Legit Paying Apps That Pay You Real Money
There are several legitimate ways to make money online. Some of the most successful is affiliate marketing, selling your products or someone else's, starting an e-commerce store, creating an information product, and promoting courses. But can you also make money with mobile apps?
It's easy to read and see an app that promises to pay you. But how many of these apps spend and are worth your time? If you're looking for money-making apps for Android, iOS phones, or both, this blog post is for you.
We'll review the best legit ways to make money fast from home with your phone. There are many legit ways to make money online, but using technology is the best way to get the most out of your effort and time.
Survey Apps That Pay You Real Money
Taking surveys is a popular way to earn money with your smartphone.
Download one of the survey applications listed below to get started. Then, when a survey is ready for you to complete, you'll be notified. After completing the survey, you will get redeemable points for gift cards or cash bonuses transferable to a bank or PayPal account.
Here's a list of the best survey applications, ranked by earning potential and user ratings. You may also learn about more alternatives by reading the list of the best survey sites.
1. Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie has been known as one of the most outstanding market research companies for many years. Survey Junkie is a must-have money-making app with over 10 million subscribers, great evaluations from genuine app users, an exceptional Trustpilot score, and a $5 minimum reward.
While there is no official sign-up incentive, Survey Junkie provides new members with a short list of high-value duties, including completing a basic profile survey, verifying your email, and viewing a "how it works" video. These jobs will help you quickly earn the $5 minimum reward.
The minimum withdrawal is 500 points, which gets you a $5 deposit to your PayPal account or gift cards.
2. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a personal favorite of readers for a good reason. In addition to doing surveys, you can earn real money by watching videos, playing games, and shopping online. This scope of tasks makes it simple to earn.
Swagbucks may be downloaded for Android and iOS, or you can use the online version.
There is no minimum withdrawal amount, although most reward choices begin at $3. A variety of rewards is also an advantage, with alternatives such as PayPal, charity contributions, and gift cards to companies such as Walmart, Starbucks, Amazon, Best Buy, and Boston Pizza.
3. InboxDollars
InboxDollars is another famous money-making software that allows you to make money by completing surveys and other tasks.
InboxDollars is owned by the same firm that owns Swagbucks. However, there are significant variations in the methods you may earn on the platforms. It's one of the few sites that pay you to read emails.
InboxDollars also pays you in cash (rather than points) for the tasks you complete. The disadvantage? The minimum cash-out amount is $30, but the $5 sign-up bonus might help you get there.
4. Ipsos I-Say
Ipsos, headquartered in France, is one of the world's biggest and most well-known consumer research firms. The i-Say service, like Swagbucks and Survey Junkie, is free to join and allows you to make money online by doing paid surveys.
I-Say is interesting because it also includes a product testing component: the firm will sometimes give you free items to check out in return for your opinion and ideas.
While this opportunity may not arise every day, it can be fun to test new things — and the items themselves are often worth much more than the few minutes it takes to submit your opinions.
5. YouGov
YouGov is a market research firm best recognized for its opinion surveys on current events and politics. When we checked YouGov, we saw that the survey inventory and payments were comparable to those of the other leading survey apps.
The disadvantage? According to our testing, the $50 minimum withdrawal amount would need doing two surveys every day for more than 30 days. At the same time, the minimum cash-out amount for a gift card is relatively lower, at $15, and should take you one to two weeks to acquire.
Investing Apps that Pay
When we think of money-making applications, we think of converting a small amount of time, effort, and resources into income via your smartphone. Some apps can help you invest, and they don't require much active work on your part.
A few investment apps come into this category since they allow you to generate money without spending a lot of time or money. This may be a substantial sign-up bonus, free stock shares, or the opportunity to invest your spare cash automatically.
6. Public
One of our favorite applications for investing in individual stock shares is Public. What distinguishes Public is its simplicity: the program provides a clean and user-friendly experience while avoiding more complicated features, such as options and futures trading, that aren't essential for new investors.
They also feature a significant sign-up bonus, where you can get a free share of stock valued up to $70 just for registering an account – no money is required.
7. Fundrise
Fundrise is unique because it allows you to invest in commercial real estate projects for as little as $10. After that, you collect passive income from quarterly dividends and investment revenue when the property is sold.
You may make a redemption request anytime, but Fundrise must complete it within 60 days. Fundrise sends you your money within three to five business days after the waiting period ends. The anticipated payment date may be seen in the transactions section of your dashboard.
8. Acorns
Acorns is a smartphone app that handles your investing. It does this in many ways:
By putting your extra coins to use. Round-Ups are one of the Acorns' key characteristics. Assume you spend $17.20 on a purchase (at any store). Acorns will then automatically deduct 80 cents from your checking account and invest it in a mutual fund. It's a method of assisting you in saving while also gradually building up an investment portfolio.
Acorns Profit. Acorns have also worked with hundreds of businesses to enable you to earn money whenever you purchase something at a particular store. Let's assume you spend $100 at Walmart. Acorns calculate a percentage of the $100 (up to 10% for certain stores) and deposit it into your investing account. This is not a "round up," but rather free money.
