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If you're looking for a new side hustle, you may have noticed that many require you to be out and about, often driving, delivering, or caring for others during peak hours.
But what if you want (or need) to be home and still want to earn money? Thankfully, there are some side hustles you can easily do from home, and many don't require a large (or any) upfront investment.
If you're searching for real ways to make money from home for free with apps, there are multiple options. Some, such as freelancing or renting out home equipment, help you utilize the skills and resources you already have. Others, like apps that pay you to play online games or take surveys, may take some time to see significant earnings, but with dedication, it is possible.
Below, we explore five real ways to make money from home using free apps and your phone or computer.
Featured free side hustle apps
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5 real ways to make money from home using free apps
Take online surveys and complete tasks
The fastest way I've found to make money from home is to sign up with sites that will pay you to take surveys or complete tasks. The best get-paid-to sites offer a variety of tasks, but you generally have to dedicate a lot of time to them to earn more than a few dollars. That being said, taking surveys is a great way to make money online for beginners.
My favorites are:
Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie offers a variety of surveys and sometimes has focus groups and product testing opportunities. It also provides a browser extension called Surf to Earn, which can help you qualify for higher-paying surveys, though it requires granting access to your browsing and online shopping data.
You must earn at least $5 (500 points) before you can cash out. Survey Junkie pays out via PayPal, bank deposit, or online gift card.
Visit Survey Junkie | Learn more in our Survey Junkie review
Freecash
Freecash rewards users for downloading and playing games, completing surveys, and performing other tasks. It's one of my favorite get-paid-to platforms, as it offers a wide range of game options.
I also like that it provides multiple ways to cash out, including direct deposit to your bank account, PayPal, gift cards, and other options.
However, you must earn between $5 and $20 before you can cash out the first time, depending on your location. Additionally, Freecash charges a 5% processing fee on all withdrawals made via PayPal or bank transfer.
Visit Freecash | Learn more in our Freecash review
InboxDollars
InboxDollars offers a wide range of task options, including paid surveys, downloading games, making referrals, and reading emails from companies, among others. It's a good option for people who like variety and don't want to commit to just one type of task.
You need to earn at least $15 for your first cash out, which is relatively high, but the minimum drops to $10 for all subsequent cash outs. Users can receive payment via PayPal, a prepaid Visa, Mastercard, or American Express card, or store gift cards. There are no fees on prepaid Visa cards or gift cards.
Visit InboxDollars | Learn more in our InboxDollars review
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Play and test mobile games
I enjoy playing online games to unwind and relax in the evenings. Plus, you can make a little cash while you do so. A few of my favorites include:
Bingo Cash
Bingo Cash is a standard bingo game available for Apple and Samsung Galaxy devices. Players earn money by entering tournaments with cash prizes. However, not all states allow cash games.
You can play for free and work your way up to entering tournaments with cash entry fees, but depositing cash into the game can help you join the bigger tournaments faster.
Bingo Cash's entry fees range from $1 to $5, and prize pools vary from $5 to $30. However, Bingo Cash splits the prize pools among the top winners. You need to win at least $5 to make a withdrawal, and a $1 processing fee will be applied.
Players who win cash receive a refund of their entry fee to their original deposit method, and any additional balance arrives via PayPal, Apple Pay, or Venmo.
Visit Bingo Cash | Learn more in our Bingo Cash review
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- Make money play bingo in your free time
- Real-money tournaments and no ads
- Cash out securely using Venmo or PayPal
- Addictive game you’ll want to play for hours
Cash'Em All
If you'd rather have a platform with multiple games to choose from, Cash'Em All is free, but it's only available for Android users.
It awards coins based on your playtime in each game you download through the Cash'Em All app. You only need $1 to cash out, and there's no withdrawal fee. You can cash out via PayPal, a store gift card, or, interestingly, receive your winnings as a store discount.
This can be a good way to cash out early if you frequently shop at the retailers listed in Cash'Em All.
Visit Cash'Em All | Learn more in our Cash'Em All review
Work as a freelancer
Freelancing is a popular way to make money from home because you can leverage your existing skills for different clients. Two sites that I've used to help grow my freelancing career are:
Upwork
Upwork is a job board where clients post projects for freelancers to bid on. You can find work in various fields, including marketing, graphic design, software programming, and business administration. You can also pitch projects to clients directly and set your rates. Upwork helps handle all the administrative tasks.
Creating a profile on Upwork is free, but to increase my profile visibility, I had to purchase Connects, the platform's currency.
Once you are awarded a project, Upwork charges up to a 15% fee on all earnings. The fee rate you pay depends on the contract you have in place. You'll also need to withhold money for quarterly taxes.
Learn more in our Upwork review.
Fiverr
Like Upwork, Fiverr offers a variety of job postings, including writing and graphic design, coding, transcription services, translation assistance, software development, accounting, and customer support, among others.
