Passive Income Apps: 12 Best Ways To Earn Money Hands-Off In 2025

Passive income apps give you extra cash with minimal effort on your part. Amidst post-inflation, it's a great way to earn extra money.

After all, side hustles have become a culture in the United States, with 36% of US adults earning extra income through them. This comes as the App Store ecosystem (Apple) facilitated $406 billion in developer billings and sales.

There are countless options, but this guide provides you with realistic ways to earn money through passive income apps.

Choosing apps to make passive money shouldn't feel like sifting a single grain of sand. You shouldn't be overwhelmed by the many options you see on the App Store or the Play Store.

Instead, try to do these steps first when researching which passive income apps work best for you:

At the start, you could experiment with different apps. Don't put all your savings into one app, as you're still unsure how it will turn out. 

Diversify your passive income sources, spot what works for you the best, and then you can focus on that app. Diversification is your "safety net" at this stage.

These apps help you earn money in a passive way. Each app caters to unique interests and comes with different security policies. 

Honeygain allows users to earn extra money for sharing unused internet bandwidth. You just download the app on your devices and let it run in the background. It's one of the passive income ideas with very minimum investment (just your device and internet connection).

Businesses use the information they get for price comparison, ad verification, and network testing.

Honeygain is one of the best passive income ideas if you can't provide an upfront investment.

Typical earnings: You earn 10 cents per 1GB that you share. Most users earn $5-20 per month, depending on their location, internet speed, and device count. Honeygain offers a $2 starting gift, $5 for successful referrals, and free credits for completing daily tasks. 

How to cash out: You can withdraw your earnings when you reach the $20 minimum threshold. Honeygain allows cashouts via PayPal.

Licensing/security: Honeygain encrypts traffic and does not collect personal or device data beyond IP and device type. It is also compliant with GDPR and CCPA regulations. You can refer to Honeygain's privacy policy for more information.

Pros: Complete passive after initial setup, and it works simultaneously on multiple devices.

Cons: You might need successful referrals to make money faster.

PacketStream is also an internet bandwidth-sharing app. It connects individuals with excess bandwidth to businesses that need residential IP addresses for market research and content delivery.

Typical earnings: Same with Honeygain, you earn 10 cents per 1GB that you share on PacketStream. Faster connections and better location demand can help you earn up to $15 monthly.

How to cash out: The minimum cash-out threshold for PacketStream is $5. You can cash out via PayPal, but there is a 3% fee for each cashout.

Licensing/security: PacketStream's Terms of Service mentions that it operates under the laws of the State of California. You can also review PacketStream's privacy policy page.

Pros: Low minimum payout and the app runs in the background of your devices.

Cons: Payouts come with a 3% cashout fee.

EarnApp also allows users to earn via their unused internet bandwidth. Plus, it rewards users with real cash for completing surveys, downloading apps, and doing other tasks.

This is one of the ways on how young adults can make passive income, as long as they have the consent of their parents.

Typical earnings: Users in the United States earn about $0.36 per GB shared. If you're in other regions, you can earn up to $0.24 per GB. 

How to cash out: You could withdraw your commissions via PayPal or Wise ($10 minimum threshold) and Amazon gift cards ($50 minimum threshold). 

Licensing/security: EarnApp's privacy policy mentions that it complies with privacy laws under the EU's GDPR and California's CCPA.

Pros: Offers additional research tasks for more money.

Cons: Earnings vary by location, with higher rates offered in the US.

Rakuten allows users to get a percentage of their spend when they shop online or in-store. You could also get cash back for restaurant and travel bookings. You could download their app for in-store purchases or use their browser extension.

Typical earnings: Cashback rates on Rakuten range from 1% to 10%, depending on the particular store. Ultimately, your earnings will depend on your shopping and spending habits. 

How to cash out: Rakuten pays out quarterly, but you have to reach a minimum cashback balance of $5.01. You can receive payments through PayPal, American Express Membership Rewards points, and mailed paper checks.

