Top 20 Legit and Free Money-Making Apps in 2020

Nowadays, it's very easy to make money straight from your smartphone. If you're living paycheck to paycheck, using money-making apps will help you earn extra cash to add extra cushion to your wallet in 2020. Although this route may not fully replace regular income source,…

Last Updated: November 8, 2020

Last Updated: November 8, 2020

stylish adult female using smartphone on street

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase or signup through our partner links, we will get compensated at no cost to you. Please read our disclosure for more information.

Nowadays, it's very easy to make money straight from your smartphone. If you're living paycheck to paycheck, using money-making apps will help you earn extra cash to add extra cushion to your wallet in 2020.

Although this route may not fully replace regular income source, you can easily use these apps to create a side hustle for yourself and make money during your spare time.

In fact, most people, on average, spend 3 hours and 40 minutes on their mobile phones every single day. That's time that can be used to get quick cash through your phone.

Let's get right into the top 20 legit and free money-making apps of 2020.

Note: Apps are categorized into side-hustle apps, cashback apps, passive income apps, and apps that will pay you for things you normally do.

The Best Paid Online Survey Apps in 2020

1. Survey Junkie

Help influence brands by sharing your opinions through Survey Junkie. This app is best for earning extra bucks by taking online surveys. You take surveys based on your profile, and Survey Junkie will reward you with virtual points. You can redeem these for e-Gift cards or cash out via Paypal.

Survey Junkie is totally free!

Learn More:
Read our full Survey Junkie review here.

2. Inboxdollars

This is another free app that lets you earn money not just by taking surveys but will also pay you to watch videos, play online games, and even read emails. This is an absolutely easy way to earn cash for your everyday online activities straight from your phone.

Join now and get a free $5 sign-up bonus.

3. Swagbucks

Similar to Inboxdollars, Swagbucks also pays you for taking surveys and giving your opinions online. By doing so, you help brands to improve and shape their products and services.

You will never run out of paid survey opportunities, as they give access to tons of it. They even offer plenty of ways to earn money while shopping online.

Swagbucks is one of the best paying survey sites that will earn you money from your phone through paid surveys and online gift cards.

Sign up today and you'll get an instant $10 bonus.

4. MyPoints

MyPoints is another way to get paid online by watching movies, reading emails, playing games, etc. It's also a cashback rewards program that lets you get paid for shopping online and earn gift cards when you shop online at 1900+ top retailers like Walmart, eBay & Amazon.

MyPoints allows you to secure extra cash through surveys, coupons, and shopping.

Registration is 100% free, plus you'll receive a $10 welcome bonus. You can either claim it as an Amazon gift card or Visa gift card.

Learn More:
Read our full MyPoints Review

5. Google Opinion Rewards

This is a rewards-based program by Google, where you get paid for taking Google surveys.

It offers short surveys and pays out whenever you answer them. Usually, each survey can take between 10 seconds to 1 minute, under various topics, including hotel reviews, opinion polls, and satisfaction surveys. You will receive between $0.10 and $1.00 per survey completed.

Learn More:
Top 10 Highest-Paying Survey Sites to Make Quick Money.

The Best Cashback Apps

If you shop online often and want to save money when you do, getting a cashback app is a no brainer! These are some of our best money-making apps in 2020 for guaranteed cashback.

6. Earny

Earny is a cashback app that does all the work of scanning your e-receipts and claiming a refund on your behalf. It also automatically transfer the difference to your account. Now, you can easily earn cashback on your daily purchases.

Learn More:
Earny Review: How to Shop and Save Through the CashBack App.

7. Dosh

Like Earny, Dosh is also a legit cashback app that links to your credit card and other bank accounts. It takes away the hassle of searching for coupons, scanning receipts, and hunting for promotional or discount codes to apply. It's basically a set it and forget it cashback approach.

Learn More:
How to Get Cash Back and Save Money When You Shop.

8. Wikibuy/Capital One Shopping

Wikibuy is a free shopping assistant that helps you find the lowest prices and the best deals while shopping online.

