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Looking for ways to get paid to download apps?
Download apps is a great way to earn some extra money.
While it probably won’t make you rich, it works as a great side hustle or a way to get some quick cash.
The best part?
The apps on this list are all 100% free to download.
Typically what you’ll find on this list is apps that pay you to download other apps.
Each time you download, you earn free points that can then be exchanged for free PayPal money or gift cards.
Table of Contents
Get Paid To Download Apps
The payout is high, it doesn’t take much effort, and you only have to open the app one time in order to receive your free points and exchange them for cash prizes.
With that said, let’s get started with our list of the 20+ best ways to get paid to download apps.
1. Swagbucks
Available for both devices, along with desktop access, Swagbucks gives all users an opportunity to get paid to download apps.
You can sign up for free with our code and get a $10 bonus for doing so!
Then once you’re on Swagbucks, you will see that there are a ton of different ways to make money, not just downloading apps.
Watch videos, play games, take surveys, discover stuff online and many more cool activities that will keep you occupied and pay you in the process!
What Kind of Gift Cards Are Available with Swagbucks?
- Walmart
- Amazon
- PayPal
- And, others!
Swagbucks has paid out over $400 million dollars to their members and they give out 7,000 gift cards to members daily!
See what members are saying about Swagbucks:
“My most rewarding moment with Swagbucks is using the gift cards I earn to buy gifts for my child’s Christmas and February birthday.” -Kim
- Platform: Android & iOS
- Minimum Payout: $25 (or 300 SB)
- Estimated Earnings: $25/Month
- Full Guide
2. Boom Gift
This app is excellent all-around.
You get awarded for more than just downloading apps, as it comes with a high payout rate, and the referral bonus is excellent at 30%.
You will earn coins from the offers you complete from playing games, downloading apps, watching videos, taking surveys and more.
The app boasts that there are many different kinds of tasks available in abundance, with offers being refreshed daily!
Plus, their selection of gift card rewards is perfect to suit any taste:
- Apple iTunes
- Google Play Store
- PayPal Cash
- Amazon
- Steam, and more!
To get started, the 3-step process is super easy:
- Install the app for free
- Open Boom Gift and click “Earn Points,” then
- Do tasks for points and get rewarded
This app is definitely #1 for a reason.
Use the referral code 6702298 for a sign-up bonus.
- Android & iOS
- Estimated Earnings: $20/Month
3. Grab Points
This is one of my favorite apps.
Free gift cards for downloading apps, watching videos, answering surveys, and more activities!
I love how Grab Points makes their entire process so transparent.
Here’s how the process works:
Advertisers pay Grab Points to get engagement for them.
Engagement means activity, basically, so, participation, comments, conversation, etc.
So Grab Points recruits users like you and me to do online activities for engagement for these companies, like the tasks I described above (watching videos, etc.).
And, they reward their users with PayPal cash or free gift cards!
Users are loving Grab Points, not because you can download apps, but because you can also make really good money from watching videos and doing other tasks.
What Kind of Gift Cards and Rewards are Available?
You will have access to a wide array of different rewards, including:
- PayPal Cash
- Fortnite gift card
- Steam gift card
- Playstation store gift card
- Amazon gift card
- And, more!
It’s like you’re getting paid to be entertained.
You can’t beat that.
Payouts are given in the form of gift cards, and offers are quite abundant.
Use the referral code WCOFF5 for a bonus upon registration.
- Platform: Android
- Minimum Payout: $3
- Estimated Earnings: $15/Month
- Full Guide
4. AppKarma
AppKarma pays you to play with apps.
This works similarly to the apps we’ve described in this article so far.
You download the app AppKarma for free, then, complete offers, and get rewarded.
They have a referral program that comes with a 30% referral bonus.
Share AppKarma with friends and family and if they sign up using your referral link, you can earn 30% of what they earn!
If you have a strong social media presence, there’s a real opportunity to make a lot of money passively just with their referral program!
If you’re upgraded to a VIP, you can bump this amount to 40%.
They claim to have the highest payout out of all apps that pay you to download apps.
A lot of their apps are considered to be very popular on today’s market.
Use referral code jwuerch for a bonus upon sign-up.
- Platform: Android & iOS
- Estimated Earnings: $15/Month
5. CashPirate
This one is only available for Android.
You’ll get the chance to earn rewards by doing various activities.
In addition to downloading apps, you can also get rewarded for watching videos and signing-up for offers.
