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.
I’ve broken these down by category, and encourage you to 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.
12 Ways to Make Money on Your Phone
Apps That Pay You to Take Surveys and Play Games
Turns out there are tons of ways to make extra money sharing your opinion with brands. These apps facilitate those surveys and other offers.
It’s worth noting here that these apps probably won’t make you a ton of money, and do take time, but could perhaps add $15-30 a month to your bottom line if you use them consistently.
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.)
1. Blackout Bingo
The popular Blackout Bingo game app turns classic bingo from a game of luck into a game of speed and skill. Each game only takes about 2 minutes to play, and you can earn real-world rewards and cash prizes (except in AZ, AR, CT, DE, IN, LA, ME, MT, SC, SD, and TN).
At press time, the app has a 4.5-star rating on the App Store from 70,000+ reviews, with players calling it fun and addicting. The most common complaint is that Blackout Bingo’s ads — which apparently claim you can win big money with little effort — are misleading.
As with all gaming apps, practice for free first. Then, never put more money at risk than you can afford to lose.
2. 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.
3. Cashyy (Android)
With a 4-star rating on the Google Play store, thousands of users are cashing in with the free Cashyy app.
As you discover new free games and accomplish “missions” you’ll earn coins to exchange for gift cards or cash via PayPal.
4. Solitaire Cube
I played my fair share of Windows Solitaire growing up, so Solitaire Cube got my attention.
The well-rated iOS and Android game app pits you against similarly-skilled players, where all of the users receive the same deck, and the players who finish with the most points win. Of course, I recommend practicing for free first!
Solitaire Cube is free to download and play, but “real prize” tournaments aren’t yet available in AZ, AR, CT, DE, IN, LA, ME, MT, SC, SD, and TN.
5. Rewarded Play (Android)
With over 80,000 reviews and a 4.3-star rating in the Google Play store, Rewarded Play is another free, legit, and fun, “get paid to play” app.
Rewarded Play is your one-stop app for casual games like Solitaire, Mahjong, Wheel of Fortune, Yahtzee, and more. As you play, choose your rewards and get your gift cards within 48 hours.
6. 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. Join the 3+ million members and get started today.
7. Mistplay (Android)
Mistplay is a popular app (10+ million downloads!) that rewards you for discovering and playing new games on your phone. (Android only)
The more you play, the more “units” you earn. Then you can cash in those units for gift cards to your favorite stores.
As far as Mistplay strategy, check out the games with 3x or 4x unit multipliers to earn gift cards faster.
8. 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, or completing offers through the app.
InboxDollars pays you in real dollars, not points, and offers a free $5 sign-up bonus.
9. Opinion Outpost
Each Opinion Outpost survey enters you into a $10,000 quarterly drawing. You can cash out at just $5 via PayPal or Amazon gift cards.
10. Mode Earn (Android)
More than 2 million users are using the new Mode Earn app that pays you money for listening to music and playing games.
With over 100,000 radio stations to choose from and the world’s top current songs and artists, it’s a cool way to get paid for something you’re probably already doing. I mean, it’s not like Spotify is sharing any of their ad revenue with you!
11. Toluna Influencers
Get paid to speak your voice and leave feedback on top brands with Toluna Influencers. The highest-paying surveys pay around $15 worth of Toluna points, which you can redeem for gift cards or PayPal cash.
Apps That Pay You to Invest
12. 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.
13. Robinhood
Robinhood is an online brokerage that gives new customers a free stock when you sign up.
It’s a random draw–not your choice, unfortunately. I got Groupon (currently worth about $22), but apparently Microsoft, VISA, and Johnson & Johnson are options.
14. Gemini
You can earn 8% interest with a Gemini Earn account. Your deposit is converted into “stablecoins” at a fixed rate of 1 to every dollar, and the loans Gemini makes are backed by crypto collateral.
At press time, you could get $50 in free Bitcoin when you open your account with promo code promo500and make a $500 deposit or trade within 3 days.
