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Best Passive Income Apps
Fundrise
Invest in real estate properties with a $10 minimum initial investment
Historical annual return varies from 8.8% to 12.4% (2019 – 9.47%)
Low annual fees: advisory – 0.15%; management fee – 0.85%
Public App
Manage your portfolio of stocks, ETFs, and crypto investments – all in one place
Over 5000 stocks and ETFs to choose from (dividend stocks available)
Follow other investors, see their portfolios, and exchange ideas
Acorns
Invest your spare change in a diversified portfolio built by experts
Expect up to 7.5% annually returns with plans starting from $3 a month
Earn bonus investments from 350+ Acorns Earn partners
28 Best Passive Income Apps
PrizeRebel – Refer Your Friends
PrizeRebel Summary
- Up to $1 on average earnings per survey
- Earn as much as a few hundred each month
- Rewards are sent in 24 hours
- Up to 30% for referred user earnings
PrizeRebel is a leading paid online survey website that will pay you for sharing your opinion. Your feedback on the products and services you use can help businesses improve their products and services.
You can turn PrizeRebel into a source of passive income and earn up to $500 per month by referring your friends. Once your friends join the program, you will get at least 15% of all their earnings on the platform. The more friends you refer, the higher your income will be.
One of the best parts of this referral program is that the friends you refer will not experience lower earnings since the platform pays you directly.
Public – Become a Micro-Investor
Public App Summary
- Invest in stocks, ETFs, and crypto
- $0 commission fees for any stock trades
- Over 100 articles to learn about investing
- Low 1-2% commission for crypto trades
Public is one of the most popular apps you can download if you are interested in using investments as a way of generating passive income.
Public lets you invest in:
- Stocks – either the entire share or fractional shares
- Funds – invest in popular ETFs
One of the unique features of Public is that, unlike other micro-investing apps, it lets you connect with thought leaders within the app to learn about investing. If you are a beginner and wonder where to start, Public might be a good fit for you.
Nielsen – Share Your Behavioral Data
Nielsen Summary
- Earn up to $60/year by installing an app
- Earn up to $1000 from sweepstakes
- 15 different types of rewards
- Win up to $500 by downloading PC app
Nielsen is the most well-known market research firm worldwide. Although it specializes in tracking TV ratings, the company also offers the Nielsen Mobile & Computer Panel that gathers data about internet usage.
Once you register, you just have to keep the app installed and use your phone like you normally do. Nielsen keeps your privacy safe as it separates the information from your name.
You can earn up to $60 per year simply by sharing your behavioral data, which you cannot withdraw in cash but can exchange for physical prizes.
Although this may seem like a small amount, it is worth it since you do not need to do anything apart from downloading an app on your phone.
Acorns – Invest Your Loose Change
Acorns Summary
- Low account fees from just $3 per month
- Get $5 in your account for referrals
- Low minimum starting investment amount
- High average return on investments of 7.5%
Acorns is a micro-investing app that is most popular for its Round-Up investing system. It takes your spare change and invests it automatically. Every time you purchase something with a linked credit or debit card, Acorns rounds it up to the nearest dollar and invests the difference in stocks of your choice.
For example, let us say you spend $10.50 on a meal. Acorns will round this purchase up to $11 and invest the remaining $0.50. Over time, these investments can add up to a significant amount.
With Acorns, you can expect an average of 7.5% return on your investments annually.
Fundrise – Invest in Real Estate
Fundrise Summary
- Low minimum starting investment of $10
- High historical returns of 8.8% to 12.4%
- 1% of management fees
- Diverse portfolios of up to 16 investments
Real estate has always been one of the most profitable investment assets. Thus, you will find it in the portfolios of many successful investors. In addition, real estate is also known to generate the most passive income in the form of rental yields, and Fundrise is one of the best apps you can use to invest in real estate.
Fundrise is a crowdfunded investing platform that lets you invest your money in a portfolio of different properties. Portfolios have the potential to generate dividends quarterly, and shares in a portfolio can also grow in value over time.
On average, you can expect at least a 9% annual return when you invest with Fundrise. Simply download the app on Android or iOS to start investing. The app also provides insights like new construction updates, occupancy reports, market data trends, and project completions.
Note that all investing carries risk and that you may sometimes experience losses.
Stash – Invest in Stocks
Stash Summary
- Start investing with any dollar amount
- Buy fractional shares from just $0.05
- Low monthly fee starting at $3
- Insurance coverage of up to $10,0001
You can start investing in fractional shares of thousands of stocks and ETFs with the Stash app today. The platform enables users to invest in fractional shares, meaning that you can buy a portion of a share. Thus, this can be especially helpful for beginner investors who may not be ready to commit to purchasing an expensive share.
