12 Best Apps to Make Money in 2023

For those looking to make money in an easily accessible way, these money-making apps provide plenty of avenues to consider.

Are you interested in downloading the best money making apps that pay you real money?

Today I’m going to show you some new strategies to make some extra money fast simply by clicking a few buttons on your cell phone (in under 5 minutes).

The best part? A lot of these require no effort at all.

I get it.

Life happens.

Sometimes you need some extra cash to pay a bill or you’re trying to save up for something you want.

You don’t want to fall behind on bills and are wondering how to make money today or what apps pay you real money?

Sure, another 200 dollars earned today wouldn’t hurt.

We’ve all been there, but what do you usually do when that happens? Before you go and get a payroll advance, read this exhaustive list of things that anyone can do, today, in order to make money online fast through the best mobile applications I've found.

If you're strapped for time, I'll go ahead and share the best money making apps that you can add to your side hustle arsenal.

List of the Best Money Making Apps

Here are the best apps to make money on your mobile device. 

Pro tip: If you plan on making side hustle income, be sure to use one of the best banks for freelancers.

1. InboxDollars

(Estimate earning potential: $5 – $50 per month)
InboxDollars Summary
5.0
  • $5 sign up bonus
  • Great referral program – 30% that referral makes
  • Most of the surveys pay $0.50 to $1
  • 13 extra ways to earn money
JOIN FOR FREE

InboxDollars is an app that pays you, in cash, to watch fun videos and take surveys.

If you sign up before the end of this month, they also give you a $5 free bonus just to give it a try.

By spending just 5-10 minutes per day on this (either on your lunch break or during TV commercial breaks) you can earn and earn an extra $50/month.

More people should be using InboxDollars. They don't deal with a messy point system either, just straight cash.

CLAIM $5 BONUS

2. DoorDash

(Between $15 – $25 hourly, totaling approximately $1,000 weekly)
DoorDash Summary
5.0
  • Choose your own flexible working hours
  • Earn up to $25 per hour during peaks
  • Get $150 when you refer a friend to join
  • You get to keep 100% of all customer tips
START EARNING

Gig economy workers are the real winners in the COVID-19 era, as the demand for food delivery is booming. If you wanted to cash in and earn over $80 each day — here are the best food delivery apps that pay the most:

  1. DoorDash: DoorDash is the #1 food delivery app to make money delivering food. You can earn on your bike or even by walking and make up to $20 an hour.
  2. Instacart: If you have a car then you can use it to deliver groceries with Instacart. Just log into the app whenever you want to make extra cash and the orders will come. You can earn $20 an hour.

If you do plan picking a delivery app to make extra cash in your free time, consider driving for multiple food delivery apps at the same time in order to be more profitable and make more money in between orders. If you haven’t yet, click here to sign up for InstacartDoorDash.

doordash
doordash

BECOME A DASHER

3. Survey Junkie

(Earn on average $1 to $3 per survey)
Survey Junkie Summary
5.0
  • $1-$3 average earnings per survey
  • Extra points if you screened out of survey
  • Additional ways to earn up to $100
  • Install Survey Junkie extension for bonus
JOIN SURVEY JUNKIE

Taking online surveys to make that extra money on your phone is a no-brainer. You definitely won’t get rich or make thousands of dollars per day with surveys alone, but you won’t waste much time, and you can make some money the easy way.

Survey Junkie pays between $2 and $50 per survey, and many of them take less than 5 minutes to complete. So if you took on average 10 surveys per day, every day for a month, you could make $375+ per month. If you took more surveys a day — the possibilities are endless.

There are a lot of scammy survey sites out there, but Survey Junkie has over 11,000 positive reviews on TrustPilot, the highest of any survey site. It’s legitimate.

Sounds like fun? Sign-up for Survey Junkie, take surveys and earn money from your phone fast. You can also get a registration bonus through here.

SIGN UP NOW

4. Fundrise

(Expect a high annual return of up to 12.4%)
Fundrise Summary
5.0
  • Low minimum starting investment of $10
  • High historical returns of 8.8% to 12.4%
  • 0.15% advisory 0.85% management fees
  • Diverse portfolios of up to 16 investments
START INVESTING NOW

Fundrise is a company that provides investment opportunities in real estate for small-scale investors. You can invest from your smartphone by downloading the Fundrise app, both on iOS or Android.

They have a variety of residential properties and retail space available for crowd investment. Real estate investing can be a great way to earn passive income. Fundrise is one of my favorite apps to use when I want to make money while I’m on the go.

If you’re interested, I recommend you sign up for more information from Fundrise by clicking here. The minimum investment you need to have is $10 and you always have a 90-day money-back guarantee, so your funds are always available.

TRY NOW FOR FREE

5. Swagbucks

(Earn around $50 to $1,000 per year)
Swagbucks Summary
5.0
  • 18 ways to earn money and e-gift cards
  • $5 sign up bonus
  • Up to 10% cashback when shopping online
  • $1 minimum e-gift card withdrawal
JOIN FOR FREE

Swagbucks is another great survey app to make some extra money in your free time. As a new member, you can earn up to $5 per survey.

