So, you need extra cash for bills or other daily expenses; we’ve all been there. Luckily, 2024 has never been a better time to utilize apps and technology to make money fast.
The Millennial Money team conducted a detailed review of today’s best money-making apps. These apps are most likely not a substitute for your day job.
But they are a great way to supplement income and earn fast cash.
15 Best Money-Making Apps
Here are the top apps to make money in 2024:
- 🏆 Branded Surveys
- HeyPiggy
- Freecash
- Swagbucks
- Survey Junkie
- InboxDollars
- DoorDash
- Uber
- Instacart
- Rakuten
- Ibotta
- Capital One Shopping
- Upside
- OfferUp
- Poshmark
- Decluttr
- Steady
- UpWork
- Rover
- Fiverr
- Honeygain
- Neighbor
- Turo
- Acorns
Survey Money Making Apps
1. Branded Surveys
Earning Potential: 💰💰
Branded Surveys is my pick for the best overall survey site. It gives you points for taking surveys or carrying out tasks like referring friends to the platform.
When you sign up, you’ll answer demographic questions to help determine what surveys are a good match for you. Then, the platform sends qualifying surveys to your inbox.
There’s also a bonus program called Branded Elite. The more bonus surveys you take, the more points you can receive.
Once you reach 500 points, or $5, your Branded Surveys points can be redeemed as direct deposits, gift cards to popular retailers, or donations to charity.
While you shouldn’t quit your day job to take online surveys, Branded Surveys can be an easy outlet for earning some cash on the side with minimal effort.
Pros:
- Features an intuitive user experience
- Pays more than most competitors
- Has an impressive gift card selection
- Offers bonus badges that increase earnings
Cons:
- Payments may take up to 3 weeks
- Can be difficult to qualify for some surveys
Learn more:
- Read our full Branded Surveys Review
2. HeyPiggy
Earning potential: 💰💰
HeyPiggy is a transparent survey site that makes earning money fun. You can sign up for free, and earn money in your spare time, answering questions for large companies like Netflix and Amazon.
Users as young as 14 can sign up with parental consent, and all users can see how much they’ll earn before accepting a survey to make sure it’s right for them.
You can cash out with as little as $1 earned, and they offer thousands of surveys every day. The screeners are short and have fewer disqualifications than other survey sites, although you should always expect some. You can redeem your earnings for cash or a gift card to over 150 stores.
Pros:
- Transparent about time and pay
- A large number of surveys are available
- Free to join
- Teens can join too
Cons:
- The pay can be low depending on the survey
- Not everyone will qualify for every survey
3. Freecash
Earning potential: 💰💰
Freecash provides users with thousands of opportunities to earn money by taking surveys, playing online games, and completing tasks online, like trying out new apps.
According to Freecash, you can earn over $100 a month on the app. You can also easily scroll through offers on Freecash’s website and app, using filters to discover the offers that interest you the most.
The coins you earn for completing tasks are redeemable for cash, crypto, and gift cards, with different thresholds for each.
Pros:
- Free to use
- Thousands of offers
- 5-10 minutes for most withdrawals
- User-friendly app and website
Cons:
- No iOS app
- Limited surveys compared to games
Learn More:
- Read our full Freecash review
4. Swagbucks
Earning potential: 💰💰
Swagbucks is a cash rewards app and website that pays its members in exchange for completing online tasks, playing games, filling out surveys, and more!
You join for free and then earn Swagbucks points by doing simple tasks. You can redeem your Swagbucks points for gift cards or cash—yes, cold hard cash—via your PayPal account or a check in the mail.
The easiest way to earn these points is by using the Swagbucks search engine to do your daily web browsing. This way you’ll earn points without even thinking twice about it.
Pros:
- 100% free to join and make money right now
- Offers cash out via PayPal or Amazon Gift Cards
- Easy to use website and mobile app
Cons:
- Lower payouts for watching videos
Learn more:
- Read our full Swagbucks review
5. Survey Junkie
Earning potential: 💰💰
Survey Junkie is another survey site that may be worth your time. It also offers quick, straightforward surveys for points.
Survey Junkie is owned by DISQO, a reputable data analytics platform that provides market research data to major brands.
You can participate in Survey Junkie’s research in 2 ways: SJ Opinion and SJ Pulse. With SJ Opinion, you take surveys, get points, and then get paid.
With SJ Pulse, you automatically give Survey Junkie access to your browser history, content engagement, ads, and shopping activity for extra rewards.
