Top 36 best side hustle apps for earning an extra income

Looking to make a few bucks on the side? Check out Whop’s guide to the 36 best side hustle apps. 

Looking to boost your income in 2025? Side hustle apps are one of the fastest ways to turn your time, skills, or energy into extra cash — right from your phone.

These apps cover everything from freelance gigs to making deliveries. Whatever you have to sell — time, product, or skills — you can find a place to turn your efforts into extra income.

Many side hustles even go on to become lucrative full-time opportunities.

So, here we run through the 36 best side hustle apps to make money in 2025 and beyond.   

The 36 best side hustle apps

The list below includes a mix of side hustle apps and platforms, but what they all have in common is the potential to boost your bank balance.

We've split them across digital hustles, rideshare and delivery, ecommerce, and more – there's something here for everyone.

Digital and online hustles

Make money from your laptop with gigs that let you sell skills, create content, or offer services – all on your own schedule.

1. Whop

We start with the best side hustle opportunity — Whop. With Whop’s platform, you can create and sell digital products, services, merch and physical products, and pretty much anything else you can think of. 

Think:

• Online courses
• Paid community access
• Webinars
• Online coaching
• Masterminds
• Ebooks
• PLR digital products
• SaaS

Or literally any other offer you can imagine. Want to sell elite sports picks? Create a T Swift community with merch? Teach others how to read their birth charts? You can do it all with Whop.

This means you can scale your business, whether you want to run your side gig alongside a full-time job or become a fully fledged online entrepreneur. Set up your own whop and you can be making money in no time.

Want to boost your income more? Become a Whop affiliate and promote any product within the Whop ecosystem for commission.

• Best for: Building and scaling your ideal online business.
• Money-making potential: Unlimited.

2. Fiverr

Fiverr is one of the best side hustle apps for freelancers. It covers a whole range of services, including: 

• Writing & translation 
• Music & audio 
• Video 
• AI services 
• Voiceover 
• Consulting 
• Marketing 

Freelancers post their offers with details of their experience and set their rate. The downside is that it's a competitive space that encourages a race to the bottom in terms of rates. However, freelancers with experience can make good money here. 

• Best for: Freelancers looking to make extra money.
• Money-making potential: Varies by experience and expertise ($500 a month is doable with some people making a lot more/less).

3. Upwork

We return to freelancing for the next in our list of the best money-making apps. Upwork is a leading platform for offering remote services, and is a great home-based side hustle. Covering similar skills to Fiverr, the emphasis is on developing relationships between professionals and companies.

Freelancers have several opportunities to earn money. As well as creating a profile, they can search the marketplace for jobs and submit proposals. Since most freelance hustles can be scaled, Upwork is a great platform to find side jobs.

• Best for: Freelancers.
• Money-making potential: Between $15 and $40 per hour (on average).

Fiverr vs Upwork for freelancers: Which platform is best?

4. ProxyPics

In the market for a unique side hustle? This one might be interesting enough to be worth your time. ProxyPics works with appraisers to contract out property photography. The photos you are assigned to take may end up being used for insurance purposes, like for banks when they’re looking to refinance a house. 

• Best for: Photographers and hustlers who can travel.
• Money-making potential: Each job earns you between $20-30.

Here are more ways that you can make money selling pictures online

5. FlexJobs

FlexJobs is an option if you want to find part-time work and have varying availability to be out of the house. You can choose whether you want hybrid jobs, work-from-home jobs, or a combination of the two. 

• Best for: People with flexible availability and varied skills.
• Money-making potential: Positions can offer as low as $5 per hour or as high as $50 per hour. It all comes down to what you qualify for.

6. Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel

Best known for its TV ratings, Nielsen also carries out other types of market research. The computer and mobile panel software records online activity and sends it to Nielsen. 

This is one of the lowest-paid side hustles, but it is a hassle-free way to earn the equivalent of a Starbucks coffee a month for basically doing what you already do. You collect points, which you can redeem for gift cards or cash. There are also bonus surveys and sweepstakes draws available to participants. 

• Best for: Anyone willing to share their online activity.
• Money-making potential: Up to $60 a year.

7. Foap

If you’re a photo or video content creator looking for extra income, Foap is one of the money-making apps to consider. It works like a stock photo site, with creators uploading images that companies and other users can buy for commercial use. Each image or video can be sold multiple times. 

