Tired of doom scrolling for ways to make money and finding nothing but scams and time-wasters?
I spent the last few months testing every “make money from your phone” app I could find. Most were garbage. Some paid pennies for hours of work. A few were outright scams.
But I found 11 apps that actually paid out real money: $200-$400/month when used consistently. Not life-changing income, but legitimate side money that hits your bank account.
Here’s every app that actually put money in my account. No affiliate BS, no fake screenshots, just honest results from real testing.
Get Help Paying Off Your Debt
But first, I always tell friends focus on the bigger issue before trying to earn an extra $100/$200 per month.
Drowning in high interest credit card debt can feel like your money is working against you. But what if part of that balance could simply disappear?
National Debt Relief helps people with at least $15,000 in unsecured debt potentially settle for less than what they owe. That means instead of paying back every dollar plus interest, their team negotiates with creditors to reduce the total amount. In many cases, that reduction can feel like getting free money because it is debt you no longer have to repay.
There is no cost to see if you qualify. It takes about a minute to sign up and check your eligibility, then you complete a short assessment and speak with a specialist to review your options. If you are approved, you could move toward becoming debt free in as little as 12 to 48 months while paying back less than your original balance.
The Apps That Actually Paid Me
Quick context: I used each of these for at least 2-3 weeks before adding them to this list. If it didn’t pay out or felt sketchy, it’s not here. Everything below is legit and I’ve cashed out real money from all of them.
1. Get Help Paying Off Your Debt
Free Debt AnalysisDrowning in high interest credit card debt can feel like your money is working against you. But what if part of that balance could simply disappear? National Debt Relief helps people with at least $15,000 in unsecured debt potentially settle for less than what they owe. That means instead of paying back every dollar plus interest, their team negotiates with creditors to reduce the total amount. In many cases, that reduction can feel like getting free money because it is debt you no longer have to repay.
2. Fundrise
Passive IncomeInvest $10 in real estate and watch it grow on autopilot. Takes 2 minutes to set up. Your money goes into actual real estate that pay you dividends. No grinding, no surveys, no games. Just passive income while you sleep.
3. Freecash
Free $5Freecash has some of the highest paying offers (up to $5k!) so it pays to check the site everyday. But anyone can join, for the lazy, the minimum cashout is only $0.50 via PayPal, Bitcoin, or gift cards, which means you can literally cash out every single day. You can complete your first task today and get paid.
4. Bigcash
⭐ $15 Sign-Up BonusBigcash has over 3,000 app testing offers live right now, with new ones dropping daily. Download a shopping app, play a mobile game to level 10, test a fitness tracker. The standard offers pay $3 to $15, but the premium tasks hit $50 to $170 when you complete bigger milestones. You get the $15 bonus immediately after your first cashout, and the $1 minimum means you can withdraw within 30 minutes of starting. What separates this from every other testing app is their support team actually responds in under 12 hours when offers don’t track.
5. Branded (Seen on CBS)
$100+ Per TaskBranded pays you real money to test new games, apps, and complete simple tasks on your phone. Sign up, choose from available offers (like testing a game to level 5), and get paid when you complete them. The more you use it, the more high-paying tasks unlock.
6. Arrived
Get Rent ChecksPut in $100. Get rent checks from tenants. That’s it. Arrived buys rental houses, you chip in $100, and when people pay their rent, you get paid too. No dealing with tenants, no fixing toilets, no property management. Just pick a house you like, invest $100, and collect rent money every 3 months. The average person makes 10-20% per year from rent payments plus the house going up in value. Need your money back? Sell your piece of the house in 2-3 days.
7. Testerup
$50+ Per TaskTesterup lets you earn real money as an online tester. Get paid to test new games, apps, and complete simple tasks on your phone. Sign up, choose from available offers (like downloading the free Tik Tok app), and get paid when you complete them. The more you use it, the more high-paying tasks unlock.
8. Ark7
$50 BonusOwn a piece of a rental property for $20. Ark7 buys rental houses, you buy shares for as little as $20, and when tenants pay rent, you get paid. No property management, no repairs, no tenant calls. Just pick a property you like, invest $20, and collect monthly dividends. The average investor earns 8-12% annually from rent payments plus property appreciation. Want your money back? Sell your shares on their secondary market.
9. Upside
$5 BonusLink your card once, earn cash back forever. Download Upside, connect your debit or credit card, and start earning automatic cash back at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants. Tap an offer before you go, pay with your linked card like normal, and the cash shows up in your account. No scanning receipts on most purchases, no changing how you shop, no hassle. Just link your card and let it run on autopilot. Most users pocket $100-300+ per year without thinking about it.
10. AppFree
U.S. OnlyMost reward apps make you grind to $10 or $20 minimums. MyAppFree lets you cash out at $1. Download an app, play to level 5, get paid. The missions are simple: test a budgeting app for 5 minutes, play a puzzle game to level 3, try a meditation app. Each pays $1 to $5, with high-value offers hitting $20 to $40. When tracking fails, support actually fixes it in under an hour instead of ghosting you. This is the only testing app where you can see real money in your account within an hour of signing up.
11. Tap Into Your Home Equity
Up to $600,000Hometap lets you access your home equity without taking on debt or monthly payments. Instead of a loan, Hometap makes an investment in your home in exchange for a share of its future value. Use the funds for anything like paying off debt, home improvements, or building your financial cushion. You settle when you sell, refinance, or at the end of the 10-year term.
TL;DR: Start With These 2
If you’re trying to use a few apps for the highest earning potential start with Branded for high-value app testing offers, and Bigcash to cash out your first dollar today and claim a $15 welcome bonus.
Look, this won’t replace your income. But if you actually download 4 to 5 of these apps and use them during your commute, lunch breaks, or while watching TV, you’re looking at an extra $200 to $400/month. That’s groceries. That’s your car payment. That’s a weekend trip you couldn’t afford before.
I’ve been running these apps for 6 months and the money just keeps hitting my PayPal. No boss, no schedule, just phone games and quick tasks that actually pay out.
Thanks for the list on ways to make money on your phone. Just a tip for anyone else. The best app is Swagbucks. Between the paid emails and the surveys you can earn a little everyday. Before you know it you will have enough points to exchange for a gift card of your choice. This is a no brainer….
Swagbucks rocks — thanks for sharing your experience on how the app works and how it does really pay!
from india i cant get more mone in a day..which i got that too low on swagbucks..give some tips for earning more SB on swagbucks
You can try switching your default browser to Swagbucks. Just by doing this you can accrue around $50 a month passively.
Hi, I am doing survey type task from last few months. I choose survey carrier as my 2nd opportunity. I am inspired reading your article. You have mentioned all the necessary key information which I looking for. I am following another platform named dailyonlinesurvey.
Thanks for an article 🙂 You have quite good ideas, but I noticed that you did not mentioned passive income app Honeygain that I personally use 🙂 So, it makes me around $30 per month so not that fast but you earn it just by leaving this app running on my devices background‚ Basically this is an app that lets you sell your unused internet traffic via it. Plus, you can always use extra $5 coupon secret5 to reach their $20 minimum payment faster