Apps That Connect You With Paid Gigs
15. Steady
The popular Steady app is your gateway to dozens of “gig economy” jobs and other money making opportunities.
Fun stat: Steady users make an average of $5500 more per year after they join!
Download the app and create an account to find gigs in 4 different categories:
- Gigs
- Part-Time and Full-Time Work
- Work From Home
- Recently Added
Yes, there are some low-paying options to sort through, but I found several new-to-me platforms to explore. Check out our full Steady app review to learn more.
16. TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit is one of the largest sharing economy platforms, and you can create a profile specializing in everything from running local errands, assembling furniture, local admin temp help, and even virtual support jobs.
Rates vary widely based on what service you’re providing, but I’ve seen tasks anywhere from $15 an hour all the way up to $100 an hour or more for specialized handyman skills.
The Best Cash Back Apps
The first category 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.
And of course, this is on top of the credit card rewards I hope you’re already earning too!
17. Fetch Rewards
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.
Get 2000 free points ($2) when you install through our referral link!
18. Marble
Once you do — or even if you’re not ready to switch insurance providers — create a free account with Marble.
This is the first and only “rewards program” for insurance. Marble lets you sync your home, renters, auto, and pet policies in one dashboard, and then pays you up to 5% cash back on your premiums.
Since you have to have many of these coverages already, getting paid for them is like getting free money.
19. Rakuten (formerly Ebates)
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 $10 sign-up bonus.
20. Ibotta
I still use Ibotta every week to check for extra cash back on our grocery purchases, but it’s not as easy to use as Fetch (see above).
You still have to scroll through each store’s listing and pick and choose which offers or products you bought. Then just snap a picture of your receipt and watch the cash back hit your account.
Ibotta Savers who use the app every month earn over $130 a year! I’ll take it. (You can cash out via gift cards or PayPal.)
21. Dosh
With Dosh, there are no codes to scan or receipts to upload. You’ll earn automatic cash back at lots of locations locally.
Where Dosh is perhaps most interesting is in booking hotels — when you book through the app you can get up to 40% cash back at 600,000 hotels!
22. NCP Mobile
Earn gift cards when you use the National Consumer Panel Mobile app to snap pictures of the barcodes of the products you buy. This is a great one to stack with Fetch and Ibotta.
23. GetUpside
Use the free GetUpside app to get up to 25¢/gallon cash back on gas at thousands of locations all around the country.
Many major brands like Shell, BP, Exxon, Marathon, 76, Valero, and Sunoco are available, and you just have to tell the app where you’re filling up and what credit card you’re using.
The company is expanding to groceries and restaurants, and opening up in new areas as well.
Apps That Pay You for Using Your Phone
We give so much of our data away every day for free to companies like Facebook, so it’s probably not that far a stretch to actually get paid for what you share. Here are some options to do just that.
24. 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.
25. 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.
26. SavvyConnect
The SavvyConnect VIP program “uses safe, cutting-edge technology to collect data as you surf the web.” In exchange for sharing this data, they’ll pay you up to $5 a month per device.
That means when you connect your smartphone, tablet, and desktop/laptop — and remain active in the SavvyConnect community — you can earn $15 a month or $180 a year.
27. 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!
Apps That Pay You to Drive
28. DoorDash
DoorDash “Dashers” make up to $25 an hour* as food delivery drivers.
Check out our full DoorDash driver review, where I sat down with one dasher earning $250-500 a month in his spare time.
*For illustrative purposes only, actual earnings may differ and depend on expenses. Hourly pay is calculated using average Dasher payouts while on a delivery (from the time you accept an order until the time you drop it off) and includes compensation from peak pay, tips, and other incentives.
29. Instacart
Get paid to shop for and deliver other people’s groceries with Instacart. Enjoy weekly payouts and a flexible schedule.
Check out our full Instacart Shopper review here, with insights from a side hustler earning an extra $450-500 a week.