You may build a good portfolio using Acorns Earn and investing your spare coins. That portfolio might eventually fund your retirement or provide a great side income.
9. Coinbase
Coinbase is an investing app that lets you purchase and sell cryptocurrencies like you would equities. It has a reasonable sign-up incentive of $10 in Bitcoin when you buy $100 worth of any cryptocurrency offered on the marketplace.
Additionally, Coinbase provides a feature called Learn and Earn. It allows you to earn free Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies by viewing short videos about various aspects of the cryptocurrency industry.
Money Making Apps That Pay Cash Back
These money-making applications allow you to earn cash back rewards or save money on items you plan to purchase, often in the 3-10% range. While it may not seem to be much on a single purchase, it can be big on large-ticket products and may add up to hundreds of dollars each year when used frequently.
Here are our top picks based on earning potential, and see our list of the top cash-back applications.
10. Capital One Shopping
Capital One Shopping is the top app in this category. However, keep in mind that you are earning shopping credits that may be redeemed for gift cards rather than cash back.
While the desktop browser extension is also recommended, the Capital One Shopping app enables you to earn points while shopping online. Easily use discount codes, and compare prices for the same goods among other shops—all from your phone.
Furthermore, you may scan barcodes while buying in-store to seek online deals on that item.
11. Rakuten
Rakuten is one of the top cash-back applications, offering up to 40% cash-back when you spend at over 2,500 merchants (both in-store and online). When you buy online, Rakuten shares its referral fee with you whenever you make a purchase using the given link.
Connect your debit or credit card to earn money on in-store purchases inside the Rakuten app and activate each cash-back offer. Then just check out as usual with your associated card.
Rakuten will send you a cheque or a PayPal deposit with your quarterly cash-back balance.
12. Ibotta
If you want to save on doing groceries and other necessities, Ibotta is a must-have app.
Ibotta allows you to earn cash back by activating in-store and online rebates. Before going to the store, pre-select the deals you want to buy. It is similar to other reward applications. When you're finished shopping, use the in-app scanner to submit a receipt as proof of purchase. Ibotta also allows users to attach loyalty cards to specific merchants, making earning points easy.
Ibotta focuses on groceries and household items, but you may receive cash back for purchasing electronics, apparel, cosmetics, and health and wellness products. When your balance reaches $20, you may redeem it using PayPal, Venmo, or numerous gift cards.
13. Fetch Rewards
Fetch Rewards, unlike many grocery receipt scanning applications, works at any shop since you earn points when you purchase goods from a partner brand. There are no barcodes or coupons to scan or clip.
The main disadvantage of Fetch is that you can only use your points to buy gift cards. But, with retailers like Amazon and Target as alternatives, that's not a big deal.
14. GetUpside
GetUpside is a money-making application that enables you to get cash back on your petrol purchases. During our GetUpside testing, we discovered petrol stations offering up to 35 cents a gallon. The app is also rapidly expanding beyond petrol, already providing cash-back at certain businesses and restaurants.
Top Gig Economy Apps
The gig economy makes a variety of legitimate income opportunities that you may take advantage of using your smartphone. While we selected the top delivery driver apps and the highest-paying gig economy applications, here are a couple of our overall favorites.
15. DoorDash
You can make money by delivering restaurant take-out orders using DoorDash. To become a Dasher, you'll need a vehicle, a driver's license, and valid insurance.
You must sign up for shifts (called dashes) and then remain online for a given length of time within that timeframe using DoorDash. This means you'll get less scheduling flexibility than with Uber Eats, but you'll also have a more steady flow of orders because drivers will be working at any given time.
16. Instacart
You can earn money by buying or delivering groceries with Instacart. Instacart full-service shoppers purchase and deliver groceries. If you don't have a vehicle, you can only shop in-store.
Working with Instacart, like many other gig economy applications, allows you to choose your schedule. However, peak hours, such as weekends, often pay the most per hour.
Instacart customers are compensated for every order depending on the time it takes to fulfill the order, and the distance traveled (if delivering). Customers also provide shoppers' advice.
17. Fiverr
Fiverr is a freelancing marketplace noted for its diverse range of activities.
What makes Fiverr unique is that you create the gig and offer it for others to purchase. As a result, you may develop tasks you can do from your smartphone. This might cover, among other things, proofreading, video editing, and photo editing.
18. Uber
Uber provides two methods to earn money using a single app: ride-sharing as an Uber driver or delivering takeaway food orders through Uber Eats. And with over 100 million active monthly consumers in over 900 places, there's enough work to go around.
Being an Uber driver is the world's most well-known side job for a reason. Uber freelancers may make good money (pay varies depending on region and demand), and you can work whenever or wherever you choose, without creating a timetable. Open the app, declare yourself available, and accept the jobs that come your way.
Uber Eats is comparable to DoorDash in that you can make money by delivering food orders from local restaurants using your vehicle, scooter, or bike — or even by walking in some locations. You may work as much as you like, just like an Uber driver, whether a handful of deliveries in your spare time or a full weekday.
