Everyone is talking about money making apps that pay you money to use your smartphone or tablet.

They are legit money hacks that you can use to fatten your wallet whenever you need to.

That’s right. Smartphones and tablets aren’t just used for playing mobile games or giving your opinion on social media. You can actually make money with your iPhone or Android phone right now.

There are literally thousands if not tens of thousands of apps that make money (or claim to). However, 99% of those apps are sketchy or flat out scams.

Trust me, I know.

Over the years, I’ve been through just about every one of those money apps in the Apple store or Google Play store. I ended up wasting a lot of time with the apps that never paid, but fortunately, I found the diamonds in the rough so to speak. Those diamonds in the rough are what we’ll be covering in this article.

This post contains affiliate links. Please read the terms of use for more info.

13 Best money making apps that payout fast (2021)

Best Money Making Survey Apps in 2021

Surveyjunkie

When I need money now, money-making survey apps are what I turn to. The great thing about paid survey apps is that you can make money without leaving your couch, and they don’t require any special skills. You can do these surveys in your spare time while you’re watching TV or anything else.

The highest-paying survey app I’ve ever used is SurveyJunkie.  Each dollar I’ve earned with SurveyJunkie helped to pay my bills when I was really struggling financially.

SurveyJunkie also set itself apart for me by paying faster than 99% of the survey apps out there. You can transfer the money you make on SurveyJunkie straight to your PayPal account the same day.

Click here to sign up for SurveyJunkie and start earning money in minutes

If you want to increase your survey earnings, click here to read my easy guide on how to earn up to $1000 per month taking online surveys.

Swagbucks ($5 sign up bonus for creating a free account)

Swagbucks is one of the best money-making apps online. I don’t say that lightly. When I was on the brink of financial ruin, Swagbucks was one of the main money apps I used to help make ends meet. And, I still use it to this day, even though I’m in a much better place financially. Let me tell you why.

What is Swagbucks?

Swagbucks is a GPT app or an app that pays you cash to complete simple online tasks. Examples of the tasks you’ll find on Swagbucks will be watching videos, redeeming sign up offers, taking surveys, searching the web, and more.

I’ll say this.

Once you start using Swagbucks, you’ll never stop. It’s one of the easiest ways to grow your purchasing power for free.

How I make money on Swagbucks

The main way I make supplemental income from Swagbucks is by occasionally taking their surveys, but more importantly, redeeming sign up offers. Their surveys are pretty straight forward, but I only do them if I run out of surveys to take on SurveyJunkie.

The real money maker is in the signup offers. As an example, I used Swagbucks to sign up for a 30-day trial of Hulu that cost $7. For signing up, Swagbucks paid me 2500 in Swagbucks’ digital currency which redeems for $25 in real money or free gift cards. Before the trial was up, guess what I did? I canceled.  As a result, I pocketed $18 in free money and got to watch new TV series to boot!

Another time I made money fast, was getting paid $8 for simply downloading a free investing money app. These amounts may not sound like much, but they add up. Especially when using other money apps on this list. Plus, Swagbucks regularly has high-paying offers. I’ve seen offers pay as high as $150! You just have to be quick about signing up for them because the better-paying offers will go fast.

To start you off, Swagbucks will give you a $5 cash bonus when you sign up for a free account through this link.

Qmee

Qmee is the best money app if you’re looking for an instant payout.

The surveys on Qmee are really easy and can be completed fast.

Not only that but Qmee doesn’t have a payment threshold! So, any money you make on Qmee can be instantly withdrawn to PayPal or gift cards when you need it.

And, if you download the Qmee survey app through my link, you will get $0.50 deposited into your account. This is free money that you can withdraw to your PayPal instantly, but you have to use my referral link or it won’t credit to your account.

Click here to create your account on Qmee and grab your $0.50 sign up bonus.

Best Cash Back Apps

Ibotta

In my experience, Ibotta is the best cashback app for groceries and everyday shopping. If you’ve been shopping at retail stores without Ibotta, you are missing out on free money.

Fun fact: Ibotta was the first make money app that actually paid me!

What is the Ibotta app?

Ibotta gives you cashback on your everyday in-store purchases. The only thing you need to do to get paid is to scan your store receipt(s) into the app. It’s super easy. In fact, if you have any store receipts lying around, you could turn those receipts into cash right now!

