If you want to generate passive income for yourself, it might seem like you need a lot of capital and time to get started.
However, there are plenty of passive income ideas out there, including passive income apps and websites that pay you to watch ads!
That's right: you can get paid to watch ads right from your smartphone or computer if you're looking for an easy side hustle. And I've actually tested out over 10+ websites and apps that let you do that since my time in college.
In this post, I'm sharing my experience with this hustle, what the best sites and apps are, and what some realistic earning expectations are before you get started.
Table of Contents
How To Get Paid To Watch Ads
The following apps and websites all let you earn free cash and gift cards by watching videos and advertisements in your spare time:
1. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is one of the most popular get-paid-to websites around, and this is actually the main way I made money watching videos and ads back in college.
The main way to make money with Swagbucks is to answer paid surveys, shop online, and play games. But you can also make money watching ads with Swagbucks Watch.
Swagbucks Watch is available on the web version of the site as well as a mobile app. As you watch ads and videos, you slowly earn free Swagbucks (SB) the more videos you watch.
You normally earn 1 or 2 SB for watching several ads and videos, so it's not a very lucrative feature. However, you can run Swagbucks Watch on an old phone or separate computer tab to gradually get points.
This was a major part of my phone farming routine in college. It's definitely one of the most popular ways to make money watching advertisements.
Start making money with Swagbucks!
2. Freecash
Freecash is a new gpt website I've been testing out. And it's also quickly becoming one of the more popular companies in this space.
With Freecash, you can earn by watching videos and ads, completing surveys, playing new games, and shopping. And it only takes $5 to cash out.
What makes Freecash unique is the reward variety. You can redeem PayPal cash, gift cards, crypto, and even more niche items like free video games or Steam games. I also like that it pays out referral bonuses if you invite your friends to join.
3. Grindabuck
Out of all the ways to watch ads for money, Grindabuck is the platform that has let me make the most money. In fact, I've earned over $100 just by watching ads with Grindabuck!
Now, Grindabuck used to have a lot more video reward options back in the day. These days, the only passive income option is Hideout TV.
The process is quite simple. Just sign up for Grindabuck, create a Hideout TV account through its offerwall, and then watch videos. You then earn around 3 hideout points for every video and ad you watch (worth around $0.01).
In my experience, it's possible to earn $0.25 to $0.75 per day in free money by using this section. This doesn't sound like much, but it can add up quickly.
You can cash out for free gift cards, PayPal cash, and even various cryptocurrencies. Grindabuck is available in the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, and the UK.
4. Adwallet
Most of the popular ways to get paid for watching ads involve using reward apps and sites that offer multiple ways to earn.
Swagbucks is the perfect example, and while Swagbucks Watch is a nifty feature, it almost feels like a bit of an afterthought. In contrast, AdWallet focuses on paying you to watch ads, and the entire payout system also works differently than the competition.
The company used to have a website, but it shut down for a while. Now, it's back as an Android app and lets you earn small amounts of money by watching ads and videos and then completing surveys.
AdWallet states each video you watch and response you complete can pay anywhere from $0.50 to $3. You can cash out with various free gift cards or a prepaid Mastercard when you earn at least $10.
I honestly haven't had much success with AdWallet since its website shut down. But you can check it out if you have an Android.
5. Cointiply
Cointiply is a popular free Bitcoin faucet that lets you earn small amounts of free BTC for completing tasks like answering online surveys, clicking on ads, playing games, shopping, and completing various micro tasks.
Cointiply also lets you make money watching ads through its partnership with Hideout TV and Video Fox.
This is similar to Grindabuck's Hideout TV partnership. However, I think Grindabuck is far superior to Cointiply and is how I made the most money watching ads.
The main advantage of using Cointiply is that you can cash out with various cryptos like Bitcoin and Dogecoin, so there's something for crypto fans on the site. And, the platform is fairly global, so it's a very beginner-friendly way to make money online.
6. InboxDollars
InboxDollars is another rewards website I've used over the last few years. It's available in the United States, and it's one of the higher-paying survey sites out there.
