Looking to pad your wallet with some extra income? The good news is that it’s never been easier to bring in money thanks to technology and the convenience of the best side hustle apps right on your phone.
Whether you want to make money online as a freelance writer, try your hand at dog walking, or even take surveys for cash, the opportunities are endless.
It all depends on your skill set and what you like doing. We’ve narrowed down the top side hustle apps to help you earn extra cash.
- Side Hustle Apps for Easy Cash
- Side Hustle Apps for Shopping Rewards
- Side Hustle Apps for Odd Jobs
- Side Hustle Apps for Driving
- Side Hustle Apps for Renting Stuff
- Side Hustle Apps for Selling Stuff
- Side Hustle Apps for Investing
skip down to see all the best side hustle apps
26 Best Side Hustle Apps to Pad Your Bank Account
Here are the top side hustle apps you can download today:
- Swagbucks
- Branded Surveys
- MyPoints
- InboxDollars
- Capital One Shopping
- PayPal Honey
- Fiverr
- Steady App
- FlexJobs
- Rover
- TaskRabbit
- Nextdoor
- Handy
- DoorDash
- Instacart
- Uber
- Uber Eats
- Airbnb
- Neighbor
- Turo
- Decluttr
- Etsy
- eBay
- OfferUp
- Robinhood
- Acorns
Side Hustle Apps for Easy Cash
Let’s face it: Running a side hustle can take a lot of work. For a simpler approach, try using some of the best survey apps in your spare time:
1. Swagbucks
Use an app like Swagbucks to earn income and rewards while sitting on the couch.
You’ll get paid for answering questions and completing tasks like watching movies, filling out questionnaires, and searching the web.
It’s fun, easy, and rewarding to use Swagbucks. Just don’t expect to make a lot of money doing it. You can expect to earn an average of $1-$5 a day on the app.
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2. Branded Surveys
Branded Surveys is the best in class when it comes to survey sites. When you sign up, you’ll be asked some basic questions about yourself to help Branded Surveys match you with the right opportunities.
You’ll also get a $1 welcome bonus, just for registering. From there, your profile will be filled with surveys you’re eligible for. When you hit 500 points—or $5—you can cash out with Paypal, a direct deposit, or a gift card to a popular retailer or restaurant of your choice.
Surveys typically pay anywhere from $.30-$3.00, depending on how long they take to complete.
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3. MyPoints
MyPoints is another side hustle app worth adding to your list. You can get paid for sharing opinions, reading emails, shopping, searching the web, and playing games.
The site also has optional alerts on deals and coupons from its retail partners to help you save. MyPoints pays its users with gift cards, Paypal, and United travel miles, giving you some flexibility in how you get reimbursed.
With a $10 signup bonus, an average payout of $2.50, and a low minimum requirement to cash out, MyPoints is one of our top picks for making money by taking surveys.
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4. InboxDollars
Another easy side hustle app recommendation — if you’re willing to take surveys and fill out market research panels, is InboxDollars.
InboxDollars is one of the original online survey sites. As a member, you can earn cashback from purchases that you make through their site. You can also earn cash in your PayPal account, gift cards, and other rewards, simply for filling out surveys on your smartphone in your free time.
How much you earn depends on how many surveys you take (and how much free time you have to engage with those surveys). But let’s be clear, you aren’t going to get rich on InboxDollars, or with any other online survey site.
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Side Hustle Apps for Shopping Rewards
5. Capital One Shopping
Capital One Shopping is an easy addition to your routine that can help you start padding your wallet with extra cash and very little effort.
When you shop using the platform, you get credits back that you can cash in for gift cards. You can use the app and add the extension to your browser to start saving.
You’ll also get alerts when the items you’re viewing are available at a lower price from another seller. While you might not think of online shopping as a side hustle, it can be when you’re racking up credits and saving on major purchases.
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6. PayPal Honey
Similar to Capital One Shopping, Honey is a money-saving service you can easily incorporate into your shopping routine.
It comes with a Chrome extension and app. When you shop with the extension, Honey searches over 300,000 stores for coupons and applies codes to your purchases for you.
There’s also a product tracker that alerts you to price drops. And you can earn Honey Gold cashback rewards on purchases.
When you’re on your phone, Honey brings the stores to you, letting you shop brands directly through the app with the same features as the extension. All in all, it’s a great free tool for saving while you shop.
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Side Hustle Apps for Odd Jobs
7. Fiverr
If you work in a creative field, you could use Fiverr to grow a side gig.
Fiverr is a platform that connects you with companies that are looking for freelance help, leading to lucrative opportunities and potentially even steady pay.
You could easily wind up doubling or even tripling your salary working flexible, high-paying creative tasks with this side hustle app!
Editing, graphic design, digital marketing, and virtual assisting are some of Fiverr’s most profitable gigs, but you can make money doing dozens of professional services on the platform.
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8. Steady App
At its core, the Steady app was made to help Americans make more money. The main way they carry out their mission is by sharing a database of freelance gigs and job opportunities that match your goals, scheduling preferences, and experience.
The app also provides income insights to help you track your earnings and see trends in your industry based on data provided by other Steady users.