Another thing.

Ibotta is a reliable app to use if money is tight. You can withdraw your money into your PayPal account instantly. Not many money apps out there give you that option.

Click here to download the Ibotta app for free

What if you don’t have any store receipts? You can still make money right now with Ibotta. Let me show you how.

How to make money today with Ibotta in four easy steps:

• Download Ibotta for your mobile device and create your free account.
• Find the menu bar located on the bottom of the Ibotta home screen. Tap the account icon.
• Next, tap “invite friends”
• Start referring your friends to Ibotta (and hook them up with some free cash in the process)!

For every friend you invite that signs up and scans a receipt, you will get a cash bonus. Usually, that bonus is $5 but it can be as high as $10.

Download Ibotta through this link and claim your $5+ cash bonus

GetUpside (Make Money at the gas station)

Are you always in your car?

Then you must download this free money app called GetUpside.

GetUpside pays cash for each gallon of gas you put in your car (up to $0.25 cents per gallon). This may not sound like a lot but it adds up, especially if you do a driving job or a side hustle like DoorDash.

How to get paid real money with the GetUpside app

Getting paid is simple. All you have to do is take a picture of your gas station receipt and send it through the app. The whole process takes seconds. You can then withdraw your earnings instantly with PayPal.

Ready to earn money at the pump?

Click here to download GetUpside and make money for putting gas in your car.

Drop

This next money app will give you free gift cards when you shop or go out to eat. It’s called Drop.

I’ve been using Drop for the last several months and have been amazed by what it does.

How does the Drop app work?

Basically, Drop turns your phone into a passive gift card earning machine!

After you download Drop, link up the debit or credit card you use to make your regular purchases to the app. Then, select 5 of your favorite stores. As you spend money at your 5 chosen stores, you will accumulate points that can be redeemed for gift cards of your choice.

The process really is that simple.

Once Drop is set up, the only time you’ll be opening it back up is to collect your free gift cards!

Click here to download Drop and start earning gift cards for free.

Best Apps to Make Money

Merchandiser

Merchandiser by Survey.com is a microwork app that pays you to mystery shop.

The way you make money is by mystery shopping and completing simple tasks at retail stores. Examples include: taking pictures of merchandise or checking to make sure merchandise is set up properly on its shelf. Easy.

Depending on your area, you can realistically expect to earn between $500 to $1200 per month doing shopping jobs in your spare time. 

There are three pay periods per month. Typically, you will get paid 7 days after you upload your completed shopping job. 

Click here to create a free account on Merchandiser.

Userfeel

Userfeel is a company that pays you $10 test websites from your smartphone (or computer).

This isn’t as complicated as it sounds. Let me explain.

A website tester on Userfeel performs simple tasks on a website such as going through an online checkout process, clicking buttons, etc. By doing this, you can detect any usability issues and report them. This helps the website owner improve the user experience on their website.

You will need a microphone to give your feedback as you go through the website. Each website test takes about 10-20 minutes, and you will need to record your screen.

Upon completion of a test(s), Userfeel will pay you in PayPal cash, Payoneer, or Amazon gift cards within a week. You can pick any of the three depending on your preference.

Click here to become a tester on Userfeel

OfferUp

Do you have any items laying that you never use?

You can use this next money app to turn them into extra cash.

The OfferUp app is a marketplace for you to sell items to people in your local area. All you have to do is snap pictures of what you want to sell, upload the pictures along with a description, and wait for offers to come in.

Once you have accepted an offer, you have two options:

You can meet the buyer in person so they inspect the item. If they like it, they will pay you right there.

Ship the item to the buyer. Upon arrival, they have two days to verify that the item is fine. You will be paid into your bank account or debit card within 5 business days upon verification. 

Download OfferUp for free here.

Best Apps for Jobs

Steady

If you need stable extra income or an easy side job, then you need to download this free app called Steady right now.

What is the Steady app?

Steady is a relatively new app for small jobs and side hustles. The Steady founders created the app with the mission of helping people like us find consistent work and money-making opportunities in uncertain times.  Those opportunities are compiled from legit online sources into Steady’s clean interface for easy browsing.

