Want to turn the tide on creating some extra income in 2025? The rise of money-making apps has made it easier than ever to earn extra cash from the comfort of your home. Reward and survey apps deliver $225–$1,000 monthly for consistent effort. Freelance platforms push earnings to $2,000–$10,000+ for skilled professionals who commit 20–40 hours weekly. Full-time gig workers average $5,120 per month.
Beyond the flexible ways to earn extra income, these apps also give us some perspectives of consumer’s spending habit and market trends. Using the right app will turn your spare time into a profitable side gig. Designveloper’ve compiled over 30+ best apps to make money in 2025 so you can check out the perfect fit for you.
We focused on platforms with verified payouts, strong security, and sustained user trust. Readers gain clear, actionable options backed by current data from sources, and real user reports. Ready to get started?
Upwork leads freelance marketplaces. It connects professionals to clients for hourly or fixed-price projects across 500+ categories including software development, UI/UX design, and digital marketing.

How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal, direct bank transfer, wire transfer, Payoneer. Payouts weekly or bi-weekly; no minimum for direct deposit.
Fiverr operates as a gig marketplace where sellers create fixed-price services starting at $5 but scaling to thousands via packages and extras. It favors creative and digital services including graphic design, video editing, coding, and voiceovers.

How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal, Payoneer, bank transfer. Funds clear after 14 days (7 days for top sellers).
Freelancer.com runs bid-and-contest marketplace with millions of posted jobs worldwide. It covers the same categories as Upwork but features unique contests that reward winning entries.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal, wire transfer, Skrill. Payouts on demand; small minimums apply.
Toptal screens rigorously and accepts only the top 3% of applicants. It connects elite developers, designers, product managers, and finance experts to Fortune 500 and startups.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: Wire transfer, Payoneer, Wise. Weekly payouts; no minimum.
FlexJobs curates verified remote and flexible jobs with a paid subscription ($24.95/month). It lists full-time, part-time, and freelance roles in tech, marketing, and writing.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: Depends on employer (direct deposit common).
Rover connects pet sitters, dog walkers, and boarders with pet owners. It operates in neighborhoods with background checks and insurance.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: Direct deposit via Stripe, paid within days.
TaskRabbit matches “Taskers” with people who need help with moving, assembly, mounting, handyman work, and errands. Tech-savvy Taskers often get IKEA furniture builds and home office setups.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: Direct deposit, paid 1–3 days after task.
Turo operates as the “Airbnb for cars.” Owners list vehicles and renters book them for days or weeks. It provides up to $750k insurance and handles payments.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: Direct deposit, paid 3 days after trip ends.
FURTHER READING: |
1. How to Create a Dating App for Free in 5 Steps |
2. Why Should You Develop Mobile Applications in Vietnam? |
3. 11 Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Apps |
Swagbucks rewards users for everyday online activities through points redeemable for cash or gift cards. It combines surveys, video watching, game playing, web searches, and cashback shopping.

How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal cash, Amazon/Visa gift cards. Minimum $3–$5; payouts process in days.
InboxDollars pays actual cash for surveys, reading emails, watching videos, and shopping. It offers a no-points system — earnings show in dollars from day one.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: Check, PayPal, e-cards. Minimum $15 for first payout, then $10.
FreeCash pays instantly for testing apps, playing games, and completing offers. It features lightning-fast withdrawals and leaderboard bonuses.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal, Bitcoin, Litecoin, gift cards. Instant from $0.10.
Survey Junkie delivers only paid surveys with transparent point values and qualification rates. It aggregates panels for higher volume.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal, bank transfer, gift cards. Minimum $5.
KashKick pays cash for surveys, games, and offers with no points system. It features straightforward dashboard and quick approvals.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal only. Minimum $10.
MyPoints combines shopping cashback with surveys and daily activities since 1996. It owns by same company as Swagbucks but focuses more on shopping rewards.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal, gift cards. Minimum $3–$5.
Fetch scans any receipt for points on thousands of brands. It requires zero offer clipping — just snap and earn.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: Gift cards (Amazon, Target, Visa). Minimum 3,000 points ($3).
Ibotta gives cashback on specific grocery and retail items after purchase proof. It works at thousands of stores with browser extension for online.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal, bank, gift cards. Minimum $20.
Rakuten pays quarterly cashback at 1,000+ stores with rates up to 15%+. It sends actual checks or PayPal (“Big Fat Check”).
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal or check quarterly.
Upside offers cashback at gas stations, groceries, and restaurants up to 25¢ per gallon. It shows personalized offers by location.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal, bank, gift cards. Minimum $10.
Mistplay rewards Android users for playing new games with gift cards. It tracks playtime and milestones.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: Gift cards (Amazon, Visa, Google Play).
Scrambly pays cash for app testing, surveys, and games on iOS. It features instant PayPal payouts and high offer values.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal instant from $1.
DoorDash dominates restaurant food delivery with the largest market share in most cities. Drivers pick up and drop off orders while the app handles routing and payments.