Foap takes 50% of each $10 photo sold. The platform also offers “missions”, with the winner of the brief potentially earning $100s. 

• Best for: Seasoned photographers and videographers looking for another revenue stream.
• Money-making potential: Around $5 a photo sold (with additional earning opportunities).

Ridesharing and delivery apps

These apps allow you to hit the road and earn cash driving people or delivering goods, perfect for flexible hours and side income.

8. Uber

Uber remains a popular side job app option for anyone looking for money-making apps that let them work outside of the home. Drivers set their own schedules, making this a good opportunity for people who want to fit in a side gig around another commitment, such as childcare or a regular job. It can also be a full-time job.  

The requirements include one year’s driving experience, a driver’s license in the state where you want to work, and access to a suitable vehicle. 

• Best for: Drivers who want to work on their own schedule.
• Money-making potential: Average $19 to $30 an hour.

Here's how much delivery drivers actually make

9. DoorDash

DoorDash is one of the most popular side job apps out there - you can earn extra money by signing up to deliver takeout and other items from local restaurants and stores. Simply sign up to the platform and choose when you work.  

DoorDash supports its Dashers with base pay, a starter pack of gear and equipment, and other perks. The requirements are simply to be at least 18 years old and to have an appropriate vehicle (a car, scooter, or bike), plus relevant documentation. 

• Best for: City-based side hustlers looking for a flexible gig.
• Money-making potential: Variable base pay of between $2 and $10 per delivery + tips.

Discover how much you can make with DoorDash

10. Lyft

This is another popular ride-sharing platform allowing drivers to sign up and offer transport services. As with Uber, drivers can set their own schedule and take or reject any ride requests. 

The requirements to sign up with Lyft are to be aged 25+, undergo a background check, provide valid license and insurance documents, and have access to a suitable vehicle. A rental option is available for those without a car. 

• Best for: Drivers who want to earn on their own schedule.
• Money-making potential: Average hourly earnings are approx. $22.76.

11. Instacart

Another way to make extra money is by shopping for and delivering groceries on behalf of Instacart. Sign up to be a Shopper and then view open orders in your area. Choose one, complete the order, and transport it to the customer’s door. 

This is another flexible, delivery-based opportunity, but with the added responsibility of actually shopping for the items. The requirements are to be aged 18+, have a suitable vehicle, and have the ability to carry out physical labor (i.e., moving heavy shopping bags). 

• Best for: Anyone looking for a flexible, delivery-based side hustle.
• Money-making potential: Average $13.88 per hour, but it depends on the size of the order and driving distance.

Here's how much you can make with Instacart

12. Uber Eats

Another of the food delivery side hustle apps, Uber Eats, offers people the opportunity to work flexibly, transporting takeout to people’s addresses. Once approved as a driver, you log into the app and accept whatever local deliveries you want to complete. 

Eligibility to become a courier for Uber Eats depends on whether you want to deliver using a car, scooter, bike, or on foot. All applicants must submit their Social Security numbers and undergo a background check. 

• Best for: Anyone looking for a food delivery-based side gig.
• Money-making potential: The U.S.-wide average is $18.45 per hour.

13. Shipt

Owned by Target, Shipt is a membership-based marketplace offering two side hustle types – personal shoppers and drivers. Shoppers fulfil orders in-store, with the items shipped to customers by the store, while drivers collect orders from the store and transport them to the customer’s address, similar to Amazon Flex. 

The eligibility requirements differ for each role. Both require applicants to be aged 18+ and able to manage the physical requirements.

• Best for: People looking for a flexible shopping or driving side gig with a national retail chain.
• Money-making potential: Earnings start at around $16 an hour for shoppers and $18 an hour for drivers (+ tips).

14. Spark Driver

SparkDriver is Walmart’s app for hiring independent contract drivers to deliver customer orders. It works a little like Uber or a food delivery service, where you’re assigned assignments on the app, and you can choose if you want to accept a delivery or let it go to another driver. 

• Best for: This is a great side hustle for someone who enjoys the freedom to pick up a delivery here or there, but doesn’t want to deal with food establishments or make awkward small talk with riders.
• Money-making potential: Walmart pays its Spark drivers between $15 and $25 per hour, depending on the distance you have to drive to make the delivery.

15. Courial

Courial is a little like Uber if Uber didn’t involve talking to any people, and also, there are packages. Okay, maybe it’s not exactly like Uber — but you do use a similar app to accept gigs.