You can earn stock rewards when you spend with your Stock-Back Card2. As a result, this means that you can earn pieces of stock from Stash as rewards for your everyday purchases3.
Your passive income earnings from Stash depend on how much you invest regularly.
Drop – Earn Cashback on Your Daily Purchases
Drop Summary
- Earn $10 from Drop Flash Deal offers
- Get your reward within 3 days of redeeming
- Earn up to $50 from referring friends
- 5 different ways to earn rewards
Drop is one of the best passive income apps that allows you to effortlessly earn cashback on your daily purchases.
To start earning cashback with Drop, simply follow these steps:
- Download the app (on Android and iOS) and link your card when you are signing up.
- Choose five brands that you shop at the most. Drop features most major retailers like Walmart, Uber, Starbucks, Target, and more.
- Shop at affiliated merchants to earn cashback automatically.
- Redeem your Drop Points to gift cards from Amazon, Netflix, Starbucks, and more.
Depending on the merchant, the amount of cashback you can earn will vary. On average, most merchants offer 1% to 2% cashback. Although this may seem like a small amount, it means that you can earn $10 to $20 per month in free money if you spend $1000 that month. Thus, this makes Drop one of the easiest passive income apps to use.
Rocket Money – Save on Your Bills
Rocket Money Summary
- No upfront costs for the free plan
- Save an average of $96 per year or more
- 5+ different ways to help you save money
- Save money by canceling subscriptions
Most people tend to forget that they are subscribed to various digital services, and they often get charged unnecessarily. Although Rocket Money does not technically help you earn a passive income, it is one of the best apps that can help you identify forgotten subscriptions so you can avoid wasting money on them.
Moreover, the app can also help you lower your bills to save money. Rocket Money negotiates with your cable TV, security, and other service providers so that you can enjoy lower monthly bills. On average, most Rocket Money users can save around $500 annually.
HoneyGain – Share Your Internet
Honeygain Summary
- Earn $1 for every 10GB of data shared
- Get $5 for each person you refer
- Maximize earnings with more IP addresses
- 2 payment options – PayPal and Bitcoin
Honeygain is one of the top passive income apps you can use if you have an internet plan with unlimited data. The app will pay you to share your internet data for research purposes, to help internet companies improve their products and services.
When you share your internet connection through Honeygain, internet companies can access the web from your location. They use this connection to test how their content is shown in different parts of the world and make necessary upgrades.
On average, you can expect to earn around $10 per hour for Content Delivery and $1 for every 10GB of data you share.
Airbnb – Rent Out Your Home
AirBnb Summary
- Over 150 million users worldwide
- Earn an average of $924 per month
- Rent out your property whenever you want
- Quick turnaround time for payouts
Real estate has traditionally been one of the best possible sources of passive income that you could have. If you own an extra apartment or have a spare room in your house, you could rent it out for short-term stays to earn some extra cash with Airbnb.
The platform is very popular with short-term renters such as tourists. As a host, you can set the rental price per night for your property. On average, you can expect to earn up to $1000 or more per month.
Your actual earnings will depend on the level of demand in your area. You can also use the AirDNA calculator to estimate your potential earnings based on your property type and location.
Sweatcoin – Get Paid to Walk
Sweatcoin Summary
- Earn up to $20 per month once you reach highest membership tier
- Get $0.25 per referred friend
- You can transfer Sweatcoins between users
- Accurate step counting
If you are looking for a way to get paid to walk, Sweatcoin is one of the best passive income apps you can consider. It is available on both Android and iOS and since Sweatcoin’s mission is to support a healthier life, it rewards you when you walk.
You can expect to earn around 0.95 Sweatcoins for every 1000 steps you walk. 20 Sweatcoins are worth $1, and you can exchange your Sweatcoins for prizes such as Amazon gift cards, clothing, and much more. Note that there are some limits on the amount of Sweatcoins you can earn depending on your subscription level.
| Subscription Level | Cost | Earning Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Mover | Free | 5 Sweatcoins per day |
| Shaker | 4.75 Sweatcoins per month | 10 Sweatcoins per day |
| Quaker | 20 Sweatcoins per month | 15 Sweatcoins per day |
| Breaker | 30 Sweatcoins per month | 20 Sweatcoins per day |
| Trouble Maker | $0.99 per month | 50 Sweatcoins per day |
Dosh – Get Rewarded on Your Spending
Dosh Summary
- Data is secured with 256-bit encryption
- $10 sign up bonus for new members
- Get $10 for each friend you refer
- Over 100,000 places to get cashback
Dosh is one of the most popular cashback apps that allows you to earn on average 1% to 5% cash-back automatically.
