?
You can rent your whole house while you’re out of town, or just rent a room to someone for a weekend trip.
You have to keep things clean and make sure you secure your valuables and such, but renting out a room is typically very simple.
And you get to pick how much you charge for the space! One room per night in a popular town can be $100 per night, meaning each weekend could earn you $800!
Along with pocketing up to four extra digits per month, you’ll also likely meet some cool people.
25. Neighbor Storage
Do you have some empty space in your house after selling stuff on Decluttr?
You can join Neighbor and rent out whatever free space you have for extra cash!
Whether you have extra space in your shed, a closet, the basement, or even your driveway, you can list it and more on Neighbor.
Passive Income Apps
If you ask us, the best income is passive income comes from money that generates itself without any conscious thought or effort.
Investing is always a no-brainer in our book!
Put your existing money to work for you using the power of compound interest.
But what money-making apps pay you the most?
These investment apps make it super simple to start investing, even if you’re an investment beginner in the stock market.
26. Fundrise
Fundrise quickly became my go-to investing app because it’s low-cost to start and got us into real estate investing.
With Fundrise, you only need $10 to invest in fractional shares of property using eREITs.
Check out more about Fundrise and its investment offerings by reading my honest Fundrise Review.
27. Robinhood
Robinhood is the best investment platform for beginners to get started investing in stocks.
They’re commission-free, so you may as well sign up and give it a shot!
Robinhood has investment options such as stocks and funds, cryptocurrency, and even had cash management.
28. Stash
If you’ve got a spare $5, you’ve got the beginnings of an investment portfolio when you sign up for Stash, which is available for both macOS and Android.
Plus, the app makes it easy for you to make informed choices about what, exactly, your money is supporting.
You can learn more about how to invest in ways that can align with your personal values and goals.
Paid non-client endorsement. See Apple App Store and Google Play reviews. View important disclosures.
Nothing in this material should be construed as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation to buy or sell any security.
All investments are subject to risk and may lose value. Fractional shares start at $0.05 for investments that cost $1,000+ per share.
29. Acorns
Not exactly swimming in start-up capital for your investment portfolio? Any small investment is capable of making money, so don’t be deterred!
Acorns automatically rounds up the spare change from your everyday in-store purchases on your credit card.
It takes that change and invests it in diverse ETFs, even rebalancing your portfolio for you when the market moves.
Acorns is great because you can invest in little amounts and start growing your money quickly without being an active investor.
Investors find this platform is really similar to Robinhood and great for newbies who are still learning how to invest.
30. Betterment
If you’re looking to invest, but want to be a bit hands-off, you should look into robo-advising from Betterment.
Betterment can reevaluate and move things around in your portfolio automatically, hence how it works as a smart Robo-advisor.
You just tell it your goals, how risky you want to be with your investments, and then Betterment takes over the reins.
BONUS ROUND: Money Management Apps
Now that your phone is making money for you and you’ve found the best money-making apps, you can do more to give your finances a boost!
After all, extra cash is of no help at all unless you’ve got a plan for it and keep track of your cash!
Try these personal finance websites to track your spending, budget your money, and try to bulk up your savings!
Empower (Formerly Personal Capital)
Empower has made such a difference in our lives and has opened up so many doors in our journey to financial freedom!
You can connect your Empower account with your credit or debit card and whatever other accounts you may have and get a quick picture of your finances in one place.
It helps you track your finances and shows you a pie chart of exactly where your hard-earned dollars are going each month.
Empower also provides useful spending insights and product suggestions that can help you save more in the long term.
EveryDollar
If the idea of creating a monthly budget feels overwhelming, start with EveryDollar.
It’ll help you set up a solid basic financial plan in as little as 10 minutes.
It’s free to create your account and get your budget together. Its customizable and helps you start saving as soon as possible.
Looking for Even More Ways to Earn Money Fast?