Steady also offers what it calls Income Boosters, which are cash incentives that can help you out when money is tight, as well as emergency cash grants. For example, Steady might offer to pay you $90 if you spend $25 on your Varo Debit Card.
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9. FlexJobs
FlexJobs is another great site and app for finding side hustles, with over 27,000 online job listings from more than 5,000 companies. The site finds and lists job openings in dozens of industries worldwide, vetting each company and providing research on them.
You can use the site to easily scroll through job opportunities in your area, or use advanced filters for more specific opportunities. You can also find helpful articles, get career advice, and sign up for events and webinars.
Just note that Flexjobs does come at a cost of $24.95 per month, $39.95 for 3 months, or $59.95 for a year.
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10. Rover
If you like animals and want to bring in money by pet sitting or being a dog walker, give Rover a try.
Rover is a side hustle app that connects pet sitters with local pet owners. You can set the types of services that you’re looking to offer, resulting in flexible employment options.
For example, you can use Rover to secure a casual walking or sitting gig during your spare time. Or you could offer something more creative like grooming or training services.
Rover claims you can earn up to $1,000 per month on the platform.
11. TaskRabbit
If you just need a quick gig to make some money, TaskRabbit can help.
The TaskRabbit mobile app connects taskers with local community members who need help with projects like painting, putting up fencing, cleaning, and grocery shopping.
According to the TaskRabbit website, you can make an average of $22-$62 per project. The only downside is the $25 registration fee.
However, you’ll be able to set your schedule and rates and determine your work area — and the only bosses you’ll have to answer to will be your clients.
12. NextDoor
A safe way to connect with community members for local work is to use the Nextdoor app.
Nextdoor is an app that lets you build a profile and communicate with other people in your neighborhood based on your zip code.
You can find the same types of jobs on Nextdoor as TaskRabbit. Plus, Nextdoor won’t take a cut of your profits.
13. Handy
Are you good at fixing stuff and building things? If so, sign up to get handyman work on Handy.
Handy connects people that need help around their house or office with independent contractors. You can set your schedule, and only pick out jobs that interest you.
People turn to the app for help with tasks like building furniture, house cleaning, painting, and mounting TVs.
You can set your own schedule, and payments get deposited directly into your bank account soon after you complete jobs.
Side Hustle Apps for Driving
14. DoorDash
One of the most popular delivery apps out there, Doordash is a solid choice if you’re looking to use your car to earn money.
While Doordash initially offered only fast food and takeout, now it includes items like groceries, gifts, and pet supplies, which has also led to more demand.
You can make an average of $18-$25 per hour as a dasher, and you get to keep all of your tips. There are also promos, like Peak Pay times, that allow you to earn even more when things get busy.
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15. Instacart
If you love to shop, give Instacart a try. There are two ways you can earn with Instacart.
The first is being an in-store shopper, which pays between $10 and $15 per hour. In this position, you’ll simply collect grocery items in-store for orders.
If you want to take things up a notch, you can sign up to become a full-service shopper and make deliveries as well. Shoppers are paid per delivery, in addition to gratuities and hourly pay. The only downside is that you’ll have to pay for your own gas and car maintenance.
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16. Uber
Uber is a great way to earn money from the comfort of your car, driving around, and taking people to their destinations.
If you put in a solid six-hour day, you could potentially make $100 driving for Uber that you can use to pay down debt, buy groceries, or put into a high-yield savings account.
You don’t need a background check to use Uber. However, if you have had a DUI in the last 10 years, you will be disqualified from being an Uber driver. Uber also requires cars to be 15 years old or newer, with insurance and registration.
17. Uber Eats
If you want to make money in your car without dealing with passengers, consider using a site like Uber Eats. Uber Eats allows you to pick up deliveries from restaurants and drop them off at customer locations.
Popular alternatives to Uber Eats include DoorDash and GrubHub. The great part about delivering food is that you don’t need to be exclusive to any particular app. You can keep all three apps open on your phone and take jobs whenever you are available.
You’ll find that some markets are better suited for Uber Eats. For example, McDonald’s has an exclusive partnership with Uber Eats. So if you’re in an area with limited food options, this is the service that you’ll want to try.
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Side Hustle Apps for Renting Stuff
18. Airbnb
If you own a house or apartment in a busy location, consider packing up for a few weeks and hitting the road or crashing on a friend’s couch while you rent your space. Or simply open a guest room in your house.
You could easily make a few thousand dollars in hosting with the Airbnb app.
Plus, Airbnb lets you retain full control over the availability, pricing, guest interactions, and house rules for your listing.
You will also be protected from any damages that might occur to your place. Airbnb offers a robust property insurance policy for all Airbnb hosts that includes $1 million of liability coverage and another $1 million of damage protection.
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19. Neighbor Storage
Neighbors was founded in 2017 with a pretty cool premise, renting out your space for storage. With Neighbor, you can rent out any space from a garage, basement, or backyard to a patch of your driveway.
The app is appealing because it offers safe, convenient storage to renters at a more affordable rate than professional storage facilities. And it lets hosts make money on their unused space without lifting a finger.
