We all need a little bit of extra money to indulge in those little luxuries, such as a new pair of shoes or a great vacation, or even just to top up our savings. Thankfully, there are various ways in which you can now top up your income just by performing specific tasks online.
Are you looking to make money while having fun? Do you enjoy playing mobile games? Why not get paid at the same time? There are various ways to make money simply by playing games.
In this article, we will detail ten of the best apps that will pay you just to play games.
Is There a Real Game that Pays Real Money?
Various apps will pay you to play games or perform other tasks online, such as taking surveys, watching videos, or clipping coupons.
While some of these apps work in rewards or points, which you can cash out as gift cards to major online retailers or cryptocurrency, others allow you to turn your points into real money, which they will pay you out via PayPal, a Visa prepaid card, or even by check.
Can you win real money on game apps?
Yes, there are specific gaming apps where you can earn points that you can exchange for real cash, or you can enter cash tournaments or swipe digital scratch cards for a chance to win big.
Some of the best game apps for winning real money include Mistplay and Skillz.
How do you make real money by playing games?
As mentioned, you can make real money by playing games in your spare time. While most apps that will reward you for playing games only offer small payouts or a slim chance of winning big, they can still be worth your time.
If you’re just in it to make money, these apps are probably not worth it, but if you want to get paid for doing something you already love, you have nothing to lose.
What are the Best Game Apps that Pay You Real Money?
Games can be more than just fun; you can start earning real money by playing games through these eleven legitimate gaming apps.
1. Mistplay
This is one of the most popular apps for earning money while playing games. It is also a fantastic place to discover new games you like playing.
- Key Points: This free app was launched in 2017 as a gaming loyalty program. You can earn points by downloading, testing, and of course, playing games. The longer you play, the more you will make. You will also get rewarded for playing multiple games, and new contests are launched every week.
- Best for: New gamers will enjoy the introduction to the gaming world offered by Mistplay. The games on Mistplay are likely to be ones you’ll enjoy, not just dull games that provide a way to earn cash.
- Earning Potential: On Mistplay, you will get $5 for every 1,500 points you earn. If you play on this app consistently, you could earn $50 a month. The app has already paid out over $16,097,264 to its users.
Your earnings can be paid out via gift cards to Amazon and Playstation or as prepaid Visa gift cards with a 1,500 point minimum payout. - Available: Mistplay is an exclusively android app.
2. Skillz Games
Skillz Games is one of the biggest gaming apps with over 30 million players and 5 million daily tournaments.
- Key Points: This is a multiplayer tournament platform that allows you to compete against other players from all over the globe. You will need to deposit to enter these cash tournaments.
- Best for: If you love games of chance, then this is the perfect platform for you as in the US games, you can earn on including the likes of Pool Payday and Dominoes Gold.
- Earning Potential: On Skillz Games, more than $100 million is won every month.
- Available: Skillz can be installed on any Android or Apple device.
3. InboxDollars
Since its inception in 2000, InboxDollars has paid out more than $60 million to its members. The app offers a wide selection of arcade games, game show games, and various other ways to make money.
- Key Points: Alongside playing games, you can also make money by using the InboxDollars search toolbar, watching videos, or doing surveys. This is also an excellent app for discovering new games as InboxDollars has a vast network that includes games like Monkey Bubble Shooter, Pet Hop, and World of Words.
- Best for: This is an excellent choice if you are looking for various ways to make money through a reliable site with a proven track record. On InboxDollars, you can also compete against other players or scratch cards for the chance to win real money.
- Earning Potential: With InboxDollars, your average earnings will probably be between $15 and $55 a month if you spend just five to ten minutes each day playing games. You can convert this to real money when you have at least $30 in your account, which will be cashed out via PayPal.
You will also get $5 just for signing up with InboxDollars, and if you get lucky playing scratch cards, you could even earn $10, $50, or $100 more per card you play. - Available: InboxDollars is available on Android, iOS, and for web-based play on your laptop.
4. Drop
The Drop was launched in 2017 and offered a range of games that include tasks you will need to complete to earn rewards. The site has over four million members and hundreds of thousands of positive reviews.
- Key Points: Through Drop, you can make money playing games, doing online shopping, participating in offers, booking flights, ordering food, or taking surveys. For everything you do using the Drop app, you will accumulate points.
- Best for: This is a good choice if you also want to get paid for shopping at major brands and get rewards just for making certain lifestyle choices, as you can earn rewards for everything from buying coffee in the morning to ordering your dinner.
- Earning Potential: There is a weekly cap of 5,000 points of $5 when using Drop. You’ll also need to accumulate at least 25,000 points to cash out, with every 10,000 points equal to $10.
You can redeem your points with gift cards to major retailers like Starbucks, Netflix, and Amazon. Unfortunately, being paid out of real cash with PayPal is not an option on Drop. - Available: Drop is available for both iOS and Android.
5. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is one of the biggest apps for earning money online. There are various ways to make money and save money with Swagbucks through coupons, promo codes, sales, and cashback.
- Key Points: Swagbucks is free to join, and there are multiple ways to earn money through the site. These activities include completing surveys, watching videos, playing games, shopping online, donating to charities, searching the web, and even eating at certain restaurants. Some of these things can even net you as much as $50 per task.
- Best for: This is one of the world’s biggest, best, and most well-known get-paid-to sites. It is a great app to use if you get bored quickly and are looking for various ways to earn money.
- Earning Potential: Every 100 Swagbucks is equal to $1, and you will also get a $5 or $10 bonus just for signing up. There are numerous options available for paying out, with PayPal and Amazon gift cards being some of the most popular choices, and you only need $1 to cash out.
Swagbucks also gives out more than 7,000 free gift cards every day, and to date, it has paid out more than $579 million to its users. Some Swagbucks users have claimed to earn as much as $600 a month, but you can expect to earn about $100 a month for the average user. - Available: The app is available to users in the United States and Canada on iOS, Android, and desktop.
6. MyPoints
This is another popular free app for anyone wanting to earn some extra cash. There are numerous ways to make money using MyPoints.
- Key Points: As with many of the above apps, you can earn money on MyPoints by playing games, taking surveys, completing offers, shopping at participating stores, and more.
- Best for: This is a good option for anyone wanting to earn money while having fun and participating in various tasks. This is also a great site to check out if you want to find coupons for your daily shopping.
- Earning Potential: You can make between $2 and $4 an hour on MyPoints. You’ll also get a $5 or $10 bonus just for signing up.
Once you reach just 700 points, you will be able to cash out your earnings. Your money can be paid out via PayPal, a prepaid Visa card, or via gift cards. You can also convert your points to air miles through the United MileagePlus accounts. - Available: You can download the MyPoints iOS or Android apps or play it online on myPoints.com.
7. Long Game
Long Game is a great way to grow your savings as the app rewards you for saving more money. The difference between Long Game and other sites on this list is that there is a cost to play.
- Key Points: On Long Game, you’ll earn coins for playing games as well as for depositing more money into your account and saving coins. All the money you add to your account is yours, and the business is FDIC-insured, so you know your money is protected.
- Best for: If you need a little help reaching your financial goals or saving for something specific, Long Game is a way to make saving fun.
- Earning Potential: The more coins you save through this app, the greater your earning potential. You will, however, need to make regular deposits to the app. After the 30 days free trial period, users need to pay $3 a month to join the Teal tier; you will then move up to Gold or Diamond tiers by completing specific tasks.
- Available: This app is available for Android and iOS users in the United States.
8. Gamehag
Gamehag is specifically a community for gamers who want to make money through their gameplay.
- Key Points: On Gamehag, you can play free games and complete tasks to get rewarded with soul gems.
- Best for: This is an excellent app for users who love video games and want to earn easy money.
- Earning Potential: Every 500 soul gems collected on this platform equates to between $1 and $3.
- Available: Gamehag is available in the United States.
9. Bananatic
Bananatic is an app used by game developers to test games and collect reviews to improve their latest releases.
- Key Points: On Bananatic, you will get bananas for each task you complete or game you play. This is also a great place to meet other gamers.
- Best for: If you love to be on the cutting edge of gaming and have a sneak peek at what’s coming next, then you’ll love using Bananatic.
- Earning Potential: Unfortunately, you won’t get rich on Bananatic, with an earning potential of just $10 a month, but this is a great community to join if you want to connect with other like-minded gamers and experience some great games while they are still in the development phase.
You will also earn 50 bananas just for signing up and 500 for allowing notifications. Once you have 2,500 bananas, you can withdraw this onto a $5 prepaid Visa card. You can also redeem your points for premium games or digital content.
10. Lucktastic
Launched in 2014, Lucktastic is owned by Jump Ramp Games and offers numerous games which you can play for rewards. This is a free-to-download app with more than 347,000 positive reviews on the Google app store.
- Key Points: Although there are various ways to earn money with Lucktastic, one of the most common ways involves signing digital scratch cards for points or real money. There are also daily bonus rewards for playing these games.
- Best for: This is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a straightforward way to rack up points and winnings, and you don’t have much time to spend playing games.
- Earning Potential: There is the potential to win $10,000 in cash on this app and daily $500 Amazon gift card giveaways.
You can cash out your earnings in gift cards for Amazon or other retail stores or restaurants, as visa gift cards or physical paper checks. And the best part is you can cash out even if you have just $1 in your account. - Available: This is a mobile-only app for iOS and Android only available in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are game apps you play for cash safe?
Yes, game apps you play for cash are safe, depending on which site you use. While the sites we have listed above are all legitimate sites where you can earn money, unfortunately, others out there are scams.
