The best apps to make money put money-making technology right in your pocket. This is a great way to make some extra money if your budget is tight and you need cash.

What I love about apps that pay is that there are so many legit options right now. There are side hustle apps, survey sites, platforms that make it easy to sell your stuff online, and more. There’s something for everyone.

Now, you’re not going to get rich from money-making apps alone, but these apps are easy and fast ways to start making more money. Today, you’re going to learn about the most popular apps that pay real money, how they work, how much you can make, and when you’ll get paid.

What Are the Best Apps to Make Money in 2024?

1. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is, like the name suggests, a paid survey site. It’s one of the most well-known apps to make money through surveys because it’s easy to sign up for and use.

Like most survey companies, Survey Junkie pays in points that convert to cash. One point = $0.01, and you need 500 points to cash out.

If you’re unfamiliar with survey companies, they are market research companies that pay you for your opinions. Brands use the information they collect to create better products and services. 

To qualify for the most surveys on Survey Junkie, you’ll want to fill out as many short questionnaires as possible. Survey Junkie calls them profiles, and they help match you with surveys in categories like health, fitness, technology, and hobbies. Survey Junkie pays you 5-10 points for each completed profile, and the average survey pays 100 to 300 points.

Your Survey Junkie points can be converted to cash via PayPal. Or you can redeem points as gift cards to Amazon, Starbucks, Target, Walmart, and more.

You’re not going to make a ton of survey apps, but it’s mindless work. I took surveys when I was in college and paying off my student loan debt, and I did them when I was unwinding at the end of the day and watching TV. You can even use these apps to make money while you’re waiting in the doctor’s office, in the carpool line, and more.

How much money this app pays:

The average user can make around $20 to $50 a month

How quickly you’re paid:

Survey Junkie pays you once you have 500 points in your account. PayPal payments and bank transfers take 2-3 days, and online gift cards are practically instantaneous.

Survey Junkie

Make $1-$3/survey

Survey Junkie pays in points that convert to cash or gift cards.

2. Branded Surveys

Branded Surveys, formerly known as MintVine, is a market research company that helps Fortune 500 companies learn more about how consumers use and perceive their products. You can think of Branded Surveys as a middleman between you (the consumer) and the companies that want your opinions.

Branded Surveys pays consumers for feedback that companies use to create better offerings and more effective marketing campaigns. Newest Branded Surveys feature In 2023, you can register for a FREE account and you can earn 100 points by registering and completing your first survey.

Branded Surveys

FREE 100 points when you sign up!

It’s free to sign up for Branded Surveys, and they are giving new members 100 points

3. DoorDash

DoorDash is one of several delivery apps that have seen a huge boost in traffic since the beginning of 2020, and DoorDash now controls nearly 60% of the total market share.

Dashers, which DoorDash calls its drivers, schedule their hours in advance in the DoorDash app. When it’s time to work, you log in to the app to start accepting orders. DoorDash offers driver incentives to help you make more money, like Peak Pay when delivering during super busy times and Challenge pay for completing a certain number of deliveries in a set amount of time.

How much money this app pays:

DoorDash drivers are paid per delivery, and it changes based on the order, time, and distance it takes to complete the delivery. 

How quickly you’re paid:

Drivers are paid weekly via direct deposit, and it takes 1-2 days for money to hit your bank account. You can cash out your earnings early if you need your money faster, and there’s a $1.99 charge for instant pay.

DoorDash logo

Did you know that DoorDash now delivers groceries?

DoorDash is the nation’s largest food delivery service. Drivers can schedule their hours in advance and get paid weekly.

4. Uber

Uber connects drivers with passengers who need rides, and passengers order rides and pay through the Uber app. Uber’s driver-partners are paid based on the length (including time and distance) of each ride.

It is one of the best apps to make money that can be used as a side hustle if you have access to a car. You can drive on your own schedule, it’s almost as if you are your own boss. When you want to make extra money, you can drive when, and for how long you want. That means you can drive when you have an extra hour or an extra six hours.

Uber pays its drivers weekly, but you can also use Instant Pay to cash out up to 5x per day. It costs $0.50 for each Instant Pay, but it’s free if you sign up for the Uber Debit Card from GoBank — this is free for Uber drivers.

5. UberEats

Uber Eats is a great alternative for those who don’t want to have much social interaction with others. You can drive in your own car and make money delivering orders any time you want. Much like uber, you can set your own schedule and also control how much you are making based on the orders you deliver.