You should be able to earn $10 within your first hour due to the high amount of initial offers.
How Does the Referral Program Work?
They have an attractive referral program that rewards you for signing up friends and family to Cash Pirate through your referral link.
You can share your referral link via text message, in a Facebook post or message and other ways and earn:
- 10% of your referrals’ earnings (coins)
- 5% of your referrals’ referrals earnings (coins)
Use referral code XZQBIU to get a 500-point registration bonus.
When you reach 2,500 coins you can cash out for cool prizes like PayPal cash and gift cards.
- Platform: Android
- Minimum Payout: $2.50
- Estimated Earnings: $10/month
6. Diamond Cash
You will love the layout of Diamond Cash.
It has a fun set up and will have you hooked for hours!
You can get credited in either gift cards or direct deposits to PayPal in exchange for completing their offers.
There aren’t a lot of offers, but payouts are decent.
Expect to make about $10 per month.
Their referral bonus is excellent at 20%.
You can also do other tasks such as a daily check-in and watching videos.
Use the code 17943948 for a sign-up bonus.
- Platform: Android
- Estimated Earnings: $10/month
7. Money App-Cash for Free
Get paid to download apps, along with playing games, watching videos, and more!
How it works?
You can earn money daily using this app.
Complete tasks to get rewards
Then, redeem for PayPal cash.
Get paid super fast, in just 2-3 business days!
This app is unique in that it pays only in cash, whereas some other apps pay you in gift cards or other rewards.
This gives you the flexibility to use the money any way you wish!
They have a handful of rules to ensure you participate on the app the way it’s intended.
Here are the rules to ensure you are using the app correctly and won’t jeopardize your standing:
- Don’t create multiple accounts
- Don’t spam others with your referral code
- Avoid using VPN’s
- Avoid using proxies
- Do not try to change your device ID
These are pretty simple and straightforward rules.
This app has a very high rating of 4.9 among 98K+ users in the Apple App Store.
- Platform: Android & iOS
- Estimated Earnings: $10/month
8. AppMan
Available for both devices, AppMan pays you in gift cards to popular retailers.
Expect to make $10 within your first 10-15 minutes of downloading the app, but from there it drops to about $6 per hour.
They have an excellent referral bonus at 50% of all your friends’ earnings for life.
- Platform: Android & iOS
- Estimated Earnings: $15/month
- Full Guide
9. MeshBean
It’s easy to earn $5 within your first day due to the sheer amount of offers available when you first download.
You earn via PayPal and gift cards.
To get started, after you install MeshBean app for free, you can start downloading and installing apps.
For each app installation, you earn coins and you can redeem your coins for gift cards to Amazon, Apple, etc. or PayPal cash!
MeshBean also has a referral program where you receive 5% of your friends’ earnings for each one you refer.
Don’t bother downloading the apps that require you to sign-up for a free-trial service as there’s plenty of free offers.
Use the code UEQE2U for a bonus.
- Platform: Android
- Estimated Earnings: $10/Month
- Full Guide
10. Cash For Apps
This app is available for Android and iOS.
It’s a fast way to get free gift cards and in-app purchases in exchange for downloading apps!
For each app you install, you earn points, and then you can redeem those points for rewards.
You can redeem for gift cards to popular retailers, and you can usually earn between $.50 – $1 per download.
What Kind of Gift Cards Are Available?
- iTunes
- Xbox
- Google Play
- And, others!
The amount of offers tend to be somewhat limited but are updated frequently.
Use bonus code b92db2 for a bonus upon sign-up.
- Platform: Android & iOS
- Estimated Earnings: $10/Month
11. FeaturePoints
You must use your browser in order to access this app, but it can be used on either iOS or Android devices.
FeaturePoints started in 2012 and they have given out over $5.8 million to members!
Like a lot of these apps on the list, if you’ve got a few minutes waiting in line, waiting in a lobby for someone or an appointment or feeling bored, hop on FeaturePoints to start getting rewarded for downloading apps!
Use referral code FCZFSX for a bonus upon sign-up.
You should be able to earn about $3 within your first 10 minutes of the app due to the initial amount of abundant offers.
They also offer instant contests where you can scratch to win 50,000 points instantly.
They are rated 4.5 out 5 based on 518 ratings.
- Platform: Android & iOS
- Estimated Earnings: $20/Month
- Full Guide
12. FreeMyApps
With over 50 free gift cards to choose from, you will fall in love with FreeMyApps!
