The Best Apps to Make Money Fast

Sometimes, for any number of reasons, you can find yourself in a situation where money is a little tight. Finding extra work can take time, but you have bills to pay now. If that’s the case, you may be wondering how to make some quick cash.

You always have your phone with you, so why not use it for some extra income? None of these apps will make you a millionaire, but they can provide some help when things are dry.

Whether you’re in between jobs or just want some more spending cash, here are the best apps to make money fast.

1. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is probably your best bet for making quick money with nothing more than an app. The concept is as straightforward as it gets: You get paid for taking surveys about products and services. In exchange for your opinions, you’ll earn points you can redeem for gift cards or cash.

Signing up is free and quick. It’ll take you less than five minutes to complete a survey, and some of them pay up to $50 apiece. All in all, you can make more money in less time with Survey Junkie than any other app.

2. Swagbucks

Like Survey Junkie, Swagbucks pays you for taking surveys, but it also offers more options. You can also watch videos, shop online and play games to earn money. You can even make $5 just for signing up on the app.

Swagbucks pays out in gift cards to stores like Amazon and Target or through PayPal. Activities on the app pay up to $35 each, which is not as much as Survey Junkie but is still a fair amount. The sheer number of ways you can earn on Swagbucks makes it one of the best apps to make money fast.

3. Wikibuy

Wikibuy helps you get money in two ways: cash rewards and savings on purchases. It’s an app and browser extension that lets you compare prices across different sites and offers rewards on some items. As you shop, you’ll earn credits that you can redeem for gift cards, like an internet-wide loyalty card.

Since Wikibuy gives you credits for spending, you have to be careful not to buy more in hopes of earning more. If you just use it for things you were going to buy anyway, though, it can lead to considerable savings. Wikibuy is an excellent source of passive income but may take longer to pay off than other options.

4. Robinhood

You’re probably aware of how profitable the stock market can be, but getting started can be intimidating. Robinhood is a commission-free investing app that can help you with that. When you sign up, Robinhood will give you a free share of Apple, Microsoft or Facebook.

You can get a share worth up to $200 for free, and then you can invest more if you want. There are no minimum investment requirements and no fees, making the app 100% free. Your shares may take longer to pay out than other options, but you can make quite a bit.

5. MyPoints

Like Wikibuy, MyPoints will give you rewards for shopping online on sites like Amazon and eBay. After you make your first purchase, you’ll get a $10 Amazon or Visa gift card. When you start accumulating points, you can choose to get paid either in cash or in gift cards.

You can also earn points on MyPoints by answering surveys, playing games and watching videos. Just be careful that you don’t spend more than you’ll receive in return.

6. Acorns

Acorns is another investing app, but unlike Robinhood, it makes automatic investments for you. Once you connect Acorns to your card, every time you make a purchase, it will round up to the nearest dollar and invest that amount. For example, if you spend $4.50 on a drink, Acorns will invest the 50 cents needed to round up to $5.

These investments are small, but they add up over time since you spend money everywhere. Unlike most of the other apps on here, Acorns isn’t free, but it costs just $1 to $5 a month. If you don’t mind that subscription, it’s still one of the best apps to make money fast.

7. Ibotta

Ibotta is a shopping rewards app that gives you points for buying things both online and in-store. Ibotta’s list of supported retailers includes plenty of big names, like Target, Walmart, Best Buy and Amazon. No matter where you do your shopping, you can earn cash back.

Like the other rewards apps in this list, you can exchange your Ibotta rewards for gift cards or cash. It’s also 100% free, and you can even earn a $20 bonus when you sign up. 

Make Some Money in Quarantine

No matter your financial situation, you probably have some extra time on your hands right now. One of the best ways to spend that time is by using your phone to make some quick cash. Use one or even several of these apps to earn some money.