Remember, you’re not getting paid a flat hourly rate, so your hourly pay is based on how much you make throughout the day or week for each of your orders. It’s not uncommon for Uber Eats drivers to make great money one day, and then find themselves making much less another day.

Uber Eats drivers are considered independent contractors, so you are responsible for withholding money for taxes. Uber will send you a 1099-MISC form that you’ll use at tax time, and many drivers use an app like Everlance to track their miles to take the correct deduction at tax time. It helps you keep more money in your pocket.

6. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a cash back and survey app that helps you earn money back on in-store and online purchases. It’s one of the most popular apps to make money because Swagbucks gives you a bunch of different options to make money.

  • Surveys: The average payout per survey is around $1.50, and occasionally you can find a high-paying survey that pays up to $50. 
  • Cash back offers: Find and click on offers in the Swagbucks app, and they’ll send you to the store’s website to shop. You’ll earn a percentage of your purchase back.
  • Gift cards: Swagbucks sells gift cards to nationwide retailers through their site, and you earn a percentage of each gift card purchase back.
  • Grocery store coupons: Find coupons in the app to use while you grocery shop.

Swagbucks pays you in points that convert to cash, and the conversion is 100 Swagbucks = $1. You can redeem your points for PayPal cash, Visa gift cards, or gift cards to over 140 different companies.

How much money this app pays:

Motivated users can earn up to $100/month taking Swagbucks surveys each month.

How quickly you’re paid:

After you request your payout in the Swagbucks app, it typically takes about a week for money to hit your account. 

Swagbucks

Swagbucks pays in points

Make money watching videos, playing games, shopping online, and more

7. Ibotta

Ibotta pays you cash back for using the app to shop online and in-store when you shop at over 1,500 brands and retail chains. This app has already paid out $860 million since 2012.

Ibotta is most well-known for getting users cash back on groceries, but it’s grown to become another app that pays for all kinds of shopping purchases. 

There are a few different ways to make money with the Ibotta app. Online shopping is the easiest way to earn cashback with Ibotta – you find and claim offers in the app, and then Ibotta sends you to its partner site to shop as you usually would.

Connecting your store’s loyalty program to the Ibotta app is also an easy way to claim offers. You can even pay with the Ibotta app when you shop in-store.

Ibotta gives you more options to make money, including bonus offers, bonus streaks (when you buy the same brand or product several times in a row), and referring friends. Ibotta gives you $5 for each friend who signs up through your link and starts redeeming offers. Ibotta pays via PayPal or Venmo, or you can save your cash for store gift cards.

How much money this app pays:

The average Ibotta user can make about $20/month. There’s also a $20 sign-on bonus for new users.

How quickly you’re paid:

You need $20 your app before requesting a payout, which is easy to reach in the first month with the sign-on bonus. Ibotta sends you money within 24 hours of requesting a payout. 

The downside is that retailers have different pending periods for how long it takes to send you a redemption. For example, Macy’s takes 90 days to send payouts to Ibotta.

Ibotta

Earn cash with Ibotta

The average user makes $20/month with the Ibotta app.

8. Rakuten

Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) rewards users with cash back on purchases they make at popular retail stores, restaurants, food delivery services, travel, gift cards, and more.

This is one of the most popular cash back apps that pay because the app is straightforward with earning potential, plus the process for signing up and making money is simple. Creating an account takes just a minute or two, and you can immediately start finding offers in the app. Or you can link a credit or debit card to Rakuten and earn money back on in-store purchases — you do have to activate these offers in the app first.

How much money this app pays:

Rakuten pays out quarterly, and it’s not uncommon for users to make around $200 each quarter, which translates to around or $65/month. 

How quickly you’re paid:

Your earnings are tracked in the app, and Rakuten sends out payments every quarter. They call it a Big Fat Check, and you can receive it in the mail or via PayPal.

Rakuten

Check out this free rewards apps

Rakuten users make around $65/month from their phone.

9. Honeygain

The Honeygain app pays you for your unused internet data by creating a gateway that other companies can use to run search queries for their clients. These are super legit searches, like collecting data for price comparisons or search engine optimization.

This is one of the more passive apps to make money, and you’re paid based on how much of your unused internet data Honeygain can use. The current rate is 1 credit for 10 MB of traffic, and 10 GB of unused data = $1.

