These days, so many of us are strapped for cash. That’s why I decided to put together of the best money-making apps to generate extra cash fast.
To be clear, I’m not here to make empty promises. In many cases, making money fast can be very difficult, complicated, or even downright dangerous.
Needless to say, I’m not here to send you down such a path. I do, however, want to make it clear that I am also not here to present you with any get-rich schemes.
Essentially, I want to give you some ideas while ensuring we have realistic expectations about the implications of making money quickly.
What Are Money Making Apps?
It is probably easiest to answer that question by starting with what money making apps are not: they’re not a way to make millions overnight.
Generally, there are only two ways to make that happen – by winning the lottery or by inheriting money from a very rich relative.
It may sound like a sick joke, but unfortunately (pun intended) it’s painfully serious. But with hard work and perseverance, it is generally possible to make good money.
In that sense, these money making apps mirror the real world. As not-fun as it is, it’s the dang truth.
The best way to use these apps is probably to supplement your existing income or to allow yourself to do some guilt-free spending.
That said, let’s take a look at some of my favorite money making apps.
1. Swagbucks
Swagbucks has been one of my favorite ways to make extra money for a while now. That’s because it is easy to use and there are always a ton of ways to earn extra cash.
In a sea of survey sites, Swagbucks stands out because it’s more than just that. Sure, it has paid surveys, but it has lots of ways to earn money:
- Surveys
- Online shopping
- Watching videos
- Searching the web
- Playing games
The site is very up-front about how much you can earn, telling you how much time surveys take plus exactly how much they will pay.
It’s much the same with shopping, watching videos, and playing games. You’ll see right up front how much you will earn so you can make a decision before you even start each task.
By the way, if you happen to join Swagbucks using my link, we both earn 5 bucks free. I’ve been enjoying using it and I think you would, too!
Although I tend to think of it as a website, there are also apps for Apple and Android. The app has good ratings on both platforms, too, with a 4.4 and a 4.1, respectively.
2. Steady
Steady is a great way to make money, but you won’t make money directly in the app. If you are familiar with Taskrabbit (more on that later), Steady is similar.
On Steady, you can find both part-time jobs and gig work in your local area. Jobs on Steady can be almost anything which means you can either target a particular skill set or just find jobs that require little more than an able-bodied individual.
One of the best things about Steady it takes holisitic approach.
At Steady, we advocate for the millions of people who are changing the way America works. That’s why we’ve created a platform that helps our community to find jobs, increase their income and plan for financially stable futures.
In order to achieve this goal, they’ll help not just with finding jobs but also with managing your money and creating a better financial future.
If you’re looking for an awesome app to make money, make sure you check out Steady. It has apps on both Apple and Android.
3. MyPoints
MyPoints brands itself primarily as a site and app that lets you earn cashback by shopping at your favorite stores, but that isn’t the only way to earn some extra cash here.
You can also earn points by taking surveys, watching videos, playing games, or even by getting cashback on travel. MyPoints scores high marks for its Apple (4.1) and Android (4.5).
Also, if you join and use my link, you’ll get a $10 Amazon gift card with your first purchase.
Note: when searching for the app on Android, I came across a “MyPoints” app. This is not the app you want. The app you want is MyPoints Mobile from Prodege.
4. Rakuten
If you aren’t familiar with Rakuten, it’s possible that you are and just don’t know it. Why? Because it used to be known as Ebates – a name you may have heard more than Rakuten.
To be more specific, the site formerly known as Ebates is now Rakuten rewards. It was acquired by Rakuten in 2014. The company does a lot more than just surveys/cashback, and the new name reflects that.
The rewards site focuses mainly on cashback, but you can earn some really nice rates here. For example, the last time I pulled up the site, there was an offer for 20% cashback on purchases from Babbel.
You can also find deals on gift cards, free gifts, and travel.
By the way, if you use my link to sign up, you’ll get $10!
5. Drop
Drop is another cashback app, but what sets it apart from other, similar apps is just how easy and seamless it makes the process.
You can shop directly in the app, via the Chrome extension, or by using Power Offers, which allow you to earn points from select retailers by simply using a linked credit card.
I mean, look at my points history. I haven’t even been shopping through the app recently, but I’m just earning points automatically via Power Offers:
Related: Drop App Review: Why You Need This App in Your Life
The lightning bolt indicates the transaction is part of a Power Offer. As you can see, even if you don’t want to go to the trouble of using the app, Power Offers include very popular store, so that alone would allow you to rack up quite a few points.
Go ahead and download Drop to start earning points!
6. Lympo
Lympo is one of my favorite apps that pay you to walk. It probably isn’t the most well-known app in this category, but I think it’s one of the coolest.
Other, similar apps would just pay you up to a certain number of points per day for logging steps.
Lympo makes things a little more interesting though as it will give you challenges to complete. Those challenges then reward you with points which you can redeem for real-world prizes.
To go with all that is a sleek interface that makes this app really cool and fun to use. Give it a try if you’re interested!
7. Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is a fairly straightforward survey app, but sometimes, that’s really all you want. As soon as you log in, you’ll see an extensive list of surveys to start earning points.
In addition, you can make your profile more complete by answering industry-specific questions. These include health, technology, shopping, and household.
Why should you take the time to do that? Well, because it’ll result in higher-paying surveys.
If you want to get paid to share your opinion while getting paid, join Survey Junkie. Apps for both Apple and Android are available.