You'll be picking things up and delivering them, and you may end up delivering anything from documents to furniture.  

• Best for: Courial is best for people who live in urban areas, have their own car or reliable transportation, and can lift potentially heavy packages.
• Money-making potential: Typically, Courial pays between $15 and $30 per hour, and you keep 80% of that. In an area that has a lot of demand for courier services, you can make up to $200 a day.

16. Lugg

If you have a truck or van and want to make the most of it in a side hustle, Lugg is an on-demand moving service that connects people who need furniture or other large items moved with people who can move it. 

With Lugg, you may end up taking someone’s sofa across town, taking items to a landfill that need to be disposed of, or helping businesses move from one building to another. 

• Best for: Lugg is best if you don’t mind a side hustle that involves physical labor, and you have a vehicle big enough to move furniture with.
• Money-making potential: An average job with Lugg will get you between $20 and $50 an hour, but jobs that involve oversized items or driving longer distances can go up to $100+ an hour.

Selling & e-commerce

Turn hobbies and collections into cash with these side hustle apps aimed at selling physical items.

17. Etsy

Etsy is one of the best side hustle apps for people who have physical goods or digital downloads to sell. You can open your own store on Etsy and sell directly to buyers.  

Etsy takes a fee for listing and selling on its platform, which takes a bite out of your profits. However, if you have unique goods, such as handmade crafts to sell, you can make money here. 

• Best for: Setting up an ecommerce side hustle.
• Money-making potential: Good if you have unique products to sell.

Is Etsy worth it? Find out in our article

18. Poshmark

Ebay might be the obvious choice for anyone with unwanted clothes or home decor items to sell, but Poshmark is another option. Simply download the app, snap a picture of what you want to sell, add a price, and list it for sale.  

Poshmark provides prepaid labels, and you get paid once the item has been delivered. The platform claims 80 million members and 200 million items for sale. 

• Best for: Anyone who wants to turn unwanted items into cash.
• Money-making potential: Depends on what you have to sell.

Find out how to make money reselling clothes online

19. Airbnb

If you have a spare room or a whole property, listing it for short-term rent on Airbnb is one of the best side hustles. You can choose when to make your property available, from year-round to a few weeks over the summer. 

Airbnb handles all the admin, including guest verification and payment to give you peace of mind. This can become a lucrative side hustle for anyone with space to rent in a desirable location. 

• Best for: Anyone with a room or property to rent.
• Money-making potential: Depends on the property and location.

20. SpotHero

Think of SpotHero as Airbnb for parking. The platform primarily connects drivers with convenient parking garages and lots. However, it also works with individuals who have a parking spot to rent.

This is quite a niche side hustle opportunity. However, if you have an eligible parking spot in a high-demand area, such as in a commuter town or near a train station, you can put it to work, earning you money.  

• Best for: Anyone with an eligible parking space available.
• Money-making potential: Depends on the location and availability of the parking spot (drivers are charged between $10 and $60 for a space).

21. Turo

We’ve already introduced you to a platform to rent out a parking spot, so why not your actual vehicle? Turo offers individuals the opportunity to create their own vehicle hire business. If you have a spare car or want to invest in a fleet to rent out, Turo connects you with drivers in need of a vehicle. 

Earnings will depend on the size of the fleet and the availability. It offers up to $750k of insurance, as well as roadside assistance and a database of millions of potential renters. 

• Best for: Anyone with a vehicle to rent out or budding car rental entrepreneurs.
• Money-making potential: Turo claims its hosts can earn $10,868 a year renting one car and up to $97,814 for a fleet of nine cars.

Tasks & gig work

Offer hands-on help like moving, home repairs, or take odd shifts – and get paid for skills people actually need.

22. TaskRabbit

Like putting flatpack furniture together? Or maybe you are good at DIY or want to spend your free time earning money by helping people move? TaskRabbit is a great service-based side hustle.

Sign up for the platform, and once TaskRabbit has checked your ID, you can offer your services and set your rate. Some services require specific skills and training, like electricians and plumbers. However, it also covers things like cleaning and trash removal. 

• Best for: People with DIY skills and/or handyperson experience.
• Money-making potential: Between $15 and $150 per hour.

