Most “make money” apps want you to grind. That’s the wrong move for most people. The easy wins are the ones that line up with what you already do, because you’ll actually keep using them.
So this list is sorted by habit, not by a ranking. Find the thing you already do, pick one app from that section, and give it a week.
If you just want the straight ranked list, see these 11 apps that pay you real money. And if a button sent you here from another page, scroll to the outside-the-US part below.
- Best for gamers
Testerup$10 welcome bonus, cash out in about a day.
See the details - Best for shoppers
SwagbucksCash back on stuff you buy anyway.
See the details - Best for lazy money
NielsenInstall it, then forget it.
See the details - Best outside the US
MistplayGift cards for games, in a lot of countries.
See the details
You already play games on your phone
This is where the real money is on this page. Game offers pay the most because game studios want players who stick around, and the app gets a cut for sending you. You’re just the player.
I’d start with Testerup, then Freecash and Bigcash personally.
1.Testerup
Best for: mobile games you already play
- What it is
- Testerup pays you to try out new mobile games, with some surveys mixed in.
- What you do
- Choose a game, play to the target the offer names, claim it. Testerup says a task usually takes 15 to 20 minutes, and the reward is on the offer before you install anything.
- How much it pays
- New accounts get a $10 welcome bonus. Payouts land on PayPal, Venmo (US), a Visa virtual card or an Amazon gift card, normally inside 24 hours, up to 3 business days.
- The catch
- Cash out to PayPal or Venmo and 5% comes off the top, which the Visa card and Amazon card skip. There’s an 18+ rule and a face scan before the first payout.
Worth it? Yes if you already sink time into phone games. Same game, except now it pays.
2.Freecash
Best for: games plus app trials, on a phone or a laptop
- What it is
- Freecash is an offer wall: games, app trials, surveys and tasks, all paying into one balance.
- What you do
- Play a game you might have downloaded anyway, test an app or answer a survey. Finish one offer and a $10 welcome bonus kicks in.
- How much it pays
- The first withdrawal has a $5 to $20 floor that depends on your region, plus an ID check. From then on it’s $5 for PayPal, and Freecash says the bulk of PayPal, crypto and gift card withdrawals are instant.
- The catch
- It’s 16+, and some people bail at the selfie and ID step. Do it once and it’s done.
Worth it? Yes if you’re the skeptical type. Do one cheap offer, withdraw, and you’ll know if it’s real for you by tonight.
3.Bigcash
Best for: five-minute offers on a break
- What it is
- Bigcash hands out coins for short game, app, survey and product offers.
- What you do
- Tap an offer, do it, bank the coins. Bigcash puts most offers at 5 to 10 minutes, so it fits in a coffee line.
- How much it pays
- Every 250 coins is $1. You can take PayPal cash, gift cards or Bitcoin, and the App Store listing promises payment within 36 hours. Bigcash also claims single offers pay up to $170 and that it has sent out more than $20 million.
- The catch
- The cash-out bar isn’t fixed. Bigcash can move it for your account, and coins can get clawed back if an advertiser thinks you gamed an offer. Best on your phone.
Worth it? Yes if you like small, quick wins and you’re on your phone anyway.
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4.Branded
Best for: casual games you’d open anyway
- What it is
- Branded’s game offers pay points when you hit a set level in a game or app.
- What you do
- Install the game it lists, level up to the target, wait for the points. Joining alone is worth 100 points.
- How much it pays
- It takes 500 points to redeem, and that’s $5. Money goes out by PayPal, bank transfer or gift card.
- The catch
- It’s slow to credit. Game offers can take about 7 days to show up after you hit the goal, so don’t panic when your points aren’t there the next morning.
Worth it? Only if you’re patient. Fine as a second app next to a faster one.
5.Mistplay
Best for: gamers outside the US
- What it is
- A loyalty app that gives you points for playing mobile games, then lets you swap them for gift cards.
- What you do
- Pick games from its catalog and play. There are surveys, quizzes and tournaments too, and you get 10 bonus points a day just for opening the app on iPhone.
- How much it pays
- Gift cards only, like Amazon, Visa, PayPal, Starbucks and DoorDash, and the choices change by region. Mistplay says the average time to a first payout is 3 hours.
- The catch
- No straight cash, and Mistplay doesn’t say what a point is worth. Everyone now has to pass an ID check before redeeming. Points also don’t move between Android and iPhone.
Worth it? Only if gift cards are fine by you. It’s one of the few here that says it works for players around the world.
6.KashKick
Best for: US gamers who don’t mind waiting
- What it is
- KashKick is a cash rewards app for US players: games, surveys and deals.
- What you do
- Hit the milestones in its game offers, and fill gaps with surveys.
- How much it pays
- Once your balance is $10 you can pull it to PayPal or a gift card. Staff review each withdrawal, usually within 1 to 3 business days.
- The catch
- Game and offer earnings sit in a pending period first. KashKick says that’s usually 1 to 31 days, about 14 on average. You have to be in the US and 18 or older.
Worth it? Only if you live in the US and can live with a two-week wait.
Games are your main thing? There are more picks in the game apps that pay real money roundup.
You already shop online
If you’re buying it anyway, you might as well get a cut back. These two pay you for shopping through them first, plus a few small extras.
