If you’re anything like me, the idea of sitting down all day drives you absolutely nuts.
However, the stark reality is that many of us work office jobs, and it can be difficult to find the time (or motivation) to stay active.
This is one reason I really like apps that pay you to workout. You can use these apps to find the daily motivation to move, and you can also make some quick money in the process!
One of the most popular apps in this space is Sweatcoin, an app that claims it pays you with its own digital currency for every step you take.
But is Sweatcoin legit? And does this app actually pay you real money?
I’ve tested out Sweatcoin for months, and in this review, I’m sharing my personal experience with the app, how it all works, and what some of the best alternatives are.
What Is Sweatcoin?
Sweatcoin is a free fitness app that tracks your daily outdoor movement and then converts your steps into Sweatcoins, the platform’s own digital currency.
If you’ve used apps like Miles before, this process should feel pretty familiar. And the entire idea is to help people earn passive income while encouraging them to be more active.
To date, Sweatcoin has millions of downloads for both Android and iOS. In fact, it’s one of the most popular fitness reward apps out there.
If you’re a very active person, Sweatcoin can let you turn your daily activity into some small bits of passive income. And if you need some motivation to get moving, it could be the app you’re looking for.
How Does Sweatcoin Work?
I’ve used Sweatcoin for several months while testing it for this review. Overall, the app is quite beginner-friendly and easy to use.
Sweatcoin also works in four simple steps:
- Download Sweatcoin
- Walk and earn Sweatcoins
- Redeem rewards
- Convert Sweatcoins into SWEAT
Time to explore how each of these steps work in a bit more detail.
Download & Sign Up
Sweatcoin is available for both Android and iOS, and you can create an account with your email or Google account.
Once you open the app, you have to enable location tracking so Sweatcoin can track your daily steps. This is essential to earning with the app, so you have to be comfortable with sharing your data.
Many passive income apps work this way, so if you don’t want to share your data and location, Sweatcoin isn’t for you.
Walk & Earn Sweatcoins
Once you start walking or exercising outside, you begin earning Sweatcoins as long as you have your phone on you. Note that you have to exercise outside to earn coins, so inside workouts don’t count!
Currently, I’ve earned roughly 90SWC since I installed the app 3 weeks ago, which is roughly $4.50 worth of Sweatcoins.
However, Sweatcoins now has a variety of monthly plans you can subscribe to, and each plan allows users to earn at a faster rate.
Here are the current plans:
- Mover: Free, earn up to 5SWC per day.
- Shaker: 4.75SWC/month, earn up to 10SWC per day.
- Quaker: 20SWC/month, earn up to 15SWC per day.
- Breaker: 30SWC/month, earn up to 20SWC per day.
- Trouble Maker: Coming soon.
1,000 outdoor steps is equivalent to 0.95SWC, so if you consistently get 10,000+ outdoor steps a day, you can at least upgrade to the Shaker plan to earn more Sweatcoins every month.
Additionally, you can also watch a daily advertisement to earn 1SWC. Completing this task 3 days in a row grants you a bonus of an extra 4SWC as well. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I suppose it adds up.
Ultimately, the Marathon Offers are quite difficult to obtain, but if you work together with friends and family, perhaps the $1,000 reward is within reach.
Redeem Rewards
As you earn Sweatcoins, you can redeem them for various prizes and discounts from Sweatcoin’s partners.
The app has set and variable rewards you can redeem from the store, but many of the weekly offers are signup bonuses or incentives rather than straight up rewards or gift cards.
For example, I recently redeemed an offer that gave me a free Harry’s razor set for 10SWC. I had to pay $2 in shipping, but the razor I got is quite good and $2 is cheaper than buying an equivalent razor in store.
There are always offers like this on Sweatcoin, and at the time of writing, there are over 1,000+ brands the app works with, with new ones being added all the time.
If you’re a fan of subscription services, this might be up your alley. Plus, if you already use some of the services promoted by the app you can score a free month or massive discount for something you already use.
