28 Best Passive Income Apps to Make Money in 2023

28 Best Passive Income Apps

PrizeRebel – Refer Your Friends

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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:

1. Download the app (on Android and iOS) and link your card when you are signing up.
2. Choose five brands that you shop at the most. Drop features most major retailers like Walmart, Uber, Starbucks, Target, and more.
3. Shop at affiliated merchants to earn cashback automatically.
4. 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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:

1. Install the Earny Chrome Extension and sign up for an account
2. Shop online as usual and earn cashback
3. 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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:

1. Borrowers apply for loans.
2. 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.
3. You can either choose the default investment plan or create it manually and select the loans that can pay you the best interest.
4. 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

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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:

1. Install the SavvyConnect app
2. Browse the internet as you normally would using your devices
3. Earn $5 per month for every device you have downloaded the app on
4. Cash-out your earnings via check

Fronto – Watch Ads

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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

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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:

1. Download and activate the app on your smartphone
2. Use your phone as you normally would
3. Earn $0.20 per day
4. Cash-out your points via PayPal or redeem for gift cards

How Do Passive Income Apps Work?

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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?

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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.

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