15 Money Making Apps To Make Cash Fast

If you’re looking for an easy way to make a little bit of extra money, there are a number of mobile apps that are worthy of your attention.

While there are plenty of different apps that can help you to make or save money in different ways, some require more work and effort than others.

In this article, we’ll look at some of the best money making apps as well as apps that can help you to save money with only minimal effort.

While these apps will not make you rich or replace your income from a job, they’re great for some extra money. Each of these apps has the potential to help you get free money, and if you use several of the apps, the results can be pretty impressive.

We’ll take a look at the pros and cons of each app so you can decide which ones you want to try.

1. Drop

While there are a lot of different cash back apps to make money, Drop is among the easiest to use. After you sign up with Drop, you’ll link your credit and/or debit cards to the app. When you make a purchase at one of the stores/websites/restaurants that participate in their program, and you’ll earn cash back. The amount that you’ll earn will vary depending on where you make the purchase.

What makes Drop a great option is the ease of use. It takes just a minute to sign up and link your cards. You don’t need to clip coupons or scan receipts. Just make sure you have your cards linked and you can earn cash back.

Drop has some great partners like Walmart, Jet.com, Best Buy, Lyft, Uber, and many restaurants. With great partners and very little time needed to use the app, Drop is definitely one that you’ll want to try.

And if you want to significantly increase the amount that you earn with Drop, you can take advantage of special offers that are available in the app. For example, you may be able to earn points by installing apps or opening a bank account. There are all kinds of options, and many of these will allow you to rack up points quickly.

Points that you earn with Drop can be redeemed for your choice of gift cards. You can redeem points as soon as you get $5 worth of points (1,000 points = $1), but you’ll have more options if you wait to redeem for $10 or more.

Pros of Drop:

• Takes only a few minutes to set up
• Link your credit cards and you’re ready to start earning points
• They have a number of popular merchants that participate in the program
• Other offers allow you to earn even more points

Cons of Drop:

• You may have security concerns about linking your credit card to an app

Get Drop App

2. Dosh

Dosh is another cash back app that is similar to Drop. Just like Drop, you will link your credit and/or debit cards to the Dosh app. Whenever you make a purchase at a participating merchant, you’ll earn cash back.

While Drop uses a point system, Dosh does not. With Dosh you simply earn a percentage of cash back for each purchase and your account accumulates a cash balance.

Inside the app, you can see a list of participating stores and restaurants in your area, as well as the amount of cash back that you’ll earn. You can also earn cash back by making certain online purchases by clicking through the app to the merchant website (you actually need to click through the app, you won’t get credit just by making online purchases with your linked cards). Some of the highest-earning offers are from online purchases. Currently, there are not a lot of online offers available, but hopefully, that number will increase with time.

Pros of Dosh:

• Takes only a few minutes to set up
• Link your credit cards and you’re ready to start earning cash back
• Cash back offers on online purchases to earn more
• View offers in your local area

Cons of Dosh:

• You may have security concerns about linking your credit card to an app
• Not as many major retailers participate in the program, as compared to Drop

Get Dosh App

3. Trim

Trim is a popular app that can save you money with very little effort on your part. It works to save you money in a few different ways. First, after you sign up to Trim and link your accounts (banks and credit cards), it will analyze your expenses and look for recurring subscriptions that could be canceled or reduced.

The more powerful feature, in my opinion, is Trim’s bill negotiation service. Trim can work to lower your monthly bills by negotiating on your behalf for your cable, internet, and cell phone bills. They have a great track record of being able to reduce bills, and they actually were successful at lowering my own Comcast bill.

There is no cost to try Trim. If they are able to lower your bill through their negotiation service, they’ll keep 33% of the difference of what you would save over the course of a year. So if they lower your bill by $10 per month (a savings of $120 over the course of a year), they will keep $40 and you’ll save $80. If they aren’t successful at reducing your bill, you won’t pay anything.

Pros of Trim:

• Takes just a few minutes to set up
• The potential savings are big since they are dealing with recurring bills
• Trim has a great track record with their bill negotiation
• No cost unless they save you money

Cons of Trim:

• You may have security concerns about linking your credit card or bank account to an app

Get Trim App

4. Paribus

Paribus is another app that can save you money with very little effort. All you need to do is sign up for Paribus and link it to the email address that you use for online purchases (like the email that is linked to your Amazon.com account).

When Paribus sees a receipt email for a purchase from particular retailers (including Amazon, Target, Walmart, and many others), it will try to find a lower price on the items that you’ve purchased. If it does find a lower price, Paribus will request a refund for the difference on your behalf.

Paribus will also monitor prices on hotel rooms booked through Hotels.com, Priceline, Expedia, and others. If the price drops, Paribus will help you to rebook to save money.

