11 Totally Legit Ways To Make Money On Your Phone

Turn your phone into a money-making machine. Discover legit apps and strategies to earn real cash from your phone. No gimmicks, just results.

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.

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. Bigcash

⭐ $15 Sign-Up Bonus

Bigcash 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.

$15 bonus after first cashout Cash out at $1 Support responds in 12 hours
Claim $15 Bonus →
My experience: I’ve tested dozens of GPT apps and deleted most within a week. Bigcash is different. Had one offer not track after I finished it, sent one email, and got my $15 credited in 11 hours. That never happens. Been using it for months and cashed out over $200 total. The high-value offers take longer but they actually pay out.

2. Branded (Seen on CBS)

$100+ Per Task

Branded 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.

Some tasks pay $100+ Free to join PayPal cashout
Start Testing Apps →
My experience: Wildly underrated. The higher-paying tasks take time but the payouts are real. I completed a game offer for $45 in about a week of casual play.

3. National Debt Relief

Free Debt Analysis

Listen, if you’re here looking to make $5/day from apps but you’re drowning in credit card debt, we need to talk about the elephant in the room. National Debt Relief could get a massive chunk of your debt forgiven—no bankruptcy, no loans, you don’t even need good credit. If you owe $10,000+ in unsecured debt (credit cards, personal loans, medical bills), their experts build you a payment plan and negotiate directly with your creditors to slash what you owe. You then pay off the reduced amount in a lump sum. Most people become debt-free in 24-48 months. Making $5/day is nice, but eliminating $10,000+ in debt? That’s life-changing.

Get thousands in debt forgiven No bankruptcy or loans required Debt-free in 24-48 months
See How Much You Could Eliminate (Free) →
Real talk: These apps can get you an extra $150-300/month. But if you’re paying $400/month in minimum payments on maxed-out credit cards, you’re still losing. National Debt Relief has helped over 500,000 people eliminate billions in debt. The consultation is 100% free and takes under 60 seconds. If you have $10,000+ weighing on you, this one click could save you years of stress and tens of thousands of dollars. Check if you qualify before you spend another hour grinding apps for $5.

4. Solitaire Cash

Win Real Money

Solitaire Cash lets you compete in skill-based solitaire tournaments for real cash prizes. Join head-to-head matches or multiplayer competitions where you’re matched against players of similar skill levels. Each game takes 2-5 minutes, and winners collect cash prizes deposited to PayPal or through other payout methods. The app uses skill-based matchmaking—your solitaire speed and strategy determine wins, not luck. Entry fees for tournaments start low, with various competition levels available from practice rounds to premium tournaments.

Compete in skill-based tournaments Games take just 2-5 minutes Cash prizes via PayPal
Start Playing for Cash →
My experience: I started with the free practice tournaments to learn the format and get comfortable with the timing. Once I understood how the scoring worked, I moved to paid entry tournaments. The skill-based matching means you’re competing against players at your level. I’ve cashed out via PayPal multiple times—withdrawals typically process within 24-48 hours. Best for people who already enjoy solitaire and want to add a competitive element. Not everyone wins every game, but if you’re skilled at solitaire, you have a legitimate shot at prizes.

5. Freecash

Free $5

Freecash 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.

$0.50 minimum cashout Instant Bitcoin withdrawals Stake offers pay $3,000+
Claim $5 Sign-Up Bonus →
My experience: I’ve made over $1,000 with the Stake offers alone, so if you haven’t done those yet, they’re super lucrative. The $0.50 minimum is a game changer because I can cash out daily via PayPal or Bitcoin instead of watching my balance sit there for weeks. Transfers are instant and this is easily one of my highest earners.

6. Arrived

Get Rent Checks

Put 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.

Start with $100 Get rental income monthly Arrived is backed by Jeff Bezos
Start Getting Rental Income →
My experience: I put $100 into a rental house in Nashville a few months ago. Now every month, I get money from the tenant’s rent payment. This is legit. No phone calls, no repairs, nothing. Just money showing up. Arrived handles it all. I’ve done this with 4 houses now and it’s the easiest passive income I’ve ever made.

7. Testerup

$50+ Per Task

Testerup 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.

Some tasks pay $50+ Free to join PayPal cashout
Start Testing Apps →
My experience: Another wildly underrated app. The higher-paying tasks take time but the payouts are real. I completed an app download and earned $7 in minutes.

8. Accredited Debt Relief

Free Consultation

See if your credit card debt is eligible for this debt relief program. If you have a lot of debt, getting rid of it can feel stressful and impossible. But here’s the truth: you might qualify to have a significant portion of your debt forgiven—without bankruptcy, without loans, and without perfect credit. Accredited Debt Relief specializes in negotiating with creditors to reduce what you owe on unsecured debts like credit cards, medical bills, and personal loans. If you’re carrying $10,000+ in debt, their certified debt specialists will analyze your situation for free and show you exactly how much you could eliminate. Most clients settle their debts for 40-60% less than what they owe and become debt-free in 24-48 months.

Reduce debt by 40-60% on average Free consultation with no obligation Become debt-free in 24-48 months
Check If You Qualify (Free) →
Why this matters: Making $200/month from apps is great, but if you’re paying $500/month in credit card minimums, you’re still underwater. Accredited Debt Relief has helped thousands of people eliminate millions in debt. The free consultation takes 60 seconds and shows you exactly how much you could save. If you’re carrying $10,000+ in high-interest debt, this one conversation could save you years of payments and tens of thousands of dollars. Check your eligibility before spending another month stressed about money.

9. Fundrise

Passive Income

Invest $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.

Start with just $10 Earn while you sleep Withdraw anytime
Start Earning Now →
My experience: This is where I park my earnings from all the apps on this list. Start with $10, then funnel your beer money here instead of letting it sit in PayPal doing nothing. I get paid dividends every quarter, legit passive income. Takes 2 minutes to set up, zero effort after that.

10. AppFree

U.S. Only

Most 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.

Cash out at $1 (not $10 or $20 like other apps) Earn $10+ in your first hour Same-day PayPal payouts
Get Paid in 1 Hour →
Why it stands out: I tested this expecting another scam and cashed out $8.50 in 45 minutes. PayPal hit my account before I finished lunch. The offers actually track, and when one didn’t register, support credited my account in 30 minutes. Every other GPT app ignores you or takes 3 days to respond.

11. Upside

$5 Bonus

Link 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.

$5 bonus with code ‘MMGCASH’ Automatic cash back with linked card Earn $100+/year passively
Claim $5 Bonus →
My experience: I linked my card in January 2025 and made over $430 by December doing literally nothing different. Gas runs, grocery trips, dinner out – all tracked automatically. I check in with one tap before filling up and the money just appears. Zero effort after the initial 2-minute setup. This is the definition of passive income.

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.

We earn a commission for this endorsement of Fundrise.
Brian Meiggs
Brian Meiggs
I'm the founder of Gigs Done Right and I spend way too much time testing apps that claim to pay you. Most don't. The ones that actually deposit money into my PayPal are what you'll find on this site. I've been covering the gig economy for years and moderate r/earnextraincome where over 100k people share what's actually working (and what's a scam). My work has been featured in Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, and NASDAQ, but honestly, I'm just a guy who got tired of watching people waste time on apps that never pay out. Every app and side hustle on Gigs Done Right has been personally tested by me. If the money didn't hit my account, it's not here. No fluff, no fake promises, just honest breakdowns of what actually works.

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