The Honeygain app can run on any Windows, Linux, macOS, or Android device with a stable internet connection. Honeygain says the more IP addresses your devices are connected to, the more you can earn.

How much money this app pays:

Honeygain says you can make an estimated $19/month if you have three devices connected. The app will pay via PayPal or in Bitcoin.

How quickly you’re paid:

The minimum payout you can request is $20, and it takes an average of 2-3 days for payouts to hit your PayPal account and two days to receive Bitcoin payments.

If you use the referral link below, you are eligible to claim an additional $5.

10. MyPoints

MyPoints is a survey app that’s owned by the same company that owns Swagbucks (at the top of this list of apps to make money). MyPoints is also free to sign up for, and you can make money taking surveys, playing games, watching videos, and shopping online.

MyPoints also pays in points, and 150 points are worth approximately $1.

Surveys on MyPoints pay an average of $1-$3/survey, and the cash out minimum depends on how you want to get paid. For example, you’ll need 250 points to redeem for a $1 Amazon gift card or 1,500 points for a $10 Visa gift card.

How much money this app pays:

Even though you’re not paid hourly, users average $1/hour. 

How quickly you’re paid:

MyPoints says it takes 4-5 days for money to hit your PayPal account. It takes 32 day to redeem your points for United MileagePlus Award Miles, and gift cards are delivered electronically, which can take less than 24 hours.

MyPoints

Make $1-$3/survey with MyPoints

Earn points that convert to Amazon or Visa gift cards.

11. Opinion Outpost

Opinion Outpost is another one of several apps to make money with surveys. What many users like abou Opinion Outpost is that there are occasional product testing opportunities. They’re rare, but they pay a little more.

Surveys on Opinion Outpost take around 10-15 minutes on average and pay $0.50-$2. Longer surveys pay upwards of $5. 

Opinion Outpost also has a referral program where you can earn $1 for every friend you refer up to $5. They have to complete at least one survey before you’re paid.

How much money this app pays:

Opinion Outpost doesn’t pay hourly earnings, but based on how long it takes to complete surveys and your success rate, users average $1.50/hour.

How quickly you’re paid:

It takes 24 hours to receive online gift cards, and 3-4 days for PayPal cash. OpinionOutpost also offers physical rewards in their online store — these take around six weeks to receive.

Opinion Outpost

Earn cash with Opinion Outpost

Get paid in PayPal cash or even physical rewards.

12. TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit is an app where you create a profile and list different kinds of small jobs or tasks you’re willing to do for people. You can list all kinds of things, from raking leaves, assembling IKEA furniture, hanging photos, or small household repairs.

TaskRabbit charges a $25 registration fee before you can create a profile. It’s a steep registration fee, but TaskRabbit makes up for that fee by letting you keep 100% of what you charge for each task.

You will see what the average pay for different tasks is in your area when you go to sign up, which helps you price your services. For example, in Houston, TX (where I live), you can make $40-$90 planting flowers and $40-$75 cleaning a bathroom or kitchen.

If you’re interested, here’s how you make money with the TaskRabbit app:

  • Create a profile listing your services, prices, any qualifications (when applicable), and a quick pitch that details why someone should hire you
  • People who have a task that needs to be completed search the app and browse through profiles
  • Potential customers contact you via the TaskRabbit app
  • You’re paid within 3-5 days after you’ve completed the task
How much money this app pays:

Your earnings depend on the kind of work you can do, but the average rate for beginners is around $20-$40/hour. 

How quickly you’re paid:

The TaskRabbit apps pays you 3-5 day after you’ve completed the task.

13. Fiverr

Fiverr is a freelancing marketplace where freelancers can list services and gigs in over 200 categories, including programming, freelancing writing, and sound design. 

But you can go way beyond listing typical freelance services. When I searched Fiverr, I found someone who creates Dungeons and Dragons fantasy maps, Chakra balancing, business branding, luxury real estate listing videos, and drafting legal documents.

If you have a marketable skill, Fiverr is one of the best apps to make money. It’s free to sign up for Fiverr, and you set your prices. Once you’ve started and gotten paid for a few gigs, you can move up tiers on Fiverr, which lets you sell more extras, which helps you earn more.

Fiverr takes 20% of each transaction, but they have the platform set up so clients can tip you. 

Some of the most in-demand freelance services on Fiverr right now are logo design, creating custom WordPress sites, SEO work, voiceovers, creating whiteboard and animated explainers, social media marketing, and illustration.