Possibly the best feature of Paribus is the shipment tracking. The app will track shipments from retailers like Amazon that offer a delivery guarantee. If the shipment is late, Paribus may be able to get you a free gift card or a free month of Prime.

I’ve personally been using Paribus for more than a year and it’s helped me to effortlessly get partial refunds for several different purchases. I haven’t had to do anything since the initial sign up.

Pros of Paribus:

• Takes just a minute to sign up and link your bank account
• Will get partial refunds for purchases with no effort on your part
• Will help you to get the lowest price on hotel rooms
• Tracks shipments from Amazon to make sure they arrive on time

Cons of Paribus:

• You may have security concerns about linking your email address to an app
• The potential savings is probably not as high as some of the other apps on this list

Sign Up For Paribus

5. Rakuten (formerly Ebates)

Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) is another one of the best apps that make you money. There are thousands of retailers that participate in their program and you can earn cash back from your purchases at these partners. The amount of cash back that you’ll earn will vary, but some of the offers are pretty significant. Even the smaller offers are still great because it’s an easy way to save on the things you need to buy anyway. Think of it like a cash back credit card program (and you can even stack it with rewards from a credit card to multiply the impact).

There are a lot of reasons to love Rakuten, and one of the biggest reasons is the huge number of retailers that participate in their program. Many of the websites that you use on a regular basis will offer cash back through Rakuten, so it’s an easy way to save.

Another awesome feature is the browser extension. You can quickly install the browser extension and it will notify you whenever you are browsing a website that offers cash back. All you need to do is click on the alert to activate Rakuten, and you’ll earn cash back if you make a purchase. The browser extension makes it super easy since you don’t need to go to Rakuten.com first before making a purchase.

Rakuten will also work to save you money by searching for coupon codes. When you are in the shopping cart, the browser extension will notify you if it is aware of a coupon code. In some cases, the savings from these coupons can be pretty big. And to make it better, you still earn cash back from the amount that you actually pay.

There are also some in-store cash back options available, but there are not that many of them yet. Hopefully, that will increase over time.

Pros of Rakuten:

• Save money on the purchases you need to make
• Thousands of online retailers offer cash back through Rakuten
• The browser extension makes it very easy to earn cash back
• Will also find coupon codes to save you more money
• Pays out in cash, not rewards or points

Cons of Rakuten:

• Not as many offers for cash back on in-store purchases

Get Rakuten Cash Back App

6. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a website and mobile app that allows you to make money in a few different ways. It’s often listed as one of the best money making apps for online surveys, but Swagbucks offers much more than just surveys. You can also earn points (they refer to them as Swagbucks or SB for short) for things like watching videos, playing games, and trying different offers. You can also use Swagbucks as a search engine and earn SB just by making searches.

There is also a cash back program that is similar to Rakuten. Swagbucks has thousands of partner websites and you can earn SB for making purchases at those partner stores. Like Rakuten, Swagbucks has a browser extension that will alert you to cash back offers. Sometimes you can earn more through Swagbucks, and sometimes you’ll earn more with Rakuten.

Another way to benefit from Swagbucks is by purchasing gift cards. You can purchase gift cards to many different websites, retailers, and restaurants to earn SB. It’s an easy way to earn SB for things you need to purchase anyway.

Once you have accumulated enough SB, you can redeem them for cash (through PayPal) or your choice of gift cards. In general, the conversion rate is 100 SB to $1, but there are usually some discounted offers that give you better rewards. For example, as I am writing this, gift cards to Amazon and Walmart are available at a 12% discount.

Because Swagbucks offers several different ways to earn SB, you can accumulate rewards pretty quickly. You could use it simply for the cash back on purchases you need to make, or you could dedicate a small amount of time to take surveys and do other things to earn more.

Pros of Swagbucks:

• Several different ways to earn/save
• Simple conversion ratio (100 SB = $1)
• Special promos that allow you to save even more
• Many different redemption options, including PayPal

Cons of Swagbucks:

• The many different options to earn SB can be a little overwhelming at first
• Some of the tasks, like watching videos and playing games, will earn you only a small amount

Get Swagbucks

7. InboxDollars

InboxDollars is another site/app that is similar to Swagbucks in some ways, and actually, InboxDollars was recently purchased by the same parent company that owns Swagbucks.

Like Swagbucks, InboxDollars allows you to earn in several different ways including taking online surveys, watching videos, and accepting special offers. Unlike Swagbucks, InboxDollars does not have a Rakuten-like cash back functionality.

Although InboxDollars is mostly known for surveys, if you want to maximize your income, you should check out the offers. There are often offers that allow you to earn a few dollars very easily for things like installing an app or trying some free offer. Sometimes a purchase will be required, but that’s not the case with all of the offers.