Licensing/security: Rakuten uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Internet connections to protect the confidentiality of personal information and transactions. Rakuten provides more details on its privacy policy page.

Pros: Over 3,500 partner stores to get shopping rewards from.

Cons: Requires active shopping to earn and pays only every quarter.

Webull is an investment platform that provides commission-free trading for stocks and ETFs. There are no trading fees. Users who sign up for Webull Premium also earn up to 4.1% APY on their uninvested cash.

Typical earnings: Earnings on Webull depend on market gains from your investments. Webull Premium members also earn a 4.1% APY on uninvested cash. New users can also earn bonuses, like cash bonuses, on Webull's limited-time offers. 

How to cash out: You can withdraw funds any time through electronic bank transfers (ACH). ACH transfers don't charge fees, but wire transfers cost $25.

Licensing/security: Webull is registered with the SEC and is a member of FINRA and SIPC. Investments are protected up to $500,000. 

Pros: Zero fees on trading stocks and ETFs.

Cons: Interest rates depend on your subscription tier.

Robinhood Gold's Cash Sweep program allows members to earn interest on uninvested cash. If you opt in, the cash left in your brokerage account can earn an Annual Percentage Yield (APY) of up to 5%.

Typical earnings: Earnings depend on your balance, but you could earn 4-5% APY. For instance, you can earn $500 yearly on the uninvested $10,000 in your brokerage account. 

How to cash out: Since the money stays in your Robinhood account, you can withdraw your funds anytime.

Licensing/security: Robinhood accounts and transactions are protected by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). Cash sweep program members can also be eligible for FDIC insurance. You can find out more information on Robinhood's Account Security page. 

Pros: High interest on uninvested cash and funds can be paid instantly.

Cons: Only gold members can earn the full 5% APY.

Ally offers a high-yield savings account that pays an average of 3.5% APY on all balances. Interests will roll in automatically while you save money. It's also a free app that doesn't charge any maintenance fees. 

Typical earnings: Ally offers an average of 3.5% APY for all balance tiers. If you have $1,000 in your bank account, you can earn $350 in interest. That APY could increase if you have a higher balance.

How to cash out: You can transfer your money to a linked bank account or use digital payment apps. 

Licensing/security: Ally accounts are FDIC-insured. Ally also uses multi-factor authentication, per their Security Center page. 

Pros: No maintenance fees or minimum balance.

Cons: Online-only bank without physical branches for cash deposits.

Acorns rounds up your credit or debit card purchases to the nearest dollar. Once your round-ups reach $5, the money is invested into a diversified portfolio of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). These ETFs include dividend-paying stocks to help you start earning passive income.

Acorns comes with monthly fees, though. Their Bronze tier charges $3/month, the Silver tier comes with a $6/month fee, and the Gold tier requires $12/month.

Typical earnings: Ally provides an example on their website that a $3.25 purchase can turn into a $0.75 investment. However, your investment returns still depend on market performance and portfolio allocation. 

How to cash out: You can withdraw your money anytime or sell a particular stock or ETF. It might take 3-6 days for your cash transfer to appear on your linked bank account.

Licensing/security: Brokerage accounts on Acorns are protected by SIPC, up to $500,000. 

Pros: Automatic investment of spare change and beginner-friendly.

Cons: Monthly fees could eat up small balances and investments.

Betterment helps build your investment portfolio through automated investing. You can choose your financial goals and risk tolerance, and Betterment will automatically create a portfolio for you.

They also have in-house investment experts who monitor and update your portfolios.

Typical earnings: Betterment says that its core portfolio averages over 9% composite annual time-weighted returns after fees. However, your earnings still depend on market performance. Also, Betterment charges a monthly or annual fee for managing your portfolio.

How to cash out: You can withdraw your funds at any time. There are no penalties for early withdrawals.

Licensing/security: Betterment accounts are protected by FDIC insurance of up to $2 million, and $4 million for joint accounts. 

Pros: Automatic rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting.