How much money this app pays:

Most freelancers on Fiverr are making $500 a month or less.

How quickly you’re paid:

Fiverr pays via PayPal, direct deposits to your bank account, or a Fiverr Revenue Card (a prepaid card you can use like a debit card). It takes 14 days to receive payment, which is the standard waiting period after you’ve completed a gig.

14. Decluttr

Decluttr is one of the best apps to make money selling things from around your house. Decluttr is specifically for selling tech, like cell phones, tablets, video game consoles, DVDs, etc. You can also sell textbooks, children’s books, and Legos on Decluttr.

The process is pretty simple: you use the app to scan the barcode on what you want to sell. For things that don’t have a barcode, you can search the app by category and find it. Decluttr tells you exactly how much they will pay you before you send the item in, plus they pay for shipping.

If you agree to the Decluttr’s valuation, you print the prepaid shipping label and send it off. Decluttr looks at your item once they receive it, and as long as it’s in the condition you’ve described, they send you a next-day payment.

I did a quick check to see how much Decluttr will pay me for my old iPhone 8. It took 2 minutes, and Decluttr said they would pay me $120 for my old phone.

How much money this app pays:

You’re paid based on what you’re selling. DVDs, for example, net $0.50 on average, but larger tech (laptops, game consoles, and tablets) can pay several hundred dollars.

How quickly you’re paid:

Decluttr pays via direct deposit or PayPal the day after they receive your item in the mail. Direct deposit takes 3 business days to clear, and PayPal clears within 24 hours.

Decluttr

Earn cash from your old electronics

Decluttr will buy used phones, games, computers, and more.

15. Poshmark

Poshmark is one of the most popular apps to make money selling clothes, shoes, and accessories. The app is designed like an online consignment store — you upload pictures, describe your items, and set your own prices.

It’s free to download the Poshmark app and start listing items for sale. It’s important to write clear and honest descriptions. Customers want to know exactly what they’re buying. 

When a potential buyer is interested in your item, they contact and pay via the app. You ship it out and get paid after the buyer receives the item. Poshmark facilitates the entire selling process, and they cover lost packages and handle customer service issues between you and the buyer.

Poshmark charges a small fee for sales. There is a flat $2.95 fee for sales under $15 a 20% commissions for $15 or more sales.

How much money this app pays:

You can make anywhere from $100 to $1,000/month selling on the Poshmark app. It depends on what you have to sell, and some active sellers flip clothes they find on other online marketplaces or in thrift stores.

How quickly you’re paid:

Poshmark pays you within three days of the buyer receiving their item. You can request direct deposit, takes another three business days, or you can request they mail you a check.

16. Acorns

Acorns is a micro-investment app that you can use to invest your spare change and earn money to invest by shopping at popular retailers. The way Acorns works is that you link a credit or debit card, and when you make a purchase with it, Acorns rounds the transaction up to the next dollar amount and invests the difference. 

So if you use your linked card to buy a latte for $4.37, Acorns will round that up to $5 and invest the $0.63 difference.

Acorns tracks round-ups in the app and transfers money to your investment account when your round-ups hit $5. In the app you can also set up recurring deposits and check your portfolio balance.

Acorns is one of the best investment apps to make money for beginners because it’s also a robo-advisor that determines the best investment portfolio for your financial goals. Acorns has five portfolios, built to fit conservative through aggressive goals.

It costs $3-$5/month to start investing with Acorns, and you can open an individual brokerage account, retirement account, or custodial account for your kids.

How much money this app pays:

There are no guarantees with investing, and it’s important to remember that it’s a long game overall. The stock market’s long-term return rate is 7-8% when you account for inflation. 

How quickly you’re paid:

Acorns lets you withdraw funds whenever you want, and it takes around 2-3 days to sell shares and transfer funds to your bank account. Because this process involves selling assets, you will have to report it as income if you made a profit. 

Acorns

Acorns app for passive investing

Invest your spare changes with the easy-to-use Acorns app.

17. Turo

Turo is a peer-to-peer car rental app where you can make passive money from your car when you’re not using it. It’s like Airbnb but for cars. 

The idea behind Turo is that instead of letting your car sit idly in the driveway or garage, you can let your car work for you. Listing your car on Turo can be a way to offset the cost of your car payments or make extra money to pay off debt, save, etc.

It’s 100% free to create an account on Turo and list your car. They help you set a good listing price, but you’re ultimately in control of how much you list your car for and when it’s available.