If you’ve been looking endlessly for an easy work from home job or side hustle. I wish I knew about it when I was in need of another job.

How much can I make on Steady?

I’ve seen gigs and jobs payout as much as $26 bucks an hour (with most averaging about 14 bucks an hour). Having said that, the amount of money you make will depend on what kind of skills you have and the number of hours you’re willing to work.

How to use Steady to find a side job

Steady is simple to use.

All you have to do is download the app here, create your free account, browse the work at home job or gig opportunities and start applying. It’s much easier than applying for side jobs the old-fashioned way or looking for a side job on your own!

TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit was one of my biggest lifesavers during my financial struggle, and the best app for small jobs.

Once I downloaded TaskRabbit and got confirmed to be a tasker, I was able to make money doing small jobs (known as tasks) around my local area in days. I even met a few people along the way (one client eventually became a friend of mine).

You’re also able to do tasks on your own schedule which is crucial if you’re crunched for time.

After you finish a task, it takes a few days for TaskRabbit to charge the client you worked for and send you the cash. But, if you hustle and work several quick jobs, you can see payments every single day.

When you first start out, expect to make a couple $100 bucks a week.  But, it’s not unheard of to make close to $2000 per week after becoming efficient at your tasks.

Best Borrowing Money Apps

Earnin

After clocking out at your job, do you often think “I need cash now” and don’t want to wait till payday? Well, there’s this awesome new app I’ve been using that doesn’t cost a penny. It’s called Earnin.

What is the Earnin App?

Earnin is a borrowing money app that pays you today for the hours you’ve already put in at your job or side hustle. There are no hidden costs, fees, or interest of any kind. You read that right! Earnin is able to provide free payday loans because they are supported by tips and donations by its loyal userbase. If you’re in an unexpected money crunch right now, Earnin is a real lifesaver.

Click here to download the Earnin app and create your free account.

How to use the Earnin App to borrow money at no cost or interest

• Download the Earnin mobile app here and sign up for a free account.
• Connect the bank account you receive your direct deposits or paychecks in.
• Take a picture of your work schedule or time sheet to verify your working hours.
• Borrow up to $100 before your next payday (up to $500 as an experienced user). You may tip any amount of money you’d like (even if that amount is $0).
• When your paycheck is deposited into your bank account, Earnin will automatically withdraw the amount of money you borrowed.

That’s it! It’s a really simple and safe process.

The Earnin app has a 4.5+ rating across the Android and iPhone app stores with over 300,000 reviews. Not to mention, the fact that so many people tip to keep the app alive really highlights its effectiveness.

Get your paycheck today with the free Earnin app by clicking here.

Cash App

Besides PayPal, Cash App is one of the best money apps for borrowing money or receiving money. In fact, I’m starting to prefer using Cash App over other payment apps at this point.

Cash App is free to use, and you can send or receive money for free to friends, family, co-workers, etc. in most cases.

Aside from that, the main difference between Cash App and other person-to-person payment apps is that you can purchase, accept and send cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. Cryptocurrency usage is only getting more popular and mainstream, so this feature is a big deal!

Another cool thing is that Cash App will pay you $5 for every friend you refer that sends $5 or more from the app within 14 days of downloading the app.

Click here to download Cash App for free

Frequently Asked Questions about money making apps

What are the best money making apps for 2021?

This depends on what you’re looking for. If you need a low effort way to make quick cash, I recommend SurveyJunkie, or Qmee. If you’re looking for apps to make

Are there money making apps for iPhone?

Yes. All of the apps on this list are compatible with iPhone.

What is the best borrowing money app?

Hand downs, the best borrowing money app is Earnin. There are no fees of any kind, and you can borrow up to $500 between now and payday.

What are the fastest payout apps?

Without a doubt. that would be SurveyJunkie and Qmee. Both of them offer instant PayPal cashouts and have sign up bonuses on top of that.

How do I get free cash app money in 2021?

There are two ways to get legit free money on cash app. You can refer a friend and get $5 when they make their first transaction. The other way is to be apart of Cash App Fridays.

Are there any apps that pay instantly via PayPal?

SurveyJunkie and Qmee offer instant cash out with PayPal.

Do any of these money apps charge a fee to use?

No. All of the apps in this post are free.