A realistic first week with the apps below is $50 to $150 if you actually use them, and most of that comes from the sign-up bonuses and game offers rather than surveys. Testerup and Freecash each give you $10 the moment you join, and a single game offer on Freecash pays $20 to $40 on its own.
Every app on this page is free, pays real money to PayPal, a gift card, or your bank, and was checked as of this update. They are ordered by how much you can expect to earn, starting with the ones that pay the most. If you want the quickest wins, free PayPal money and how to make $50 fast cover the same apps in a shorter format.
The 11 best money making apps, ranked
TesterupBest overall: $10 bonus and the highest-paying offers$10 bonus · up to $129 per offer2
FreecashBest for one big game payout$10 bonus3
BigcashBest for the fastest first payoutFastest payout4
BrandedBest for getting paid to test appsUp to $300/wk5
SwagbucksBest for the most ways to earn$10 bonus6
InboxDollarsBest for seeing your earnings in dollarsPays in dollars7
KashKickBest as a second offer wallPay shown up front8
MobileXpressionBest for earning with nothing to doPassive9
NielsenBest for passive rewards on every deviceUp to $60/yr10
MistplayBest for people who already game every dayGift cards11
CurrentBest for the biggest single payout on this page$75 bonus1. Testerup
Best overall: $10 bonus and the highest-paying offers
Best if you want the biggest single payouts.
Testerup pays you to test mobile games and apps, and it puts a $10 welcome bonus in your account the moment you sign up. Offers pay up to $129 each, and most take 15 to 20 minutes.
Sign up and take the short survey that matches games to you
Pick from 90+ games and apps and hit the goal the offer lists
Request a payout to PayPal, a gift card, or your bank
Want the fine print? Costs, speed, and what you really get
Free to join. $10 the moment you sign up, offers up to $129 each.
2. Freecash
Best for one big game payout
Best if you want one big game payout fast.
Freecash gives you $10 to start, then pays you to play games, try apps, and take surveys. The game offers are where the money is: they run $20 to $40 each, and one on its own is usually the biggest single payout on this page.
Join and get $10 to start
Pick a game or app install from the offer wall and skip the surveys
Cash out from $1 to PayPal, crypto, or gift cards
Want the fine print? Costs, speed, and what you really get
Free to join. Cash out from $1.
3. Bigcash
Best for the fastest first payoutBest if you want money landing quickly.
Bigcash is the fastest app here. Most reward apps take weeks to pay, but Bigcash pays you per milestone inside a game, not per win, so the first payout lands quickly.
Pick a game or app from thousands of offers
Hit the level or task it lists
The reward is credited and you cash out to PayPal or a gift card
Want the fine print? Costs, speed, and what you really get
Free. Paid per milestone, cash out to PayPal or a gift card.
4. Branded
Best for getting paid to test apps
Best if you like giving feedback on new apps.
Branded, as seen on CBS, pays you to test apps and games and report back on how they performed. Developers need real people on real phones before a launch, and that feedback is what you are paid for.
Sign up, which takes a few minutes
Pick an offer, then play or test it
The money is credited when you finish
Want the fine print? Costs, speed, and what you really get
Free. Up to $300 per week, credited when you finish.
5. Swagbucks
Best for the most ways to earn
Best if you want every way to earn in one app.
Swagbucks is the oldest name on this list and you get a $10 bonus through our link. You earn points, called SB, for surveys, watching videos, searching the web, playing games, and shopping through the app.
Join through our link for the $10 bonus
Earn SB for surveys, videos, searches, games, and shopping
Redeem for PayPal cash or gift cards from Amazon, Walmart, and hundreds of other stores
Want the fine print? Costs, speed, and what you really get
Free. $10 bonus through our link, redeem for PayPal or gift cards.
6. InboxDollars
Best for seeing your earnings in dollars
Best if you want a balance you can read at a glance.
InboxDollars pays in dollars, not points, so you always know what you have earned. You get paid to read emails, take surveys, watch videos, play games, and shop.
