32 Legit Money Making Apps for Android/iOS (Apps That Pay You Cash)

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We’ve extensively tested the most popular money making apps to find the ones that are both legit and worth your time, ranking them based on a combination of their earning potential, ease of use, user ratings and company reputation.

Our list is divided into the following categories: 

• Survey apps. Earn an average of $7 per hour by answering questions about things like your interests, preferences and shopping habits.
• Cash-back apps. Save an average of 3% on almost everything you buy online (and sometimes in-store). 
• Gaming apps. Win cash playing games like solitaire, bingo and blackjack. Expect to pay a few dollars for the chance to win.
• Passive income apps. These data collection apps run in the background on your smartphone or tablet, collecting data that’s used for market research purposes.
• Investing apps. Our list focuses on apps that make it easy to invest very small amounts of money, like spare change or a few dollars at a time (often automatically).
• Gig and sharing economy apps. Earn an average of $20 per hour working whenever you want. There are options for shopping, delivery, dog walking and more. 
• Miscellaneous: Make money by playing games, taking pictures, completing health and fitness challenges and more (all from your phone). 
• Apps that aren’t worth downloading: Well-known apps that we don’t recommend because they offer minuscule earning potential (sometimes as little as pennies per hour). 

Note: The reviews and ratings below were collected on January 1st, 2023. We update this data periodically throughout the year to keep the data current.

Survey Apps

One popular way to make money from your smartphone is by taking surveys.

To get started, just download one of the best survey apps. Then, when a survey is available for you to complete, you’ll get a notification.

After you take the survey, you’ll either earn points that are redeemable for free gift cards or cash rewards that you can transfer to a bank or PayPal account.

Here’s a list of our favorite survey apps based on earning potential and user ratings.

#1. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a reader and personal favorite for good reason: while you can take surveys, there are also several other simple tasks you can do to make money, such as watching videos, playing games and getting cash-back for shopping online.

While Swagbucks is a solid survey platform, its wide variety of tasks and generous $10 sign-up bonus make it one of our favorite overall money making apps.

Personally, I’ve earned over 54,000 SBs (valued at over $500) since signing up for the site.

Minimum withdrawal: There’s technically no minimum to cash-out, but most reward options start at $3 (including PayPal cash and select gift cards).

Download Swagbucks.

#2. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie has long been regarded as one of the best market research companies. The platform has more than 10 million members, high ratings from real app users, an “Excellent” score on Trustpilot, and a low minimum cash-out of just $5.

Survey Junkie stood out in our tests for having one of the largest inventories of surveys, meaning you can earn on your own schedule instead of waiting to be sent an opportunity.

While there’s no official sign-up bonus, Survey Junkie offers new users a short list of high-value tasks, such as filling out a general profile survey, confirming your email and watching a “how it works” video. These tasks can help you quickly earn the $5 minimum payment.

Minimum withdrawal: 500 points gets you a $5 transfer to your PayPal account, or you can redeem these reward points for gift cards.

Download Survey Junkie.

#3. Rakuten Insight

Rakuten Insight is a paid survey app from the company behind Rakuten, the most well-known cash-back shopping portal in the United States. The app is only available for Android devices, but we found it easy to take surveys on iPhone via their mobile-optimized website. 

We earned $9.62 per hour during our testing period, making this one of the best-paying survey apps we’ve reviewed. 

The downside to Rakuten Insights is that the number of available surveys is limited compared to bigger platforms like Survey Junkie.

Still, the above-average pay makes this a great option when you’re thinking about giving paid surveys a shot.

Minimum withdrawal: $5 to cash-out via PayPal.

Download Rakuten Insight.

#4. SurveyMonkey Rewards

You’ve probably taken a SurveyMonkey survey, as hundreds of thousands of businesses of all types use the company’s software to gather customer feedback.  

While their SurveyMonkey Rewards app isn’t as well known, it stood out in our testing as we earned $13.56 per hour during the research for our review — well above the average for survey apps.

Plus, surveys on the platform are quick and easy, often taking just two or three minutes to complete. 

The big downside is that hardly any surveys are available. In over a month of testing, we were offered only nine survey opportunities. However, this was enough to meet the $5 minimum cash-out, and it took very little time or effort.

Minimum withdrawal: You must earn a minimum of $5 to redeem rewards. Amazon Gift Cards or a contribution to charity are the only redemption options. 

Download SurveyMonkey Rewards.

#5. InboxDollars

InboxDollars is a popular money making app that lets you earn through surveys as well as a variety of other tasks. It’s owned and operated by the same company that runs Swagbucks, but there are some key differences between the two — including that it’s one of the few sites where you can get paid to read emails.