They say time is money, and we all only have 24 hours in the day, so you need a surefire way to earn money when you can.
You can use a money-making app to earn money, but is it possible to do more in your free time for a higher payout?
Side hustles are the way of the future, and apps pay you or connect you with many money-making opportunities online.
You can find easy ways to make money here and there and maximize your income without compromising your leisure time.
The best part? You’ll be making money from the comfort of your own home!
BONUS ROUND #2: 7 Side Hustles To Start Today
Want to take things further than an app you can get from Google Play or the iOS App Store?
There are plenty of hobbies and other talents you can use to increase your income and make a bigger impact on your financial situation.
Here are my top 7 hustles that can help you earn $1,000+ on the side every month!
1. Start a Money Making Blog
It takes a lot of effort up front but once you start seeing the success the sky is the limit. Our blog brings in over $10,000 per month!
You can write about your passion, work from home, and start earning over $1K per month with some hard work.
You can create a professional-looking blog using my blogging guide.
Then you need to sign up for affiliate programs, land some sponsored posts, and use SEO to get people on your website.
If you want more help to get started, check out my FREE Blog Boot Camp to get your blog off the ground this week.
2. Start a Facebook Side Hustle
Want to make money using Facebook? There are plenty of small business owners in need of marketing help.
Ads on Facebook are becoming a great money-making strategy for businesses, and they need to hire people to create ad campaigns and monitor them.
You can start by taking a course like FB Side Hustle, which can teach you how to create eye-catching ads and how to get people to buy!
Being a Facebook Ads manager is perfectly flexible to fit anyone’s schedule, and you can earn $20+ an hour even as a beginner.
3. Become a Freelance Writer
Freelance writing can be an incredible way for you to make money in your free time, especially if you enjoy writing!
Earn anywhere from $0.10-$0.20 per word depending on your experience.
Plus, you can learn how to become a successful writer with the Freelance Write From Home eBook.
4. Become a Bookkeeper
If you’re great with numbers, you can start a bookkeeper business in no time- no experience needed!
You’ll work with spreadsheets, putting information from paper into a more usable form and maybe creating some visual graphs for that data.
And don’t think bookkeepers are like accountants, working with tons of numbers and taxes- it’s simpler than that!
You can take free lessons from Bookkeeper Launch and see if a bookkeeping business is your best money-making idea.
5. Become a Proofreader
Love to read? Why not get paid to read others’ work and find spelling/grammatical errors as a proofreader?
You can easily earn a few hundred dollars a month in your spare time and start with no experience!
Want to learn how to become a successful proofreader and get more money?
Take the FREE Proofread Anywhere workshop to get your business off the ground!
6. Become a Pinterest VA (virtual assistant)
Love being on Pinterest all day and all night? Why not help other online business owners market their businesses with your Pinterest skills?
If you’ve used Pinterest, you know the platform includes ads mixed on with your suggested pins. Those ads could be your next money-maker!
You can create images and pins for businesses to promote their products and services.
7. Flip Items on eBay and Amazon
Love going thrift shopping and finding neat things to turn into cash? Start your own flipping business today!
I learned all the secrets of a good flipper from the Flea Market Flippers, and you can, too, with their FREE workshop.
Final Thoughts
I’ve tried so many apps out there, and I believe these are the best money-making apps that are worth your time and effort.
Apps like Survey Junkie and Fundrise are all great money-makers that offer opportunities for high payouts over time.
So get some apps downloaded so you can make money, get that cash back, create some side hustles, and much more.
Some cashback sites and survey apps will make a few dollars per day; some investment apps and side hustles can earn an extra $500 per month!
And, hey, even if it’s helping you rake it in, don’t forget to put that cell phone down every once in a while.
There’s a whole world out there waiting for you… And who knows? You might just stumble into an even better-earning opportunity.
Start sharing your opinion, earn points, and cash them out for free gift cards or cash today. Claim your FREE $10 sign-up bonus now!