If you already work a full-time job, you don’t need a second one. You need something that fits into the hour after dinner, a lunch break or a slow Saturday.
Below are 15 ways to earn on the side, starting with the phone apps that need the least time from you, and you can sign up for the first one tonight for free.
Where to Start If You Only Have Evenings
Short on time? Here’s the short version, one app at a time.
Testerup is made for people with day jobs. Some offers pay over $170, and you get a $10 bonus for signing up.
Bigcash is the one to grab if you’re on your phone a lot anyway, since it has over 3,000 offers and most of them take 5 to 10 minutes.
Freecash pays you fast. PayPal and Venmo cash outs usually go through the same day.
I’d start with Testerup, then Freecash and Bigcash, personally. But all are good and worth a free sign up to check which apps pay best. It’s easy to choose an offer and run it for a few days for extra cash.
If the real problem is a bill due before your next paycheck, skip down to #7.
Apps That Pay You for Your Downtime
1. Get Paid to Test Apps and Play Games with Testerup
If I had to pick one app to start with, it’d be Testerup.
Testerup pays you to test new apps and play mobile games on your phone. You pick an offer from the list, like downloading a free app and using it for a while, and you get paid when you finish it.
How much? Every offer shows what it pays before you start. You also get a $10 bonus when you sign up.
Testerup pitches itself to people with a full-time job, and that’s honestly the right way to use it: a game in the evening after work, not a second shift. You cash out to PayPal.
The catch is time. The bigger payouts come from offers you keep playing for a few days, not ten minutes. You also have to be 18 or older to join.
Sign up for Testerup and get $10
2. Play Mobile Games for Cash with Bigcash
Bigcash pays you coins for playing mobile games and finishing simple offers, and 250 coins is $1. There are more than 3,000 offers on it and most take 5 to 10 minutes. The biggest pay up to $170.
I’ve tested dozens of GPT apps and deleted most within a week. Bigcash is different. Had one offer not track after I finished it, sent one email, and got my $15 credited in 11 hours. That never happens. Been using it for months and cashed out over $200 total.
It’s a phone app for Android and iOS, so sign up from your phone. When you’re ready to cash out, you swap your coins for real money or a gift card.
The catch is the same as Testerup. The big numbers come from the long offers. And skip any offer that wants you to spend money to finish it.
Join and get a $15 welcome bonus
3. Earn Beer Money with Freecash
Freecash pays you for playing games, trying new apps and taking surveys.
Is it going to make you rich? Nah. Freecash itself says most people make anywhere from a few dollars up to around $50 in a typical month, depending on how much they play. It’s extra cash on top of your week, not a paycheck.
Where it wins is speed. You can cash out to PayPal, Venmo, 100+ gift cards or crypto, and PayPal and Venmo payouts usually go through the same day. That makes it a good first app if you want to see real money land before you put in more time.
4. Play Games for Rewards with Prograd (US Only)
Prograd is another games app, and it’s only open to US users. I’ve used it.
You get $5 when you sign up and there are 900+ games to pick from. Prograd says some offers pay up to $1,200, and its average withdrawal is $25.
It’s a good second app once you’ve tried the first three. You redeem your balance for rewards, and Prograd processes them within 7 working days.
That wait is the catch. If you need the money this week, Freecash pays faster.
5. Earn Cash in Your Spare Time Taking Surveys
I’ve used Survey Junkie on and off for years. It’s worth signing up for. I check what’s good when I have off time.
You fill out a profile so it can match you to surveys, and you earn points you can turn into PayPal cash or e-gift cards whenever you’re ready.
It’s for you if you’d rather answer questions than play games. Don’t expect much per survey, though. Think couch money, not a second income.
6. Get Paid to Take Surveys, Watch Videos and Play Games
InboxDollars pays cash for taking surveys, watching short videos and playing games. It’s open to US members only, and you get a $5 bonus when you join. Think of it as something to tap during TV commercial breaks, not your main earner.
If You Need Money Before Payday
These don’t earn you money. They get you money now, so one bill doesn’t wreck the plan while your side income builds.
7. Get Up to $1,000 Before Payday with Current
Current is a banking app that lets you get up to $1,000 of your paycheck before payday. There are no credit checks.
You can get the advance within 3 days for free, or within an hour for a fee. And if you set up direct deposits of $1,500 or more, Current pays you a $75 bonus.
It’s for you if your paycheck comes in on a regular schedule and you keep coming up short a few days before it lands.
The catch: $1,000 is the ceiling, not what you start with. Current shows your real advance amount in the app, and it can change.
Get up to $1,000 before payday with Current
8. Get Up to $200 a Day of Your Pay Early with EarnIn
EarnIn lets you take up to $200 a day of pay you’ve already earned, with a max of $1,000 per pay period.
