9 Low Effort Side Hustles That Pay (No Skills Required)

Not everyone has the time, energy, or frankly, the desire to start a full-blown freelance empire. Some of us are working 9-to-5s, juggling kids, or just… tired. And that’s totally valid. The good news? There’s a whole category of side hustles designed specifically for people who want extra cash without upending their entire life.

We’re talking low effort side hustles, the kind where you’re basically getting paid for stuff you’re already doing. Driving somewhere? There’s money in that. Walking the dog? Also money. Binge-watching Netflix? Yep, money there too.

Below, I’ve rounded up 9 of the best low effort side hustles you can start today, the specific apps to use, and exactly how to get going. No fluff, no “start a dropshipping empire” nonsense, just real, beginner-friendly options that work with your actual life.

1. Get Paid to Drive — RoadClub App

Let’s kick things off with arguably the most passive side hustle on this entire list: getting paid just for driving.

Not delivering food. Not chauffeuring strangers. Just… driving. You know, the thing you’re already doing on your way to the grocery store or your kid’s school.

The App: RoadClub

RoadClub is a rewards app that pays you for every mile you drive. You download it, and it automatically tracks your trips.

I’ve been running this app for a while, and earned over $25 dollars with it so far. Every day you get 20 points. If you break hard, speed, or look at your phone, it will subtract points. Each point is worth 1 cent, which doesn’t sound like much, but over time it adds up. Points can be redeemed for cash and gift cards.

It’s genuinely one of the most “set it and forget it” side hustles you’ll find. Once the app is running, you don’t have to think about it.

How to Get Started:

1. Download the RoadClub app (available on iOS and Android)
2. Create your account
3. Enable location tracking so it can log your trips
4. Drive as you normally would the app does the rest
5. Accumulate points and redeem for rewards

Earning potential: It won’t replace your salary, but consistent drivers can realistically earn $6/month in rewards without changing a single habit. Think of it as a permanent discount on gas or a free coffee.

Pro tip: I personally like to save my earning and take a payout once a year and use it for something like Christmas gifts or extra cash for a family vacation.

2. Get Paid to Walk — Walking Apps

This one feels almost too good to be true, but it’s completely legit. Walking, one of the most basic human activities, can actually put money in your pocket.

These aren’t huge payouts, but if you’re already hitting your step count or walking the dog twice a day, why not monetize it?

I’ve personally been using WalkStep to track my steps and earn rewards. The only downside to this app is that it shows a lot of ads, but that’s probably how they earn money to pay you for walking.

The Best Apps:

• Sweatcoin — The most popular walking rewards app. You earn “sweatcoins” for every 1,000 steps, which can be redeemed for products, gift cards, and PayPal cash. It’s free and runs silently in the background.
• WalkStep — Tracks your steps and pays out through PayPal. Every 10 million points, you earn $10.
• Evidation (formerly Achievement) — Pays up to $1 per 10,000 points, earned through daily walks, sleep tracking, and health surveys.
• StepBet — More of a gamified approach where you bet on yourself to hit step goals. If you win, you get paid. If you’re already active, this can be a nice little bonus.

How to Get Started:

1. Download Sweatcoin or StepBet from your app store
2. Create an account and connect your phone’s health/step tracker
3. Walk your normal daily routine
4. Watch points accumulate and cash out when you hit the minimum threshold

Earning potential: Light to moderate, expect $10–$30/month depending on how active you are. Not life-changing, but zero extra effort if you’re already walking.

3. Churn Bank Accounts for Bonus Cash

Okay, this one requires a tiny bit more brainpower than the others, but stick with me — because the payouts are significantly better. We’re talking hundreds of dollars per account, multiple times a year.

What is bank account churning?

Banks desperately want new customers, so they offer generous sign-up bonuses, often $200 to $400, just for opening a new checking or savings account and meeting basic requirements like setting up a direct deposit or making a few transactions.

Bank account churning is simply the practice of opening these accounts, collecting the bonus, and then closing the account (or keeping it open until you find the next deal).

I recently did this, but with a friend. I recommended he get a specific credit card because it gave a 1.5% cash back on every purchase. As a result, I got $150 for opening the account, and he got $200 when he spent $500 on the account. Below is the offer I sent to my friend.

If you want to learn more about this cash back bonus offer that my friend signed up for, click here.