They are known for giving out fun, top-paying surveys. And you can also get paid to play games and watch TV!

It’s similar to Survey Junkie, but there are also a few other ways you can earn money as a member (including a $10 bonus just for signing up).

Other ways you can make money with Swagbucks outside of surveys:

  • Cash back program for online shopping
  • Get paid for searching the web
  • Watching videos

Swagbucks is conveniently offering a $10 bonus just for signing up through this link, so act fast. It would be a crime to not take advantage of this deal.

swagbucks

CLAIM $10 BONUS

6. Mistplay

(Earn around $50 per month in rewards)
Mistplay Summary
5.0
  • Redeem rewards from as little as $5
  • Gift cards are processed within 48 hours
  • 5 different ways you can earn money
  • Get 100 points by inviting your friends
DOWNLOAD NOW

We all heard the old saying “time is money” right? Instead of playing games on your phone like everyone else and feeling bad for wasting your time — now you can get paid for it.

Getting paid for playing games sounds like a dream. But if you download a free new app, and then download games from it and play, you earn money.

As you level up you can earn more money for cash rewards or gift cards.

This is a great opportunity for those looking to get paid for something they enjoy, like winning free gift cards and cash for playing games. I use it and it is legit and has over 35,404 positive reviews in the Google Play store.

If you’re interested, I recommend you download the app from the Google Play store for free by clicking here.

START PLAYING

7. Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel

(Get up to $50 per year using the Nielsen app)
Nielsen Summary
5.0
  • Earn $50 a year just by installing an app
  • Earn up to $1000 from sweepstakes
  • 15 different types of rewards, including TVs
  • Win up to $500 by downloading PC app
GET $50 FOR INSTALLING

By using the internet as you do every day, Nielsen invites you to make a difference – and you can make a quick $50 too.

Just by downloading an app, you can collect $50 per device and earn rewards. They just track your app usage and that’s it.

You don’t have to do anything other than initially registering your computer or phone.

Nielsen: This company will pay you $50 a year to keep their app on your favorite internet browsing device and they also give away $10,000 each month. So you can possibly make more than $50. Sign up through here for a registration bonus.

nielsen

DOWNLOAD AND EARN $50

8. Robinhood

(Get free stock worth up to $225 for joining)
Robinhood Summary
5.0
  • $0 commission on all stock trades
  • Invest in fractional shares from just $1
  • 3 different trading options to choose from
  • Get 0.3% APY on your uninvested cash
OPEN ACCOUNT

Are you ready to say goodbye to fees for when you buy and sell stocks and hello to commission-free trades?

That’s right, Robinhood lets you do everything for free and takes no fees — ever.

Better yet, if you join through this link you can get a free stock like Apple, Ford, or Sprint when you join.

Sign up for Robinhood now and get a free stock worth up to $200. You don't need to deposit any money to get the free stock either, just need to complete the application.

GET FREE STOCK

9. Capital One Shopping

(Save money when you shop)
Capital One Shopping Summary
4.5
  • Completely free
  • Easy to add (and remove)
  • Convenient ways to save money with minimal effort
INSTALL NOW

One of the best savings (and making money) apps is Capital One Shopping. It’s a shopping app that can help you make money in two ways: finding better deals and giving you rewards.

It can help you save money on products you buy daily. Once you install the app on your browser, it will show you lower prices on things during checkout.

The other way is by giving you rewards when you shop. Once you shop at stores they work with, you can get reward points and redeem them for gift cards. It’s that easy and there’s no catch (and 100% free). This free app is open to everyone, no Capital One account is required.

capital one shopping

SIGN UP NOW

10. SoFi

(Switch to SoFi Bank and get $300 bonus)
SoFi Banking
  • Rating: ★★★★★
  • Monthly fee: $0
  • Minimum opening deposit requirement: $0
OPEN ACCOUNT

If you bank at a traditional brick-and-mortar bank, your money probably isn’t growing there.

That’s because national banks — with their thousands and thousands of physical locations — typically offer annual percentage yields (APYs) as low as 0.01% on their checking accounts. That’s pretty puny.

Online banks, on the other hand, can offer their customers higher interest rates, because they have less overhead.

One of the highest interest rates we’ve found for an online checking account is from SoFi Bank. That checking account earns you 0.25% APY, the percent in interest (including compound interest) you’ll earn on your money in a year.

Switch to SoFi Bank—a bank account that earns interest, has no account fees, and more and get a $300 bonus. There's no catch when you switch your direct deposit to SoFi Bank.

OPEN AN ACCOUNT

11. Ibotta

(Largest cash-back app)
Ibotta
5.0
  • 2 ways to earn – app or browser extension
  • Earn up to 30% cash back on purchases
  • Get a $5 bonus by referring friends
  • Over 1500 stores you can earn cash back at
START SAVING

The app you should know about is Ibotta. This money-making app actually gives you cash back on things you buy every day, even booze!

You heard me right, you can make money for the booze you buy at groceries.

