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20 Best Ways To Get Paid To Download Apps in 2024

Get Paid to Download Apps

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If you’re looking for a side hustle to supplement your income, there are plenty of ways to make money online. For instance, you can get paid to download apps. 

While it may sound too good to be true, many companies out there are willing to pay you to try out apps. If you have a smartphone and spend a few hours a day on apps you’ve already downloaded, you can make money adding more apps to your phone. 

Getting paid to download apps doesn’t require much to get started. You don’t need skills or expertise, just your smartphone and an internet connection. 

In this post, I’ll cover the best ways to make money by downloading apps and tips to maximize your earnings.

The Best Ways To Get Paid To Download Apps

Downloading apps for money is one of the best ways to make money online for beginners. Whether you want to earn a little extra cash or free gift cards, the ideas on this list are a great place to start.

1. Kashkick

  • Availability: US, UK, Canada
  • Reward options: PayPal cash
  • Earning potential: Approximately $3 per hour
  • Payout threshold: $10

First on our list of sites where you can make money downloading apps is Kashkick, a popular GPT site. 

While the site is relatively new, it’s a legitimate platform to earn money for simple tasks like taking surveys, playing mobile games, and completing sponsored offers. 

Kashkick

The highest-paying opportunities on the app are completing surveys and playing games, but there are also plenty of opportunities to earn bonuses for trying certain products and services. 

It’s free to sign up for Kashkick, and it pays out via PayPal once you earn at least $10.

Sign up for Kashkick or read my Kashkick review.

2. Swagbucks

  • Availability: Fairly global
  •  Reward options: Gift cards, check, PayPal cash, and more
  •  Earning potential: Approximately $3 to $5 a day
  •  Payout threshold: $5

Swagbucks is one of the leading GPT sites globally, with several million users. It’s no surprise Swagbucks is so popular, given the range of money-making opportunities and earning potential. 

Some of the ways to make money on the site include:

  • Downloading apps and games
  • Completing surveys
  • Watching ads
  • Shopping online
  • Surfing the web
Swagbucks

Swagbucks has various convenient cashout options. You can redeem your Swagbucks (SBs) for PayPal cash or gift cards to your favorite online retailers.

The redemption threshold on the site varies depending on the country. You can redeem your points for as little as $1.

The highest-paying opportunities on the site are special offers, where you get paid to download apps. You can also make money by installing apps through Swagbucks.

3. InboxDollars

  • Availability: U.S. residents only
  • Reward options: PayPal cash, ePayment, check, gift cards
  • Earning potential: Approximately $5 per day
  • Payout threshold: $15 for the first payout, $10 for subsequent payouts

InboxDollars is another great site where you can get paid to download apps and complete other microtasks like answering surveys for Amazon gift cards

Sites like InboxDollars give you plenty of options to make money, including:

  • Reading emails
  • Playing games
  • Shopping online
  • Completing surveys
  • Downloading apps
InboxDollars

One of the perks of using InboxDollars is you earn a $5 sign-up bonus when you create an account. It works much like Swagbucks, which is unsurprising considering the same company owns them.

For your first payment request, you must have at least $15 in your account. From there, the cashout threshold is $10. 

You can redeem your points for PayPal cash or gift cards to Amazon and other major retailers.

Start earning with InboxDollars!

4. LifePoints

  • Availability: Somewhat global
  • Reward options: Gift cards, PayPal cash
  • Earning potential: About $3 an hour
  • Payout threshold: $5

Another way to make money downloading apps is to sign up for LifePoints. It’s a popular GPT site that rewards its users in LifePoints(LPs). You’ll earn a sign-up bonus of 10 LPs when you sign up and download the LifePoints app. 

LifePoints

From there, you can increase your points by doing different activities on the app. While the main way to earn rewards on LifePoints is to complete surveys, they also reward you for other tasks like testing apps and products. 

Once you’ve earned enough LifePoints, you can redeem them for rewards like Amazon gift cards and PayPal cash. 

Try out LifePoints!

5. FeaturePoints

  • Availability: Fairly global
  • Reward options: PayPal cash, gift cards, check, Bitcoin
  • Earning potential: Approximately $5 per day
  • Payout threshold: $5

FeaturePoints is another great GPT site that allows you to earn money for completing simple tasks like:

  • Downloading apps
  • Watching videos
  • Completing surveys
  • Referring friends
FeaturePoints

Once you’ve signed up for an account, you’ll have a dashboard showing you the earning opportunities available. There are many opportunities daily, so you should not have a problem reaching the $5 payout threshold. 