Where to Find Deals:

• How to Make Money Churning Bank Accounts: Complete Guide – My complete guide, I update regularly with the best deals.
• Doctor of Credit — The bible of bank bonuses. Updated constantly with current offers, requirements, and user reviews.
• NerdWallet and Bankrate also list current checking account bonuses
• Check individual bank websites directly; Chase, Citi, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo frequently run promotions

How to Get Started:

1. Visit doctorofcredit.com and browse the “Best Bank Account Bonuses” section
2. Pick a bonus with requirements you can realistically meet (usually: receive one direct deposit within 60–90 days)
3. Opening the account online takes about 10–15 minutes
4. Meet the requirements and wait for the bonus to post (usually 60–90 days)
5. Move on to the next one

Earning potential: Serious churners pull in $1,000–$3,000+/year. Even casual churners doing 2–3 accounts annually can earn $600–$900 in straight-up cash. This is easily the highest-paying “low effort” hustle on this list.

One caveat: Some banks do a soft credit check (doesn’t affect your score), and a few use ChexSystems, so do your research.

4. Get Paid for Your Phone Data

Your phone is constantly generating data on browsing habits, app usage, and location patterns. Big companies want that data for market research, and they’re willing to pay you for access to it. You’re probably giving it away for free right now without even realizing it.

I’ve been doing this for a while now with the Surveys on the Go app. I connected my phone to the app, and I earn $1.25 per week.

I also connected my Amazon account, Gmail, and ChatGPT to earn 40 cents per month from each of these as well. They have more connections coming with this as well, like Netflix, Walmart, YouTube, and Hulu, that will pay you every single month you’re connected.

Again, it doesn’t earn much, but over time it can all add up.

The Best Apps:

• Surveys on the Go – Simply sign up, connect your devices, and start earning.
• Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel — One of the most reputable data-sharing apps. You install it, leave it running, and earn points toward sweepstakes entries and gift cards. Legit company, minimal impact on your phone.
• SavvyConnect by SurveyMonkey — Pays up to $5/month per device just for keeping the panel app installed and connected.
• Datacoup — Lets you sell your social and financial data directly to market research firms and earn $8 a month.
• Premise — Pays for location-based data and short tasks like photographing store shelves.

How to Get Started:

1. Download SavvyConnect from your app store
2. Register and complete your profile (demographics help them match you to relevant panels)
3. Leave the app running in the background, that’s genuinely all there is to it
4. Earn passive rewards monthly without opening the app again

Earning potential: $5–$50/month, depending on the platform and how many devices you register. Small but truly effortless.

5. Get Paid to Watch TV

Yes, this is real. Yes, it counts as a side hustle. No, I’m not exaggerating when I say some people do this while actually watching TV.

The concept is simple: market research companies need to know what regular people watch, when they watch it, and what they think about it. You become that regular person, and they pay you.

I haven’t done this one much, mostly because I don’t watch a lot of TV. If you’ve done this, let me know how it worked out in the comments below.

The Best Apps and Platforms:

• Nielsen TV Ratings Panel — The granddaddy of TV research. If you’re selected, Nielsen might send you a people meter for your TV or have you keep a TV diary. Participants receive cash payments and gift cards.
• Swagbucks — Has a dedicated “Watch” section where you earn SB points for watching video content and ads. Points redeem for PayPal cash or gift cards.
• InboxDollars — Similar to Swagbucks, pays you to watch sponsored videos, movie trailers, and TV clips. Get a $5 bonuse for signing up.
• MyPoints — Earn points by watching videos that can be redeemed for gift cards to Amazon, Target, and more. Get a $2 welcome bonus for signing up.

How to Get Started:

1. Sign up for Swagbucks and get a $10 bonus just for signing up.
2. Navigate to the “Watch” section in your dashboard
3. Let videos play while you’re doing other things — folding laundry, eating dinner, whatever
4. Accumulate SB points and cash out via PayPal or gift cards ($25 minimum)

Earning potential: $5–$30/month casually. Swagbucks and InboxDollars aren’t get-rich-quick schemes, but they’re genuinely passive when you’ve got the TV on anyway.

6. Online Surveys — Online Survey Apps

Surveys are the classic entry-level side hustle, and for good reason: no skills, no experience, no equipment. Just opinions.

The key is using quality platforms that actually pay decently and don’t waste your time. Some survey sites are garbage low payouts, endless disqualifications, and sketchy redemption processes. The ones below are the good ones.