Expect to earn about $.10 – $.30 cents per download and be on your way to earning gift cards from popular retailers like:
- iTunes
- Google Play
- Amazon,
- And more!
How Does The Referral Program Work?
Each time you refer a friend, you get 200 bonus points.
It’s easy to earn about $1 when you first start downloading, but offers don’t tend to be updated that frequently.
iPhone users must access it via their browser.
They’ve awarded over $27 million dollars in free gift cards to their members!
What members are saying:
“Coolest way to try new apps for free while earning a lot of credits in exchange for gems! This is the art of FreeMyApps! Thanks guys for making this possible!” -Maane V.
- Platform: Android & iOS
- Estimated Earnings: $10/Month
- Full Guide
13. AppDown
This app is just really cool and simple to use thanks to its interface.
Head to AppDown on your mobile device, download the app and then download apps and games to earn points.
AppDown pays you in gift cards and PayPal cash.
Furthermore, they also automatically enter you in a sweepstakes to win an iPhone for each referral along with a referral bonus of 50%, the highest on this list.
How Does the AppDown Referral Program Work?
It’s really simple.
Just refer friends and if they sign up with your referral link, you can get a 50% cut of their earnings!
This is one of the highest paying referral programs we’ve come across.
It really incentivizes you to share AppDown with friends and family, for a chance to earn passive income!
Definitely a must.
- Platform: Android & iOS
- Estimated Earnings: $10/Month
- Full Guide
14. FreeAppsFast
You must use this app in a safari browser for iOS devices only.
The installation is a little tricky, so if you’re going to use this I recommend reading our full guide linked down below.
Their interface features clean design and bright colors to keep you engaged and entertained the entire time!
They have one of the best referral bonuses on this list at 50% of all your friends’ earnings.
- Platform: Android & iOS
- Estimated Earnings: $15/Month
15. Make Money – Free Cash App
After you sign up with this app you can earn money by completing simple tasks.
Highly rated on the Google Play Store at 4.7 from over 500,000 ratings.
This is one you should definitely give a try.
The interface is clean and attractive.
It looks like it’s really fun to try and keep you entertained for hours, while making money!
In addition to getting paid to download apps, you can also make money watching videos, taking surveys, testing services, and more.
How Do You Get Paid?
This app pays you in PayPal cash.
- Platform: Android
- Estimated Earnings: $15 – $20/Month
16. Gift Bay
One of the highest paying apps on the list, you can easily make anywhere from $.50 – $1 per download depending on the app.
- Get rewarded by trying apps and games
- Earn coins by completing offers
- Free rewards sent straight to your email inbox
- Test out the newest, latest entertainment (apps and games) from your smartphone
What Rewards are Available on Gift Bay?
You get your choice of a variety of gift cards including:
- PayPal
- Amazon
- Steam
- And, others!
They have a referral bonus of 30% for each friend referred, and there tends to be quite a few offers.
Expect to make $5 within your first half hour. Use bonus code 3b92e05 for a sign-up bonus.
- Platform: Android & iOS
- Estimated Earnings: $15/Month
17. iRazoo
This one is straightforward.
Download apps and earn iRazoo points which you can redeem for rewards.
The inventory of apps refreshes daily so you will have fresh, interesting new apps to select from everyday.
You can redeem your points for rewards like games and electronics from Best Buy, PayPal cash and more.
When you sign up you earn your first 100 points!
- Platform: Desktop
- Minimum Payout: $1
- Estimated Earnings: $15/Month
18. InstaGC
This one is all about giving the user many opportunities to earn rewards through doing tasks like completing tasks.
How to Earn Points?
You earn points by doing simple tasks:
- Visit sites
- Download apps
- Watch videos
- Signup for trials
- Figure eight tasks
- Answer surveys
What are figure eight tasks?
You’re probably familiar with most of the tasks on the list, like watching videos and answering survey questions but have you heard of figure eight tasks?
I haven’t so I thought I’d take some time to explain..
For a figure eight task, you are given instructions to follow and once you complete them, you earn points.
This varies according to how seasoned of a member you are, how many tasks you have already completed and other factors.
You can read the full guide on figure eight tasks to learn more.
What Kind of Rewards are Available?
- Direct deposit
- PayPal
- Bitcoin
- eCheck
- Prepaid card
- Gift card
Of all the apps on this list, InstaGC offers one of the most varied rewards.
You’re not just stuck with PayPal cash or gift cards, you actually have a nice choice of different rewards to choose from.
