/images/2018/01/23/navina-side-hustle-mid_MPfEDfV.jpg)
/images/2019/12/06/smart_strategies_to_save_money_on_car_insurance.jpg)
/images/2025/02/10/woman-smiles-at-phone.png)
/authors/steve-miller-headshot.jpg)
/authors/melinda-sineriz-financebuzz.jpg)
As far as online side hustles go, Scrambly isn’t the most lucrative, but its combination of task-based earning opportunities and get-paid-to-play games make it a popular choice for earning a little extra money.
You’re unlikely to earn what you could on a freelancing site like Fiverr using Scrambly or similar apps, but you could earn enough to cover small but necessary expenses. Personally, I used earnings from survey sites to buy toiletries when I was a broke college student.
Other apps like Scrambly include Freecash, InboxDollars, and Cash Giraffe, all of which offer users the chance to earn money through some combination of taking surveys, watching videos, playing games, and more. Make sure, though, that whichever app or site you choose is one that’s going to deliver earnings that justify the time investment. What that looks like will vary from person to person, but there’s no shortage of options to consider.
How we evaluate products
The companies we chose for our Best Apps Like Scrambly list may be current or past FinanceBuzz partners. We did not review all get-paid-to-play or survey apps on the market. When evaluating these companies, we considered earning potential, ease of use, pricing, app store ratings and reviews, and user experience.
Apps like Scrambly
Compare apps like Scrambly
| Freecash | Rewarded Play | Cash Giraffe | WorldWinner | InboxDollars | |
| Where you can play |
|
|
|
|
|
| Minimum withdrawal amount |
|
|
|
|
|
| Withdrawal processing fees |
|
|
|
|
|
| Download Freecash | Download Rewarded Play | Download Cash Giraffe | Download WorldWinner | Download InboxDollars |
Freecash
- Freecash is available on the web and as an Android App. iOS users can access the site from a web browser.
- Freecash is rated 4.2 out of 5 stars on the Google Play store with over 130,000 reviews.
- Freecash has multiple ways to earn and offers games, surveys, and other tasks.
Like many of the apps covered here, Freecash offers a variety of ways to earn, including playing games, taking surveys, and completing tasks. When you start out, Freecash will assign you to one of two modes (Lite or Advanced), which will determine your earning potential. You can play your way from Lite to Advanced and start earning more, but it will take a while.
The Freecash mobile app is only available to Android users, but if you don’t have an Android phone, you can access Freecash via web browser on any connected device — whether desktop or mobile.
- There are multiple ways to earn money on games, surveys, and more.
- Freecash has multiple cashout options.
- It’s well rated on Trustpilot and the Google Play Store.
- iOS users can only use a web browser, not the app.
- Users may be restricted to Lite Mode, limiting earning potential.
- You must pay a 5% fee to withdraw money via PayPal or bank transfer.
Visit Freecash | Learn more in our Freecash review.
Rewarded Play
- Rewarded Play is free but only available for Android phones.
- Reward Play is rated 4.4 out of 5 stars on the Google Play Store with over 224,000 reviews.
- Rewarded Play only offers gift cards as rewards.
Rewarded Play is an Android-only gaming app that offers the chance to earn rewards for installing and playing a variety of games, from Monopoly to matching and casino games. Not all apps like Scrambly require you to install games to your device, so if you’re wary of cluttering up your home screen, consider other options.
Users can redeem their winnings for gift cards at more than two dozen retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, and more. These gift cards, however, can take up to 14 days to receive, which requires some patience. If you’re hoping to get cash you can put into your bank account, Rewarded Play isn’t the app for you. But if you want to gradually accumulate gift cards to have on hand for birthday gifts for family or friends, Rewarded Play could get you there.
- Rewarded Play often offers new user promotions that can help you boost your initial earnings.
- Rewarded Play has a large selection of gift cards, especially compared to other apps.
- Gift cards can arrive within 48 hours.
- Payouts are only available via store gift cards.
- It’s only available as an Android app.
- There are no cash payouts via PayPal.
Visit Rewarded Play | Learn more in our Rewarded Play review.
Cash Giraffe
- Cash Giraffe is free but available only for Android users.
- Cash Giraffe only offers games (no surveys or other tasks).
- Cash Giraffe is rated 4.4 out of 5 stars on Google Play with over 421,000 reviews.
Cash Giraffe is notable among the other apps covered here for the variety of games it offers and its per-minute earning structure versus the achievement-based earning process on other games.
Yet another Android-only app, Cash Giraffe pays out via Paypal or gift cards for traditional retailers like Walmart and Starbucks and digital stores like Xbox Digital and the Playstation store. Players earn gems for downloading and playing games. Each cashout option offers tiered gift card redemptions starting at $5 with most $5 gift cards requiring upward of 45,000 gems.
Because Cash Giraffe lets players earn by amount of time spent playing featured games instead of winning them, you don’t have to actually be any good at said games to get paid, making this a great option for casual gamers who might not have the skills required to earn on other apps.
- Cash Giraffe is easy to download and use.
- Points are redeemable via gift cards, merchant discounts, or PayPal.
- PayPal cash outs can be received in as little as two days.
- Cash Giraffe’s games may require in-app purchases to reach higher levels.
- It may take a while to reach the $5 cashout minimum.