Cons: Automated investment comes with a 0.25% annual fee.

Fundrise is a real estate investments platform that manages your portfolio for you. You can own a share of private real estate projects like commercial buildings and apartments.

Fundrise does require a minimum account balance of $10 and an annual fee of 1%.

Typical earnings: According to Listen Money Matters, Fundrise has produced 8.7%-12.4% historical returns. In 2024, Fundrise reported 5.75% annual returns on its advisory client accounts.

How to cash out: According to Investopedia, you can request redemption quarterly on Fundrise. However, selling your shares prematurely could result in small penalties.

Licensing/security: Per Fundrise, they use bank-level security and an AES bit symmetric key to protect clients' information. 

Pros: You can start investing with just $10 in your account.

Cons: Illiquid investment that locks your money up.

Groundfloor lets you invest in individual real-estate loans or through fractional real estate investing. This app collects funds from investors and allows you to earn weekly interest payments.

Typical earnings: Per MoneyMade, Groundfloor offers historical average returns of around 10% annually.

How to cash out: You can withdraw your money once a loan is repaid by the borrower. However, your money is illiquid while it is invested.

Licensing/security: Groundfloor is a registered investment adviser with the SEC. However, their website doesn't mention any FDIC/SIPC insurance coverage.

Pros: Weekly payouts and works for both non-accredited and accredited investors.

Cons: You can't withdraw your funds until the loan term is finished.

Neighbor is a fantastic way to earn cash on unused space in your homes or properties. It's a peer-to-peer storage marketplace where you can list empty closets, bedrooms, garages, and parking spots. 

It's also worth noting that rented spaces are only used for storage. Renters cannot live, work, or stay in the spaces they rent.

Typical earnings: A Business Insider case study discovered a person earning about $2,500 monthly for renting yard space and RV parking spots on Neighbor. Earnings vary depending on the type and location of your space.

How to cash out: Payments are made at the end of each monthly rental period. Neighbor handles the payment process, making this a great app for renting out spaces without much time commitment or extra effort.

Licensing/security: Neighbor offers up to $1 million host guarantee. Per their Trust and Security page, Neighbor provides a three-step verification process for hosts' safety and a Property Protection Plan for renters.

Pros: Guaranteed payouts for a steady stream of income.

Cons: Neighbor charges a small fee of 5% and $0.30 per payout.

Through passive income apps, you can earn cash on your own schedule. But what app fits the resources that you have?

Our curated list of passive income apps above caters to different resource levels. You can earn passive income on Honeygain without any upfront investment. If you like grocery shopping or purchasing niche products, go for cashback apps like Rakuten. 

Do you want to invest a significant amount of savings in your account? You can earn real money from real estate investment apps like Groundfloor and Fundrise. You can even earn rewards on EarnApp while playing games and taking surveys.

There are different kinds of passive income apps out there. You just have to filter which works for you the best. For investment apps, compare net yields after fees and caps; for trading platforms, check their minimum investment, commission fees, and tax implications.

These factors go hand-in-hand with making passive income as your side hustle. 

For beginners, you can use money-making apps like Honeygain for sharing unused internet bandwidth and Rakuten for earning cashback for purchases. These are some of the highest-paying income apps without investment or time commitment. You just let these apps run in the background of your devices.

Passive income apps without upfront investment, like Honeygain, offer a steady stream of money but not as massive as other investment-related apps. You need to invest in high-yield savings apps or stock-trading platforms to potentially earn a large amount of money, although these come with high risks.

Honeygain typically uses up to 15GB of unused data per day, depending on your device's availability and internet speed. You can set data-sharing limits on the Honeygain app to control usage. Honeygain only uses unused bandwidth and runs quietly in the background, so you won't notice significant slowdowns.

Promo interest rates on cash sweep products are usually offered on a limited-time basis only. It is mostly used to attract new deposits or as a reward when you successfully refer friends to their apps. To avoid confusion, always check regular rates, fees, and terms before investing your money.