- Platform: Desktop
- Minimum Payout: $1
- Estimated Earnings: $10/Month
- Full Guide
19. AppRedeem
AppRedeem is a great app that rewards you for downloading and trying apps!
They pay you in gift cards.
Now, you get to discover new, cool apps and get rewarded for using them.
Plus, if you refer family and friends, you get the chance to get rewarded even more!
How it works?
Collect Perk Points for trying apps and then redeem your points for rewards for things like gift cards, PayPal cash, and more.
They have a 3.9 rating in the Google Play store with tons of positive reviews from happy users.
How does the AppRedeem Rewards Program Work?
Unlike some of the other referral programs shared in this article, the AppRedeem referral program pays you in cash!
For every friend/family member referred, you earn $10!
You can see how the money you earn can stack up really fast through referrals alone.
And, it’s easy to refer because AppRedeem is not only free but it helps you make money.
This is the perfect kind of app to refer to your social media fans across Facebook and other networks you belong to.
- Platform: Android
- Estimated Earnings: $15/Month
- Download Here
20. AppNana
They call themselves the best mobile rewards app.
Not only do you get access to cool apps for free but you get paid to try them!
AppNana pays you to get apps for free!
They have paid their members over $10 million dollars in credits and it’s available on both Android and iOS.
What Rewards are Available?
They pay you in gift cards, to places like:
- Amazon
- iTunes
- Google Play
- Xbox
What is the AppNana Referral Program About?
If you have a large social following, they will supply you with a unique referral program where you can get paid on your referrals.
Top referrers are making up to $300/day with their referral program.
You answer their short questionnaire to get started.
- Platform: Android & iOS
- Estimated Earnings: $5/Month
21. CashOut
This highly rated app (4.5 on Google Play) rewards you for completing offers like installing free apps.
In your spare time you’ll get a chance to earn gift cards and cash.
Plus, they offer opportunities to earn more rewards with features like their daily check-in.
Rewards include:
- PayPal cash
- Gift cards to places like Amazon, Walmart, Target, and other places
Here’s what user are saying:
“Good to use…really enjoyed it. Such a great platform” -Akanbi
CashOut offers tons of surveys and video providers, to keep you occupied and making money for hours.
- Platform: Android
- Estimated Earnings: $10/Month
22. GiftPanda
This app is great because you get awarded with rewards and gift cards for discovering and testing top apps!
To get started, it’s easy.
Just install the app, sign up, then start collecting coins doing activities like playing games, testing websites, sharing your opinion and more.
You also get a 10% share of your friends earnings (and 5% of your friends friends earnings), for every friend and family member referred.
They have awarded over $1.5 million dollars to their members so far!
- Platform: Android
- Minimum Payout: $2.50
- Estimated Earnings: $20/Month
Downloading Apps FAQ
Here are some commonly asked questions that my readers have asked me about these types of apps.
Is There A Specific Phone You Recommend For Android Apps?
If you’re simply looking for a phone to use for downloading apps, we recommend the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini.
This is primarily because it’s going to be able to handle all of the apps on this list.
If you’re looking for a cheaper phone that does well, we recommend the LG Fuel.
However, be warned that it might not support specific apps.
What If I Don’t Have An iPhone?
Get one if you’re really serious about these types of apps.
You can get a refurbished iPhone SE for as little as $99 on Amazon.
What Does The Estimated Earnings Reflect?
Our estimated earnings reflect the amount you can potentially earn after you’ve downloaded a lot of the initial offers.
Since there are usually a lot of downloads available when you first install the app, you’re likely to earn a lot of cash really quickly.
However, this slowly dies down as offers are added sporadically to the app’s database.
How Exactly Do I Get Credited?
Most of the time the only requirement is for you to download the app and open it one time.
However, certain apps may be a little bit more strict on this rule.
In any case, to ensure that you get rewarded we recommend that you leave it open for at least 30 seconds.
Can I Uninstall The App After I’m Credited?
Yes.
If I See The Same App On Different Rewards Apps, Will I Get Credit For Both?
Most of the time yes.
We recommend using the link on one app, downloading the app, receiving credit, uninstalling it, and then doing the same thing on the 2nd rewards app, 3rd rewards app, etc.
Can You Download All Of These Apps?
No.
Sometimes an app requires you to access the iOS version via a web browser since Apple has certain restrictions.
It’s rare that you’ll come across this on an Android device.