Some of the most lucrative tasks on the site are special offers, which you’ll also find on your dashboard. These offers often involve downloading and installing specific apps for rewards. 

You also get bonus points for referring friends to the platform. Once you’ve accumulated enough points, you can redeem them for gift cards, Bitcoin, or PayPal cash. 

Sign up for FeaturePoints!

6. AppKarma

  • Availability: Global
  • Reward options: PayPal cash, gift cards
  • Earning potential: $1 to $5 a day
  • Payout threshold: $3

AppKarma is your best bet if you’re looking for apps specifically created to reward users for playing games. It pays you to install apps, most of which are gaming apps. 

Some other money-making opportunities on the app include watching videos and referring friends. 

AppKarma

While the app has limited ways to earn, it also has perks. Instead of earning a one-off reward for downloading a game, you continue earning as you interact with the apps you download.

If you like playing mobile games, you should sign up for AppKarma. You can also refer your friends to earn a 30% referral bonus to boost your earnings. 

Signup for AppKarma!

7. Rakuten

  • Availability: US, Canada, UK, and other countries
  • Reward options: Check, PayPal cash
  • Earning potential: Up to 40% cashback
  • Payout threshold: $5

Rakuten is a popular cashback GPT site that rewards you for shopping online.

It’s one of the more unique sites we’ve covered in this list, as it allows you to make money while spending money.

If you’ve ever used apps like Fetch Rewards, you’re probably familiar with Rakuten.

Rakuten

One of the major advantages of signing up for Rakuten is you earn a $30 sign-up bonus for completing a qualifying shopping offer.

Rakuten has thousands of partners, so you’ll find shopping offers for your favorite brands.

Most shopping offers give you 1% to 5% cashback, but you can also find offers of up to 20% or 40%. 

All the cash you earn is deposited in your account and will be paid out in three months via mailed check or PayPal, provided that you have at least $5.

Overall, Rakuten is one of the best reward apps out there. 

Get started with Rakuten!

8. AppStation

  • Availability: Somewhat global
  • Reward options: PayPal cash, gift cards
  • Earning potential: About $1 a day
  • Payout threshold: $5

Another fun way to get paid to install apps is by downloading AppStation. However, the app is only available for Android users.

If you like playing mobile games, you can make extra cash during your spare time. You’ll have the opportunity to select from a wide selection of game apps that pay money

Appstation

Appstation rewards you in coins for every minute you play the game, so you should pick your favorites.

There are plenty of popular games available, including:

  • Words with Friends
  • Candy Crush
  • Dragon City
  • Angry Birds 2

You can redeem your coins for PayPal cash or gift cards to popular retailers like Walmart, Amazon, Xbox, Playstation, Steam, and more. 

9. Mistplay

  • Availability: Somewhat global
  • Reward options: Steam credit, gift cards
  • Earning potential: Approximately $1 per hour
  • Payout threshold: $5 gift cards

Mistplay, a GPT site marketed as a “loyalty program for mobile gamers,” is another option to get paid to download apps.

Mistplay

The app rewards you for downloading and playing your favorite Android games. There’s a wide variety of games for you to select from, including arcade, card, action, strategy, and multiplayer games. 

As you play the sponsored games and level up, you earn points which you can later redeem for gift cards and steam credit.

The more you play, the more points you earn. Gift cards start from as low as $0.50. 

Try out Mistplay!

10. Nielsen Panel

  • Availability: US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Germany, China
  • Reward options: PayPal cash, gift cards
  • Earning potential: $50 a year
  • Payout threshold: $5 for gift cards, $10 for PayPal cash

If you’d like to earn passive income, one of your best options is signing up for the Nielsen Mobile and Computer Panel

Nielsen is one of the longest-serving market research companies, and it pays you to collect your data.

Nielsen Panel

You can download the desktop panel for your computer, which allows you to earn sweepstakes for free cash. Downloading the mobile panel for your phone is another way to earn with Nielsen. 

Simply allow the app to learn about your phone habits, including how you spend your money. 

The mobile panel pays you in points, sweepstakes, and game tokens for your favorite online games. 

Sign up for Nielsen Panel to start earning!

11. MyPoints

  • Availability: US, Canada
  • Reward options: gift cards
  • Earning potential: Up to 40% cash back
  • Payout threshold: $5

MyPoints is a popular platform that rewards users for answering surveys, downloading apps, and completing microtasks. 

MyPoints

The app also has an online shopping portal that allows you to earn cashback for shopping at any of their partner merchants.