InboxDollars also rewards you in real money (not points) for the activities you complete. The downside? There’s a $30 minimum to cash-out, though the $5 sign-up bonus can help you reach that milestone.

Minimum withdrawal: $30 to cash-out.

Download InboxDollars.

#6. LifePoints

LifePoints is a paid survey site and app for iOS and Android. They have over 5 million members and offer a wide range of survey topics. In our testing, we found the site pays on par with other survey sites, but only for specific demographics. 

In addition to taking surveys, users can make money through product testing and by referring friends to the site. The referral program is particularly lucrative, as you’ll receive 10% of your referrals’ earnings for life.

Minimum withdrawal: 600 points, which is equivalent to $5.

Download LifePoints.

Cash-Back Apps

Cash back apps offer you the chance to earn cash rewards and/or save money on the stuff you were already going to buy — usually in the 1-10% range. While that may not seem like much on an individual purchase, it can be significant on big-ticket items and can add up to hundreds of dollars per year when used consistently.

Here are our favorites based on a combination of earning potential and our experience using them over time. You can also check out our list of the best cash-back apps for more options.

#7. Rakuten

Rakuten is one of the highest-rated cash-back apps, paying as much as 40% cash-back when you shop at over 3,500 partnered merchants.

Using Rakuten is easy. Just open the app and search for the retailer you want to shop at. Click the link to visit their store, then shop as you normally would.

One of The Ways To Wealth’s editors is a consistent Rakuten user and has saved nearly $800 over a span of three years: 

To make money with in-store purchases, you have to link your credit or debit card inside the Rakuten app, and activate each cash-back offer. Then, just check out normally using your linked card.

Sign up with this link to get a $30 bonus when you make your first qualifying purchase.

Minimum withdrawal: Payments are issued automatically every three months if your balance is at least $5. You can choose a PayPal deposit or paper check, or you can opt to receive payment as American Express reward points.

Download Rakuten.

#8. Ibotta

Ibotta is widely recognized as one of the best cash back apps for groceries, but has expanded into local retail and online cash-back. 

It works like this: you use the app to scan the barcode of the product you purchased at the store, and then you upload a photo of your receipt. Often, you’ll have to watch a 15-second video clip to have the money posted to your account. 

Both my wife and I use the app, often stacking one of the many similar apps to Ibotta to double-dip on rewards. We’ve found the 30 seconds it takes to always be time well spent. 

You can earn a $5 welcome bonus by signing up with our link and making a $15 purchase though the app. 

Minimum withdrawal: $20 in cash transferred to Venmo or PayPal.

Download Ibotta.

#9. Fetch Rewards

Unlike many receipt scanning apps, Fetch Rewards works at any store. There are no barcodes to scan or coupons to clip, and you don’t have to buy specific products to earn points.

The big downside to Fetch is that each receipt only pays a few cents. However, you’ll get bonus points for buying sponsored items, and these are often common household products that you may be buying anyway.

Sign up for Fetch with this link to get 3,000 bonus points.

Minimum withdrawal: 3,000 points gets you a $3 gift card.

Download Fetch Rewards.

#10. Upside

Upside is a cash-back app focused on gas purchases. In our testing, we were able to find gas stations that offered up to 35 cents per gallon (though 25 cents and lower is more common).

The app is also quickly expanding beyond just gas, offering cash-back at certain retailers and restaurants.

Minimum withdrawal: You can withdraw at any time for a $1 fee. Once your balance reaches $10, you can withdraw for free.

Download Upside.

Gaming Apps

Most gaming apps charge a small sum (usually a few cents to a few dollars) to enter tournaments with cash prizes. We tested many of these apps and found the games themselves to be fun, but there’s no getting around the fact that, in most cases, you have to pay to play if your goal is to win real money. (Hence, our ratings are low.)

Still, pay-to-play game apps are very popular among users, and many have tens of thousands of positive reviews. As such, the list below includes the most popular free gaming app that pays cash, along with two pay-to-play options that stood out during our research.

#11. Mistplay

Branded as “the loyalty program for gamers,” Mistplay is a free gaming app that rewards you with points for playing games on your Android smartphone (an iOS version is in development). In some cases, you’re required to provide Mistplay with feedback on the game itself; in others, you have to reach certain in-game milestones (like leveling up).

Your points can be redeemed for gift cards to major retailers like Amazon, Starbucks and the Nintendo store.

Minimum withdrawal: 1,500 points, which is roughly equal to $5 in value.