Should I Stick To Apps That Have The Highest Monthly Payout?
This is a great idea, but just because you can earn more with a certain app, doesn’t mean it will take less effort.
Some apps offer a higher potential solely because they have more offers.
It could be that each download has a lower payout, but there are just more apps available.
I recommend trying out as many as you can and sticking with either all of them or selecting the ones that are easiest to use for you.
Which Apps Do You Recommend The Most?
These apps aren’t listed in any particular order, but we did try to list the better ones within the top 10.
Check out these ones first.
Otherwise, read the descriptions or full guides to find out more information.
If anything, we recommend 1000 Gift, Gift Bay and Boom Gift to get started.
Do I Have To Pay To Use These Apps?
All of these apps are 100% free to download.
Are The Apps Free?
Most of the time, yes.
If you ever run across that you have to pay for, don’t bother unless they offer to reimburse you.
There’s plenty of free offers.
Do All Accounts Require A Log-in?
No, and this can actually be quite scary.
Boom Gift for example is my favorite on the list, but if you lose or break your phone you can’t get your referrals back.
They are kind enough to transfer your current points, but all of your friends that you invited that give you a 30% bonus per download will be lost.
What Apps Pay You Instantly?
There are some apps in the list that pay instantly.
You complete your download and follow the instructions to earn and you will see your account balance credited right away. Others may take a few hours or longer before credit occurs.
How to Get Free Money on the App Store?
You can get free money using all these apps.
Download apps and earn, so you can redeem for cash, PayPal cash, gift cards and other rewards.
And, don’t forget to take advantage of the referral program that many of the apps offer.
This is how the referral programs usually work:
You get an incentive for referring friends and family so, if your referral signs up with your referral link, you get a reward.
This can range from credits, coins, cash, a portion of your referral’s earnings, and incentives in other ways.
This is an excellent opportunity to boost your earnings even further so don’t miss out.
How Can I Get Free PayPal Money?
To get free PayPal money, you will want to target the apps that pay via PayPal.
Then, follow the instructions, whether it be downloading the app or other tasks like watching videos, sharing your opinion or in other ways, to earn PayPal money.
Make the Most of Getting Paid to Download Apps
Like many money-making opportunities, there are tricks available to you to help you maximize the amount of money you earn.
These best practices shared are similar to those you practice when you get paid to take surveys:
- Get organized
- Treat this like a job
- Join multiple apps
- Track your success
Getting Organized
First, you would be surprised how far getting yourself organized can get you.
What does this mean?
One way to get organized is to keep a separate email inbox for your app downloading efforts.
This email address will hold your payout history (if you’re notified via email), offers sent to you by email, notifications and news sent via the app company and more.
Especially if you plan on making the most you can with this and using multiple apps, you really don’t want this info to get lost in your primary email inbox.
It’s free and easy to open a separate email account (like with Gmail) then, sign up for apps with only that email and track it often.
Other ideas for getting organized can include organizing your schedule or time, keeping track of the various apps you join, and more.
Treating This Side Hustle Like a Real Job
If you want to get the most out of this, treat it like a job.
Taking it seriously will have an impact on the success of this endeavor and how much money you make.
It’s a funny trick, like when you dress professionally to work at home.
You just feel better, you are more productive and get better results than if you wore pajamas. Same theory here.
Dress the part in spirit and treat it like it’s your day job.
Joining Multiple Apps
It’s been mentioned a few times already. Join multiple apps.
If you can earn $20/month from one app, then is it possible to earn $100/month from 5 apps?
Yes, it’s possible!
If you want to make the most money getting paid to download apps, consider joining more than one app.
Track Your Success
Lastly, keep track of your success and your progress.
This can be done with a simple spreadsheet where you list the apps you joined, how much you made each day, etc.
Then you can easily look back at your stats to compare how successful you have been over time, if you had strong months, etc.
Tracking your progress is one of the more fun parts of the process, believe it or not.
It’s a great feeling to see how fruitful your efforts have been.
Choosing The Best App For You
Downloading apps is one of the easiest ways to earn money from your phone.
If you’re searching for a way to make extra money or earn a side hustle flexibly, from home, give this a try!
You don’t need experience, special skills or background, educational requirements, or even access to a computer to get paid to download apps!
We hope you enjoyed this roundup.
Keep in mind that this list will be continuously updated, so be sure to check back frequently for new apps added.
If you have any other ways to get paid to download apps, let us know in the comments below.
