17 Best Ways To Get Paid To Download Apps (2024 Guide!)
While it might surprise you, there's actually plenty of companies out there that are willing to pay new members for trying them out.
This means it's now possible to get paid to download apps. If you want to make money from the comfort of your own home, this is a potentially fun, lucrative way you can get started.
I've personally cashed out hundreds of dollars with these types of offers over the years. And during this time, I've found some of the best apps that pay you to download them or other paid download offers.
You won't quit your day job with this side hustle idea. But it's an excellent way to score some free money in your spare time while having some fun.
How To Get Paid To Download Apps
As mentioned, I've tested so many ways to get paid for downloading apps over the years. Overall, I think this is a great way to make money online as a beginner, and here are some of the best ways to get started:
1. Cash Giraffe
If you have an Android, one of the easiest ways to make money downloading apps is to use Cash Giraffe.
This legit cash game app lets you earn PayPal money and gift cards for downloading and playing new games. And my favorite part about this app is that you can cash out at just $0.20 to PayPal.
Cash Giraffe also has a pretty decent library of games. So, you can get paid to download apps like strategy games, card games, puzzle games, and more.
New games get added all the time as well, as do different gift card rewards.
Start earning with Cash Giraffe!
2. Nielsen Panel
Want to earn passive income? In that case, the Nielsen Mobile Panel is one of the best apps that pays you to download them.
This nifty passive income app pays you with sharing your internet browsing data with Nielsen, a massive market research company that's been in business for decades.
The panel actually has two versions: a mobile panel and one for your desktop. Downloading the desktop panel lets you earn sweepstakes to get free cash. But entering the mobile panel with your smartphone lets you earn credits that you can redeem for free gift cards and other prizes.
Nielsen says you can earn $50+ per year just from its mobile panel. Not too shabby for an app that pays you to download it!
Get started with Nielsen Panel!
3. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is one of the most popular gpt sites out there. And it's actually a site I've used for years since my phone farming experiments back in college.
It's also one of the best ways to make money downloading apps, and new members get $5 sign up bonus, which is a selling point.
What I like about sites like Swagbucks is that there's several ways to make money, including: downloading apps and games, answering paid surveys, shopping, and watching ads.
You can redeem your points at just $1 as well for dozens of free gift cards. And Swagbucks also has PayPal cash rewards starting at only $5.
4. Bingo Cash
Are you a fan of Bingo? If you are, you can actually earn real cash by competing in Bingo games against other players on your iPhone.
Enter Bingo Cash: a new gaming app where you play against real players in cash tournaments of Bingo. And with prize pools ranging from $5 to $75 or more, it's a pretty lucrative phone side hustle.
It's similar to Blitz Win Cash in that you pay small fees to compete in tournaments. But the top players in a game walk away with a share of the cash prize pool, which is pretty neat.
Like Blitz Win Cash, Bingo Cash also pays you with real money to your bank account. However, cash games aren't available in a couple of states, including AZ, IN, IA, LA, ME, SC, MT, WA.
5. Mistplay
Mistplay is one of the leading Android gaming reward apps out there. And if you already spend time gaming on your phone every day, it's a must-download app.
With Mistplay, you get paid to play games the app promotes. This includes a wide variety of strategy, action, arcade, card, and multiplayer games.
As you play games and level up, you earn points. You then redeem your Mistplay points for a range of free gift cards to companies like Amazon, Starbucks, and Google Play.
Some gift cards, like free Amazon gift cards, only take $0.50 worth of points to redeem. This means you can play a few new games with Mistplay and cash out your earnings pretty fast.
And Mistplay is constantly rotating its list of sponsored games. Overall, it's a fun side hustle and one of the best ways to make money downloading apps.
6. Kashkick
Still wondering how to get paid for downloading apps? In that case, another reliable option you can try is Kashkick.
This new-but-popular rewards website pays you for answering surveys and for completing sponsored offers. And you can cash out your earnings though PayPal once you earn $10.
Surveys are the main way to earn money with Kashkick. But when I tested out the platform, some of my paid download offers paid $10 to $50 or even more.