Download Mistplay.

#12. Blackout Bingo

Blackout Bingo is a competitive bingo game where you can play against other users. The game rewards users who pay attention, as we write in our review:

“The closer you pay attention to the numbers that are on your card (and which numbers you need in order to get a bingo), the better bonus ball selection you can make. When you select the right bonus ball numbers, you achieve more bingos, which in turn increases your point total for that game — making it more likely that you will win.”

If you truly love Bingo, you can play for free and earn “Zs,” the game’s official currency. Zs can be exchanged for gift cards or merchandise, but we calculated that it would take about five hours of play just to earn a single physical sticker. 

To win cash prizes, you have to pay a minimum entry fee of 60 cents to enter games with prize pools between $1 and $755. 

Download Blackout Bingo.

#13. Solitaire Cube

Solitaire Cube is built on the Skillz tournament platform, which Blackout Bingo (mentioned above) also runs on. 

The two games share many of the same characteristics:

• You can play for free to earn gift cards and merchandise (although this will take an extremely long time).
• You’ll need to pay to play for the opportunity to win cash prizes.
• Entry fees start at 60 cents.

There is skill required to win, as the sooner you finish the more points you’ll stack up. Also, if you cycle through the deck more than three times, you’ll lose points. 

The maximum cash prize is $210. 

Download Solitaire Cube.

Passive Income Apps

These passive income apps allow you to earn money effortlessly after signing up. 

#14. Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel

You’ve likely heard of Nielsen, as they’re one of the largest research companies around and very well-known for publishing TV viewership ratings. But Nielsen has also published a lot of research around smartphone usage, which is based on data they collect from the Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel app.

The app sits in the background of your phone while Nielsen analyzes how you use your device. All data gathered by Nielsen is anonymous. Based on their published insights, what they analyze is how much time people are spending on their phones and the types of activities (browsing the web, watching videos, etc.). You can learn more about how it works in our NCMP review.

You’re entered into a $10,000 monthly sweepstakes and have the ability to earn up to $50 per year in gift cards or PayPal cash if you keep the app installed for a full 12-month cycle.

Download the Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel app.

#15. Capital One Shopping

Capital One Shopping is a free app (you don’t need a Capital One card or account to use it) with a unique feature called Price Protection that allows you to get refunds for price drops on items you’ve already purchased. 

The app connects to your email inbox to track your purchases. Capital One Shopping will help you file a claim if a price drop is found, and then deposit the difference into your account.

Beyond Price Protection, the Capital One Shopping app allows you to earn rewards when shopping online, automatically applies coupon codes, and compares prices for the same products among other retailers. 

Plus, when shopping in-store, you’re able to scan barcodes to look for online deals for that product. 

Download Capital One Shopping

Investing Apps

When we think of money making apps, it’s all about turning minimal time, effort and resources into cash — all through your smartphone.

A select few investment apps fall into this category, in that you can earn money without investing a lot of time or cash. This may include being paid a lucrative sign-up bonus, getting free shares of stock, or having the ability to automatically invest your spare change.

#16. Public

Public is one of our favorite apps for investing in individual shares of stock. What stands out about Public is its simplicity: the app offers a very clean and user-friendly experience, and forgoes more advanced features, like options and futures trading, that aren’t necessary for beginning investors.

They also have a generous sign-up bonus, giving you free stock worth up to $300 in value simply for opening an account — no deposit is required.

Visit Public.

#17. Fundrise

What stands out about Fundrise is that it allows you to invest in commercial real estate projects for as little as $10. You then earn passive income from quarterly dividends, as well as investment income once a property is sold.

Visit Fundrise.

#18. Acorns

Acorns is a mobile app that allows you to automate your investing. It does this in a couple of different ways:

• By investing your spare change. One of Acorns’ main features is called Round Ups. Say you make a purchase for $17.20 (at any store). Acorns will then set aside 80 cents from your checking account and automatically invest that money into a mutual fund. It’s a way of helping you save, while also building up an investment portfolio a little bit at a time.
• Acorns Earn. Acorns has also partnered with hundreds of retailers to allow you to earn money any time you shop at a specific store. For example, say you spend $100 at Walmart. Acorns calculates a percentage of that $100 (which can be up to 10% for some retailers) and adds it to your investment account. This isn’t a “round up” — it’s free money.

You can build up a nice portfolio just by using Acorns Earn and investing your spare change. Eventually, that portfolio could go toward your retirement or earn you a nice side income.

Visit Acorns.