There are many ways to make money on the site, but the highest-paying opportunity is using Mypoints to shop online. 

When you sign up for MyPoints, you earn a $10 sign-up bonus or a prepaid Visa card as a welcome bonus.

You must spend at least $20 on a qualifying shopping offer to receive the bonus.

Earn $10 from MyPoints!

12. GrabPoints

  • Availability: Global
  • Reward options: PayPal cash, gift cards
  • Earning potential: $1 to $4 per day
  • Payout threshold: $5

If you want to get paid to download mobile apps, Grabpoints is another site to add to your list. 

Apart from getting paid to install the app, you can also make money by answering surveys, watching videos, referring people, and taking online offers.

GrabPoints

The highest-paying potential on the platform is completing sponsored offers, which pay anywhere from $5 to $50. 

You can redeem your rewards for free gift cards and PayPal Cash once you reach $5. While you won’t make a lot of cash with Grabpoints, it’s worth trying.

Join Grabpoints!

13. MobileXpression

  • Availability: U.S., Canada, UK
  • Reward options: Free gift cards
  • Earning potential: $50 per year
  • Payout threshold: $5 gift cards
MobileXpression

Unlike other ways to get paid to download apps, MobileXpression lets you make money on autopilot

You only need to download the app on your mobile phone and allow the company to collect your browsing activity.

Although your income potential is capped at $50 a year, it’s a great passive income side hustle that requires little to no effort. You can redeem your rewards for free gift cards to popular retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target. 

Sign up for MobileXpression!

14. Rewarded Play

  • Availability: U.S., Canada
  • Reward options: Gift cards
  • Earning potential: $3 to $5 per day
  • Payout threshold: $5

If you’ve used apps like Mistplay, you’ll probably like Rewarded Play, another fun way to get paid to download apps.

With Rewarded Play, you earn points for downloading and playing various Android games. The more games you download and play, the more points you accumulate.

Rewarded Play

You can redeem your points for rewards like gift cards to major retailers. The best thing about Rewarded Play is that you only need $5 to cash out, so it’s easy to make quick money.

However, Rewarded Play is currently available for Android users alone. But if you enjoy playing mobile games, it’s a fun way to make extra cash during your spare time.

Try out Rewarded Play!

15. JustPlay

  • Availability: Somewhat global
  • Reward options: Gift cards, PayPal cash 
  • Earning potential: $1 to $4 per day
  • Payout threshold: None

Another way to get paid to download apps is using JustPlay, a popular rewards gaming app.

Similar to apps like Mistplay, you download the JustPlay app then download other games and play to earn rewards. 

JustPlay

What sets JustPlay apart is its payout timeframe. You can cash out every three hours and there’s no minimum payout threshold. PayPal cash and gift cards are the available reward options.

JustPlay is only available for Android users. Apps like JustPlay won’t make you a lot of cash, but they’re worth trying if you enjoy playing mobile games. 

Get started with JustPlay!

16. AppNana

  • Availability: Global
  • Reward options: Gift cards, paid mobile games, in-app purchases
  • Earning potential: Extremely low (less than $1 a day)
  • Payout threshold: 30,000 points for $1 gift cards

AppNana is another site that’s specifically geared toward mobile gamers. It rewards users with points (nanas) for downloading mobile gaming apps and playing games.

If you enjoy playing mobile games, consider AppNana. This way, you earn rewards for doing what you already enjoy doing. 

While other get paid to download apps offer various money-making options, the only way to earn rewards on AppNana is to download and play mobile games. 

If you prefer a site with more opportunities, try the other sites I have covered in this guide.

It’s also important to note that the earning potential on AppNana is pretty low, so you should only try it if you don’t mind spending hours playing mobile games. 

17. iRazoo

  • Availability: Fairly global
  • Reward options: PayPal cash, gift cards
  • Earning potential: About $1 a day
  • Payout threshold: $1

iRazoo is a typical GPT site that rewards you for tasks like answering surveys, watching videos, downloading apps, and completing other offers. 

iRazoo has been around for quite some time and has paid over $150 million to users.

The site gives you access to new apps daily, so there’s the excitement of trying different things and getting paid for them. 

You can choose whichever apps you want to download from the dashboard or pick other money-making opportunities. 

After accumulating enough points, you can redeem them for PayPal cash or gift cards to major retailers. You’ll need at least 3,000 iRazoo points to redeem your first reward. 

Sign up for iRazoo!