It instantly tests and applies coupon codes with the most savings and saves you both time and money. In a sense, you make money through better online deals and cash rewards.

Get the Wikibuy chrome extension or download the mobile app for free.

Learn More:
Read our full Wikibuy Review

9. Ibotta

This is another free app best for earning cashback on grocery shopping. It provides money-back for everyday purchases from select brands, both online and in-store.

Sign up now and get instant $20 as your welcome bonus, and discover multiple ways to earn cashback online and in-store at nationwide retailers.

10. Truebill

Ever sign up for a subscription you never even used and forgot about it? Well, with Truebill, you don't have to get charged mindlessly anymore for unused subscriptions.

Truebill takes an all-inclusive approach to manage your finances by optimizing your spending, managing subscriptions, lowering your bills to help you stay on top of your financial life.

Aside from notifying you of any subscriptions you may want to cancel (say phone or cable bills), it can also negotiate with your service provider on your behalf to lower your monthly fees. Also, it can monitor your utilities such as cable to report outages and seek refunds.

Take a step into stress-free personal finance management by subscribing to Truebill. It's about $5 monthly (or $36 paid upfront for a year). There's a free version too, where Truebill keeps 40% of whatever it saves you. If it saves you $500 a year, then it'll claim $200 of those savings. Regardless, you'd be saving $300 a year effortlessly.

The Best Money-Making Apps in 2020 to Generate Passive Income

11. DoorDash

This is one of the best side-hustle apps to make money by delivering takeout foods. If you have free time and an insured vehicle (some areas allow bikes and scooters), you can earn base pay and tips as a DoorDash delivery driver. According to Indeed.com, DoorDash drivers can potentially earn around $15 an hour.

12. Airbnb

If you have extra space in your home or your condo, why not try to rent it out on Airbnb? You get to provide a safe place to stay for travelers and guests, know and learn their culture, and give them a one-of-a-kind experience. You can even charge for additional services like cleaning, breakfast, or even a tour around the city.

Well, that is if you're comfortable with various folks coming in and out of your house.

List your place for free, set your terms, then start earning cash by hosting qualified guests on Airbnb.

13. Acorns

Make your money work for you with this money-making 2020!

Acorns is a simple tool and investment platform to help you invest your money.

In simple terms, it rounds up your purchases to the nearest dollar and invests the difference or the spare change automatically into ETFs, which then accumulate over time. It's an all-in-one platform with investment, retirement, and checking accounts.

14. M1 Finance

M1 Finance is The Finance Super App, a free investment platform for building wealth. This app allows you to invest, borrow, and spend, all in one place. You set your strategy, and the app automates it for FREE. This app is highly recommended for new investors looking for an easy-to-use platform and a super-easy way to start investing.

15. Turo

Want to make the most out of your car? Cover your monthly car payments or simply earn some extra cash by listing your car on Turo whenever you’re not using it.

You can drive confidently as Liberty Mutal covers you in liability insurance up to $750,000, and your car is contractually protected against theft and physical damage.

Reported earnings is up to $706 per month. Join millions of users who share their cars on Turo today! It's free to sign up.

The Best Money-Making Apps in 2020 That Will Pay You For Things You Already Do

16. StepBet

If you're a health and fitness enthusiast, check out StepBet. It is a fitness game app that motivates you to be more active. This is also good for earning rewards for your daily step count.

It lets you set a personalized goal and earn rewards for successfully meeting those goals. Also, it encourages you to achieve more steps regularly and earn money while doing it.

To get started, you need to place a “bet” based on the game and win prize money and bet money after successfully meeting the goal. StepBet works well with Apple Health, FitBit, and Samsung Health.

17. Slidejoy

This app is right for those who don't mind seeing ads on their cellphone lock screen. Slidejoy is a free Android app that displays advertisements on your cell phone lock screen. Once you sign up and install it, you'll start seeing ads on your lock screen.

