Earning passive income is one of the best ways to improve your finances without having to actually do much.
The investment can come in many different forms – from a financial investment (in most cases, this is very little) to turning everyday tasks such as shopping and watching videos online into side hustles that can earn you extra money.
In this article, I’ll be looking at the best passive income apps to help you choose the ones that best fit your lifestyle and financial goals.
These mobile apps provide some of the best opportunities around to get extra income without having to invest much time. I have split them up into groups for you to use in which area of passive income you are most interested.
19 Best Passive Income Apps
Here are the best apps you can use today to help boost your income without having to invest much time:
- 🏆 Public.com: Best Overall
- Fundrise
- M1 Finance
- Acorns
- Robinhood
- High Yield Savings Account
- Certificate of Deposit
- Branded Surveys
- Swagbucks
- InboxDollars
- Survey Junkie
- Nielsen App
- Trim
- Capital One Shopping
- Drop App
- Dosh
- Rakuten
- Airbnb
- Neighbor
Passive Income Apps for Investing
1. Public.com
Public.com not only offers the opportunity to invest in a variety of stocks but also lets you connect with other like-minded investors as you would on social media.
It has themed bundles where you can invest in several companies that have something in common. Such themes include women entrepreneurs and environmentally friendly companies.
You can also buy fractional shares if you want to invest in big companies without shelling out the cash to buy an entire stock.
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2. Fundrise
Fundrise is definitely one of the best passive income apps. Originally an iOS app (i.e., for your iPhone), it is now available on Android.
The app allows you to invest in real estate projects with little to no work on your part – and is an excellent choice if your goal is to earn big bucks. You will need an initial investment that you can use to build a diversified portfolio.
The platform promises low fees thanks to proprietary software, which works hard to save you money. This can allow you to build better returns.
There are different account levels available, and you can choose the kind of investment strategy that best fits your goals.
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3. M1 Finance
M1 Finance allows you to build your very own investment portfolio of stocks and ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds). You can also buy fractional shares which allow you to invest in big-name stocks without the big tag pricing.
M1 Finance also features a number of automation tools, to help you turn the usually-intensive job of investing into a passive income stream.
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4. Acorns
Acorns is an app with two missions – micro-savings and micro-investments. It automatically rounds off purchases you make to the nearest dollar.
The extra money is saved and then invested by a Robo-advisor. You will also earn a bonus investment when making a purchase from any of the 350+ participating outlets.
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5. Robinhood
Robinhood is an investment app designed to give the average American the right tools to build an investment portfolio. The basic entry-level account costs $0, and there is no account minimum.
The app features an award-winning design and allows you to invest in many ways, including cryptocurrencies, ETFs, and stocks that are listed on the US Stock Exchange.
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Passive Income Apps for Banking
6. High Yield Savings Account
It doesn’t get more passive than a high-yield savings account. These accounts from online banks have minimal fees and balances requirements.
The biggest draw is that they offer competitive interest rates that beat traditional savings accounts.
High-yield savings accounts are also FDIC-insured up to $250,000, providing you with a risk-free way to grow your savings.
Some of the best high-yield savings account apps come with automated savings and tools to help you set and meet financial goals.
7. Certificate of Deposit
Certificate of deposit apps are another great outlet for earning passive income on your savings.
With a CD, you put aside money for a determined amount or “term” of time. Terms range anywhere from a few months to 10 years. Longer terms typically get you higher interest rates.
Because there’s a penalty for withdrawing your funds early, it’s best to use a CD for the money you don’t need immediate access to.
Passive Income Apps for Market Research
8. Branded Surveys
Branded Surveys is an online survey platform that offers you the opportunity to voice your opinion through market research surveys. They also have a few other ways to earn points such as taking daily polls and referring your friends and family.
If you are just sitting around watching Netflix it’s a great way to spend your time earning points that you can in turn redeem for cash via a direct deposit to your bank account or through free gift cards to major retailers such as Amazon.
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9. Swagbucks
Swagbucks offers its users many ways to make money doing everyday tasks without breaking a sweat. From playing games and watching videos to taking online surveys and more.
There’s a welcome bonus just for signing up as well as a referral bonus that allows you to earn even more money if you refer new people to Swagbucks.
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10. InboxDollars
InboxDollars offers subscribers cashback on shopping, and cash for doing everyday activities that you’re probably going to do anyway. Watching TV, taking online surveys, and searching the web are all fair game rewarding users with cash offers.
With a $5.00 bonus up for grabs just for signing up, there’s also a top-rated app for your smartphone to make money while you are out and about.
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11. Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is a legit online survey site that does exactly what it says: trades your time taking surveys for cash or free e-gift cards. But taking surveys is not the only thing you can do.