7.Swagbucks
Best for: online shopping you were doing anyway
- What it is
- Swagbucks pays points called SB, worth a penny each (100 SB = $1), mostly for shopping through it.
- What you do
- Click through Swagbucks before you check out at a store you already use and you get cash back. Grocery receipts and surveys earn a bit more on the side.
- How much it pays
- A gift card can be had for as little as 300 SB, which is $3. PayPal cash shows up in 2 to 5 business days.
- The catch
- That $10 welcome bonus has strings: a $25 purchase at a Swagbucks store within your first 30 days.
Worth it? Yes if you buy stuff online every month. The $25 purchase is one you’d make anyway, so the bonus costs you nothing extra.
8.InboxDollars
Best for: a balance in real dollars
- What it is
- InboxDollars keeps your balance in plain dollars and pays for shopping, receipts and reading its emails.
- What you do
- Route your online shopping through it (1% to 40% cash back, depending on the store), snap receipts, and open the PaidEmails it sends.
- How much it pays
- Fill out the profile survey after joining and you get $5. You need $15 for the first payout, $10 for every one after, by PayPal, Visa or gift card.
- The catch
- Payouts can take up to 10 business days, and if you go quiet (no login, no PaidEmail) in the 10 days before yours is processed, InboxDollars cancels it. Adults in the US only.
Worth it? Only if checking your email is already a daily thing. Then it’s a few extra taps.
Want every dollar to end up in PayPal? Here are the apps that pay you through PayPal, with their minimums.
Your phone is on anyway
The smallest money on this page, and the least work. Set these up once and they pay while you do nothing different.
9.Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel
Best for: zero effort
- What it is
- Nielsen’s research panel. Its app measures how you use the internet and apps.
- What you do
- Register, install the Nielsen app on your phone or the software on your computer, then use your devices like normal. That’s it.
- How much it pays
- Nielsen says you can earn up to $50 in points a year by staying in the panel. Points go toward prizes and gift cards, and it gives away $10,000 a month, with the top winners taking $500 each.
- The catch
- The app tracks your device activity, which is the whole deal. Points expire a year after they land, or after 6 months of inactivity. 18+.
Worth it? Only if you’re OK with the tracking. If you are, it’s about the laziest money there is.
10.Google Opinion Rewards
Best for: 20-second surveys
- What it is
- Google’s survey app. It pings you with a short survey now and then and pays a little for each one.
- What you do
- Answer the survey when your phone buzzes. How often that happens varies, and surveys expire if you sit on them.
- How much it pays
- On Android you get Google Play credit. On iPhone it pays $0.10 to $1.00 per survey, and Google sends a PayPal payment each time you reach $2.00.
- The catch
- Android pays only Play Store credit, not cash, and that credit expires a year after you get it. Surveys are hit or miss. You need to be 18+.
Worth it? Yes if you buy apps or games on Google Play. It’s free credit for something you’d pay for anyway.
Outside the US? Here’s what works where
Tapped a Freecash, Testerup or Branded button and landed back here? That means that sign-up offer isn’t open in your country right now. Don’t sweat it. A few apps on this list say plainly that they work outside the US.
| App | Where it works | Age |
|---|---|---|
| Swagbucks | US and territories, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, India | 13+ |
| Mistplay | Players around the world. Gift card choices change by region | 13+ |
| Google Opinion Rewards | iPhone: US, Canada, UK, France, Germany | 18+ |
| Freecash | Many regions. The first cash-out is $5 to $20 depending on yours | 16+ |
| Bigcash | No country list published | Not stated |
| InboxDollars | US only | 18+ |
| KashKick | US only | 18+ |
Bottom line for non-US readers: try Mistplay if you game, Swagbucks if your country is on its list, and Bigcash on your phone to see if offers show up where you are. Bigcash doesn’t publish a country list, so opening the app is the only way to find out.
What these apps won’t do
Replace a paycheck. Not even close.
A realistic month is somewhere in the tens of dollars, a bit more if you grind the bigger game goals. Even Branded puts its own members at $5 to $100 a month. If you need real hours and real pay, delivery apps are the better tool, and the best money making apps page covers both kinds side by side.
And skip any app that wants money from you before it pays you. None of the ten here charge you to join.
Questions people ask
What app pays you money the fastest?
Freecash, after you clear the ID check on your first withdrawal. Next is Testerup at usually under a day, then Bigcash, whose App Store listing says 36 hours.
Which apps pay you for doing nothing?
Nielsen is the closest. You install it and use your phone or computer like normal, and Nielsen says you can earn up to $50 in points a year. Google Opinion Rewards is next, but you do have to answer the odd survey.
Do any of these work outside the US?
Yes. Swagbucks works in a list of countries including Canada, the UK, Australia and India. Mistplay says it works for players around the world, and Freecash works in many regions. InboxDollars and KashKick are US only.
Are apps that pay you money legit?
The ten here pay. Red flags on any other app: it asks you to pay to join, or it shows screenshots of someone making $300 a day from taps. Walk away from both.
Next step
Not sure which one to open first? The what’s paying right now page has the current short list.
More apps and gigs live in the app-based gigs section.
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