Gig & Sharing Economy Apps 

The gig and sharing economy has opened up dozens of legit earning opportunities that you can leverage with your smartphone, including on-demand delivery jobs, odd jobs and more.

#19. Neighbor

Neighbor is an app that allows you to get paid for renting unused space in your home. This could be an extra garage spot, driveway space, shed, attic or basement.

While there is some work involved upfront — such as listing your space and connecting with clients — once the storage is set up, there’s very little work required on your part.

Download Neighbor.

#20. DoorDash

DoorDash allows you to earn extra money by delivering restaurant take-out orders. You’ll need a car, bicycle or scooter, a driver’s license, and valid insurance to become a Dasher.

With DoorDash, you have the flexibility to schedule your shifts ahead of time or use DashNow, a feature only available during peak hours where no pre-scheduling is required. 

That means you’ll have less scheduling flexibility than with UberEats (see below), but it also means you’ll usually have a more consistent flow of orders (because there are fewer drivers working at any given moment).

Download DoorDash or learn more in our DoorDash delivery driver review.

#21. Instacart

Instacart lets you earn money by shopping for and/or delivering groceries. Full-service shoppers with Instacart both shop and deliver, but if you don’t have access to a car, you can be an in-store shopper only.

Similar to many gig economy apps, a big perk of working with Instacart is that you can set your own schedule. That said, peak times, such as weekends, often pay the most per hour.

Instacart shoppers get paid per order based on the time it takes to complete the order, as well as the distance (if delivering). Delivery drivers also get tips from customers.

Download Instacart.

#22. Fiverr

Fiverr is a freelance marketplace known for its wide variety of tasks offered.

What’s unique about Fiverr is that you’re the one designing the gig and posting it for others to buy. As such, you can create jobs you can fulfill entirely from your smartphone.

This could include video editing, proofreading and photo editing — among many others

Visit Fiverr.

#23. Uber

Uber gives you two ways to make money with a single app: ride-sharing as a driver or delivering takeout food orders with UberEats. And with over 100 million active monthly customers in 900+ cities, there’s plenty of demand to keep you busy.

Being a driver with Uber is the most famous side hustle in the world for a reason: Uber freelancers can earn solid money (earnings vary based on factors like location and demand), and you can work literally whenever or wherever you want, with no need to set a schedule. Just open the app, make yourself available and then accept the gigs that are sent your way.

UberEats is similar to DoorDash (mentioned above) in that you can earn money by delivering food orders from local restaurants using your car, scooter or bike — or even on foot in some cities.

Plus, whether you drive people or deliver food, you have the ability to request instant payout for a small fee — meaning you can get paid the same day you work instead of waiting around for a deposit to hit your bank account.

Download Uber.

#24. Rover

Rover is a pioneer in the pet care industry when it comes to pet sitting, dog walking, doggy daycare and boarding. The app allows you to connect with local pet owners in need of these services. Rover advertises that walkers can get paid up to $20 per hour.

It’s ideal for those living in a more urban area, where they can often take out multiple dogs and travel short distances. For those not living in a city, boarding can help maximize your earnings.

Download Rover.

#25. Steady

Not sure which gig economy job you want to take on? Steady aggregates local gig economy and money making opportunities for you in one app. This way, you can see what’s available and find offers customized to your availability and skills.

The app has a strong community aspect as well, where other gig workers share best practices, tips to earn more and how much they’re actually earning.

If you’re brand new to the gig economy, Steady is a good choice to lead you in the right direction. 

Download Steady.

#26. Airbnb

If you have a second home or even a spare room, you should seriously consider renting out your unused space. I was surprised to learn that Airbnb estimates I can earn $750 per month simply by renting out an extra room at 50% occupancy in my home.

Not sure if it’s worth it to list your place on Airbnb? The app has a helpful calculator that can provide estimated earnings.

Download Airbnb.

#27: Turo

Turo is a car sharing app that allows you to earn money by renting your vehicle. 

The app works similarly to Airbnb in that you can list your car for rent and set your own price. Once a renter is found, they’ll contact you to arrange a time to pick up the car. 

Alternatively, many Turo hosts use remote lock technology, giving renters access to the car without meeting in person. Theoretically, you can earn passively, as the app handles the entire transaction. 

Download Turo.

Miscellaneous Money Making Apps

From taking pictures of products at local retailers to achieving fitness goals, these apps don’t fit into one of the categories above but are still great for making extra money.

#28. Foap

Foap is a mobile app that allows you to make money by selling pictures you take with your phone. What’s nice is that one photo can sell multiple times, which allows you to generate a source of passive income.