How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: Weekly direct deposit or Fast Pay daily ($1.99 fee). No minimum.
Uber combines rideshare with Uber Eats delivery in one app. Drivers switch between passenger trips and food orders instantly.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: Instant Pay up to 6x/day ($0.85 fee) or weekly deposit.
Lyft focuses on rideshare with friendlier driver interface and bonus structures. It often matches or beats Uber surge in select markets.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: Express Pay multiple times daily ($0.50–$3 fee) or weekly.
Instacart pays shoppers to buy and deliver groceries from stores like Costco and Kroger. Full-service batches include shopping; delivery-only is lighter work.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: Instant Cashout daily ($0.50 fee) or weekly.
Amazon Flex delivers packages in reserved time blocks with fixed hourly rates. Drivers use personal vehicles for Prime Now, Fresh, and warehouse routes.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: Direct deposit twice weekly. No fees.
Nielsen pays users to install its passive tracking software on phones, tablets, and computers for anonymous market research. The app runs silently in the background and rewards participation with gift cards and sweepstakes entries.

How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: Amazon, Visa, Mastercard gift cards. Automatic quarterly redemption.
Acorns rounds up every purchase and invests the spare change into diversified ETF portfolios. It also offers Found Money cashback from 300+ partners and automated recurring investments.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: Direct to investment account (withdraw anytime). Investments carry market risk.
Foap is a stock photo marketplace where users upload phone photos that brands buy for $10+ each (photo can sell multiple times). Missions pay $50–$500 per selected image.

How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal twice monthly via PayPal. Minimum $5.
Arrived lets users buy fractional shares in single-family rental properties starting at $100. Properties pay quarterly dividends from rental income and appreciate over time.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: Direct bank deposit quarterly.
Tapestri pays for anonymous location data while the app runs in background. No battery drain issues reported in 2025.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal monthly.
Honeygain shares unused internet bandwidth with businesses for market intelligence. Runs on computers, phones, and Docker, even Raspberry Pi.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal, Bitcoin, JumpTask. Minimum $20.
Sweatcoin tracks steps and converts them into currency for marketplace rewards, gift cards, or PayPal cash (via partnerships). Premium version removes ads and doubles earnings.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal cash (limited), gift cards, marketplace items.
Solitaire Cash runs competitive Klondike tournaments on iOS and Samsung devices. Players race to clear decks fastest for prize shares.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal, Apple Pay, Venmo (US). Minimum $5; $1 fee; 2–7 days.
Bingo Cash speeds up bingo with daub races on dropping balls. Multiplayer tourneys award points for bingos and speed.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal or payment method refund. Minimum $5; $1 fee; 2 business days typical.
VYBS rewards Android users for hitting milestones in assigned games. No deposits; play to unlock levels for points.
How to earn:
Earning potential:
Payment methods: PayPal, gift cards (Amazon, Walmart). Minimum $5–$10; quick process.
After testing 30+ apps hands-on in 2025, Designveloper ranks them by one simple rule: real money in your bank account divided by real time spent. Everything else is noise. The apps that survive our team’s weekly payouts are the only ones listed above.
Here are the five criteria we actually use every single day:
| Earning Method | Time Investment | Potential Monthly Income | Difficulty |
| Freelance Apps | 10–40 hrs/week | $1,500–$10,000+ | Medium–High |
| Survey & Cashback Apps | 5–15 hrs/week | $200–$1,200 | Easy |
| Delivery & Rideshare | 20–50 hrs/week | $2,000–$7,000 gross | Easy–Medium |
| Passive Income Apps | <2 hrs/month setup | $100–$900 | Very Easy |
| Gaming Apps | 8–20 hrs/week | $100–$500 net | Medium |
Scams have never been more polished. In 2025 the worst ones look exactly like the real apps until you try to cash out. Our team lost $180 total before creating this red-flag checklist — now we lose $0.
Never download an app that shows any of these:
How to verify legitimacy in under 60 seconds:
Yes. Skilled freelancers on Upwork or Toptal regularly clear $100–$300 daily. Delivery drivers on DoorDash and Uber Eats hit $100+ during dinner rushes in busy cities. Most casual users earn $20–$50 per day combining surveys, tasks, and cashback apps. Consistency and using 3–5 apps simultaneously determines the difference.
Upwork and Toptal pay the highest for skilled work — top developers and designers exceed $150/hour. For non-skilled users, Freecash, Scrambly, and InboxDollars currently offer the best dollar-per-hour rates on offers and surveys in 2025.
No. Every legitimate app on this list stays free to download and use. Any app demanding upfront fees or “investment” is a scam. Skip it.
PayPal offers instant access to cash with no fees on most apps. Gift cards (Amazon, Visa) sometimes give 10–20% bonus value, making them better for heavy users who shop at those retailers.
Freecash, Scrambly, and most delivery apps pay same-day or instant. Survey apps like Survey Junkie and Swagbucks take 1–7 days. Upwork pays weekly or bi-weekly. Turo pays 3 days after rental ends.
Yes. The IRS treats all earnings as 1099 income. Apps paying over $600/year issue a 1099-K form. Track everything — even PayPal and Cash App payments count as taxable.
Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, InboxDollars, and Freecash have the lowest barriers and pay reliably for simple tasks. New users cash out within hours.
Yes — professionals do it. Run Honeygain or Pawns.app passively while doing surveys on Swagbucks and delivering with DoorDash on evenings. Many users run 4–6 apps and clear $1,000+ monthly without burnout.