Neighbor is incredibly user-friendly and provides a ton of articles and resources to help you start renting out your space with ease.
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20. Turo
Is your car sitting and collecting dust in the driveway? Put it to use and bring in some extra cash with Turo, a leading car-sharing marketplace that lets you rent your vehicle to other users.
All types of cars are in demand right now on Turo — from everyday sedans and pickup trucks to classic and luxury automobiles. Turo provides insurance options, and owners are allowed to use services like GPS, dash cams, and telematics to protect their investments while strangers use their vehicles (with disclosure).
Car owners make an average of $500-$1,000 a month on Turo, and you can use the site’s online carculator to see how much you could earn.
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Side Hustle Apps for Selling Stuff
21. Decluttr
Decluttr is the go-to app for selling all things tech, including your old gaming consoles, video games, tablets, phones, computers, and even CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays.
After you sign up, you can send devices like phones and laptops in for appraisal, and Decluttr will make an offer. It’s up to you to accept or have your device shipped back to you.
For games, CDs, Bue-Rays, and DVDs, you just scan the barcode, and DeCluttr will give you an instant offer.
If your items are really dated or they’re in bad shape, you probably won’t earn much on DeCluttr, but it’s a great option for making easy money on tech devices that are in good shape.
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22. Etsy
If you’re crafty, put your creative skills to work on Etsy.
The Etsy app lets you post your artwork, jewelry, and other products and sell them to other users. Etsy shop owners sell everything from face masks and hats to paintings, mugs, and earrings.
Reselling is also allowed for vintage items. If you’ve been hoarding vintage items for years, you may have better luck here than at a local thrift store.
23. eBay
One of the oldest selling platforms on the market, eBay can also be one of the most lucrative if you’re looking to resell books, electronics, artwork, clothing, and anything in-between. This is ideal for people who already have large items of used products that they want to get rid of.
Here’s how it works: Simply post your items and watch as users bid for them. You can also set a “Buy It Now” price and sell to the first available shopper who pays that amount.
eBay is easy to use and has been around forever, so it’s about as trustworthy as they come.
24. OfferUp
OfferUp is a bit like NextDoor in that you can sell items to local community members. For example, you can sell furniture, electronics, and toys.
If you have a lot of items that you’re looking to get rid of, and they are valuable, then you should consider opening an account on OfferUp. It’s also a great way to meet local community members and learn about new opportunities and events that are happening in your area.
OfferUp is free and easy to use, and it allows you to set your own prices for the items you sell.
Side Hustle Apps for Investing
25. Robinhood
Robinhood is one of the best investment platforms for new investors. The app lets you trade in stocks, ETFs, and options, totally commission-free. You can also invest in crypto at a low cost.
If you don’t have $1,000 or more to shell out to invest in your favorite company, no worries, you can buy fractional shares for as little as $1.
I also love that Robinhood makes investing simple, with a sleek design and user-friendly tools to help you build your strategy and track your investments.
Investing is a solid side hustle strategy that can help you create long-term passive income, and Robinhood is a great place to start.
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26. Acorns
Acorns is a great alternative to Robinhood if you’re looking to add investing to your side hustle lineup but don’t want to actively trade.
As a robo-investor, Acorns will invest for you, giving you the option to set your preferences or let the app do all the work.
It also has a helpful feature that can round up your debit card purchases to put towards investments.
While you won’t make a killing investing on Acorns alone, it’s an awesome starting point that comes at an affordable rate of $3 per month.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are side hustles legal?
In most cases, having a lucrative side hustle is perfectly legitimate and even expected. However, you will still be responsible for taxes on your side hustle income. You should also avoid doing anything that will create complications with a full-time employer. Be aware of any binding noncompete clauses before you start working for yourself.
Can you get rich from side hustle apps?
It depends. If you have a talent or a rare skill, you may find that you can make far more working for yourself than your employer. The important thing to remember is to avoid getting too excited if you start making money with a side hustle. Keep your full-time job until you have enough money to strike it on your own.
Is using side hustle apps a good idea?
Side hustle apps are a good idea if you are careful about the opportunities that you pursue. Keep in mind that your greatest resource is your energy. You should avoid taking on jobs that leave you feeling drained and overly stressed without compensating you adequately. A side hustle can be hard work, but it can also be very rewarding.
What’s a great side hustle?
A great side hustle is one that matches your skills and interest and helps you create additional income/ Beyond that, look for a side hustle that provides flexibility and the potential to grow. You should also consider your time as a resource and make sure to pick a gig with a high return on investment.
Which Side Hustle Apps Are Best For You?
Starting out with side hustle apps is easy. First, you need to think about your skills and what you want to do to make more money — whether that’s cooking, cleaning, doing creative tasks, shopping, or anything in between.
You may also want to consider forming a business plan so that you can manage your new business and scale without getting overburdened.
Consider using apps like Trello, Asana, and ClickUp to manage your tasks on a daily basis, too. It’s very easy to get overloaded when hustling and wind up taking on more than you can handle.
Ultimately, the best thing that you can do is simply get started. Once you get a taste of what a little extra income can do, you’ll want to make more.
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