Ibotta is a fun rebate app that lets you get cash back on your purchases from major stores like Walmart, Target and almost every grocery store all over the country.

They are conveniently offering a $10 sign-up bonus after uploading your first receipt. So act fast.

How it works:

  1. Download the app and start a free account to browse deals in your area.
  2. Scan your first grocery receipt within a few days of downloading the app.
  3. Get paid and cash out cash via PayPal.

However, you do have to be 21 or older to take advantage of the booze deals.

DOWNLOAD NOW

12. ZippyLoan

(Personal loans made simple and fast)
ZippyLoan Summary
4.0
  • Borrow between $100 and $15,000 as soon as tomorrow
  • No credit check
  • Good option if you have bad credit
GET STARTED HERE

If you actually need money right now, then you can opt for a personal loan. When you need money in a hurry ZippyLoan is where to go.

You apply for a loan through the ZippyLoan site, if approved they send your loan application to one of many loan providers.

  • You review the loan details and e-sign if you like what you see.
  • No risk in checking what offers you’ll get.
  • You can borrow between $100 and $15,000 as soon as tomorrow.
  • Loans service for up to 60 months.

ZippyLoan connects borrowers to lenders through their network of lenders. They’ll find you the lowest interest rate and is one of the best no credit check loan. You can visit ZippyLoan here.

GET CASH NOW

Bonus: Cash Bonuses Expiring Soon

If you’ve got some free time you can earn extra cash just for signing up for sites/apps. It’s a perfect way to make a good amount of extra cash whenever it’s convenient for you.

Interested? The next thing you can do is claim bonuses for quick wins, check out the best sign up bonuses below:

A lot of people do this full time, so you can imagine that’s it definitely possible to do this on as a lucrative side gig and make extra money and be your own boss.

Once You Have $1,000 in Your Checking Account, Do These 5 Things

Once you built some cushion in your bank account — you're on the right path. Money making apps can only get you so far, it's time to think about longer-term financial goals.

What’s the next step you should take?

Here are ways to take your finances to the next level:

Leave Your Family $1M

Who doesn't want to be a millionaire? While we don't all have trust funds waiting for us, there is still a way to provide protection for your loved ones with up to $1 million in term life insurance.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could do this for as little as $8 a month without dealing with all the hassle of wasting your time or money? You don't have to have money in your pockets to get a free quote from Bestow.

If you’re interested, I recommend you sign up for more information from Bestow by clicking here.

GET STARTED >>

Build an Emergency Fund

Having money in the bank for emergencies can help you improve your financial standing. You'll want three to six months' worth of expenses in your emergency fund. Be sure to stash your money in the right savings account that'll grow your money.

Start with a high-yield savings account like CIT Bank that offers a Savings Builder that will pay a great APY and still give you instant access to your money in case of an emergency. You can open it with $100 and deposit $100 a month to help you get to $1,000 in less than a year.

GET STARTED >>

Get Spotted $100 for Free

Need a better checking account that'll spot you a $150 for free?

Simply sign up for Aspiration, and the free banking app will give you cash for free, you just relax while it gives you $150 just for opening a new debit card.

There’s no catch.

This bank account is legit and only takes two minutes to sign up for an account.

GET STARTED >>

Get Free Stocks Instantly

While you're at it, why not increase your net worth with a free stock? Robinhood is a free investing app for your phone. I really mean free all around – free to join and they don’t charge any fees to buy or sell the stock.

Better yet, if you join through this link you can get a free stock like Apple, Ford, or Sprint when you join (must complete signup).

GET STARTED >>

Start Building Passive Income

Fundrise is definitely one of the best passive income apps. This app was originally an iOS app and it has just become available on Android.

By downloading this app, you can start investing in real estate all around the US in as little as 30 minutes and it's super easy to get started. Then you can literally beat the stock market year after year and start making money in your sleep

If you want to earn the big bucks then you can learn how to get started by getting more information from Fundrise here.

GET STARTED >>

There Will Always Be Money Making Apps that Pay You

There you have it. If you’ve finished the list, you’ve just made at least $100 through these apps that pay you real money. We wish you the best of luck on your journey on how to make money!

Just remember, with most of these services, consistency is key, so be diligent about completing your daily check-in and continue to use the service if you want to earn more lucrative amounts of cash or gift cards.

It’s always better to use these opportunities as additional cash for smaller purchases, rather than to rely on them for a steady income.

If you didn't claim your $5-10 cash bonuses already, don't forget to check out the best signup bonuses below:

To chalk it up, what are the best ways to make money right away? While a search online when you're in need of some fast cash will produce millions of results, not all will be legitimate.

It's up to you to filter through the so-called noise.

These strategies to make $20 instantly will help put you in the black, even if it's in a very small way. Once you are, start resume planning and focusing on the bigger financial goals.

Best Bank Bonuses and Promotions

  • Requirements to qualify
  • 4.5
  • Requirements to qualify
  • 4.0
Bonus: $200
Requirements to qualify
4.5
Bonus: $100
Requirements to qualify
4.0

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