Best Money-Making Apps in 2023

The best money-making apps allow users to earn extra money to supplement their income, pay off their debt, and even make a life-time living. Through a simple sign-up process on any of these apps, you can work on your own time while receiving fast and easy payment. Below are the best money-making apps in 2023

1. Rakuten

Formally called Ebates, Rakuten rewards shoppers with cash back when they buy from well-known restaurants, retailers, and food delivery services. The app also pays cash back on gift cards and travel among others.

Rakuten earns commissions from stores and other listed businesses for referring customers to buy their products or service. It is this commission that the app shares with the shoppers. 

To use Rakuten, simply download the app, create an account, go into the app portal and tap on the store where you want to shop. You can then complete the transaction from the portal and claim your cash reward.

Rakuten users can also link their credit or debit card to their accounts and claim their rewards in-store. The rewards are credited to the user’s account after Rakuten confirms the transaction with the retailer. This may take between a few hours to a couple of days.

Rakuten users earn rewards in form of PayPal payments or “Big Fat Check.”

Pros

• Thousands of stores listed and several purchases qualify for cash back
• The app pays a $10 welcome bonus to all new users on their first qualified purchase
• Pays sign-up and referral bonuses
• Allows users to donate their cash back rewards to nonprofit partners

Cons

• Users have to spend more to earn any significant rewards for redeeming
• Users have to always initiate the purchase from the app to qualify for reward, which many users forget
• Rewards may take up to a few days to be credited into the user’s account

2. Foap

Foap is an online marketplace that allows its users to upload photos and videos and sell them. The app also has partnerships with well-known brands, such as Sony Mobile, McDonald’s and Volvo cars, who purchase media from Foap users for promotional use.

One does not need to be a professional photographer to earn from Foap. However, taking quality photos increases your chances of earning from the app. To use Foap, create an account on the app and start selling your best images or videos. You can set your own pricing with 50% of all sales going directly to you.

In the Foap App, companies can use a feature called Missions to list and describe the kind of photo or video they want. A photographer who takes up the “Mission” and delivers the required photo or video earns the dollar rewards attached to the Mission. When a brand purchases your image or video, the money will be deposited into your PayPal account after five business days.

Pros:

• Allows users to set their own pricing and earn 50% of all sales

• Has partnerships with well-known brands and companies, increasing the chances of getting hired
• Missions feature enables users to take up tasks from companies and earn dollar rewards

Cons:

• Competition is stiff as there are numerous users competing for Missions
• Users may have to wait a few days for payment processing.

3. Ibotta

Ibotta is another best money-making app that offers cash rewards to its users for buying grocery items from partner stores. The app pays when you purchase products from over 1,500 stores and restaurants, such as Amazon, Walmart, Starbucks, Target, and many more.

To use Ibotta, create an account on the app and activate the offers you want before going shopping or making restaurant orders. You can also link your loyalty accounts linked with the retailer or restaurant to get additional bonuses. Some of Ibotta’s best features include access to exclusive deals that are not available in other places and a $20 welcome bonus for every new user who activates their first offer within two weeks of signing up.

To redeem your rewards, you can transfer them to a PayPal or Venmo account or use them for online purchases. You may also donate the cash rewards to charities of your choice.

Pros

• It pays users up to $20 welcome bonus on activating their first offer in two weeks
• Offers exclusive deals that cannot be found elsewhere
• Allows users to redeem their cash rewards through PayPal, Venmo, and other services

Cons

• The app has limited stores and restaurants compared to other best money-making apps
• Rewards take several days to be credited into the user’s account.

4. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is best known for the cashback rewards it offers users when they shop online. You can also earn by taking surveys, watching videos, and playing games on their app.

To start earning with Swagbucks, create an account on their app and start participating in activities that will earn you points called SBs. Redeem your SBs as gift cards to over 1,500 retailers or as PayPal cash deposits or direct bank transfers.

Swagbucks also pays sign-up and referral bonuses to its active users. To get a bonus of $10 for every referral that signs up using your link, share your link through email or social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. You may also donate the earned SBs to charities of your choice.

Pros

• Earn SBs when you shop online, take surveys, watch videos and play games
• Redeem SBs as PayPal cash deposits or direct bank transfers
• Offers sign-up and referral bonuses for active users

Cons

• Cashback rewards may be limited depending on the retailer from which you purchase items
• Users have complained about glitches in the app.

5. Upwork

Upwork is best known for the freelance jobs that it offers and is one of the best money-making apps allowing users to earn real money. It enables freelancers to get hired by clients and get paid for completing tasks. Freelancers set their own hourly rate or negotiate on a project-based fee and start earning as soon as they are accepted for a job.

