20 Best Money-Making Apps in the USA (2026 List)

The best apps to make money in the USA fall into five categories: cashback (Ibotta and Rakuten), freelance work (Fiverr and Upwork), gig delivery (DoorDash, Uber, and Instacart), paid surveys (Swagbucks and Survey Junkie), and resale marketplaces (Poshmark, Decluttr, and OfferUp). Which one is “best” depends on how much time you have and whether you want active income (delivery, freelancing) or passive income (cashback, surveys).

As of 2025, roughly 8.9 million Americans hold more than one job, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — about 5.4% of the employed workforce. Separately, Bankrate’s annual Side Hustle Survey puts the broader “any side income” figure at 45% of U.S. adults, a gap that comes down to how loosely “side hustle” gets defined.

The table below compares all 19 money-making apps at a glance — category, how you earn, payout method, and who each one fits best — so you can find the right one before reading the full breakdown.

Explore the 20 Best Apps to Make Money in the USA

Ibotta 

Cashback app for grocery and everyday purchases. Scan your receipt or link your store loyalty account, and Ibotta credits cashback automatically on qualifying items. Payouts go to PayPal or Venmo, or you can redeem for gift cards. Best suited for people who already shop at major grocery chains — the app is far less useful if you shop mostly at small/independent stores.

Rakuten

Formerly Ebates. Cashback on purchases made through Rakuten’s browser extension or app at partner retailers (Amazon, Walmart, and 2,500+ others). Rates range roughly 1–15% depending on the store and current promotions. Rakuten pays quarterly by check or PayPal — the main tradeoff is the payout delay, not the earning rate.

Swagbucks

Points-based rewards for surveys, shopping through their portal, and watching videos. Points convert to PayPal cash or gift cards. Earnings per activity are small (surveys typically pay 0.50–3), so this works best as background income, not a primary earning method.

Fiverr

Freelance marketplace where you set a price for a specific service (“gig”) rather than bidding on jobs. Fiverr takes a 20% commission on earnings. Best for people with a packageable skill (design, writing, voiceover, dev work) who want buyers to come to them rather than pitching individually.

Upwork

Freelance marketplace built around bidding on posted jobs and hourly/fixed contracts. Upwork’s fee structure is tiered (lower percentage as you earn more with a client). Better suited than Fiverr for ongoing client relationships and higher-value project work; requires more active pitching to win jobs. Upwork projects the U.S. freelance workforce will reach 86.5 million people by 2027—roughly 51% of the workforce—though that figure comes from Upwork’s own Freelance Forward report, so treat it as an industry projection rather than independent research.

If you’re a founder weighing a freelance marketplace against hiring a dedicated team for an ongoing product build, our custom software development services page breaks down what a structured development team handles that a single freelancer typically can’t.

OfferUp

Local marketplace for selling used items (electronics, furniture, clothing) directly to nearby buyers, with in-app messaging and optional shipping. No listing fees for local sales; a service fee applies to shipped sales. Works well for decluttering; not a meaningful income source beyond occasional sales.

Poshmark

Resale marketplace focused specifically on clothing, shoes, and accessories. Poshmark takes a flat $2.95 fee on sales under $15 and 20% on sales above that. Best for people with a genuine closet of gently-used, in-demand brands—casual sellers with a handful of items will find the commission structure less favorable.

Depop

Resale marketplace for vintage, handmade, and unique fashion items, with a younger, more visual/social shopping experience than Poshmark. Depop charges a 10% transaction fee. Best for sellers with a distinct aesthetic or vintage inventory rather than generic used clothing.

Apps like OfferUp, Poshmark, and Depop all run on the same core mechanic — a marketplace with a built-in payout system. If you’re building something similar, our eWallet app development guide covers what that payment layer actually requires.

Branded Surveys

Survey platform paying in points redeemable for cash or gift cards. Surveys typically pay 0.50–5, depending on length and screening. Works as a small supplemental income; expect to be screened out of a meaningful percentage of available surveys.

Survey Junkie

Similar survey model to Branded Surveys, redeemable via PayPal or e-gift cards, with a lower minimum cash-out threshold (5–10, depending on redemption type) than some competitors, which matters if you only plan to do surveys occasionally.

InboxDollars

A rewards app combining video watching, games, surveys, and cashback shopping in one platform. Pays in actual dollars (not points), with a $30 minimum withdrawal via check or gift card. Good for people who want one app instead of juggling separate cashback/survey apps.

Hey Piggy 

Not an earning app — a savings/budgeting tool that analyzes spending and flags reducible expenses. Included here because it’s frequently searched alongside earning apps; useful if your goal is reducing outflow rather than generating new income.