However, the ‘Marathon Offers’ Sweatcoin always has listed are quite hefty. You’re unlikely to ever afford them in all honesty. Sweatcoin isn’t a scam, but they definitely promise some rewards you just can’t realistically reach.
For example, Sweatcoin says you can earn thousands of dollars in free PayPal money, iPhones, and various free gift cards, but it’s very unrealistic to earn enough Sweatcoins to get these prizes.
This is my main complaint about using Sweatcoin. You can’t actually get free money from this app or use it as a side hustle.
Instead, you can only find discounts and some free-plus-shipping offers from Sweatcoin’s partner brands.
You can donate Sweatcoins to various charities as well. But in terms of earning income, Sweatcoin isn’t a useful money making app.
Convert Sweatcoins Into SWEAT
One new feature Sweatcoins has rolled out is the ability to convert Sweatcoins into SWEAT, the apps new cryptocurrency.
This is Sweatcoin’s leap into Web 3 and blockchain. With SWEAT, you can stake it to earn additional SWEAT, and you can also earn exclusive NFTs from within the SWEAT Wallet, a free crypto wallet.
The company also works with MoonPay, a popular cypto onramp and payment provider, and it has plans to let you buy, sell, and swap more cryptos in the future.
Personally, I think this is Sweatcoin trying to take advantage of the NFT and crypto craze of the last few years. And right now, you still can’t redeem your SWEAT for fiat or other cryptos worth anything.
Also note that at the time of writing, one SWEAT token is worth about $0.012 USD according to CoinMarketCap.
Is Sweatcoin Legit?
Sweatcoin is a legit app that pays you with digital tokens for your daily exercise. And it works with hundreds of brand partners, so you can redeem your Sweatcoins for discounts and special offers. Plus, the app has millions of downloads and a 4.5 star average rating on both the Android and iOS app store.
However, I think Sweatcoin is a bit deceptive since it makes it seem like you can use the app to earn real money.
In reality, Sweatcoin rewards like PayPal money or free electronics require an unrealistic amount of Sweatcoins to redeem. So, the only prizes you can get are discounts from its partners.
I found one shaving offer that was worth it, but I think the rest of the offers are mostly junk. And if you don’t like free trials or subscriptions, you probably won’t like the offers either.
Does Sweatcoin Really Pay?
Sweatcoin pays you with its digital currency for being active. But the app doesn’t pay real money since it’s basically impossible to cash out for PayPal or any of the good rewards.
Instead, Sweatcoin is really for getting discounts, special subscription deals, and some free trials.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Sweatcoin is completely free to use
- The app can encourage you to be more active
- You might save a bit of money if you find a Sweatcoin reward from a partner you like
Cons:
- You can’t really redeem Sweatcoins for real money or good prizes
- The new SWEAT economy part of the app isn’t very impressive
- Sweatcoin’s customer support is getting worse and it seems like the developers don’t care
Other Sweatcoin Reviews
I used Sweatcoin for a few months, and overall, I don’t think the app is worth using. Yes, I redeemed a shaving offer and saved a few dollars, but I’m disappointed I can’t redeem any real cash or gift cards.
That said, it’s always good to see what other users have to think about an app before signing up.
Here’s what some other Sweatcoins users are saying about their experience on Reddit:
- Jen2895 says: “Ya. I’ve had for a couple years too and noticed the rewards disappeared. Feeling duped since those rewards were the reason most signed up. Then they took them away before it was possible for us to claim them.”
- nihilismdsntxist says: “It’s a scam. I recommend using Strava. You can earn rewards if you complete challenges.”
- PieceofPuzzle says: “Well, it’s not a scam since you can legitimately buy things with your coins…IF you ever have enough. But, yes they took away the set price items which kinda sucks! They believe auctions are better as it gives you a chance at buying an item for cheaper than it would be at a set SweatCoin price.”
As you can see, users are unhappy with how you can’t really earn free prizes. And some users think the app is a complete scam now.
This Sweatcoin review from YouTuber Vinsane provides more of an overview of how the app works, as well as how you can potentially make money with the new SWEAT economy component.