As you might expect, you can redeem points through e-gift cards to popular retailers or cash out with PayPal payments.
Pros:
- Free to sign up
- Offers bonus points for signing up
- Easy to use
- Provides additional points for sharing online behavior
Cons:
- Offers lower payouts than some competitors
- Has limited survey offerings
Learn more:
- Read our full Survey Junkie Review
Driving Money Making Apps
6. DoorDash
Earning potential: 💰💰💰
DoorDash is another site that makes use of your car and spare time. A popular competitor of Uber Eats, Doordash is the market leader for food delivery apps.
With DoorDash, you can deliver food from local and chain restaurants and some grocery stores and markets.
DoorDash sets a minimum base payment amount for each order, from $2-$10 based on factors like time and distance.
Before accepting an order, you can see the base pay amount, which may increase if it’s Peak time or if you create Challenge bonuses in the app. You also get to keep 100% of your tips.
If you live in an area where Caviar is active, you can also accept orders through the Doordash app since the company acquired Caviar recently.
Pros:
- Guarantees some work with optional scheduled shifts
- Offers Peak Pay at busy times
- Doesn’t prohibit passengers
- Encourages generous tipping
Cons:
- Charges $1.99 for instant payments
- Has limited shift availability, especially in more rural areas
Learn more:
- Read our full DoorDash Review
7. Instacart
Earning potential: 💰💰💰
Instacart is arguably the most popular grocery delivery service in the country. It operates in all 50 states and is constantly expanding into new cities.
You can earn money with Instacart as a full-service shopper. After signing up and answering questions about you, your phone service, and your car, Instacart will perform a background check.
Once you’re approved, you can download the app and set your availability a week in advance. In some areas, you can simply take requests on the spot as they come through.
Regardless, you can either pass on new orders or accept them. How much you earn depends on your hours, location, delivery distance, and the difficulty of the order. Like most gig apps, you keep 100% of your tips.
Pros:
- Gives you 100% of tips
- Lets you set hours
- Requires less driving than Doordash
- Offers entry-level work with minimal requirements
Cons:
- May require heavy lifting
- Caps hours at 29 per week
Learn more:
- Shipt vs. Instacart Review
Cashback & Shopping Money Making Apps
8. Rakuten
Earning potential: 💰💰
Rakuten is an affiliate marketing company that allows you to make money by shopping through their app or site. It’s completely free to use. Rakuten makes money by earning a cut from purchases made through their software, and they split it with members.
You can earn anywhere from 1% to 40% on purchases made through Rakuten from more than 3,500 retailers, including popular ones such as Amazon, Target, Sephora, and Nordstrom. You can search for your favorite stores or go through Rakuten’s helpful categories like toys and beauty products or special deals such as double cash back stores.
Rakuten is totally legit, but be prepared to wait for your rewards. Rakuten only pays out once a quarter via a direct deposit into your PayPal account or a physical check.
Pros:
- You get paid to shop
- Rakuten also offers money-saving opportunities
- Works at the largest number of stores out of any cash-back app
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Only get paid quarterly
- You must shop through the Rakuten app, not directly through the store
Learn more:
- Read our full Rakuten review
9. Ibotta
Earning potential: 💰💰
Ibotta is a shopping app to earn cash back on everyday purchases at over 2,000 in-store and online retailers. The Ibotta app is 100% free to use.
Ibotta pays you cash back for many types of purchases, whether at the grocery store, the local mall, or online. The key is to activate any offers you want to take advantage of before shopping, and then don’t forget to upload your receipt.
Seriously, this Ibotta app is legit. I continuously accumulate cash back on everyday purchases through the Ibotta app. There is really no downside.
Pros:
- 100% free to sign up and use
- A HUGE network of participating retailers
- Easy way of earning money while making everyday purchases
- Available in Google Play and App Store
Cons:
- The app tracks your location while inside stores
- Limited customer support for disputes or issues
Learn more:
- Read our full Ibotta review
- Read about more Apps Like Ibotta
10. Capital One Shopping
Earning potential: 💰💰
Capital One Shopping (formerly Wikibuy) is a savings/coupon shopping app and browser extension that lets you compare prices among various online retailers, helps you find better coupon codes, and even helps you find better deals among the multiple sellers on Amazon.
If you shop online through Capital One Shopping, you can earn credits on your purchases that you can redeem for gift cards. The deals change often, so check back for the latest rewards from your favorite retailers.