Budgeting and savings apps like HeyPiggy sit squarely in fintech. See our fintech app development services if you’re building something in this space.

DoorDash

Food delivery gig work. Pay is base pay plus tips, with weekly direct deposit (faster options available for a fee). Requires a vehicle (or bike in dense cities), a valid license, and passing a background check. Peak pay windows are lunch (11am–2pm) and dinner (5–9pm).

Uber 

Rideshare and delivery driving. Similar onboarding to DoorDash (vehicle, license, background check), with weekly direct deposit. Earnings vary significantly by city and time of day; surge pricing during high-demand periods is the main lever for higher per-hour pay.

Want more driver-focused options? See our full list of the best driving apps to make money.

Capital One Shopping

Browser extension and app that automatically applies coupon codes and shows cashback offers at checkout. No purchase required to install; earns credit redeemable toward gift cards. Passive by design — install once, no ongoing effort required.

Instacart

Grocery shopping and delivery gig work. Pay is batch-based (base pay + tip), with weekly direct deposit. Requires a vehicle for most markets; some dense urban markets allow in-store-only shopping without delivery.

DoorDash, Uber, and Instacart are all built on the same on-demand marketplace model. If you’re building an app in this space, our on-demand app development services page covers what that involves.

Decluttr 

Sells old phones, tablets, and electronics for cash via barcode scan and instant quote, with free shipping and payment on receipt. Best for clearing out specific old tech rather than general reselling — it doesn’t handle clothing, furniture, or general items.

Steady

Aggregator that surfaces gig opportunities across multiple platforms (delivery, freelance, retail) based on your location and availability, plus income tracking tools. Useful if you want to compare gig options in one place rather than checking DoorDash, Uber, and Instacart separately.

TradeStation

Commission-free stock, ETF, and crypto trading app. Not a “make money passively” app in the same sense as the others—it’s an investing platform, meaning returns depend on market performance and carry real risk of loss, unlike gig or cashback earnings.

Trading and investing apps are another core fintech build. See our fintech app development services for what goes into a platform like this.

Conclusion:

These 19 apps cover most of what’s actually available for making extra money in the US right now—cashback, freelance work, gig delivery, resale, surveys, and investing. None of them will replace a full-time income, but stacked together (a couple of cashback apps plus one active gig app, say) they can realistically add a few hundred dollars a month with a few hours a week.

Curious what it takes to build an app like one of these? Our mobile app development services page breaks down what goes into it, from idea to launch

 FAQs

What are the best apps to make money in the USA? 

It depends on how much time you want to spend. For active income, gig apps like DoorDash, Uber, and Instacart pay the most per hour but require a vehicle and ongoing time. For passive income, cashback apps like Rakuten and Ibotta require almost no effort but pay much less. Freelance platforms like Fiverr and Upwork offer the highest earning ceiling if you have a marketable skill.

Which money-making apps actually pay? 

All 19 apps listed above are legitimate and have verifiable payout histories, but “actually pay” usually means “pay enough to be worth your time.” Survey and rewards apps (Swagbucks, InboxDollars, Branded Surveys) pay real money but in small amounts — expect a few dollars per hour of effort. Gig and freelance apps pay significantly more but require more active work.

How much can you realistically make with money-making apps?

Gig delivery pay varies by platform and market. Uber drivers gross a median of roughly $21/hour before expenses, according to Gridwise, which tracks GPS-verified earnings from over 500,000 drivers; DoorDash driver estimates vary more widely by source, roughly $19–$23/hour gross. In both cases, net take-home after gas, vehicle wear, and self-employment tax typically runs $11–$19/hour — meaningfully lower than the gross number the apps display. For survey and cashback apps, expect $20–$100/month for casual use rather than an hourly rate.

Are money-making apps legitimate, or are they scams? 

The apps in this list are established, verifiable platforms with real user bases and payout track records. The scam pattern to watch for isn’t these mainstream apps — it’s apps that ask you to pay an upfront fee to “unlock” earning opportunities, or that promise flat daily payouts ($100+/day) regardless of effort. Legitimate apps pay based on work performed or purchases made; they never require upfront payment.

What’s the easiest app to start earning with today? 

Cashback apps (Rakuten, Ibotta, Capital One Shopping) have the lowest barrier — install, link a payment method, and you’re earning on purchases you’d make anyway. Gig apps (DoorDash, Uber, Instacart) require a background check that can take a few days to clear before you can start.

Rishi Ram

Rishi Ram is CTO at GMTA Software, with 6+ years of experience in software architecture and technical leadership. He’s led GMTA’s work across fintech—including eWallet apps, mobile banking platforms, and Sharia-compliant fintech builds—as well as on-demand and taxi app development and AI-integrated products like fraud detection agents and workflow automation tools.