23. Handy/Angi

Known as Handy to users, professionals can sign up to offer their services via Angi. Workers connect with individuals who need household services ranging from furniture assembly and cleaning to full kitchen and bathroom remodeling. If you’re a contractor, you can even offer renovation services. 

This app does require workers to have experience in the services they wish to offer. Workers can choose which jobs to accept and what to charge. 

• Best for: Side hustlers with DIY/handyperson skills and experience.
• Money-making potential: Around $12 to $35 per hour.

24. Instawork

If you want to take on shift work (with the potential for more), you can try signing up for  Instawork. This is an app that lets businesses looking for skilled workers like bartenders, chefs, brand ambassadors, event staff, or even retail workers hire them just for a set number of hours. 

• Best for: This is a solid app for someone who already has a job and wants to pick up extra shifts in the same industry, or someone that is only working part time and wants to fill their off days with a low-commitment assignment.
• Money-making potential: How much you make is based on the location and the type of job. A waiter or bartender can earn between $15 and $30 per hour, with more in tips.

25. Gigwalk

If you’re wondering how to make extra money, Gigwalk might be a good fit. The platform lists various Gigs, which take from a few minutes to a few hours to complete. The Gigs are often posted on behalf of consumer brands and retailers.  

The kinds of things you might do are mystery shopping or visiting a store to verify that products are correctly displayed. There are also online tasks, such as AI data training. The site claims Gigs pay from $3 to $100+. 

• Best for: City-based side hustlers.
• Money-making potential: Users report earning $25 to $100 per month.

26. Qwick

Qwick exists to help match hospitality industry businesses with shift workers to pick up a shift here and there. They specifically seek out people for positions like:

• Bartender
• Barista
• Mixologist
• Banquet Cook
• Dishwasher
• Prep or Line Cook 
• Busser
• Coat Check Attendant
• Concession Worker

Basically, if it involves the food industry, you’ll probably find it on the list. 

• Best for: Qwick is made for hospitality workers. It's worth checking out if you have experience in front of house, back of house, or with catering and events.
• Money-making potential: You can usually make between $15 and $35 based on skills. (For example, as a dishwasher, you’ll probably earn less than a line cook.)

Childcare & Petcare

Love kids or pets? Make money by providing trusted care and services that families rely on.

27. VIPKid

Teaching and tutoring online are among the most popular work-from-home side hustles. An obvious side hustle for teachers, this can also be a great opportunity for non-educators. VIPKid is one of the highest-rated platforms for teaching English. 

One of the advantages of VIPKid is that it sets the curriculum and provides lesson plans. The application process involves creating a short demo lesson and teaching a mock class.  

• Best for: Teachers and others who enjoy working with young learners.
• Money-making potential: Between $14 and $22 an hour.

28. UrbanSitter

If you like caregiving or managing households, UrbanSitter might be the right app for you. People sign up to offer their services as babysitters, nannies, pet sitters, or other household help. This extends to elderly care, tutoring, and housekeeping. 

Given the nature of this opportunity, security is paramount, with workers required to undergo background checks and provide references. Working in strangers’ homes is also a risk, which might be a deal breaker for some side hustlers. 

• Best for: People looking for a caregiving or household-based side hustle.
• Money-making potential: Depending on the skill and experience offered (an example is approx. $15 to $20 an hour for babysitting).

29. Rover

Love pets? Then this might be one of the best money making apps for you. The Rover app lets you offer a range of pet-related services, including: 

• Boarding 
• Pet sitting 
• Doggy daycare 
• House sitting 
• Dog walking 
• Training 

You can create a profile, set your rates, and connect with pet owners who need your services. Set your own schedule and the types of animals you want to work with. Rover does take 20% of the earnings. 

• Best for: Responsible animal lovers.
• Money-making potential: Around $15 to $20 per hour for dog walking or up to $40 a night for boarding.

30. TrustedHousesitters

TrustedHousesitters combines the two types of home-stay side hustle jobs: house sitting and pet sitting. Sitters of both types undergo a background check, so you can work for people who feel confident in hiring you to be in their home. 

• Best for: This job is definitely suited for someone who wants to travel. You can set the location you wish to pet or house sit in via the website and then advertise in that area.
• Money-making potential: Private pet sitters are paid between $10 and $100 per night ,depending on the number of pets being cared for and the level of work involved.