18. ySense

  • Availability: Worldwide
  • Reward options: Gift cards, PayPal cash, Payoneer, Skrill
  • Earning potential: About $1 gift card per day
  • Payout threshold: $5
ySense

Formerly called ClixSense, ySense is our final way to get paid to download apps.

Other ways to make money on the platform include:

  • Completing surveys
  • Playing games
  • Watching videos
  • Cash offers
  • Referring friends

The payout threshold varies depending on the payment method you choose. For example, you only need $5 to redeem gift cards and $10 for PayPal cash.

What I like about ySense is the several earning opportunities, meaning you can earn regularly.

Start earning with ySense!

19. Boom Gift

  • Availability: Global
  • Reward options: PayPal cash, gift cards
  • Earning potential: About $1 per day
  • Payout threshold: $5

Boom Gift is a mobile platform where you can earn rewards for tasks like downloading apps, playing games, watching videos, and taking surveys. 

It’s available on iOS and Android, and you don’t have to register. Simply download and install the app, then head to the “Earn Points” section and choose the tasks you’d like to do. 

Boom Gift gives you points for each task you complete, and you can redeem these points for various rewards such as PayPal cash or gift cards to Amazon, Steam, Google Play Store, Apple iTunes, and more. 

20. Cash for Apps

  • Availability: Somewhat global
  • Reward options: Gift cards
  • Earning potential: About $1 gift card per day
  • Payout threshold: $5

Cash for Apps is a mobile-only platform that rewards users for completing simple tasks.

The app is available for both Android and iOS devices. It rewards users for downloading apps and referring friends.

The main way to earn rewards on Cash for Apps is to download apps. When you log into your account, you’ll see the various app offers available to you.

Downloading an app earns you a specific amount of points.

Whenever you click on an offer, you’ll see instructions to earn the rewards. Once you accumulate enough rewards, you can redeem them for gift cards to:

  • Amazon
  • Steam
  • iTunes
  • Xbox
  • Google Play

Unlike most GPT sites, Cash for Apps does not have a cash option, which is one of the downsides of the site. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Get Paid To Download Apps?

It’s not only possible but pretty easy to get paid to download apps. You only need your iOS or Android smartphone and legitimate GPT sites.

GPT sites offer different ways to earn free cash, with micro-tasks like completing surveys, playing games, and downloading apps. 

Companies usually pay these sites to promote the apps, and a portion of the money comes to you as the user.

Different apps have different requirements, and most of them offer a sign-up bonus to attract new users.

Sometimes you must fulfill certain conditions to get paid to install apps, such as reaching a certain level of a game or having the app open for a specific amount of time. 

Reading the fine print of the terms and conditions is important so you know what to expect.

How Much Can You Make Downloading Apps?

It depends on the site you choose and how much time you spend on it.

Generally, you can make $1 to $5 per day downloading apps. While the pay is pretty low, it’s an excellent way to make extra cash.

When it comes to GPT sites, you should set your expectations realistically so you don’t get disappointed. You don’t need skills or experience for the tasks, so the amount you earn is not too glamorous.

Ideally, you should sign up for multiple apps to increase your earning potential.

Which App Can I Install and Earn Money?

There are several sites that will pay you to download and install apps, including:

  • Swagbucks
  • InboxDollars
  • LifePoints
  • MyPoints
  • Rakuten
  • Kashkick
  • Mistplay
  • Rewarded Play
  • MobileXpression
  • Appstation

Tips for Getting Paid To Download Apps

Now that you know the best ways to get paid to download apps, here are some tips to maximize your earning potential:

  • Sign up for multiple sites: GPT sites are not the most lucrative side hustle, but you can maximize your earnings by trying several platforms.
  • Track your earnings: It’s important to keep track of your progress to know how much you’ve earned on what platform and how long it took you. This way, you can weed out the platforms that are not worth your time.
  • Organize your work: Ideally, you should have a separate email inbox for your GPT side hustles. This way, you won’t have important notifications getting lost in your primary inbox.

Final Thoughts

There are several ways to make money online on your smartphone. 

While getting paid to download apps is not the most lucrative side hustle, it’s one of the best ways to make money on the side.

The next time you stand in line for coffee, download a few apps and earn rewards.

Don’t forget to track your progress. This way, you can know which apps are worth your time.

Looking for other ways to make extra cash? Check out:

Lydia is a personal finance expert and the founder of Sproutinue, a personal finance site helping you find legit ways to make money, save money, and achieve financial freedom. She has been featured on various major financial publications, including Investopedia, Business Insider, GoBankingRates, and more.

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