There’s no interest, no mandatory fees and no credit check. Standard transfers are free and usually take 1 to 2 business days. If you want the money in minutes, Lightning Speed starts at $3.
It works if you have a steady paycheck. You connect your bank in the app and verify your identity and employment, which only takes a few minutes.
The catch is that fast costs money. If you can wait a day or two, take the free transfer.
Check your eligibility with EarnIn
9. Need Cash Fast? Check a Personal Loan Rate With Upstart
Sometimes a side hustle can’t move fast enough. If a car repair or a bill can’t wait, a personal loan can cover it while you build up other income.
Upstart lends $1,000 to $75,000 at a fixed rate, and checking your rate takes about five minutes. That first check is a soft credit pull, so looking won’t affect your credit score. If you’re approved and sign, Upstart says 99% of loans are funded the next business day.
Your rate depends on your credit and income, and the APR includes any origination fee, so look at the full cost before you accept. There’s no penalty for paying it off early. Only borrow what you can pay back on schedule.
Gigs That Pay for Real-World Time
10. Deliver on Your Own Schedule with DoorDash
DoorDash pays you to deliver orders, and you decide when, where and how much you work.
Your pay is base pay for each offer plus tips, and promotions like Peak Pay can add more. So what you actually make depends a lot on your area and the hours you pick.
It fits evenings and weekends, and you have to be 18 or older. Once your application is approved you can start dashing right away, and you can cash out instantly with the DoorDash Crimson debit card.
The catch: gas and wear on your car come out of your pocket. Count those before you count the money.
11. Get Cash Back on Gas and Groceries with Upside
I’ve been using Upside for years.
This one isn’t a job. Upside is a free app that pays you cash back when you buy gas or food at places near you, up to 25¢ a gallon on gas and up to $10 on grocery or restaurant purchases.
Anyone who drives to work should have it, and it pairs well with DoorDash since you’re buying gas anyway. You claim an offer in the app before you pay with your card, and the cash back goes to your Upside balance.
The catch is that offers depend on what’s near you, so check the map in the app before you count on it.
Get cash back on gas with Upside
The Slower Ways That Build Real Income
Why bother with the slow stuff? Because these take more time to set up, but they’re the ones that can grow into real money.
12. Get a Part-Time Job
A part-time weekend job is the most predictable thing on this list. You know the hourly rate before you start and you get a regular check, so pick something close to home or work and you won’t spend the extra money on gas.
13. Freelance What You Already Do
If your day job is a skill, like design, writing, bookkeeping or coding, people will pay for it on the side. That’s one of the best ways to make money outside work because you’re charging for something you already know how to do.
Start with one or two clients from people you already know before you spend time and money building a website. Our list of gig economy jobs has more places to find work.
The catch: clients want things on their schedule. Only take work you can finish at night and on weekends.
14. Start a Blog
A blog is the slowest option here. It can take months before it earns anything, and a lot of blogs never do.
When it works, it pays through ads and affiliate links, and old posts keep earning while you’re at your day job. If you want to try, here’s how to start a blog. If you need money this month, look at the faster ways to make $500 instead.
15. Build a Savings Habit
Side income only helps if you keep it. So move it to a separate savings account the day it lands, so it doesn’t disappear into your regular spending.
A few money-saving apps make that easier:
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- Cashback on every gas purchase
- $5 sign up bonus with MMGCASH code
- Works at 10,000+ gas stations nationwide
- Modern money management
- As seen on WSJ
- 50% first-year discount with MONARCHVIP code
- Free retirement planner
- Net worth tracker
- Free portfolio advice
- Robo plus human advisors
Side Income FAQs
A phone app you can use in the evenings. Testerup needs no experience and pays a $10 bonus when you sign up. If you want your money fast, Freecash usually pays PayPal and Venmo cash outs the same day.
Usually tens of dollars a month, not hundreds. Freecash says most people make from a few dollars up to around $50 in a typical month. Single offers can pay more: some on Testerup pay over $170, and the biggest on Bigcash pay up to $170.
Yes. EarnIn lets you take up to $200 a day of pay you’ve already earned, with no interest and no credit check. Current offers up to $1,000 before payday, and its advance has no credit check either.
Yes. The IRS counts money from gigs and side work as income even if you never get a tax form for it. If your net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more for the year, you also owe self-employment tax. The IRS self-employed tax center has the details.
Bottom Line
You don’t need a lot of free time to earn on the side. Pick one app tonight, give it a few days, and only add a second one once the first is paying you.
Want more ideas? Here are the best money making apps, the highest paying survey sites and ways to make $100 a day.