30. Uber Eats
A friend of mine reported earning $25-30 an hour making takeout deliveries with Uber Eats (earnings of course not guaranteed). How it works is you use Uber’s mega-popular tech platform to connect with restaurant orders near you. Then you go pick up the order and bring it to the customer.
31. Lyft and Uber
Obviously these two ridesharing services are some of the most popular apps to make extra money.
With millions of users, they pay you to drive your neighbors around. Rates and earning potential vary by city, but you can set your own hours and earn tips for providing a great, safe experience for your passengers.
One potential “hack” you might not know about is that both Uber and Lyft have a feature called “destination mode.” What this allows you to do is tell the app where you’re going, and only accept rides from passengers heading in the same direction.
Several Side Hustle Nation readers report using this to offset the costs of their morning and evening commutes.
32. Shipt
Deliver fresh food and household essentials to Shipt members. Drivers can earn up to $22 an hour shopping for and delivering these products.
33. Hurdlr: Optimize Your Ridesharing and Delivery Earnings
If these gigs appeal to you — or you’re already a rideshare or delivery driver — you might consider adding Hurdlr to your arsenal. Hurdlr a cool app that helps drivers find an average of $5600 in tax deductions!
The app automatically tracks all of your mileage, expenses, income streams, and tax deductions in real-time. That means you keep more of what you earn.
Mystery Shopping and Audit Apps
34. 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.
35. Shopkick
Shopkick is an interesting app that allows you to earn rewards in multiple ways, including simply walking into a qualifying store.
Other ways to earn points (called “kicks”) include shopping with a linked card, scanning barcodes on selected products, viewing online products, watching videos, and visiting online stores. These points can then be redeemed for gift cards at stores like Starbucks, Amazon, and Target.
My guess is if you find a mall or strip mall with multiple Shopkick retailers, you can earn a few dollars just by walking around.
Download the app on iOS or Android to test it out for yourself.
36. Gigwalk
Gigwalk works on the same premise as Field Agent. The app pays you real money for completing gigs available near you.
Gig Walkers can earn anywhere from $3-100 for certain tasks, though there wasn’t much selection near me when I checked.
Apps That Pay You to Exercise
37. Miles
The new Miles app gives you “frequent flyer miles” for all the travel you do, whether walking, biking, driving, riding, or flying. (And walking is worth 10x as much as driving!)
By letting the app track your location, you’ll earn free points that can be redeemed for gift cards. You’re going to have to cover a lot of ground to get paid — it takes 5,000-10,000 miles to earn a $1 Amazon gift card — but every dollar counts and the app just runs in the background.
After you install it, you don’t have to do anything to rack up your miles.
At press time, you can get 1500 bonus miles when you join through my referral link.
Here’s our full Miles app review to learn more.
38. Evidation
Evidation is another app that pays you for walking. The Evidation app partners up with health companies for market studies. You get to be a part of cutting edge medical research, and get paid for it.
You can earn money by taking steps to become healthier, such as tracking steps, sleeping, logging meals, opting into challenges, completing surveys, tweeting, and more.
Evidation connects with apps like Apple Health, Samsung Health, Fitbit, Strava, MyFitnessPal, and Garmin. Earn $10 for every 10,000 points, and cash out through PayPal or directly to a bank account.
39. Rover and Wag
With the Rover and Wag apps, you can get paid to walk dogs. Both have large databases of dog owners looking for help from people like you.
According to Rover, top dog walkers are earning $1000 a month.
40. HealthyWage
HealthyWage is an interesting concept that allows you to win money (up to $10,000!) by betting on your own weight loss goals.
Check out their little betting tool to see how much you could win, and read our full HealthyWage review to learn more.
The downside is you have to put up the money first, and then win it back plus your prize when you reach your goal weight.
Apps to Make Money Selling Stuff
Clean out your closet or become a wholesale reseller. Many folks earn quick extra cash selling part-time on Ebay and Amazon. Listed below are competing apps that are very popular to make quick cash.
Let’s discover the best apps for side hustle opportunities selling stuff online besides Ebay and Amazon.