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 source of beermoney.
But, figuring out how to watch ads for money takes a little bit of tinkering. This is because the best ad platforms change quite frequently.
So, in this post, I’m covering everything you need to know to watch ads for money.
How To Get Paid To Watch Ads
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, and at one point, I had about 8 devices watching ads for money every single day.
In fact, I’ve personally made a hundreds if not thousands of dollars over the years from getting paid to watch ads and from using other passive income apps.
So, I’d like to think I know a lot of information about this side hustle, and over the course of college, I made hundreds of dollars in free gift cards and PayPal cash by watching ads.
However, there are so many get-paid-to websites and apps with pay-to-watch ad portals, and most of them aren’t worth your time.
That’s why it’s important to test multiple sites and to also keep up to date with which websites or apps are most popular in the beermoney community.
I’ve tested out all of these platforms and many, many more during my time in college. And these are some of the leading platforms you can use to make some quick money without much work.
Just note that 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.
1. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is one of the most popular get-paid-to website around, and it offers numerous ways to make money, including:
- Answering paid surveys
- Uploading shopping receipts
- Completing daily polls
- Shopping online
People like Swagbucks because it lets you redeem gift card rewards at just $1 and PayPal cash at $5.
And, 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, and it’s definitely one of the most popular ways to make money watching advertisements.
You can read my post on the best Swagbucks hacks for some tips to earn even more rewards.
Start making money with Swagbucks!
2. 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.
Using Hideout TV to get paid to watch ads is very easy however, and here’s how it works:
- Sign up for Grindabuck
- Head to Hideout TV under the “Earn” section
- Earn around 3 hideout points for every video and ad you watch (worth around $0.01)
- Redeem your hideout points for GABs, the point system on Grindabuck
In my experience, it’s possible to earn $0.25 to $0.75 per day in free money by using this section on Grindabuck. This doesn’t sound like much, but if you want a consistent ad watching site that works, Grindabuck is your best bet.
You can cash out for free gift cards, PayPal cash, and even various cryptocurrencies as well. And Grindabuck is available in the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, and the UK.
Your first cash out requires $10 but after that, many rewards are available starting at just $1.
3. 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.
Here’s how you make money with AdWallet:
- Create an account with AdWallet and provide some demographic information and your phone number
- Get a text message when there’s a short video for you to watch
- Watch the video and answer a brief survey
- Get paid
AdWallet states each video you watch and response you complete can pay anywhere from $0.50 to $3, which is much higher than other paid-to-watch platforms.
You can cash out with various free gift cards or a prepaid Mastercard when you earn at least $10.
The main problem with AdWallet versus other ad watching sites is that you can’t control when AdWallet sends you videos.
This means you might go weeks or even months before you get more videos, so don’t count on fast cash outs with this platform..
4. Cointiply
Cointiply is a popular free Bitcoin faucet that lets you earn small amounts of free BTC for completing tasks like:
- Answering surveys
- Playing games
- Clicking on ads
- Completing various micro tasks
- Shopping online
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, and I personally 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.
5. MyPoints
If you want to get paid to watch ads and also get paid to shop, then MyPoints is one of the best sites on this entire list you can use.
With MyPoints, you can earn money by answering surveys, shopping online, completing paid offers, and watching ads.
Plus, right now, new MyPoints users get a free $10 Amazon gift card or Visa gift card when they sign up and spend at least $20 or more on an eligible shopping offer.
MyPoints partners with hundreds of merchants to let you earn cash back online, including the retailers like:
- Best Buy
- Home Depot
- Target
- Walmart
This is similar to other online shopping extensions like Rakuten, which also pays you to shop online at different merchants.
Like other reward sites, you’re not going to make too much money by watching ads on MyPoints. However, if you’re close to cashing out, you can also use the paid-to-watch section on the side to score some quick and easy cash.
Get a $10 bonus from MyPoints!
6. Gamehag
Gamehag is one of the leading gaming rewards platforms that lets you earn gift cards and gaming-related prizes for playing video games.
And, unlike mobile-focused gaming apps like Flash Rewards, Rewarded Play, and Mistplay, Gamehag lets you earn rewards for playing popular titles like:
- Crossout
- King’s Throne
- Game of Thrones
- Guild Wars
- War Thunder
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!
7. 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 for money 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, and you can also redeem free Google Play credit, different Steam games, and a bunch of unique prizes.
Sign up for PrizeRebel or read my PrizeRebel review for all the details.
8. InstaGC
Like PrizeRebel, InstaGC is another well-known GPT website in the beermoney community. It’s also another platform that pays you to watch ads.
One aspect that’s nice about InstaGC’s watch section is that 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..
9. InboxDollars
Let me start out by saying that I generally don’t like sites like InboxDollars because it requires $30 to cash out, which is insanely high in my opinion.
That said, some people are willing to grind out paid surveys on InboxDollars, and the platform pays a $5 sign up bonus as well to incentivize new users.
Additionally, you can make money watching ads on InboxDollars similar to other survey sites.
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.
You can read my post on the best InboxDollar hacks for some tips on maximizing this rewards site.
10. 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 sharing 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!
11. 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
- Downloading apps
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.
12. QuickRewards
If you want to make money fast, QuickRewards is one of the best instant money apps that you can use to watch ads and get money.
Unlike most reward sites, QuickRewards lets you cash out through PayPal once you earn $0.01, so there’s no cashout minimum!
QuickRewards also has several ways to make money:
- Completing surveys
- Playing new games
- Shopping online
- 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.
Overall, QuickRewards is decent because you can cash out instantly. Just note that the payout rates are very low..
Sign up for QuickRewards or read my QuickRewards review for more details.
13. Kashkick
One final way you can get paid to watch ads is to use Kashkick, a new but already-popular rewards site.
On Kashkick, you earn real money by answering surveys, watching ads and videos, and completing sponsored offers. And it’s available if you live in the United States.
Money you earn accumulates in your account, and you can cash out when you earn $10 in PayPal money.
Some of the sponsored sign up offers are also pretty lucrative, so you can cash out pretty quickly.
Sign up for Kashkick or read my Kashkick review for all the details.
Is Watching Ads For Money 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 like driving for DoorDash or working for Instacart make a lot more sense since you earn much more per hour.
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
You can also try using paid ads websites and watch videos through your phone if it’s compatible.
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 our guide on how to watch ads for money 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:
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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