8. Foap
Foap is kind of a funny name, but the app itself is just plain useful. It lets you sell your stock photos and yes, actually get paid for them.
With phones like the Galaxy S20 have just insanely good cameras, it’s almost laughably easy nowadays to take high-quality photos.
Foap does take a 50% cut of the profits, which I’ll admit is a bit high. Still, it does make the process of selling photos quite so easy, so it might be worth it for someone who is just starting out.
9. Decluttr
Do you have stuff to get rid of? Do you want to get rid of that stuff but don’t want to go to the trouble of finding a buyer? If so, Decluttr can help.
Rather than having to create a pretty listing for your items and hoping that just maybe someone will be interested in them, you can sell them directly to Decluttr.
The price may be bit lower, but that’s to be expected if you aren’t selling directly to a buyer. And the convenience may well be worth it.
See my Decluttr review if you’d like to learn more.
10. Checkout 51
Checkout51 is similar to Ibotta with a few key differences. While both are cashback apps that let you earn a certain percentage on all your purchases, Checkout51 can be used at any store.
However, with Checkout51, you cannot cash out until you have at least $20 accumulated. There is also no PayPal option, but you can still get real cash – in the form of a paper check.
I certainly prefer PayPal, personally, but remember that you can use Checkout51 at any store. So if paper checks are a deal-breaker for you, you could simply use Checkout51 at stores where options like Ibotta and HoneyHoney aren’t supported.
Download the app for Apple and Android devices.
11. Whealthy
This app puts the “heal” in wealthy. Indeed, this is another app that attempts to solve an old problem with a new solution by using a multi-faceted approach.
At the moment there is only an iPhone app available. That said, it works to ensure you are “exercising” healthy habits throughout the day.
It does so by giving you daily goals. These include goals for steps, hydration, and running. Then, you’ll be rewarded with coins for each of these goals.
The app has a nice interface and the way it’s broken down is cool, too: health, wealth, and tasks are your main screens.
When you have enough coins, you can cash out via PayPal, get free gift cards, or get fitness equipment like dumbbells and such.
12. TaskRabbit
I said I would come back to TaskRabbit, so I had to be sure not to forget about it! You may already be familiar with the app, but it’s one that shouldn’t be forgotten in the mix.
The good thing about TaskRabbit is that there is something for all skill levels. For instance, I know someone who works a full-time job and then uses the app to find people who need their homes cleaned.
So if you’re looking to make extra money, be sure to take a look at TaskRabbit. There’s always someone who needs help with something.
It’s available for both Apple and Android devices.
13. Gigwalk
Gigwalk is kind of similar to to TaskRabbit in how it works, but it plays a different role in the world. With TaskRabbit, you typically work jobs for everyday people who need them.
Gigwalk is a little different because you’ll mostly be working with businesses. Local businesses may suddenly have an influx of work with which they need but but that doesn’t necessarily warrant hiring new people.
That’s because the work is very much temporary. It often includes stocking shelves and/or taking inventory. Businesses often need help with tasks like this, though, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding your next gig.
Download the app for Apple and Android devices.
14. Google Opinion Rewards
Google Opinion Rewards is a survey app from – you guessed it – Google. Surveys on this app are quite brief which is nice. Google will send you around one survey a week, though it says it could be more or less frequent.
You’ll be rewarded in Google Play credit for answering questions – up to $1 per survey, though it will typically be a bit less. Considering they take less than 20 seconds (per Google), that’s honestly not too bad.
Although this is a Google app, it’s available on both Android and iOS.
15. Trim
Trim (also known as Ask Trim) is different from the other apps on this list and it does exactly what it sounds like based on the name. That is, it will improve your finances by helping you automatically save money on various expenses that most of us have. These include things like utilities and credit card interest and fees.
Related: Ask Trim Review: Save Money Easily And Automatically
It’s not all about just cutting expenses, though. Trim also has an excellent feature called Simple Savings.
Just like it sounds, this is a savings account. It’s not like most savings accounts though: it will net you a whopping 4% interest on your first $2,000. While $2,000 isn’t a ton, that’s an incredible interest rate, and that alone makes Trim worth a try.
Give it a try to start making money!
16. Dave
Dave is a banking app that is well-known for its ExtraCash™ cash advances. However, it also has money-making opportunities, including side hustles.
These side hustles are part-time with flexible hours, allowing you to make money in your free time. It’s a pretty nice deal, and you can do temp and seasonal jobs that let you work from home.
Dave also launched a surveys feature in 2022 that has paid Dave members over $1 million to date.
Dave isn’t a name people usually think of as a money-making app, but it’s worth a look considering its impressive numbers.
Dave is available on iOS and Android.
17. Cash App
Cash App is a mobile payment app, so again, you might not think of it as a money-making app. Despite this, it’s possible to get free money on Cash App.
How? It’s pretty simple, actually. See, Cash App has opportunities to get money without much work, such as a referral program and with cash back offers.
Another way to get money from Cash App is with giveaways. For instance, the company ran a giveaway where it gave $500 to 10 people, $250 to 20 people, and $100 to 100 people. Not bad at all!
Cash App is available on iOS and Android.
Money Making Apps: Conclusion
Every year, we see more and more cool apps being released. Without a doubt, there are more ways to make money now than ever.
Each one of the above-mentioned apps has its own unique advantages that makes each one of the worth trying. I’m loving each of them for different reasons.
What is your favorite money making app? Let us know in the comments.