Sign up free
Read emails, take surveys, watch videos, play games, and shop
Cash out to PayPal or a gift card
Want the fine print? Costs, speed, and what you really get
Free. Pays in dollars, cash out to PayPal or a gift card.
7. KashKick
Best as a second offer wallBest if you already run Freecash or Bigcash.
KashKick pays you to play games and try apps, with a smaller survey section on the side. Each offer lists what it pays before you start, so you can pick the ones worth your time.
Join and open the offer wall
Pick an offer that lists a payout worth your time
Play, watch the balance go up, and cash out to PayPal
Want the fine print? Costs, speed, and what you really get
Free. Every offer shows its pay up front, cash out to PayPal.
8. MobileXpression
Best for earning with nothing to doBest if you want passive credits every week.
MobileXpression is passive. Install it, keep it running, and it pays you for sharing anonymous data about how you use your phone.
Install the app
Keep it running
Earn credits every week it stays installed, then redeem for gift cards
Want the fine print? Costs, speed, and what you really get
Free. Weekly credits for keeping it installed, redeem for gift cards.
9. Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel
Best for passive rewards on every device
Best if you have several devices to register.
The Nielsen app is the other passive earner. Install it on your phone, tablet, or computer and it collects anonymous usage statistics in the background.
Install it on your phone, tablet, or computer
Leave it running for at least the first 24 hours so it registers properly
Collect gift cards and sweepstakes entries for every device that stays installed
Want the fine print? Costs, speed, and what you really get
Free. Up to $60 per year per device, paid as gift cards.
10. Mistplay
Best for people who already game every dayBest if you play on your phone daily anyway.
Mistplay pays you to play mobile games. You download games from inside the app, play, and earn units as you level up. The longer you play a game, the more units it pays.
Download Mistplay and pick a game inside the app
Play and earn units as you level up
Redeem units for gift cards
Want the fine print? Costs, speed, and what you really get
Free. Units as you level up, redeemed for gift cards.
11. Current
Best for the biggest single payout on this page
Best if you can move your direct deposit.
Current is a bank account, not an earning app, but it is the biggest single payout on this page: a $75 bonus when you set up direct deposits of $1,500 or more using the code WELCOME75.
Open the account and enter code WELCOME75
Set up direct deposits of $1,500 or more
Collect the $75 bonus and get paid up to two days early
Want the fine print? Costs, speed, and what you really get
$0 fees. $75 bonus after $1,500 in direct deposits with code WELCOME75.
What to look for in a money making app
Six things separate the apps worth installing from the ones that waste an evening. Check them before you sign up anywhere.
- A real sign-up bonus. Testerup, Freecash, and Swagbucks each pay $10 just for joining, and Current pays $75. That is the easiest money on this page.
- A low cash-out minimum. Freecash lets you cash out from $1. The lower the minimum, the sooner the first payout lands.
- Cash, not just points. Every app here pays real money to PayPal, a gift card, or your bank. InboxDollars shows your balance in dollars so you always know where you stand.
- Game and app offers. Surveys pay a few cents to a couple of dollars. Game offers pay $20 to $40 on Freecash and up to $129 on Testerup, so run those first.
- Passive options. Nielsen and MobileXpression pay for keeping an app installed. Slow, but there is nothing to do after setup.
- Free to join. Never pay to join an app that promises to pay you. Every app on this list is free.
If you need more than an app can pay
The apps above are good for $50 to a few hundred dollars a month. If you need $1,000 or more right now, an app will not get you there and a personal loan might. When you need money in a hurry Upstart is where to go.
Upstart
Best if you need $1,000 or more
Best if an app will not get you there.
Upstart lends $1,000 to $75,000 with a 3 or 5 year term. Checking your rate takes a few minutes and uses a soft credit pull, so it does not touch your score. If you accept an offer, Upstart runs a hard pull before funding.