Find more ways to make money traveling

31. Wag

Another good option for animal lovers is Wag, though it isn’t limited to pet sitting. With Wag, you can earn side hustle money by dog walking, dog sitting, or boarding a dog in your home. Like the previous app, you will undergo a background check before being hired.

• Best for: This is a good option for animal lovers and people who don’t mind getting some exercise and braving all kinds of weather conditions.
• Money-making potential: Dog walks generally get between $12 and $20 per walk, but you can line up clients who want you for a specific number of days a week and ensure steady income.

Surveys & rewards

Earn cash or gift cards in your downtime by sharing your opinions or testing products online.

32. Survey Junkie

It was only a matter of time before we got around to online surveys. Platforms such as Survey Junkie sign people up to fill in surveys on all kinds of subjects on behalf of companies. Survey Junkie users can also sign up to have their web activity monitored. 

This is a flexible opportunity, but earning depends on the availability of surveys. You earn points, which can be cashed out or turned into gift cards (U.S. users only). 

• Best for: Anyone with an opinion to share.
• Money-making potential: Making $50 to $150 a month is possible.

33. InboxDollars

InboxDollars is another easy option with minimal barriers to entry. InboxDollars is an online survey platform that also offers the opportunity to earn money by playing games and carrying out other market research-type tasks.  

Pay on this site is low and variable. You will get about $0.50 to $5 per survey, with a $15 minimum balance in your InboxDollars account required before you can cash out. 

• Best for: Anyone with extra time looking for an easy way to make a few bucks.
• Money-making potential: Making $50 a month is possible.

34. Swagbucks

Another of the survey-based apps to make money, Swagbucks is a good option for students, stay-at-home parents, and anyone else with time on their hands. As well as online surveys, you can get paid for watching videos, playing games, or shopping online.  

You won’t get rich on this app but it is possible to make a few dollars. Like most survey sites, Swagbucks pays out in points, which can be redeemed for gift cards or turned into cash (once you reach $25). 

• Best for: Anyone with some time to spend filling in surveys.
• Money-making potential: Up to $5 a day.

35. Fundrise

Fundrise is the investing app that makes real estate accessible to everyone, as rather than purchasing a whole property you can buy just a piece of the property market, starting with as little as a $10 investment.

• Best for: Those interested in investing in real estate and playing the long game.
• Money-making potential:  Dependant on how much you invest and how long you invest for - an average one-year return is 2.1%, while an eight-year return is 70.3%.

36. HeyPiggy

HeyPiggy is an app that partners with retailers and lets you make money on things that you buy online. If you do a lot of online shopping or enjoy taking surveys in your spare time, then this app is a no-brainer when it comes to making a little extra money.

• Best for: People who can spend an hour a day on quick surveys.
• Money-making potential: Depending on how many retail accounts you link to it and how frequently you use them, you can bring in between $20 and $50 a month.

Whop: Your ultimate side hustle app

That’s 36 apps you can use to kick off your side hustle. But if you want the easiest, most flexible way to make money online, Whop is the one to choose.

Why? Well, for one, you can earn big here. We've sold over $1.5B, and we're not slowing down.

Two? With us, you can sell anything: ebooks, courses, memberships, even physical goods. Go passive with PLR, or build an active community that grows with you. With one platform to host, sell, and scale, you can launch your dream business on your terms.

Ready to start your ultimate side hustle? Sign up for Whop today.

Side hustle app FAQs

How can I find the right app for me?

All money making apps have different requirements and type of work - while Upwork allows you to work from home as a freelancer, Uber requires you to go out and work with people face-to-face, and Whop helps you make your own online business.

To find the right app for yourself, you should consider what kind of work you're comfortable doing (face-to-face, remote, hybrid), what kind of hustle you want to pursue, and your availability.

Can I pursue multiple side hustles at the same time?

You absolutely can. While having multiple side hustles can be hard due to timing clashes, right combination of apps (like house sitting and remote work apps) can allow you to work on multiple income streams.

What's the difference between side hustle and side job apps?

Side hustle apps are usually gig-based apps, while side job apps provide hustles that can be scaled to a job - like Upwork, Uber, or Fiverr.

How much can I earn with money making apps?

The amount of money you can make with these side hustle and side job apps depends on what kind of work you're doing - while you can make $19 to $30 per hour with Uber, you can secure big projects on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr that pay towards $100 per hour.

Of course, the skill and time requirements usually corresponds to the amount of money you make.