I also like the site since it has a $5 bonus when you sign up. From there, you make money by completing surveys, shopping online, watching ads and videos, and completing short tasks.
Videos are normally entertainment clips, movie trailers, or product commercials. You also watch ads in-between video rolls and slowly earn cash. You're going to earn a few pennies for every couple of videos you watch, so again, nothing that will make you $1,000 overnight.
My advice is to use sites like Swagbucks and Grindabuck first to watch ads for money. If you need more options, you can always consider sites like InboxDollars. Also, check out my post on the best InboxDollar hacks for some tips on maximizing this rewards site.
7. Nielsen TV & Mobile Panel
While this isn't a direct way to earn money watching ads, you can technically get paid to watch videos and ads if you join various Nielsen panels.
Nielsen is best-known for its TV ratings, and the company actually pays users across the country for sharing their insights on various shows and programs they watch.
The program is invitation-only, but if you're lucky enough to get in, you can earn free cash and gift cards every year for sharing your opinion about the TV you watch.
Additionally, you can join the Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel with your smartphone and computer and earn $50 in free money every single year just for selling your data.
If you want to make money on autopilot, then Nielsen is definitely worth signing up for. Just make sure you're comfortable sharing your data if you decide to become a member.
Earn passive income with the Nielsen Mobile Panel!
8. PrizeRebel
PrizeRebel is one of the most popular get-paid-to websites out there, and it's very popular in the Reddit Beermoney community overall.
Like other reward sites, the main way to make money on PrizeRebel is to answer surveys for points. But, PrizeRebel also lets you watch ads and videos to earn through its video rewards portal.
Like other platforms, you only earn a penny or two for watching ads, so it's not going to pay off your monthly bills anytime soon. But, PrizeRebel has many gift card prizes starting at $2 to $5.
You can also redeem free Google Play credit, different Steam games, and a bunch of unique prizes. And in the last two years, I've earned over $100 with this site, so I know it's legit and that it pays.
9. MyPoints
If you want to get paid to shop as well as for watching videos, then MyPoints is one of the best sites on this entire list you can use.
With MyPoints, you earn money by answering surveys, shopping online, reading emails, and watching ads. And this is a rewards website I've used on-and-off over the last few years.
The site has a simple video rewards section that's similar to Grindabuck. But my favorite part is that MyPoints also lets you earn cash back by shopping at hundreds of retailers.
This is similar to other online shopping extensions like Rakuten, which also pays you to shop online at different merchants.
10. Gamehag
Gamehag is one of the leading gaming rewards platforms that lets you earn gift cards and gaming-related prizes for playing video games.
I've used Gamehag in the past while testing out the best cash game sites. And I think it's an excellent addition alongside gaming apps like Rewarded Play and Mistplay.
However, there are numerous other ways to earn Soul Gems, Gamehag's currency, aside from playing games. One of these is to use Gamehag's TV zone to watch ads and get paid. All you do is watch an ad, click on it, and you earn 1 Soul Gem.
This is about $0.01, so this isn't a very lucrative method. Additionally, it's not as passive as other paid ad sites because you need to click. But if you're a gamer and want to explore numerous ways to make money playing video games, Gamehag is for you!
Start earning rewards with Gamehag!
11. InstaGC
Like PrizeRebel, InstaGC is another well-known GPT website in the beermoney community. I've used it a few times, and while it's not my favorite, it is popular for a few reasons.
Plus, with InstaGC's watch section, you earn 1 point for every 20 videos you watch. So, your earnings are much more stable than a lot of other platforms.
That said, InstaGC pays you less per ad that you watch than websites like Grindabuck since 1 point is only worth $0.01. Additionally, InstaGC caps how many ads you can watch per day, starting at 50 and then gradually moving you into higher tiers.
You do get weekly bonuses the more ads you watch, and you can also watch ads on your desktop and mobile device.