Using Dosh is simple: you just need to download the app (on Android and iOS) and link your card to sign up. You will then automatically earn cashback when you spend at an affiliated merchant.
The platform works with over 10,000 merchants, including:
- Walmart
- Costco
- Petsmart
- Postamates
- Starbucks
- Dunkin Donuts
- and many more
Some merchants like hotels will even give you up to 40% cashback on your bookings, making Dosh one of the highest-paying cashback apps you can use to earn a passive income. Once your earnings reach $25, you can transfer money to your bank, PayPal or Venmo.
MobileXpression – Share Your Internet Usage Data
MobileXpression Summary
- Earn a $5 gift card every few weeks for keeping app acitve in background
- Get paid $0.50 per survey
- New members receive an entry into a $100,000 sweepstake
- Donates tree if you keep your new account active for 90 days
MobileXpression is one of the best passive income apps out there, and it will pay you in exchange for tracking and collecting your internet usage data.
To start earnings with MobileXpression, you do not need to do anything other than download and activate the app. Then, use your phone as usual, and you will earn an average of 5 credits per week.
| Redemption Option | Credits Required |
|---|---|
| $5 Gift Card | 10 credits |
| $10 Gift Card | 15 credits |
You can redeem your earnings for gift cards from popular stores, such as:
- Amazon
- Target
- Dunkin Donuts
- AMC Theaters
- Home Depot
- Cold Stone Creamery
- and many more
Pro tip: save your credits and redeem them when you have 15 credits to get a better conversion rate.
Betterment – Use a Robo-Advisor
Betterment Summary
- Transparent fees of just 0.25% per year
- Insured by SIPC for up to $500,000
- 7+ pre-built portfolios to choose from
- Start investing from as little as $10
Betterment is a robust investing app with a Robo-advisor built into the platform. If you are new to investing, you can simply follow the portfolios recommended to you by the Robo-advisor. Depending on what you intend to achieve from investing, the platform will recommend the most suitable portfolio for you.
According to the company, users can stand to earn up to 38.8% annual returns on their investments.
Ibotta – Upload Your Receipts
Ibotta Summary
- 2 ways to earn – app or browser extension
- Earn up to 30% cash back on purchases
- Get a $5 bonus by referring friends
- Over 1500 stores you can earn cash back at
Ibotta is a savings app that will offer you up to 15% cashback on your regular shopping either online or in-store. The company partners with various popular brands such as Walmart, Target, Sephora, and many more to give you some of the best deals available.
To get cashback on your purchases, you need to upload a photo of your receipt after you finish shopping. Your earnings will vary based on your overall spending habits, although the average cashback amounts are between 3% to 8%.
M1 Finance – Invest in Fractional Shares
M1 Finance Summary
- No fees on any of your investments
- Choose from over 80 pre-built portfolios
- Get a sign up bonus of at least $30
- Low $100 minimum investment amount
M1 Finance is one of the best passive income apps for beginner investors, allowing you to invest in fractional shares. The app lets you start investing with as little as just $1. With fractional shares, you can buy a stake in stocks and ETFs based on your investment amount rather than the share price.
The app also enables you to create investment portfolios known as Pies. You can use these Pies to split your investment amount into different industries.
Overall, micro-investing with M1 Finance will not get you rich overnight. Nonetheless, if you invest money regularly, you can generate passive income over time.
Your rate of returns may vary depending on several factors like market performance and portfolio allocation. Nonetheless, if you invest in a relatively stable portfolio such as the S&P 500, you can earn average annual returns of over 10%.
Rakuten – Earn Cashback on Online Purchases
Rakuten Summary
- High cashback potential of up to 40%
- Earn cashback at over 2500 online stores
- 6 different ways to earn cashback
- Get $10 for free just for signing up
Rakuten is the largest online shopping marketplace that partners with gigantic brands like Amazon, Sephora, Macy’s, and many more. The app allows you to earn up to 10% cashback on your online purchases, making it the best cashback app if you spend a lot online.
Here is how you can start earning cashback on Rakuten:
- First, start by signing up for an account with Rakuten.
- Secondly, choose a store you want to shop at on the Rakuten website.
- Lastly, shop as you normally would, and your earnings will automatically be credited to your account.