The Turo app notifies you when someone requests to book your vehicle. If you agree to the booking, you’ll meet the renter, do a once over of your vehicle, check the fuel level and mileage, and hand over the keys.

Turo covers you and your car with a $1 million liability policy from Liberty Mutual, and there’s also 24/7 roadside assistance for renters.

You keep 65%-90% of the daily rental price of your car. The amount varies based on what kind of extras you provide, like prepaid fuel charges or post-trip cleanings.

How much money this app pays:

Turo reports that the average U.S. host makes $545 per month listing their car on Turo.

How quickly you’re paid:

The Turo app pays hosts three days after the rental period is over, and then it takes 3-5 business days to process the payment as direct deposit. Turo warns that the first payment can take an additional 14 days because they use Stripe as a processor and the first payment through Stripe

18. Rover

Rover is a money-making app where you list dog walking and pet sitting services. It’s free to sign up and create a profile on Rover. You list what kind of services you’re willing to offer, the type of pets you’ll work with, pricing, and when you’re available. 

Rates vary based on the market you’re in, so dog walking in a place like San Francisco or Chicago will command higher rates than in smaller towns or suburbs. 

You can earn more with Rover if you’re willing to offer additional services like bathing, grooming, boarding, pick-up and drop-off, and pet sitting over holidays.

Customers contact you and book via the Rover app. Rover handles the entire payment process too, and you can access your funds two days after you’ve completed a service. Rover charges a 30% service fee per booking.

How much money this app pays:

Part-time dog walkers can make up to $1,000 per month on Rover, and full-time dog walkers can make upwards of $3,000 each month or more.

How quickly you’re paid:

Rover releases funds via PayPal or check. PayPal fees take 1-4 days to process and are free, and checks take up to 20 days to arrive and incur a $5 fee.

Rover

List pet sitting and boarding services on Rover

Rover pet sitters set their own rates and availability.

19. Instacart

Instacart has become one of the most well-known grocery delivery services since it was launched in 2012. Instacart shoppers accept orders in the app, shop for them, and then deliver the orders to customers. 

If you have any questions about your customer’s order you can contact them via the app. Most common issues are trying to find a good substitute if the store doesn’t have their item in stock.

To become an Instacart shopper, you must:

  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Have access to a car, valid driver’s license, and car insurance
  • Be eligible to work in the U.S.
  • Be able to lift 50 lbs
How much money this app pays:

Instacart shoppers are paid per order and average $12-$20/hour. The least you will make for the order is $7-$10/hour.

How quickly you’re paid:

Instacart pays shoppers every week through direct deposit, and it takes 2-3 days for payments to process through your bank.

The Final Word on Best Apps to Make Money in 2024

Technology has made it possible to pull out your phone and start making money with apps. That’s pretty incredible, isn’t it?

You’re not going to get rich from these apps alone. Some of the apps like survey sites and cashback companies help you earn small amounts of money, but they’re an easy way to make a little bit of extra money.

Side hustle apps, like Rover and Doordash, are where you can make even more money – an extra $500 to $1000/month –  but it takes a larger commitment from you.

What’s great about any of the options on this list is that you can try more than one at a time. You can start delivering food using, earn cashback with Ibotta, and sell your clothes online.

Look through this list, find something that works, and get to making extra cash.

FAQs

Which is the app that pays the most?

There are a lot of great options on this list. The pay you get is very dependent on how long you do any of these. DoorDash, however, is currently looking for new drivers across the U.S. and offers promotions so drivers can make more than average since they get paid per order.

How do the best delivery apps compare?

We have a growing list of comparison articles that tell you how these food delivery services compare to one another. Check out these articles to see how they stack up:
Postmates vs Uber Eats 
DoorDash vs Grubhub
DoorDash vs Uber Eats
Postmates vs DoorDash
Instacart vs DoorDash
Shipt vs Instacart

Doordash Disclaimer:

  • Earning more on certain types of orders (ex. alcohol): Earn more per order as compared to restaurant orders. Actual earnings may differ and depend on factors like number of deliveries you accept and complete, time of day, location, and any costs. 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) over a 90-day period and includes compensation from tips, peak pay, and other incentives.
  • Get paid instantly (DasherDirect): Subject to approval
  • Cash out daily (Fast Pay): Fees apply
  • Start dashing today: Subject to background check and availability
  • Dash anytime: Subject to availability