A lot of the make money downloading app offers were for popular games as well, just like Mistplay and other apps. But you can also get paid for trying out new subscriptions, investing apps, and a variety of other apps.
Sign up for Kashkick or read my Kashkick review for more details.
7. Rewarded Play
If you like apps like Mistplay and Cash Giraffe, then Rewarded Play is another leading way to get paid to download apps.
Like Mistplay, Rewarded Play lets you earn points for downloading and playing a wide variety of Android games. In fact, there's usually 100+ games to choose from across different genres.
Points you earn are redeemable for a variety of gift cards to popular retailers like Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. And you only need $5 to cash out, so you can make quick money with this app pretty easily.
Again, you need to enjoy gaming and have an Android for this get paid to download app to work for you. But if you already spend time gaming anyways, apps like Rewarded Play are a fun, passive side hustle for you to try.
Read my Rewarded Play review or try out the app today!
8. MobileXpression
If you want to make money on autopilot, then MobileXpression is another excellent option to try out.
This passive income app pays you every month for selling data about how you browse the web and use your phone. You can then redeem credits for free gift cards to companies like Best Buy, Amazon, and Target.
MobileXpression is actually one of the ways I made money in college when I was phone farming. And I've redeemed plenty of $5 gift cards with the app over the years.
You have to be comfortable sharing your data for this idea to be worth it. But you earn about $5 worth of credits per month just for having MobileXpression installed and running.
Granted, this isn't a lot of money. But it's a nice passive income idea for students and a simple way to get paid to download apps.
9. Freecash
Like Swagbucks, Freecash is another popular survey site that also lets you get paid to download apps and different games.
The platform is free to sign up for, and you can start making money with many of the same methods you find on Swagbucks.
I like using Freecash since it has hundreds of download and gaming offers at a given time. Plus, you can cash out for cash, gift cards, crypto, and even free video game items. And some rewards start at only $0.50, so you can get paid really fast.
10. Rakuten
Rakuten is a shopping extension that pays you for shopping at thousands of partners, so it's really a rewards app.
But Rakuten also pays new members $30 when they sign up and complete a qualifying shopping offer, so you can get paid to download this extension and app.
I like Rakuten because it partners with thousands of retailers, letting you earn cash back at brands like Best Buy, Macy's, Target, and Walmart.
You generally earn 1% to 5% cash back. But you can find offers in the 10% to 20% cash back range if you get lucky. Cash you earn deposits in your account. Rakuten pays members quarterly via check or PayPal as long as you have at least $5.
I've used Rakuten for years and have earned over $1,200 at this point. Overall, I think it's an excellent reward website, and the $30 bonus makes it an awesome way to make money downloading apps.
11. Blitz Win Cash
Alright: this one is for the competitive gaming fans out there who also have an iPhone.
With Blitz Win Cash, you can win real cash by playing against other players in competitive games of Solitaire, Bingo, Match 3, and pool. And my favorite part is that the app pays you right to PayPal or your bank account if you win.
Tournaments pay you anywhere from a few dollars to $55 or even more. This makes it one of the highest paying apps in the gaming space.
You do have to pay small buy-in fees to compete in cash games, so keep this in mind. But free games are available too if you just want to practice. Also note that cash tournaments aren't available in these states: AR, MT, LA, and TN.
12. Honeygain
Do you have unlimited internet at home? If the answer is yes, another method to earn money by downloading apps is to use Honeygain.
With Honeygain, you can sell your internet bandwidth to earn passive income. The platform is also available on desktop and smartphones to provide numerous ways to earn.
The more internet you share, the more you earn. And Honeygain lets you cash out via PayPal after you earn $20. And the platform also has referral bonuses you can take advantage of to boost your earnings.
Ultimately, apps like Honeygain won't make you a ton of money. But you can make money by downloading this app on your phone or computer and letting it run.
13. Acorns
If you want to build a good habit, then Acorns is another app that should be on your phone.
This micro-investing app automatically rounds-up your purchases and invests the spare change for you. If you want to invest for income, it's a useful app to have on your phone.
For example, if you spend $5.60 on some snacks, Acorns rounds that purchase to $6 and invests the additional $0.40 for you.