The platform also offers a $10 sign-up bonus if you earn $25 in cashback within your first 90 days of joining.
Paribus – Earn the Difference when Prices Drop
Paribus Summary
- Monitors price changes for you
- Files refunds on your behalf
- Lets you know of late deliveries
- Free to use
Paribus helps you save money on your purchases by monitoring the prices of goods at over 25 major online retailers for you. It then helps you get your money back if the price of an item you recently purchased drops afterward.
Some of the retailers that Paribus monitors include:
- Amazon
- Target
- Walmart
- Best Buy
- Costco
- Home Depot
- and many more
For example, if you purchase an item from a store at $75. However, the price of the item drops to $65 the day after. Paribus will negotiate with the retailer and you will receive the price difference, $10 in this case, directly in your bank account.
To start saving money on your purchases, simply download the Paribus app on your phone and link your card when signing up.
Robinhood – Invest in Cryptocurrency
Robinhood Summary
- $0 commission on all stock trades
- Invest in fractional shares from just $1
- 3 different trading options to choose from
- Get 0.3% APY on your uninvested cash
Robinhood is one of the most popular apps for investing in stocks, ETFs, options, cryptocurrency, and other financial instruments to earn a passive income. The platform does not charge any commissions, and it also does not have a minimum account balance requirement. These factors make it a good fit for beginner investors.
Additionally, Robinhood offers a competitive interest of 0.30% on your uninvested cash to give you more flexibility with your brokerage account.
Earny – Install a Browser Extension
Earny Summary
- It has a price monitoring tool
- Get compensation for late deliveries
- App is straightforward to use
- Price protection helps you get refunds
Earny is a simple browser extension that you can easily install and use to earn up to 20% cashback on your online purchases.
To start earning cashback with Earny, simply follow these steps:
- Install the Earny Chrome Extension and sign up for an account
- Shop online as usual and earn cashback
- Track Amazon lists – link your account to allow Earny to track cash-back offers on items in your wish list
The amount you will get back every month depends on your shopping needs. On average, if you spend $1,000 monthly, you could get $100 back with an average 10% cash-back rate.
Turo – Rent Out Your Car
Turo Summary
- Can list multiple cars
- Earn money with minimal effort
- Easy-to-use app
- Receive up to 90% of the trip price
If you own a car that you don’t use often, you can rent it out for passive income when you are not using it. Turo is one of the best passive income apps you can use to rent out your vehicle for cash to someone who wants to use it.
As a renter, you can set the daily price for your listing manually, or let the Turo automatic pricing feature set it for you. On average, you can expect to earn between $40 to $60 per day, depending on several factors including the make and model of your vehicle, the year, and the demand for car rentals in your area.
You can use the online calculator tool on the Turo website to estimate your potential earnings.
OnMyWay – Drive Safely
OnMyWay Summary
- It promotes road safety
- It is available on Android and iOS smartphones
- The app is free to download and use
- It is easy to use
If you drive regularly or daily, OnMyWay offers one of the easiest ways to earn some extra passive income. OnMyWay’s goal is to improve road safety by discouraging texting and driving. Thus, the app will pay you $0.05 for every mile that you drive safely.
To start earning, simply download the OnMyWay app (available on both Android and iOS) and sign up for an account. OnMyWay will automatically activate when you drive over 10 MPH
Seated App – Get Cashback when Dining Out
Seated App Summary
- High rewards from top restaurants
- Free to sign up and use
- Simple and easy to use
- Great referral bonus
If you dine out frequently, Seated App can be a great way to earn some passive income. The app (available for both Android and iOS) offers you up to 30% cashback when you dine at a restaurant.
You can redeem your earnings for gift cards from:
- Amazon
- Uber
- Airbnb
- Sephora
- Nordstrom
- Delta
- and many more
Native App – Complete Simple Tasks
Native App Summary
- Free and easy to sign up
- Has an app that you can use on the go
- One of the best referrals
- Pays promptly
Native App can be a great app to generate some passive income just by sharing your data, habits, and behavior with companies you shop with.
The app will assign you various simple tasks that you can complete to earn money. Some of these tasks may be dependent on your location, such as tasks that require you to check the price of an item at a supermarket. To earn rewards and payments, you need to complete the tasks as instructed.
Your potential earnings start from $0.03, although most tasks on the app tend to be very simple. More complex and time-consuming tasks can pay more.
Note that Native App is currently available only on Android devices.
LendingClub – Lend Out Your Extra Cash
If you’re interested in earning a passive income by lending out your extra cash, LendingClub is one of the best peer-to-peer lending apps that you can join.