But again, this involves using the SWEAT wallet and getting into the crypto side of the app. Personally, I think this is more trouble than it’s worth, and the base Sweatcoin app isn’t a good side hustle at all.
The Best Apps Like Sweatcoin
There are plenty of apps like Sweatcoin where you can sell your data to make money on autopilot. And, there are also lots of ways to make money by getting active that are better than Sweatcoin.
Some of the best alternatives to Sweatcoin you can use include:
- StepBet: Earn money by wagering on yourself to complete weekly step goals.
- Gig Apps: You can make money with a bike by delivering food for popular apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats.
- HealthyWage: Like StepBet, HealthyWage lets you bet on yourself to potentially get paid to lose weight.
- Evidation: Another passive income app that pays you for you daily exercise.
These apps won’t make you rich, but they definitely pay you with real money unlike Sweatcoin.
And, I think you can actually make some decent money with delivery gigs like Uber Eats or DoorDash. My friend did this after college, and he got excellent exercise on his bike while making about $15 to $20 per hour.
You can check out my latest YouTube video as well for more insights on Sweatcoin and some other apps that pay you to walk.
Extra Reading – The Best Ways To Make $100 A Day Guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sweatcoin Real?
Sweatcoin is a real app that pays you with digital tokens for exercising. But you can’t earn any real money from this app, which is where most negative reviews stem from.
Is Sweatcoin A Scam?
Sweatcoin isn’t an outright scam since you can redeem Sweatcoins for discounts and special offers. But I think the app is a bit scammy since it’s impossible to earn any real money or good prizes.
How Many Sweatcoins Is A Dollar?
One Sweatcoin is worth about $0.05 USD based on the $1,000 PayPal prize Sweatcoin offers. However, I don’t think Sweatcoins are actually worth any real cash since you can only redeem them for discounts and special offers.
There are monthly buy and sell groups on Reddit where people exchange Sweatcoins, and while some sellers stick to a $0.05 valuation, many people price themselves around $0.02-$0.03/SWC to attract interest.
Overall, with how variable the rewards are in the store, it’s hard to know exactly how valuable your current Sweatcoin wallet is.
How Does Sweatcoin Make Money?
Sweatcoin makes money in several ways, including:
- Partnering with brands for sponsored offers (Sweatcoin has 4 slots at any given time).
- Massive rounds of funding from investors.
- In-app advertisements.
Sweatcoins is apparently also ‘teaming up with insurance companies and local governments,‘ with the goal of encouraging activity and decreasing healthcare costs/payouts.
Final Thoughts
Sweatcoin is a legit app since you can earn some prizes, but the app feels a bit scammy in my opinion. And after testing it out for a few months, I’m not going to keep it on my phone.
If you want motivation to get active and like discounts or subscription offers, you can consider giving Sweatcoin a try.
However, there are so many better ways to make money on your phone or by being active. And a few hours of delivering food on a bike with jobs like DoorDash is going to be way more lucrative anyway.
Hopefully, my Sweatcoin review and experience at least gives you a good idea of what to expect with this app.
Best of luck!
Looking for even more money-making ideas? Checkout:
Tom is a full-time blogger and freelance writer with a passion for side hustling, passive income, and the gig economy. His work has appeared on dozens of personal finance websites like Money Crashers, The College Investor, Investor Junkie, and more. This Online World is all about providing people with honest ways to make and save more money by using technology. To learn more about Tom, read his About Page!
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Of course it’s a scam, duh! Nobody has yet reached a marathon offer because it’s humanly impossible unless you’ve been earning Sweatcoins before the app was even made! …and that is why those $1000 offers are still being shown. Do you remember the earlier days when they were offering $5, $10, and $20 Amazon gift card rewards? Guess what? Those Amazon cards are no longer offered because people have actually reached 1000 sweat coins. The same thing will happen to the marathon offers. After a small few number of people will reach them, if even that, (just to satisfy the… Read more »