- It’s only available on Android.
Visit Cash Giraffe | Learn more in our Cash Giraffe review.
WorldWinner
- WorldWinner is free to download but only offers a mobile app on iOS. Android users must play through their browser.
- Worldwinner requires players to deposit money to enter cash games.
- WorldWinner is rated 4.6 out of 5 stars on the Apple App Store with over 37,000 reviews.
WorldWinner offers the chance to earn on cash tournaments that require a deposit to play. The app will give you the chance to test out games for a round or two to get the hang of things, but you will eventually need to deposit cash to enter tournaments and continue using the app.
With games like Scrabble, Boggle, and Wheel of Fortune offered alongside other classics like Yahtzee! and dominos, Worldwinner’s selection is likely to appeal to those who enjoy word games and digital versions of more traditional offerings.
- Worldwinner has a simple withdrawal process with a $1.75 minimum.
- It doesn’t have ads.
- Worldwinner doesn’t require downloading third-party apps to play games.
- Many tournaments are offered with relatively low earnings potential.
- It has more limited and challenging game options than some other apps.
- It requires depositing money to enter cash games.
Visit WorldWinner | Learn more in our WorldWinner review.
InboxDollars
- The InboxDollars mobile app is free to download on iOS and Android.
- InboxDollars is rated 4.2 out of 5 stars on Google Play and 4.5 out of 5 stars on the Apple App Store with more than 350,000 combined reviews.
InboxDollars offers an interesting variety of ways to earn cash. Much like Scrambly, you can earn on InboxDollars by taking surveys, playing games, watching videos, using the app’s search engine, and even reading emails. You earn real cash (rather than rewards) that must then be converted to cash or gift cards, and InboxDollars will even give you a $5 bonus just for signing up. (Note that you’ll need to earn $15 before you can cash out, so InboxDollars isn’t promising quick money, but it does give you a head-start.)
The variety of ways to earn makes InboxDollars great for anyone who isn’t a huge fan of addictive or mindless mobile gaming. Many tasks require a little more focus, but you can avoid the bells and whistles other apps covered here put between the user and cashing out.
- You can earn $5 just for signing up.
- There are a variety of ways to earn beyond surveys and playing games.
- It’s a user-friendly website and mobile app.
- The high minimum payout threshold can take a while to reach.
- The earning potential is relatively low for casual users.
- Payouts may be subject to fees.
Visit InboxDollars | Learn more in our InboxDollars review.
How to make the most of these platforms
You’re not going to get rich on any of these apps. Rather, they’re best approached as a way to earn a little walking around money.
Ideally, you can use these apps to earn as passively as possible. Pull up a video on InboxDollars and let it run while you’re prepping coffee in the morning. Need to kill some time while you wait for the bus? Get a quick round of Solitaire in. These platforms aren’t going to be a reliable source of income, but if you squeeze in some activity during those little bits of downtime throughout the day, your winnings will eventually add up.
Make sure you’re using an app that fits your desired outcome, though. If you’re looking to have a little spare cash on you to help with incidental expenses, an app that only lets you cash out with gift cards for specific retailers isn’t going to be of much use. But if you’re a regular Starbucks patron, using an app that lets you redeem winnings for Starbucks gift cards could be the way to go.
How to stay safe on platforms like these
A quick look around web forums and app review pages shows that many people are out there asking whether apps like these are actually legit. In general, they are. Scrambly and the apps covered here are all legitimate ways to earn money online.
But that doesn’t mean every app that promises real cash for playing games or taking surveys is trustworthy or worth your time. Always search for reviews and independent accounts of user experience to get a feel for whether you stand to earn any cash or if an app is just after your data and offering little in return.
With survey apps in particular, be conscious of the information you’re being asked to provide and only give away as much personal info as you feel comfortable providing. You may also want to set up an email account just for using apps like Scrambly so that you can avoid any spam in your primary account.
FAQs
What is the highest-paying game app?
The amount you can earn from any given app will vary widely based on which games you play, how much you play them, and the earning structure of the app you’re playing on. Some other legit pay-for-play options include Mistplay, Bingo Cash, and Solitaire Cash.
Which apps pay real money instantly?
In this case, “instant” is a bit subjective. Any legitimate app that offers to pay you real cash is going to require something in return. Whether that’s taking surveys or downloading and playing games, you’re going to have to invest some time before you can cash out.
Once you reach your chosen app’s cashout threshold, the time it takes to actually receive money can vary widely. Some apps with quicker cashout timelines include Survey Spin and Cash’em All. Both allow you to cash out via Paypal, which tends to work relatively seamlessly, but again, your experience may vary. Check out user reviews before downloading an app to get a feel for what others have experienced.
Bottom line
Scrambly is a popular option for a reason — which you can read all about in our Scrambly review. Its combination of one-time and ongoing earning opportunities make it a flexible way to earn some cash for a wide range of users. The apps we covered here all offer similar ways to earn, whether playing games or taking surveys, but each has its own quirks, perks, and drawbacks.
The best survey sites offer a slightly more mindful earning experience that — though tedious at times — requires a little more attention and thought. But if you’re a touchscreen warrior ready to tap your way to mobile gaming success, try one of the best legit gaming apps to earn a little extra on the side.
/images/2023/12/08/freecash_-_logo.png){kind=logo}