The best feature of Upwork is its ability to facilitate payment in different currencies and cross-border payments, making it easier for users from different countries to get paid easily. Upwork charges transaction fees up to 20% depending on the user’s package, with higher packages having lower fees.

Pros

• Offers access to numerous freelance jobs
• Enables payment in different currencies and cross-border payments
• Offers different packages with lower fees for users with higher packages

Cons

• Transaction fees may be up to 20%, depending on the user’s package.
• Users have complained about the complexity of setting up an account on Upwork.

6. Fiverr

Fiverr is best known for the freelance services it offers to users and is one of the best money-making apps you can try out. It’s a platform that connects freelancers with clients who need help completing tasks from more than 200 categories, ranging from graphic design and writing to web development and music production.

Users also called “Sellers”, create their own accounts and specify the services they offer and their areas of expertise. Sellers then post their gigs and all the details including a description of the services and pricing. Pricing generally ranges from $5 to $995 depending on the nature of the project. In the app, clients are internally called “Buyers”

Sellers are assigned levels based on their performance with high-ranking sellers allowed to sell more projects.

You can set your own rates or negotiate on project-based fees when you get hired by a client. Fiverr also offers payment protection which ensures that you get paid on time for the work you do.

Pros

• Offers access to numerous freelance services
• Enables payment protection which ensures timely payments for completed tasks
• Freelancers are able to set their own rates and negotiate on project-based fees

Cons

• It may be difficult to find high-paying freelance jobs on Fiverr.
• Fiverr charges transaction fees up to 20%.

7. Uber

Uber is best known for its ride-hailing service, but it also has a feature that allows users to become drivers and make money. It is one of the best money-making apps that allows users to earn a real income.

Uber drivers are independent contractors who set their own hours and have the freedom to choose where they want to drive and when they want to be online.

Drivers can sign up in the app by submitting information such as driver’s license, insurance, vehicle registration number and bank account details. After signing up, drivers can start accepting rides from passengers within 30 minutes. They then get paid after every ride according to the price of the ride and any tips given by passengers.

Pros

• Allows users to become independent contractors with flexible hours
• Enables drivers to get paid after every ride
• Provides additional income opportunities with incentives and bonuses

Cons

• The amount of money made per ride is determined by the fare, which can be quite low.
• There have been reports of glitches in the app which has caused delays for drivers.

8. Acorns

Acorns is an investment app that allows users to invest their spare change. It rounds up all purchases made through linked credit or debit cards and invests these small amounts into a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds so you can start growing your wealth with minimal effort.

You can link multiple cards to your account and set a monthly limit on how much you want to invest. You can also set up recurring investments and withdrawal funds whenever you need them. The app also has a feature that allows users to track their portfolio performance in real time and get detailed insights into their spending habits.

Pros

• Enables users to start investing with minimal effort
• Provides a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds
• Offers real-time tracking of investments and detailed insights into spending habits

Cons

• The amount invested per month is determined by the user, which means it can be quite low.
• Acorns charges fees from 0.25% to 0.5% depending on the type of account.

9. OfferUp

OfferUp is an online marketplace app where people can buy and sell items directly to each other. It is one of the best money-making apps where you ca earn some extra dollars. With the app, users can post pictures of their items, set prices and descriptions, and then wait for others to make bids or offers.

The best part about OfferUp is that it allows users to negotiate prices on their listings. This gives buyers more flexibility when making purchases and also helps sellers maximize their profits. In addition, OfferUp provides a secure platform for transactions as all payments are done within the app using Stripe.

Pros

• Offers an easy way for people to buy and sell items directly with each other
• Allows users to negotiate prices on listed items
• Provides a secure platform for transactions

Cons

• It can be difficult to find buyers or sellers depending on the item and location.
• The app charges fees of up to 9% of the transaction amount.

10. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is an online survey app that allows users to take surveys and earn money in return. The app has thousands of surveys from different companies, so there’s always something to do. Each survey typically takes 10-15 minutes to complete and pays anywhere from $0.50 to $30 depending on the length and difficulty of the survey.

The best part about Survey Junkie is that it allows users to cash out their earnings via PayPal or eGift cards for popular retailers such as Amazon and Target. Users can also choose to donate their earnings to charities if they wish.

Pros

• Provides a large selection of surveys with varying rewards
• Allows users to cash out via PayPal or eGift cards
• Offers the option to donate earnings to charities

Cons

• Survey rewards are typically low.
• It can take a long time for surveys to be approved and paid out.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the best money-making apps available today. Whether you’re looking to make some extra cash on the side or build up your retirement fund, there’s an app for that. With so many options, it can be difficult to determine which apps are best suited to meet your needs. Be sure to do some research before investing in any app and always read the terms and conditions before signing up.