You can opt into their additional platform called SJ Pulse and share your online activity with them for bonus points. This is a totally passive way to earn points that are redeemable for cash or gift cards.
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12. Nielsen App
The Nielsen App pays you to watch TV and use your devices how you regularly use them every day. Simply download the Nielsen App on your phone and software for any other computer devices.
The app then sends Nielsen data anonymously about how you use your devices*. All this data helps build a larger picture of consumer behavior, which is very valuable to marketing companies. In return, Nielsen pays you to be a part of this process.
*Nielsen App does not collect the content of visited websites and does NOT collect user IDs, passwords, or other personal information
Next Steps:
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Passive Income Apps for Everyday Tasks
13. Trim App
Trim looks at your expenses and suggests ways to save money by trimming down bills. It works in the background and requires no input from you.
It is also free to use but takes a percentage of any savings it can get you. Trim makes it very easy to save money, and while it’s not income, it is still more money in your pocket.
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14. Capital One Shopping
Capital One Shopping (formerly Wikibuy) offers excellent offers and deals when making online and local purchases, it made the top of our list for best cash back apps! There’s also a browser extension that automatically applies coupon codes when checking out at participating outlets – helping you save money as you make your usual purchases.
There are many stores and products to choose from, allowing you to save money on many different things.
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Capital One Shopping compensates us when you sign up for Capital One Shopping using the links we provide.Capital One Shopping compensates us when you sign up for Capital One Shopping using the links we provide.
15. Drop App
Drop App allows users to earn rewards for shopping on a variety of things – from your morning latte to the late-night takeaway order after a busy day.
With every purchase done through the website, you will earn points that you can redeem at many stores and apps, including Amazon, Netflix, Uber, and Starbucks.
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16. Dosh
Dosh earns you cashback rewards when shopping at any of the participating outlets. There is no points system here – you collect hard cash when making purchases.
You can then cash out using PayPal or directly to your bank account with a bank transfer. You can also link your cards so that every time you make an eligible purchase, including dining out, you’ll earn cash.
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17. Rakuten
Formerly known as Ebates, Rakuten offers up to 40% cash back on purchases at over 2,500 stores. You will need to follow Rakuten’s link to the store of your choice to get cash back on eligible purchases.
There is a sign-up bonus of $10, which is one of the highest offered by such programs, and you can get paid via PayPal or check.
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Passive Income Apps for Rental Income
18. Airbnb
When it comes to passive income, Airbnb has the most potential in terms of the extra cash it is able to generate for you. You can rent out a spare room or an entire apartment or house for short or long durations.
Of course, you’ll need to have the space to accommodate guests, but it can provide a good source of income, which you can then invest for an even higher return.
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19. Neighbor
Neighbor lets you rent out any additional space you might have to neighbors for storage. As a P2P (Peer to Peer) storage platform, the app boasts an average of 50% savings on renting out storage space while being 14x safer. This has the potential of making it a popular alternative to commercial space leasing.
There is also a $1 million host guarantee and a $25,000 renter guarantee. Payments are automatic and secure, and the app users are verified for added safety, making Neighbor a good app to earn some additional income.
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How Do Passive Income Apps Work?
Passive income is a side hustle that you set up once and forget. Through several different technologies, including Robo-investors and algorithms, the app works for you, allowing you to focus on other things as you earn passive income.
Some apps will take a cut of the income they’re able to generate for you. Others might offer a premium account with the chance of making even more money. This will differ from one app to the next.
Are Passive Income Apps Safe?
The answer to this question depends on many factors – but most apps will take the necessary steps to prevent fraud and protect the data, privacy, and money of their users. There are many apps promising passive income out there – and it’s important to be selective, which is why I’ve put together this list for you.
Some of them are very safe and even score high points with the BBB (Better Business Bureau). Other apps might promise you something which they are simply unable to deliver.
It’s also always a good idea to take the time to understand the app thoroughly and be sure to check out reviews like ours to know what to expect. This will not only help you stay safe but allow you to plan better and avoid disappointments.
Passive vs. Active Income
Passive income has been a popular topic lately, so let’s take some time to clarify what passive income actually means.
Active income is income that you generate from your normal 9 to 5 full-time job, where you trade your time for money.
Passive income is any money that you are able to earn outside of your full-time job with minimal money, time, or brainpower invested in it.
There are not many passive income sources around that are truly passive, everything in life needs some of our time, attention, and resources.
The passive income apps that we promote are those that you are able to use in your spare time to help generate some extra cash for your financial goals with very little time, effort, or money needing to be invested to start seeing an increase in money.
Use Passive Income Apps to Make Money Online
No matter what your personal circumstances are, there is an app (and more than one!) that can earn you passive income.
From watching videos and dining out to renting out your apartment (or even just your empty shed), you can very easily use whatever resources you have at your disposal to passively earn income on the side.
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