Furthermore, whether you take passengers or deliver food, you may request quick payment for a modest price, which means you can be paid the same day you work rather than waiting for a transfer to reach your bank account.
19. Steady
Steady compiles local gig economy and money-making possibilities in one app for you. This allows you to discover what's available and locate offers that are tailored to your availability and talents.
The app also has a vital community component, where other gig workers exchange best practices, earning tips, and how much they're really making. If you're a beginner in the gig economy, Steady is a great place to start.
20. Rover
Regarding pet sitting, dog walking, doggie daycare, and boarding, Rover is a pioneer in the pet care field. The app connects you with nearby pet owners in need of these services. Walkers report earning up to $20 per stroll, while overnight sitters may earn up to $40.
It's great for those who live in cities, where they can often take many pets out and travel small distances. For people who do not live in a city, boarding might help optimize your profits.
Sharing Economy Apps That Pay
21. Airbnb
If you have a second home or a spare room, you might consider renting out your vacant space. For example, if every other option in town is a $300-per-night bunkhouse that sleeps 12 people, you may cover a possible market gap by selling a modest one-bedroom apartment for $70 per night.
Furthermore, the Airbnb website provides a long list of amenities your house may offer, such as a baby crib, bicycles, board games, a hair dryer, a hot tub, and more. It could be tempting to skip over this part but don't. Include every feature your rental provides.
22. Neighbor
If you don't want to entertain visitors, try Neighbor, an app that pays you to rent out excess space in your house. This might be a second garage, a parking space, a basement, or a shed.
While some initial effort, such as advertising your space and communicating with customers, there is very little work on your side once the storage is set up.
Odd Job Apps That Pay You Real Money
23. Mistplay
Mistplay, called "the loyalty program for gamers," is an app that gives you points for playing video games on your Android smartphone. In certain situations, you may be expected to give Mistplay comments on the game itself.
You may exchange your points for gift cards to popular merchants such as Amazon, the Nintendo store, and Starbucks. It's also one of the few gaming applications that accept PayPal payments.
24. Foap
Foap is a mobile app that lets you earn money by selling photos taken with your phone. What's good is that a single picture may sell numerous times, allowing you to create passive income.
The easiest method to make money is via "missions," in which Foap collaborates with a particular company to demonstrate how regular people like you enjoy their goods.
25. Bookscouter
Bookscouter is a popular free app among book enthusiasts that lets you sell secondhand books. You input or scan a book's ISBN, and Bookscouter returns a list of companies wanting to buy that title (together with how much they're prepared to pay).
Those that make the most know where to get inexpensive used books (garage sales, library book sales, etc.) and use the app on the spot to identify the ones with the most significant profit margins.
26. Field Agent
Field Agent allows you to earn real money by doing random local chores such as capturing things (to ensure they are correctly displayed) and participating in mystery shopping expeditions to assess business customer service. In that perspective, it's similar to mystery shopping (which can be a legit side hustle).
It's also the best app for being paid to walk. Because you are only compensated per assignment, this free app is best suited for individuals who live in cities. Because you must include travel time and costs into your net profits, you will earn more if you reside near a large concentration of participating companies.
27. eBay, Craigslist, And Other Selling Apps
Selling your things is one of the most acceptable methods to get money quickly. Facebook Marketplace (accessible inside the Facebook app), Craigslist, and LetGo are excellent options for selling stuff locally.
eBay is best suited for selling products outside of your local vicinity. While the item must be sent, you may usually sell it for a greater price. This makes eBay perfect for collectors and high-demand products like Apple.
28. Evidation
Evidation (previously known as Achievement) combines a survey app with a fitness app. It works by connecting with other fitness applications on your phone, such as Map, Apple Health, Fitbit, My Fitness, My Fitness Pal, and more.
In addition to receiving awards for participating in healthy activities, such as walking 10,000 steps in one day, you may also receive rewards for completing health-related surveys.
29. S'more
S'more, which is exclusively accessible for Android smartphones, is one of the most popular methods to monetize your lock screen.
You can make additional money with S'more by displaying an ad on your phone's lock screen. If you like what you see on your screen, you may learn more by swiping left. If not, just swipe right to open your phone as usual. In any case, you're making some additional money.
On average, users may earn $3 to $5 every month, with the opportunity to pay out through PayPal. While it is not the most thrilling way to make money, you will accumulate roughly $50 a year to spend as you see fit.
Final Thoughts About Legit Money-Making Apps
It is reasonable to conclude that technological advancements continue to provide opportunities for people to improve their financial status. Technology has helped people to work remotely, establish an online side business, and even make real money with applications.
To be sure, many money-making applications and side hustles won't be able to replace your full-time salary. If you want to make real and the most money, stick to gigs and application sales. The other app categories are ideal for a more casual side hustle. If you're presently living paycheck to paycheck or just want to increase your monthly income, there's no harm in trying something new.