Check your rate in a few minutes with a soft credit pull
Before you apply anywhere, compare installment loan options so you know what a fair rate and monthly payment look like
Accept before 5pm ET on a weekday and the money usually goes out the next business day
Want the fine print? Costs, speed, and what you really get
Soft pull to check. 6.3% to 35.99% APR, $1,000 to $75,000.
Money making apps FAQ
Testerup pays the most per task, with offers up to $129 and single game goals that can pay over $200. Freecash is close behind with $20 to $40 game offers. For a one-time payout, the Current $75 bank bonus is the largest single amount on this page.
Bigcash and Freecash are the fastest because they pay per milestone and Freecash lets you cash out from $1. Testerup approves payout requests within hours. Passive apps like Nielsen and MobileXpression pay on a weekly or yearly schedule, so they are slow but need no work.
Yes, every app on this list is free to join and pays real money to PayPal, gift cards, or your bank. Testerup has a 4.2 rating on Trustpilot from more than 130,000 reviews, Freecash has more than 80 million users, and Branded has been featured on CBS. Never pay to join an app that promises to pay you.
Most people make $50 to $150 in the first week from bonuses and game offers, then $100 to $300 a month if they keep using two or three apps. Nobody replaces a paycheck with these. Use them for extra cash, and run the highest-paying offers first.
Compare all 11 apps
All 11 at a glance
| App | Sign-up bonus | Cash out | Typical pay | Best for | Get started |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4.5 |
$10 | PayPal, gift card, or bank | Up to $129 per offer | Highest-paying game and app tests | |
4.5 |
$10 | PayPal, crypto, or gift cards from $1 | $20 to $40 per game offer | One big game payout | |
4 |
None listed | PayPal or gift card | Per milestone inside a game | Fastest first payout | |
4 |
None listed | Check the app | Up to $300 per week | Paid app and game testing | |
4 |
$10 | PayPal or gift cards | A few cents to a couple of dollars per survey | The most ways to earn | |
4 |
None listed | PayPal or gift card | Paid in dollars, not points | Seeing earnings in dollars | |
4 |
None listed | PayPal | Listed on each offer before you start | A second offer wall | |
4 |
None listed | Gift cards | Credits every week, passive | Earning with nothing to do | |
4 |
None listed | Gift cards and sweepstakes prizes | Up to $60 per year per device | Passive rewards on every device | |
4 |
None listed | Gift cards | Units as you level up | People who already game daily | |
4.5 |
$75 with code WELCOME75 | Bank account | $75 after $1,500 in direct deposits | The biggest single payout |
| App | Bonus | Cash out | Pay | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5 |
$10 | PayPal, gift card, bank | Up to $129 | |
| 4.5 |
$10 | From $1 | $20 to $40 | |
| 4 |
None | PayPal, gift card | Per milestone | |
| 4 |
None | Check app | Up to $300/wk | |
| 4 |
$10 | PayPal, gift cards | Cents to $2/survey | |
| 4 |
None | PayPal, gift card | In dollars | |
| 4 |
None | PayPal | Listed per offer | |
| 4 |
None | Gift cards | Weekly credits | |
| 4 |
None | Gift cards | Up to $60/yr | |
| 4 |
None | Gift cards | Units per level | |
| 4.5 |
$75 | Bank account | $75 one-time |
Bonuses and pay are as of this update. Current needs code WELCOME75 and $1,500 or more in direct deposits.
Which apps to start with
Start with Testerup and Freecash for the two $10 bonuses, then add Bigcash for the fastest payouts. Install Nielsen or MobileXpression once and forget about them. If you want more, game apps that pay real money and apps with a $25 sign up bonus are the next two lists to work through.
Every one of these apps is free, so the only thing you spend is time. Put it where the money is: the two $10 bonuses first, then a game offer or two, then the passive apps running in the background while you sleep.
Oh — and if you want to actually get paid while you're at it, there are dozens of new apps and offers right now where top earners made $300+ last week. Check them out here.