The app invests in portfolios of ETFs and bonds that match your goals and risk tolerance. And while it might not sound like much, every little bit helps when you're building your savings and investments.
My post on how to invest $10 to earn daily also has some more beginner-friendly ideas you can test out.
14. AppStation
Like Mistplay and Rewarded Play, AppStation is another fun way you can get paid to download apps if you enjoy mobile gaming.
The premise is basically identical to other gaming reward apps: sign up, download apps, play them, and earn rewards in your spare time.
AppStation has a pretty extensive games list like other game apps that pay money. And you can cash out your earnings at just $5 for rewards like:
- Amazon gift cards
- Free Steam codes and games
- Walmart gift cards
- Free PayPal money
Read my AppStation review or download AppStation today!
15. InboxDollars
InboxDollars is actually owned by the same company that owns Swagbucks. So, unsurprisingly, it also lets you make money by downloading apps, answering surveys, and watching ads.
There's also a $5 sign up bonus, which is why this is such an easy way to get paid to download apps.
In the past, I didn't like sites like InboxDollars since it had a $30 cash out minimum, which is high. But the platform has since dropped to a $15 minimum, which is slightly more reasonable.
Reward options include PayPal and a variety of gift cards. And you usually get paid within a few days of cashing out since this is a legit, massive rewards platform.
16. Mobile Performance Meter
Like MobileXpression, another one of the best apps that pays you to download them in Mobile Performance Meter.
This data collection app pays you $0.10 per day for sharing your data. You can then cash out your earnings for PayPal money once you earn at least $5.
I actually used Mobile Performance Meter for a long time in college and cashed out $60+ in earnings. In fact, it's one of my best apps that pays you for downloading them that I've ever tried.
Some people also earn more than $0.10 per day depending on their phone and where they live. So, this app can be even more lucrative, and it's all free money at the end of the day!
My post on how to install apps for money has even more ideas you can use to get started.
17. JustPlay
One final option to get paid to download apps is to use JustPlay, another popular gaming rewards app.
The app is incredibly similar to other gaming apps like Mistplay. Once you download JustPlay, you can then download dozens of other games and play them to earn coins.
However, what's unique about JustPlay is that you can cash out every three hours, and there's no minimum cash out requirement.
Furthermore, PayPal money is one of the reward options alongside gift cards. This is what makes apps like JustPlay so awesome since some gaming reward apps require earning $10 to $20 cash out.
It still takes a while to earn money with this app. But for a fun way to make money downloading apps, JustPlay is worth considering.
Extra Reading – The Best Jobs You Can Do From Your Phone.
Tips For Getting Started
I've made lots of money over the years by downloading apps for money. And here are some of the most important tips I have for ensuring you get paid and earn as much as possible:
- Track Your Progress: Some paid download offers require completing specific steps to credit, like reaching a certain level in a new game you download. So, set calendar reminders on your phone so you know when you have to complete certain tasks.
- Take Screenshots: Occasionally, some apps that pay you to download them don't track offer completions correctly. But if you take screenshots as proof, you can usually submit these to customer support and get credit for your efforts.
- Try Several Apps: Shuffling through several platforms is the best way to find the top get paid to download app offers. Personally, my favorites are Swagbucks and Mistplay, but you can try a bunch of this list to maximize rewards.
Also, make sure you watch out for potential scams. Unfortunately, a lot of companies promote unrealistic paid download offers that are simply too good to be true.
For example, you'll see lots of ads for a $750 Shein gift card or $750 PayPal cash offer. But it's pretty much impossible to actually get this reward from the companies that promote them.
Extra Reading – The Best Apps That Pay Real Money Instantly.
Final Thoughts
I hope my guide on how to get paid to download apps provides a nice starting point for you to enjoy some nice sign up bonuses and free stuff.
Again, I've been using these types of apps and sites for years. You won't make thousands of dollars with this idea. But for an easy side hustle, it's worth trying out.
Just take screenshots of your progress for any paid download offer you're trying. Apps that pay you for downloading them usually work without issue, but sometimes, you need to submit proof to get paid.
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