I personally like Surveys on the Go the best. All of the surveys pay out a dollar or more. My best survey on this site paid me $7. I know it’s not huge amounts of money, but it does add up over time. Right now, I’ve earned $34.50 so far this year.

The Best Platforms:

• Surveys on the Go — One of the highest-paying mobile survey apps, often paying $1–$5 per survey. Clean interface, fast payouts via PayPal.
• Top Surveys — Straightforward platform with a good reputation. Points convert easily to cash. One of the most consistent survey sites out there.
• Prolific — A research-focused survey platform that pays noticeably better than most ($6–$12/hour effective rate). Used by actual universities and researchers. Highly recommended.
• Respondent.io — Higher-tier surveys for professionals, sometimes paying $50–$200 for 30-minute research sessions.
• Eureka – Get paid to take online surveys, daily polls, and watch videos.

How to Get Started:

1. Download Surveys on the Go from your app store
2. Complete your profile thoroughly; this determines which surveys you qualify for
3. Check the app daily for available surveys (they go fast)
4. Cash out via PayPal once you hit the minimum

Earning potential: $50–$200/month if you’re consistent across 2–3 platforms. The trick is using multiple survey sites simultaneously and completing your profiles fully so you qualify for more studies.

7. Get Paid to Play Video Games

Now we’re getting into genuinely fun territory. If you’re already gaming in your downtime, there are legitimate ways to turn that into cash.

To be clear, we’re not talking about becoming a Twitch streamer or going pro at Fortnite. These are low-barrier options available to casual gamers.

The Best Apps and Platforms:

• Mistplay (Android only) — You earn “units” for playing new games on your phone. Units redeem for gift cards. The more you play, the more you earn. Simple.
• Skillz — Platform that hosts cash-tournament versions of mobile games. You pay a small entry fee and compete for real cash prizes. Works well for games you’re already good at.
• Lucktastic — Scratch card app that also offers game-based rewards. More luck-based, but free to play.
• Swagbucks — Again, yes. Swagbucks has a games section where playing certain browser-based games earns you SB points.
• InboxDollars — Same deal — has a games tab that pays out in small amounts for playtime.
• PlaytestCloud — Get paid to playtest unreleased games and give feedback. Not always available, but pays well when it is.

How to Get Started:

1. Download Mistplay from the Google Play Store
2. Browse available games in the app and pick one that looks interesting
3. Play through the app (important that you launch games via Mistplay for points to count)
4. Redeem units for Amazon or Google Play gift cards

Earning potential: $10–$40/month on Mistplay for regular players. Cash tournaments on Skillz can be more lucrative if you’re skilled. PlaytestCloud pays $9–$14 per session when studies are available.

8. Get Paid to Post on Social Media

If you’re already scrolling Instagram, TikTok, or X (Twitter) every day, you might as well get a cut of the ad revenue you’re helping generate. This hustle has a huge range, from total beginners making $50/month to micro-influencers earning thousands.

Depending on how you do it, some apps will pay you to post directly, or you can even post affiliate links to your favorite products to earn more. You could create short videos on TikTok and put your affiliate link in and get sales.

This is a low-effort entry point that doesn’t require a huge following.

Platforms and Programs:

• Relay – Get paid to post content on TikTok from top brands.
• TikTok Creator Rewards Program — TikTok now pays creators directly based on views through their updated Creator Rewards Program. You need 10,000 followers and 100,000 views in the last 30 days, but it scales from there.
• Instagram Reels Bonuses — Instagram periodically rolls out bonus programs for Reels creators. Not always available, but worth watching for.

How to Get Started:

1. Pick one platform you already use, don’t try to be everywhere at once
2. Start posting consistently (3–5x/week) around a niche you genuinely enjoy
3. Apply for the platform’s creator monetization program once you hit the eligibility requirements
4. Meanwhile, join affiliate programs (Amazon Associates, PartnerStack) and drop relevant links in your bio/posts

Earning potential: Wide range. Small creators (1k–10k followers) can realistically earn $50 to $100/month and more through affiliate links. Growth makes this exponential.

9. Get Paid to Sign Up for Apps

This one is almost aggressively simple. Companies will literally pay you cash just to download and try their apps. It’s a customer acquisition strategy; they’d rather pay you $5–$20 to try their product than spend that on traditional advertising.

I did a few of these and earned anywhere from a few dollars to about $10 app install.