Just start your purchase journey through the Capital One Shopping app and earn rewards. Average credits at many stores are 2.0% to 10%, with some stores offering limited-time double rewards!
Pros:
- 100% free to sign up and use
- Does free price comparisons with mobile app
- Automatically adds promo codes at checkout
- Price drop alerts on wishlist items
Cons:
- Tracks your online activity (although very secure)
Learn more:
- Read our full Capital One Shopping review
11. Upside
Earning potential: 💰
Upside (formerly GetUpside) provides people with real-time, personalized cash-back offers at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants through its free mobile app on iOS and Android. Use the code MM20 to receive a $0.20/gal bonus on your first gas receipt, for savings of up to $0.45 per gallon!
Pros:
- Free and Easy to use
- You earn real cash – not points or credits
- Users earn around $150 a year
- Helps the environment – GetUpside dedicates 1% of revenue towards sustainability initiatives
Cons:
- Grocery and restaurant features are only available in select markets
- Must use credit/debit card on your gas, grocery, or restaurant purchase to earn cash back
- Not every business participates
Selling Apps to Make Money
12. Poshmark
Earning Potential: 💰💰💰
Founded in 2011, Poshmark is most popular for its gently used clothing, shoes, and accessories. You can also use the site to buy and sell electronics, home decor, pet products, and beauty supplies.
Poshmark is simple to use. Once you sign up, you can upload pics of your items, share a brief description, and set your price. Shoppers make offers that you can either decline or accept.
Once payment is received, Poshmark will email you a pre-paid shipping label, then pay you by check or direct deposit once the buyer receives their order.
You’ll find the most success with Poshmark if you upload quality pictures and descriptions and sell recognizable brands.
Pros:
- Great user experience
- Covers items that are lost or damaged during shipping
- Buyer pays for shipping
- Issues payments within 3 days
Cons:
- Charges a seller fee
- Has mixed customer reviews
13. Decluttr
Earning potential: 💰💰
Decluttr is like Poshmark but with a twist. Instead of selling your clothes and accessories, the website lets you sell your tech devices, from computers, phones, and tablets to video game consoles, DVDs, and Blu-rays.
Decluttr is easy to use. Once you sign up, simply scan the barcodes on your CDs, video games, and DVDs, and the app will tell you whether they’re accepted or not.
For tech items like cell phones and laptops, Decluttr will make you an offer based on its make, model, and condition.
You’re guaranteed the original price Decluttr offers you, or you can request to have your tech items shipped back for free.
The app is best if you have newer devices in good shape. Consider a different platform if you’re looking to ditch a clunky cell phone from the early 2000s or have retro games or consoles.
Pros:
- Shows current most popular resell items on the site
- Honest pricing
- Provides quick direct deposits, Paypal, or charity donations
- Has solid BBB and TrustPilot ratings
Cons:
- Requires at least 10 media items or 1 tech item per order
- Offers are subject to change upon inspection
Learn more:
- Read our full Decluttr Review
Side Gig Money Making App
14. UpWork
Earning potential: 💰💰💰💰
Upwork is another marketplace for hiring freelancers, and since its launch in 2015, it has grown to become the largest and most popular site of its type.
If you’re not ready to pitch directly to companies, using a third-party freelance website like UpWork could be a good option.
Another advantage of using UpWork is that you don’t have to worry about being scammed or chasing payments. UpWork takes care of this for you. Still, it comes at a price – a cut of the profit.
Pros:
- Larger projects
- Great customer support
- Lower fees the longer you work
Cons:
- Heavy competition
- High starting fees
Learn more:
- UpWork vs. Fiverr
Investing Money Making App
15. Acorns
Earning potential: 💰💰💰
With Acorns, you can set up a free mobile app to round up your purchases to the nearest dollar. They take this cash and invest it into ETFs. Honestly, it’s pretty sweet.
Once you download the Acorns app, it will automatically round up to the nearest dollar and invest that 10 cents! With the Acorns app, you can build an investment portfolio one dime at a time.
This money-making app is definitely a millennial investing strategy. You can set it and forget it and build your investment portfolio without even knowing it.
You can also direct additional funds into the Acorns app for investment. Try it risk-free and receive a $5 sign-up bonus.