Here’s how it works:
- Borrowers apply for loans.
- As an investor, you can choose to lend your money to borrowers. You can spread out your investments across different loans to reduce your risk and diversify your portfolio.
- You can either choose the default investment plan or create it manually and select the loans that can pay you the best interest.
- Every month you receive principal and interest as borrowers pay back their loans
On average, you can expect to earn around 5% annual interest on the default investment plan. If you opt to choose your loans, you can stand to earn even more, although you run the risk of a borrower defaulting on their loan.
SavvyConnect – Share Your Mobile Browsing Data
SavvyConnect is one of the most popular passive income apps that will reward you for sharing data about your internet browsing habits. This data is then used to help companies improve their marketing efforts.
Simply follow these steps to start earning money with SavvyConnect:
- Install the SavvyConnect app
- Browse the internet as you normally would using your devices
- Earn $5 per month for every device you have downloaded the app on
- Cash-out your earnings via check
Fronto – Watch Ads
If you use an Android phone and don’t mind watching ads on your phone for extra passive income, Fronto is one of the best apps you can download.
To start earning money by watching ads with Fronto, simply follow these steps:
- Install the Fronto app – the app will automatically become your lock screen. Sliding your finger towards the right shows you ads, paying up to $2 per interaction.
- Use your smartphone as usual.
- Earn 20 cents daily for just checking the app.
- Cash out your earnings via PayPal or redeem for gift cards from Amazon, Google Play, Target, Walmart, iTunes, and Steam Wallet.
Embee Meter CX – Share Your Phone Usage Data
Embee Meter CX Is one of the best passive income apps for Android, paying users for their smartphone usage data.
Earning points with Embee Meter CX is simple:
- Download and activate the app on your smartphone
- Use your phone as you normally would
- Earn $0.20 per day
- Cash-out your points via PayPal or redeem for gift cards
How Do Passive Income Apps Work?
Passive income refers to a means of income that does not require you to put in significant amounts of effort each day.
Most of the passive income apps on this list are easy to use. Plus, they mostly take less than 10 minutes to set up. After setting the apps up, there is not much else you will need to do before you start earning regularly.
How Can I Make Passive Income Fast?
If you want to make passive income fast, you can consider using a combination of the different apps on this list. Most of the apps on this list enable you to earn passive income differently. Thus, you can use more than one at the same time to maximize your earnings.
Some of the top passive income apps you can use include:
- PrizeRebel
- Nielsen
- Acorns
- Sweatcoin
- Robinhood
- Rakuten
- Drop
- Rocket Money
Nonetheless, you should still remember that passive income does not require you to put in much effort, but it is also not instant. You are unlikely to earn a large amount of passive income in a short time, although the total amount you can earn in the long run is quite significant.
Paid non-client endorsement. See Apple App Store and Google Play reviews. View important disclosures. Nothing in this material should be construed as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation to buy or sell any security. All investments are subject to risk and may lose value. 1 Group life insurance coverage provided through Avibra, Inc. Stash is a paid partner of Avibra. Only individuals who opened Stash accounts after 11/6/20, aged 18-54 and who are residents of one of the 50 U.S. states or DC are eligible for group life insurance coverage, subject to availability. Individuals with certain pre-existing medical conditions may not be eligible for the full coverage above, but may instead receive less coverage. All insurance products are subject to state availability, issue limitations and contractual terms and conditions, any of which may change at any time and without notice. Please see Terms and Conditions for full details. Stash may receive compensation from business partners in connection with certain promotions in which Stash refers clients to such partners for the purchase of non-investment consumer products or services. Clients are, however, not required to purchase the products and services Stash promotes. 2. Stash Banking services provided by Stride Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. The Stash Stock-Back® Debit Mastercard® is issued by Stride Bank pursuant to license from Mastercard International. Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated. Any earned stock rewards will be held in your Stash Invest account. Investment products and services provided by Stash Investments LLC and are Not FDIC Insured, Not Bank Guaranteed, and May Lose Value. 3 All rewards earned through use of the Stash Stock-Back® Debit Mastercard® will be fulfilled by Stash Investments LLC and are subject to Terms and Conditions. You will bear the standard fees and expenses reflected in the pricing of the investments that you earn, plus fees for various ancillary services charged by Stash. In order to earn stock in the program, the Stash Stock-Back® Debit Mastercard must be used to make a qualifying purchase. Stock rewards that are paid to participating customers via the Stash Stock Back program, are Not FDIC Insured, Not Bank Guaranteed, and May Lose Value.