The Best Platforms:

• Freecash — One of the best “get paid to” sites right now. Has a huge catalog of app install offers, many paying $5–$30 per install. PayPal payouts.
• InboxDollars — Has an “Earn” section with app download offers alongside their survey and video earnings.
• Swagbucks — Same deal. The “Discover” tab is full of app trial offers worth SB points.
• FeaturePoints — Specifically focused on paying you to download and try apps. Referral bonuses stack nicely, too.
• AppKarma — Rewards app focused on mobile app installs and trials.
• CashKarma — Sister app to AppKarma, similar concept with a slightly different offer catalog.

How to Get Started:

1. Sign up for Freecash
2. Browse the “Offers” section and filter by payout amount
3. Click on an offer, download the app to your phone, complete the required action (usually: reach a certain level, make a purchase, or just open it once)
4. Confirm completion and watch the cash land in your Freecash balance
5. Cash out via PayPal, crypto, or gift card

Earning potential: Motivated users report $50–$200/month on Freecash alone, especially when stacking multiple app offers. Some high-value offers (finance apps, credit cards) pay $20–$100 per sign-up.

Important: Read offer requirements carefully, some require you to keep the app installed for a set number of days before the payout triggers.

Quick Comparison: Which Low-Effort Side Hustle Is Right for You?

Side Hustle	Effort Level	Monthly Earnings	Best For
RoadClub (Drive)	⭐ Very Low	$3 to $6	Daily commuters
Walking Apps	⭐ Very Low	$10–$30	Active people
Bank Account Churning	⭐⭐ Low-Medium	$100–$300+	Detail-oriented
Phone Data Apps	⭐ Very Low	$5–$50	Set-and-forget earners
Watch TV	⭐ Very Low	$5–$30	TV lovers
Online Surveys	⭐⭐ Low	$50–$100	Opinion-sharers
Play Video Games	⭐⭐ Low	$10–$100	Casual gamers
Post on Social Media	⭐⭐ Low-Medium	$25 to $50	Content creators
Sign Up for Apps	⭐ Very Low	$50–$100	Beginners

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best low effort side hustles for beginners?
The absolute easiest starting points are getting paid to walk (Sweatcoin), signing up for apps (Freecash), and watching videos (Swagbucks/InboxDollars). They require zero skills and zero investment, just your time.

Can you actually make real money with these?
Yes, and no, it depends on your definition of “real money.” Most of these hustles individually earn $10–$100/month. But stack 4–5 of them, and you’re looking at an extra $200–$500/month of genuinely passive income. Bank account churning is the outlier that one can hit $1,000+ annually.

Which low effort side hustles require no startup money?
All of them are listed here. Every app is free to join. Bank account churning requires you to temporarily park money in a new account, but you get it right back (plus the bonus). The game apps may ask that you pay to buy credits, but it’s not necessary.

What side hustles work with a full-time job?
Basically, all of these, that’s the whole point. The most full-time-job-friendly are the passive ones: RoadClub, phone data apps, Nielsen TV panel, and Sweatcoin. They run in the background while you live your normal life.

Are these side hustles legit?
The ones listed here are all established, reputable platforms. Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, Nielsen, and Rover have been around for years. Freecash and Mistplay are newer but well-reviewed. The standard safety advice applies: never pay to join a platform, never give out your Social Security number for a rewards app, and read payout terms before investing time.

What are the best apps for low effort side hustles?
Top picks: Swagbucks (versatile), Freecash (app offers), Sweatcoin (walking), Mistplay (gaming), and RoadClub (driving). Each targets a different activity, so pick the ones that match what you already do.

Final Thoughts: Start Small, Stack Smart

Here’s the thing about low effort side hustles: the magic isn’t in any single one. It’s in the stack.

RoadClub while you commute. Sweatcoin while you walk. Nielsen panel running in the background on your phone. Swagbucks open while you watch TV. A bank account bonus every quarter. That’s $300–$500/month with maybe 30 minutes of actual active effort.

No, it’s not a six-figure income. But it’s real money for doing almost nothing different from what you already do. And honestly? That’s the point.

Pick two or three from this list that fit your lifestyle, set them up this week, and let them quietly do their thing. In the future, you will appreciate the extra cash even if, in the present, you barely had to lift a finger.

Ready to start? Download Freecash and Swagbucks today, both are free, both pay out to PayPal, and you can have your first earnings within the week.