Pros:
- FREE for college students
- Automates saving and investing
- Invests in ETFs with low expense ratios
Cons:
- Flat fees are high for low-balance accounts
- Requires spending money to save money
- Limited investment options
Learn more:
- Read our full Acorns Review
Summary of the Best Apps That Pay You
| App | How to Make Money | Rewards Available | Who Should Use It? |
| Branded Surveys | Take surveys | Direct deposit or gift cards | Anyone who likes sharing their opinion |
| HeyPiggy | Take surveys | PayPal or gift cards | Anyone who likes taking a lot of surveys |
| Freecash | Taking surveys, playing games, completing online tasks | Cash, crypto, and gift cards | You have free time and want to earn extra cash |
| Swagbucks | Taking surveys, watching videos, shopping online, internet searches | PayPal and gift cards | Anyone with free time and wants to earn extra cash |
| Survey Junkie | Take surveys or share internet browsing habits | PayPal or gift cards | Anyone who likes sharing their opinion or doesn’t mind sharing browsing habits |
| DoorDash | Deliver food | Direct deposit | Anyone with a car and the time to deliver food |
| Instacart | Shop for groceries and deliver them | Direct deposit | Anyone who loves shopping and can lift at least 40 pounds |
| Rakuten | Shop online | Direct deposit or PayPal | Anyone who regularly shops online |
| Ibotta | Shop online or in-person | PayPal or gift cards | Anyone who shops online or does the grocery shopping in person |
| Capital One Shopping | Shop online | Gift cards | Gift cards |
| Upside | Shop online, get gas, or eat at restaurants | Direct deposit, PayPal, or gift cards | Anyone who shops in person or gets gas |
| Poshmark | Sell clothing and accessories online | Direct deposit, PayPal or Venmo | Anyone with high-end clothing or accessories to sell |
| Decluttr | Sell electronics | Direct deposit or PayPal | Anyone with newer electronics to sell |
| Upwork | Freelance work | Direct deposit | Anyone with skills to offer others, like freelance writing or web design |
| Acorns | Round up your purchases | Invest in ETFs | Anyone who wants to invest their spare change |
Pros and Cons of Money-Making Apps
Money-making apps can be a fun way to supplement your income, but there are some pros and cons to consider.
Pros:
- You set your own hours and work as much or as little as you want
- You can do what you love or things you don’t mind doing in your spare time
- You can mix and match opportunities to increase your income
Cons:
- Many apps charge service fees or fees for payouts
- You are an independent contractor and responsible for taxes and fees
- Not all apps payout immediately
How to Choose the Best Money-Making App For You
Choosing the right money-making app isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach.
First, decide how much time you have to commit to the app, and then determine what you would like to do. For example, do you want something that is an extension of your day job? If so, Fiverr and Upwork are great options.
On the other hand, if you want something different or that you can do in your free time without thinking, consider survey-taking apps or even gig apps like DoorDash or Uber.
The key is determining how much you want to make, how much time you have, and how often you want to get paid. Pay close attention to the app’s service fees and terms to ensure you make as much as you hoped.
FAQs
What is the best app to earn money?
The best app to earn money varies by person. Some people want simple apps, like Survey Junkie, to make money answering surveys, yet others want something more robust, like Uber, earning money to drive people to their destination. The best app for you is the one you’ll use consistently to supplement your income.
How can I make $100 in a day?
To make $100 in a day, you’ll likely have to diversify your efforts on different apps. For example, you may take surveys on Swagbucks, take a couple Uber trips, or freelance on Fiverr to earn $100 a day.
Which app is the most legit to make money on?
I provided an extensive list of the best apps that you can use to make money. One of the most common is Swagbucks. Anyone can sign up for it to make money, and it takes only a few minutes a day to add a few dollars to your bank account just for sharing your opinion, shopping online, or searching the internet.
What apps pay you instantly for signing up?
Many apps, such as Swagbucks and InboxDollars, pay you a sign-up bonus for joining, both of which pay $5 to sign up. Of course, you must earn money on your own to cash out, reaching their thresholds, but you can speed up the process by joining apps with sign-up bonuses.
What Apps Pay You Instantly?
If you’re wondering how to get cash fast or which are the best money-making apps right now, InboxDollars, Swagbucks, and Ibotta each offer sign-up bonuses that you can quickly redeem.
Or maybe you’re trying to save up for something special or add to your investments. Several of the other apps I listed are either geared more towards freelancers, saving money, and investing, or require a bit of time to build up your account or property, such as Airbnb or DoorDash.
Either way, these legit apps could play an essential role in your money-making journey.