You can then swipe left to get more info about the ads, or swipe right to go back to your home screen, and you can swipe up to see more ads.

For every swipe to view ads, you earn carats. Every 1,000 carats is equal to $1. If ever you're worried this might drain your mobile battery, Slidejoy assures it doesn't.

For now, it is only available on Android, but the app is continuously improving its reach.

18. Mistplay

Attention to all gamers out there! There's a money-making app just for you! Start discovering new games, play, and instantly redeem your rewards. Now, this may sound too good to be true, but yes! Mistplay surely does pay you for playing games. Start earning rewards now, and download the app.

19. HealthyWage

HealthyWage is another app for health-conscious individuals. You can win cash prizes (up to $10,000) for successful challenges completed. Bet on your own weight loss goals (pay upfront money first), then when you reach your goal, win back your cash plus more rewards.

20. Foap

Already loved taking pictures and videos? Turn your photos into money with the Foap app.

It's easy. Simply upload your videos and photos through the app. When a brand, agency, or anyone who finds your work outstanding and purchases a video or photo from your online Foap portfolio, Foap pays you half of the earnings. Now, that's an excellent way of turning your hobby into something profitable.

Sign up now for free on iOS, Android, or their Website.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

What is a Money-Making App?

A money-making app is an application you can download on your phone, tablet, or computer that allows you to earn money in various ways. There's an app that will pay you to exercise, leave the app running in your background, and even reward you for shopping and more. Others pay you to take paid surveys and do other online activities.

The app rewards you with cashback or a small fee for using that specific app. And since we spend so much time on our cellphones anyway, this is a convenient way to earn extra bucks.

How much does a Money-Making App cost?

Money-making apps are usually free. However, some apps will require you to pay for in-app purchases to get the full app experience or premium use. It really depends on which one you would like to use. Always remember to read any terms and conditions first before installing and using the apps.

How to make money with these apps?

Making money with apps (online) is relatively straightforward. For the most part, it's as simple as downloading or installing the app and signing up. Then, you provide any additional information required, such as your name or email address, if necessary. Some apps will go through an approval process first in some cases.

But usually, within a fraction of seconds, you can start earning money and rewards with these apps. Make sure you have an active PayPal account since most money-making apps issue cashouts via PayPal.

How to choose the best money-making app for you?

Since there are tons of apps out there, not every app will be ideal for you. You have to consider some factors to determine which app to go for based on your personal needs.

One is the Pay Amount. Choose an app based on how much you want to get paid. If you want thousands of dollars per month, you're better off using one of the passive-income apps listed above.

Next is the amount of Effort at play. If you want to earn extra cash while sitting on your couch or waiting at the bus stop, you might want to consider survey site apps. Or if you're going to be hands-on and like meeting people, check out apps to list your car or property.

Then Payment Method and Frequency. Most apps give payouts via Paypal, while others are pretty flexible when it comes to payment means. It is also essential to know how often you will get paid. Some apps take a few business days and have redemption restrictions, so be sure to check for this.

Lastly, Fees, Initial Investment, and App Reputation. While most apps are free, some apps require an initial payment, like investment apps such as Acorns. Be smart with your investment strategies for apps, and be careful not to splurge all your money on one app.

Most importantly, the App Reputation. Read about how well the app is performing based on Google Play and Apple Store reviews, both positive and negative, for you to get a good grasp on other users' experiences with the app.

Final Thoughts

There you have it! These are the best money-making apps in 2020; you should try today!

Remember that these apps will not get you rich quick but can be a potential source of side-hustle income and passive income too.

It's now time to make the most out of your smartphones! With all these free resources to get you started, there's no reason not to move towards your financial goals.

How about you? Have you tried these apps? If so, what are your experiences with them? Are there some that we missed? Please share with us by commenting in the section below. Let's boost our finances together!

Share this post

You May Also Like…

0 Comments

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. The Finance Boost - […] you want to use the Current app services or just use it as a money-making app, it’s up to…

Submit a Comment