One perk of InstaGC is that you can redeem over 300 gift cards, many of which are redeemable at just $1. Overall, InstaGC isn't the best way to get paid to watch ads, but it's a reliable backup site to have in your arsenal.
12. iRazoo
iRazoo is another gpt-website that lets you make money by completing tasks like watching ads, answering surveys, playing games for PayPal cash, shopping online, and downloading apps.
I honestly have much less experience with this site since I tested it out a few years ago. But many people in the beermoney world enjoy using it from my research.
To get paid for watching ads, you have to watch videos through iRazoo TV. Like other sites, iRazoo TV partners with companies like Adscend Media (Hideout TV), hyprMX, and Jun Group. You can watch videos and ads to slowly earn points to your iRazoo account.
There's over 50 channels of content, mostly about entertainment, sports, and food. You only earn a few pennies for watching several ads and videos, so it's not going to make much money in the short run.
One downside of iRazoo is that PayPal cash payments require $20 to cash out. However, many gift cards to companies like Starbucks and Amazon require $5.
13. QuickRewards
QuickRewards is one of the best instant money apps that you can use to watch ads and get money. And I've actually worked with their team before to create some content on This Online World, and it's a nice family-run business.
Plus, unlike most reward sites, QuickRewards lets you cash out through PayPal once you earn $0.01, so there's no cashout minimum.
QuickRewards also lets you make money with surveys, gaming offers, shopping deals, and by watching videos and ads. The paid video section is similar to Grindabuck and other paid ad sites, so you're probably earning a few pennies every several videos and ads you watch.
Sign up for QuickRewards or read my QuickRewards review for more details.
My Experience With Watching Videos & Ads For Money
One of my main college side hustles back in the day was phone farming, which involves running video reward apps on multiple burner phones.
Phone farming got pretty serious for me. At one point, I had about eight devices watching ads and videos every single day.
In fact, I've personally made hundreds if not thousands of dollars over the years from getting paid to watch ads and from using other passive income apps. Here's a photo of my old phone farm for some proof.
This was a super fun side hustle back in the day. And I think watching videos is still a way to make some quick money without much work. However, a lot of the best video rewards apps and platforms have shut down since my phone farming days, and the industry is on its way out.
Overall, this method of making money online is a very small side hustle and not a way to make hundreds or thousands of dollars per month.
Is This Side Hustle Worth It?
In my opinion, watching ads for money is a very small side hustle that can let you earn $10 to $25 per month maximum in passive income. The reality is that these sites and apps don't pay much for every video and ad you watch. This means it can take days or weeks to even cash out your first prize.
Because of this, I think this is a side hustle that's great for students who want passive income or if you just want to experiment with beermoney on the side.
If you want to seriously boost your monthly income, I think using gig apps or getting into freelancing are better options since the hourly pay is much higher.
Extra Reading – The Best $10 Sign Up Bonus Apps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Apps Pay You To Watch Ads?
Some of the best apps that pay you for watching ads include:
- Swagbucks Watch
- MyPoints Mobile
- Cointiply
- InboxDollars
Is Watching Ads For Money Legit?
Making money by watching ads is a legit and fun passive side hustle. As mentioned, ad companies are willing to spend money on advertising, and they often partner with video reward portals to reach more consumers.
However, this isn't a very high-paying side hustle. You also have to make sure you use legitimate websites and cash out frequently so you actually get your money.
Extra Reading – How To Make Money With A Laptop.
Final Thoughts
I hope my guide on how to get paid to watch ads helps you earn some easy passive income and rewards in your spare time.
This used to be one of my main side hustles in college, and honestly, phone farming was why I started This Online World in the first place.
I'm always going to have a soft spot for these sorts of hustles. But remember: there are plenty of more lucrative ways to make extra cash out there!
Want to try out other side hustle ideas? Checkout:
- How To Make $30 Dollars Fast – 10+ Best Methods.
- 20+ Jobs That Pay $5,000 Per Month.
- The Best Survey Apps.
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!
If you're interested in freelance writing services or want to partner with This Online World, please use our contact page to get in touch!
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