Another difference between Swagbucks and InboxDollars is that InboxDollars does not use a point system. Instead of using points, you’ll simply earn money for different tasks and accumulate a balance in your account.

When you have at least $30 in your account, you can request a payout by PayPal, gift card, or check. One of the downsides to InboxDollars is that you will be charged a $3 processing fee when you cash out.

Pros of InboxDollars:

• Several different ways to earn
• Uses cash balance instead of a point system
• You can get paid in cash

Cons of InboxDollars:

• You’ll need at least $30 in your account before you can redeem
• $3 processing fee is taken out of your payment
• Some of the tasks, like watching videos, pay very little

Get InboxDollars

8. MobileXpression

If you like easy money, you’ll want to consider MobileXpression. It’s definitely one of the top money making apps that requires next-to-no effort. If you sign up for an account and install the MobileXpression app on your mobile device, you can earn points for simply providing access to your browsing activities. MobileXpression is a research company that pays you for data.

After installing the app, all you need to do is occasionally open the app to claim the points that you earn. You’ll earn 5 points per week. When you have 30 points, you can redeem them for a $5 gift card. If you wait until you have 50 points, you can redeem them for a $10 gift card. If you wait to get 5o points, it will take you 10 weeks to earn a $10 gift card, so you can earn about $50 in gift cards per year, per device.

When you redeem the points, you’ll be able to choose from several different gift cards. I’ve personally been using MobileXpression for a year and I’ve earned $50 in gift cards to Amazon. There’s really nothing to it except installing the app and claiming your points. If you don’t mind sharing your data (MobileXpression says they don’t collect any sensitive personal data), it’s an easy way to earn some gift cards.

Pros of MobileXpression:

• Takes very little time or effort
• Nothing you need to do except install the app and claim the points
• Redeem points for your choice of gift cards
• Install on multiple devices for more rewards

Cons of MobileXpression: 

• You may have security concerns allowing access to your browsing history
• Not all mobile devices are supported

Get MobileXpression

9. Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel

Nielsen is another research company that is willing to pay you for access to your browsing history. You may be familiar with the Nielsen TV ratings, and this app is owned by the same company.

You can install the app on your mobile devices and earn rewards for participating in the program. Like MobileXpression, Nielsen claims to not collect any sensitive personal data.

You can earn about $50 per year, per device for participating.

Pros of Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel:

• Takes very little time or effort
• Earn about $50 per year
• Install on multiple devices for more rewards

Cons of Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel:

• You may have security concerns allowing access to your browsing history
• Not all mobile devices are supported

Get Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel

10. Ibotta

Ibotta is a popular cash back app that is different from any of the other apps that we’ve looked at so far. Once you have signed up an installed Ibotta, you can see many different cash back offers. You can browse the offers by store. Most of the offers will involve cash back for purchasing a specific product, but some will allow you to get cash back for buying any brand of a type of product (like any brand of milk) or for any purchase at a certain store.

After you’ve made the purchase, you can use your phone to scan the receipt and upload it to the app to get credit. Some stores also allow you to link a loyalty rewards card to Ibotta, which eliminates the need to scan the receipts.

There are also some offers for online purchases. To get cash back for those, you will need to click through the app and make the purchase.

Ibotta is great for saving money on grocery shopping because there are a lot of different grocery offers. There are also offers from other types of retailers, but groceries is where you can save the most.

Once you have earned $20, you can cash out by PayPal or Venmo, or you can choose from many different gift cards.

Pros of Ibotta:

• Easy way to save money on groceries and other purchases
• A lot of available offers at many different stores and retailers
• New offers each week
• Redeem for cash or gift cards

Cons of Ibotta:

• Does require a small amount of effort since you’ll need to claim the offers that you want.

Get Ibotta

11. Earny

Earny is similar to Paribus, but there are some key differences. Like Paribus, Earny will link to your email address and automatically look for lower prices on your purchases from stores/websites that offer a low-price guarantee.  When it finds a lower price, Earny will request a partial refund on your behalf.

Also like Paribus, Earny watches for price drops on hotel bookings.

One cool feature Earny offers that Paribus currently does not is price protection from credit cards. Earny will look for lower prices on purchases made with Citibank credit cards and some Mastercards. All you have to do is add your card and Earny will do the work for you.

The downside to Earny (compared to Paribus) is that it does not currently track shipments to make sure that they arrive on time. If you are an Amazon Prime member and you make a lot of purchases on Amazon, that may be a reason why you would want to go with Paribus over Earny.