It’s essential to do your research before downloading any new app or visiting a website that could potentially damage your device.
Are there any risks of scams in games to win real money online?
Unfortunately, there are scams in the online gaming market, as with anything online. Games that ask you to pay money before you play could be a scam in that you might lose your money, or it will be virtually impossible to earn rewards or points.
Games, where you are pitted against a machine or computer to win, can also be a scam as the games can be rigged so that the chance of winning is meager or not at all.
Other apps that you download to your phone or enter your credit card details into may be trying to steal your data. Hence, you need to be very careful about giving out your personal information or downloading unresearched apps to your devices.
Be sure to check all reviews on any app before installing, and instead, stick to the list above when looking to make money through online gaming apps.
What apps pay you real money to play games?
As you can see, various apps will pay you real money to play games. Exactly how much you can earn will depend on the app and the activities you choose to do.
If you want to cash out quickly, look for apps with a lower minimum payout so that you don’t need to accumulate many points to get your money.
What game app pays the most?
Swagbucks is the most popular app for earning money to play games and the one that pays the most, both monthly and in terms of combined user payouts. The payouts are the highest on this app, while there are multiple ways to earn.
What game apps pay you instantly?
Some apps will pay you out instantly. Lucktastic is one example of a gaming app that will pay you out instantly to PayPal if you win while playing on their channel.
Other games won’t pay you out instantly but will pay you when you meet their minimum threshold. That is why it’s essential to look for an app with a low minimum payout threshold like Swagbucks, which is just $1.
What are tips for playing games that pay through PayPal?
One of the best ways to earn real money playing games is to cash out your points or rewards through PayPal. Here are a few ways to stay protected while still using PayPal as your payment method.
- Use different email ID and information: Create a dedicated email and PayPal ID that you will use for gaming apps. That way, you won’t be giving away your real name, location, or access to your main account. Scammers can hack every online platform, and you don’t want your information to fall into the wrong hands.
- Don’t click/download pop-up links: Unfortunately, many sites and apps have pop-ups and clickable adverts that come up during play. Try and avoid clicking on any of these adverts as they could contain viruses or install something that will steal your information.
- Try not to use your main device for these games: As malware is a serious risk, try and avoid using your main device to play games online. Instead, use a secondary device that doesn’t include personal information or banking apps. This way, you also won’t risk slowing down your primary device.
What are Other Ways to Earn Money that Involves Playing Games?
Aside from the above apps that will pay you to play games, there are various other ways to make money online while enjoying your favorite hobby. This could include starting your own Youtube channel or blog,
- Get paid for testing games: Look on freelance channels, like Fiverr, for developers looking to pay people to test their games. These developers will pay you to play and review their games, using your tips as a way to make improvements to their offerings.
- Start a gaming Youtube channel: Some gamers make money by posting videos of themselves playing games. Instead of a few hundred dollars, you could make much more as a successful gamer on Youtube.
However, you will need to be an expert at a chosen game as newcomers will be looking to watch your live stream to learn new tricks. - Start a blog for reviewing games: If you have a blog focused on gaming, you could monetize it by including adverts, affiliate links, or promotional content on your site. Your blog could include reviews on new games or gaming products, gaming shortcuts, and gaming news.
Through your blog, you could also get sponsored products which means you will be getting your games for free. - Become a gaming social media influencer: If creating videos or starting a blog isn’t your thing, you could use your social media influence to your advantage. If you already have a strong social following or know how to build one up, you could become a gaming influencer.
Brands will often work with gaming social media influencers to add creditability to their products and get their brand seen by more people. You can use your channels to influence the gear and games people buy and get paid for promoting certain content. - Flip gaming accessories: You can try flipping products to make money if you’re familiar with gaming accessories. Keep an eye out for cheap gaming accessories being sold online or in flea markets and sell them on for a higher price.
- Stream on Twitch: Twitch is a streaming platform and live video service owned by Amazon. Users on Twitch can chat and work together to create fun videos or stream video games. Start streaming your gameplay on Twitch as a way to up your income.
- Use apps that pay: Now you know of various apps that will pay you just for using them to complete your daily tasks, like online shopping or ordering food. Other apps will reward you for scanning your receipts or buying electricity. Download apps that pay and start earning money just by living your life.
Get Gaming and Start Earning
It sounds fun to get paid for playing games on your phone or laptop, especially if you’re doing it anyway. With the above apps, you can earn extra cash for playing games, trying out new offerings from developers, leaving reviews, or partaking in several other tasks online.
Unfortunately, you aren’t likely to get rich playing games online, and you probably won’t be able to quit your day job, but at least you can earn a little bit of extra cash enjoying the things you like to do.
Having this additional income can help you reach your financial goals quicker and make saving for those things you want easier.
Do you know of any additional apps where you can earn real money just by playing games? We would love to hear your thoughts on which apps should be added to this list in the comments below.