Signing up and creating a profile is free, but you have to pay to boost your profile through Fiverr Ads. Fiverr charges freelancers a 20% service fee on all earnings, and you need to withhold money for taxes here as well.
Learn more in our Fiverr review.
Generate passive income by investing
Although investing has some startup costs and potential risk, namely your initial investment, many of the best investing platforms are free to download and don't charge commission fees, such as:
Robinhood
Robinhood is commission fee-free, and you can get started for just $1. It offers the ability to invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), options, and even some cryptocurrencies, among other investing options. Robinhood doesn't charge commissions or fees the way some sites do, but it passes along any fees associated with trading stocks1 <p>Other fees may apply.</p> .
You can also set up automatic investing to help you save a little each month.
Sign up for Robinhood | Learn more in our Robinhood review
SoFi Invest®
SoFi Invest is part of SoFi Bank N.A. and offers two types of investment accounts.
Active Investing2 <p><b>INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • </b><b>MAY LOSE VALUE</b></p><p>Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA(<a href="https://www.finra.org/">www.finra.org</a>)/SIPC(<a href="https://www.sipc.org/">www.sipc.org</a>).</p> account holders can start investing for only $5 through a brokerage account.
If you'd rather automatically invest money over time, you can use SoFi's Robo Investing3 <p><b>INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE</b></p><p>Automated investing is offered through SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser.</p> option for a minimum deposit of $50 into a pre-selected portfolio. SoFi® also offers retirement accounts with active or automated options.
Like Robinhood, SoFi does not charge commission fees4 <p class="">Other fees, such as exchange fees, may apply. Please view our fee disclosure to view a full listing of fees.<br></p> on stocks. However, various investment funds may charge their own fees, and additional SoFi fees may also apply.
Visit SoFi Invest | Learn more in our SoFi Invest review
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Rent out space or unused household items
Sites like Neighbor and Yoodilize help you make use of unused space or items you already have.
Neighbor
The Neighbor site connects people with spare space on their property — garages, driveways, sheds, etc. — with those who need storage. Neighbor handles administrative details, including offering liability insurance for hosts. Payments are issued through Stripe.
Hosts generally pay a 4.9% process fee + $0.30 from each monthly payment. Renters pay a monthly service fee in addition to their rent payments.
Learn more in our Neighbor review.
Yoodilize
Instead of space, Yoodilize rents out items that you may have lying around. You can post tools, sports gear, skiing, surfing, or camping equipment, kids' toys, and even heavy machinery.
Yoodilize offers insurance for each item rented and verifies the identity of all renters before providing your details.
It's free to list items on Yoodilize, but if you do rent out items, the site will charge a small service fee.
Benefits of a side hustle you can do from home
Many of the best side hustle apps you can use from home offer you the ultimate flexibility and control over your schedule. Since you can choose to work whenever you want, you can decide how much you want to work, take a break when you need to, or work odd hours.
They also help you earn more by saving you from common side hustle expenses. For example, if you were to sign up to drive for Uber or DoorDash, you'd have to factor in the cost of gas, vehicle maintenance, and insurance into your earnings. With side hustles you can do at home, you generally don't have those ongoing expenses.
FAQs
Which app makes real money for free?
Depending on what you're interested in, there are several apps to make real money for free. Sites like Survey Junkie, FreeCash, and InboxDollars offer a variety of small tasks, games, and surveys that pay a little for your time. If you possess skills in marketing, IT, computer programming, or other areas, you can find remote or freelance work on sites like Fiverr or Upwork.
How do you make money on free apps?
In general, you make money on free apps by devoting a lot of time to them. To ensure you make the most money possible, check the apps frequently to take advantage of any deals or high-paying offers.
It's also a good idea to use more than one app at a time. For example, consider taking surveys on Survey Junkie and InboxDollars, renting unused garage space on Neighbor, and looking for work on Upwork to help you maximize your skills and opportunities.
What is the most legit money app?
There's not just one legit money app out there. Several apps can help you make money from home. I've had good luck earning money with Cash'em All, Freecash, and Bingo Cash, among others.
Bottom line
Finding real ways to make money from home by using free apps or websites can take some time and effort. You should have realistic expectations, especially when it comes to gaming and survey sites, but these free apps are legitimate ways to earn money from home.
As you search for the best side hustles, thoroughly research each site to ensure it's legitimate and pays out. Pay attention to any fees that might eat into your profit, and read user reviews on app websites to gauge other users' experiences.
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- Get paid for testing apps, games, and surveys
- Payouts can go as high as $225 per offer
- “Excellent” Trustpilot Rating (54,000+ reviews, 4.6/5 stars)
- Cash out instantly with PayPal starting at only $5