Pros of Earny:

• Quick and easy to set up, and then it runs with no effort needed
• Get easy partial refunds when prices drop
• Be assured that your hotel bookings are at the lowest price
• Take advantage of price protection available through some credit cards

Cons of Earny:

• You may have security concerns about linking your email address to an app
• The potential savings is probably not as high as some of the other apps on this list

Get Earny Price Protection

12. Shopkick

Shopkick is a cash back app that allows you to earn points (they call them “kicks”) in a lot of different ways. You can earn kicks for purchasing with a linked card, submitting receipts, and making online purchases.

What makes Shopkick unique is that you can also earn kicks from things like simply walking into a store, scanning the barcodes of select products, and viewing certain products online.

Once you’ve earned some kicks, you can redeem them for gift cards at your choice of retailers, including Amazon.

Pros of Shopkick:

• A lot of different ways to earn points
• Some unique options that you won’t find with most cash back apps, like getting points for walking into stores
• Redeem for your choice of gift cars

Cons of Shopkick:

• Having a lot of different ways to earn can make the app a little confusing or overwhelming at first

Get Shopkick

13. MyPoints

MyPoints is very similar to Swagbucks, and it’s actually owned by the same parent company. Like Swagbucks, MyPoints allows you to earn in a lot of different ways, like taking surveys, watching videos, playing games, and even by printing coupons.

Also like Swagbucks, MyPoints has functionality that makes it possible to earn cash back for purchases that you make through partner websites (and they have a huge number of partners). They also have a browser extension that will alert you of cash back opportunities while you are browsing.

MyPoints uses a point system, but the conversion to dollars is not as straightforward as some other apps. For example, a $3 gift card from Amazon will cost you 480 points. That means that you need to do a little bit of math to know the actual dollar value of the points your earning.

Your points can be redeemed for gift cards from many different merchants, and they are available for as little as $3.

Pros of MyPoints:

• Several different ways to earn/save
• Many different redemption options

Cons of MyPoints:

• The many different options to earn points can be a little overwhelming at first
• Some of the tasks, like watching videos and playing games, will earn you only a small amount
• The conversion of points to dollars is not as simple as some other apps

Get MyPoints

14. Raise

Raise is a website and app where people can sell their unwanted gift cards. You can buy those gift cards below face value and save money on things you need to buy anyway. For example, if you need to buy something from Lowe’s, you can check Raise and buy a gift card below face value, essentially saving money on something you were going to buy anyway.

The amount that you’ll save will vary depending on which cards you are buying. From my experience, the biggest savings are available on restaurant gift cards.

Raise offers a one-year money-back guarantee, so if you have a problem with any of the cards you buy, you can get your money back. While there are other sites that sell discounted gift cards, Raise has the best selection. The guarantee also sets it apart from some competitors.

Some of the gift cards are physical and will be mailed to you, but most of them are digital. You’ll receive the digital cards pretty quickly by email.

Raise often runs promos where you can save an additional percentage on any purchase, so those are great times to stock up.

Pros of Raise:

• Save money on purchases at a wide variety of stores, restaurants, and websites.
• Nice savings at many restaurants
• One-year money-back guarantee
• Purchase gift cards with a cash back credit card to stack the savings

Cons of Raise:

• The percentage discount at some popular stores is pretty small

Get Raise

15. Sweatcoin

Sweatcoin is an app that will pay you for walking. It uses your smartphone to track and count your steps, and you’ll earn cryptocurrency called Sweatcoin for your outdoor steps.

You can then redeem your Sweatcoin for your choice of rewards, and the available rewards change frequently.

You’re not going to make a ton of money with Sweatcoin, but if you already do a lot of outdoor walking, why not install the app and make a little something extra?

Pros of Sweatcoin:

• Earn cryptocurrency for something you’re already doing

Cons of Sweatcoin:

• It will take a long time to accumulate a significant amount

Get Sweatcoin

Bonus Money Making Apps

In addition to the apps above, here are some other apps we’ve had good luck using.

• Upside (Cash back on gas, restaurants)
• Steady app (Find side hustles to make income)
• ReceiptPal (Scan receipts, earn rewards)
• CoinOut (Scan receipts, earn cash)
• Pei (Get cash back on spending)
• Fetch Rewards (Scan receipts earn gift cards)
• Mistplay (Play games and earn gift cards)
• Gamehag (Play games and earn gift cards)
• Trunow (Cash back on gas)
• Honey (Cash back on shopping)
• Capital One Shopping (Earn points on shopping and buy gift cards.)
• Dabbl (Surveys, offers and more)

Choose The Best Money Making Apps And Get Started

Now that we’ve looked at 15 different apps that make it easy to earn or save money, all you need to do is select a few apps and get started.

Pick apps that seem like a good fit for you and take action to get started today.

Have your own favorite money making apps? Tell us what they are in the comments!