The best way to earn is through “missions,” in which Foap teams up with a specific brand to show how everyday people like you use their product. 

Minimum withdrawal: There’s no minimum, but Foap pays you once per month via PayPal.

See also: Here are some more ways to get paid to take pictures with your phone.

Download Foap.

#29. Bookscouter

A popular free app among book lovers, Bookscouter allows you to sell used books.

How it works is that you enter or scan a book’s ISBN number and Bookscouter provides a list of companies looking to purchase that title (along with how much they’re willing to pay).

Those who earn the most know where to find used books for cheap (garage sales, library book sales, etc.), and use the app on-the-spot to find the ones that will fetch the highest profit margins.

Download Bookscouter.

#30. Field Agent

Field Agent is an app that allows you to make money by completing random local tasks, like taking pictures of products (to make sure they’re properly displayed) and completing mystery shopping missions to evaluate stores’ customer service. In that sense, it’s a form of mystery shopping (which can be a legit side hustle).

It’s also one of the best apps that pay you for walking.

This free app is best suited for those in urban areas, as you’re only paid on a per-task basis. Since you have to factor time and cost of travel into your net earnings, you’ll make more if you live near a high concentration of participating businesses.

Minimum withdrawal: $10 via PayPal.

Download Field Agent.

#31. eBay, Craigslist and Other Selling Apps

Selling your stuff is one of the best ways to make money fast. Apps such as Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace (located in the Facebook app), and OfferUp are great for selling items locally.

eBay is best-suited for selling items outside of your local area. While you have to ship the item, you can typically sell it for a higher price (as your group of potential buyers is greatly enhanced). This makes eBay ideal for collectibles and items that are in high demand (like iPhones).

Not sure what to sell? We did the research to find the best things to sell online.

Further reading: Alternatives to Craigslist for selling stuff locally.

#32. Evidation

Evidation (formerly called Achievement) is a combination of a survey app and a fitness app. It works by syncing with other fitness apps you have on your phone, including:

• Apple Health
• Fitbit
• MapMyFitness
• MyFitnessPal
• And over a dozen others.

In addition to earning rewards via healthy activities — e.g., hitting 10,000 steps in one day —  you can then earn rewards for answering health-related surveys. 

Minimum withdrawal: You’ll need a minimum of 10,000 points to cash out, which gives you a $10 gift card to popular retailers.

Pro tip: Turn this into a passive income app by syncing it with an app like Apple Health, which tracks your activity and steps in the background.

Money Making Apps That Aren’t Worth Your Time

We found plenty of apps that didn’t make the cut. Here are some of the most popular, along with why they’re worth skipping. The links below will take you to our full review of each app, where you can learn more.

• ATM App. While it has an interesting premise — users can choose to match with brands and then get paid for interacting with them, in a form of “brand dating” — we found the earning potential to be very low.
• Honeygain. This app does legitimately pay you for sharing your internet connection. However, the pay rate is so low it’s not worth the hassle of installing it.
• KaskKick. When we tested this app, our earnings came out to just $1.43 per hour.
• Lucktastic. This popular sweepstakes app was shut down in March 2022.
• OnMyWay. The app promises to pay you cash for safe driving, but you have to refer 250 users to unlock cash rewards.
• Sweatcoin. You can only earn money by referring friends to Sweatcoin — not by walking, as advertised.
• Zogo. This free app pays you for completing lessons about basic personal finance topics. We made an average of $6.07 per hour in our testing, but our earning rate declined quickly the more we used the app. Learn more in our Zogo review.

Money Making Apps FAQ

Best Money Making Apps: Final Thoughts

My top priority when compiling this list was to make sure every app I included was both legitimate and worthwhile. There are many other apps out there, and while some of them work for some people, others just collect your data and waste your time without providing any real chance to cash-out your earnings.

Depending on your situation, they may or may not be worth looking into. But this list is the cream of the crop.

Our pick for the overall best money making app is Swagbucks, thanks to the wide range of ways it gives you to earn. If you’re looking for a dedicated cashback app, Rakuten is an ideal choice; for a best-in-class paid survey experience, go with Survey Junkie.

You won’t get rich by using these apps to make money, but they can work as a small source of extra cash. And some — like Uber and DoorDash — can turn into lucrative side hustles.

*Capital One Shopping compensates us when you sign up for the service using the links provided.

R.J. Weiss

R.J. Weiss is the founder and editor of The Ways To Wealth, a Certified Financial Planner™, husband and father of three. He's spent the last 10+ years writing about personal finance and has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, MSN Money, and other publications.

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