17 Secret Websites to Make Money Online in 2026

Whether you have a full-time job, are a student juggling classes, or are a small business owner seeking an extra revenue stream, making a little extra cash can be a helpful way to gain more financial security. With other responsibilities on your plate, though, you’ll need something flexible and accessible, which is where making money online comes in.

This list covers 17 secret websites and apps you can use to earn money online in your spare time, including both well-known and lesser-known platforms, with details on what each one pays and how to get started.

Best online platforms to earn money, easy options for beginners, and passive income ideas

There are numerous online platforms you can use to earn money, including well-known sites like Upwork, Shutterstock, and Swagbucks. The work available to users on each site ranges significantly, as do the pay range and payout methods, so you’ll need to do some research to determine the best opportunity for you.

If you’re new to earning money online, you can start with an entry-level platform, like Swagbucks and InboxDollars, which pay users for activities like taking surveys and playing games. Other sites, like Google Opinion Rewards, pay Google Play or PayPal credit for each short survey you complete, and UserTesting pays for surveys and recorded product tests, but you’ll need to apply first. Apps like Mistplay give users points for playing mobile games and reaching in-game milestones, which you can then redeem for gift cards.

Alternatively, there are platforms that capitalize on a more passive form of income, paying you repeatedly after the upfront work is done. Shutterstock, for example, lets contributors license photos, videos, and illustrations to customers, while the Printful app prints and ships products with your designs on them once a customer orders from your Shopify store.

You can also sell courses online by listing them as digital products in a Shopify store or hosting them on a course platform, like Teachable. Then there are sites that help you make the most of the habits you already have, like Honeygain, which pays for unused internet bandwidth you share through an app that runs in the background, and Wrapify, which pays drivers to display brand ads on their cars, with offers sent through the Wrapify app when campaigns are available nearby.

17 top picks for earning extra income online

The 17 platforms below include both well-known and lesser-known sites that can help you make money online.

1. Swagbucks: Earn rewards for online activities

Swagbucks pays members in SB, its rewards currency, which you can redeem for gift cards or cash. Swagbucks has paid more than $700 million to users since launching in 2008. Ways to earn money online with Swagbucks include:

• Answering surveys and the Daily Poll
• Playing games
• Searching the web with the Swagbucks search engine
• Shopping online through Shop & Earn
• Submitting grocery and store receipts through Magic Receipts
• Completing offers on the Discover page

Use the app for 10 to 25 minutes daily, and you could earn $100 to $200 per month, according to Swagbucks.

Shop & Earn pays SB at more than 700 retailers when you start your shopping through Swagbucks. Most stores pay SB based on your purchase subtotal, while others pay a flat amount or pay only on certain product categories.

In the Rewards Store, you can redeem SB for gift cards, PayPal cash, or charity donations, depending on your region and account status. Digital gift cards arrive within minutes to five business days, and PayPal cash takes two to five business days. To redeem for PayPal, your name and email on Swagbucks need to match your PayPal account, which also needs a linked bank account and a “Confirmed” status.

2. InboxDollars: Get paid for surveys and tasks

InboxDollars pays members for taking surveys, playing games, trying new apps, reading promotional emails, and shopping through its cash back offers. Unlike Swagbucks, which pays in SB, InboxDollars credits your earnings as cash.

According to InboxDollars, most surveys pay 25¢ to $5. Some pay $10 or more if you match the demographic a survey is looking for. You can request payment as a virtual gift card, a PayPal transfer, or, where available, a prepaid Visa card. Your first request needs a balance of at least $15, and later requests start at $10. Gift cards are virtual only and carry no extra fee.

For PayPal payments, your name, email, and mailing address on InboxDollars must exactly match your PayPal account. Your PayPal account also needs a verified bank account or bank card.

3. Google Opinion Rewards: Share your opinion for Google Play credit

Google Opinion Rewards is an app where you can earn money using your phone by answering surveys written by market researchers. Some local surveys ask for feedback on places you’ve recently visited or request that you upload a purchase receipt. You can opt out of local surveys by turning off location services on your phone.

Survey frequency varies, and you can only answer a survey when the app notifies you that one is available. Some surveys, like the initial setup questions, don’t pay. On Android, you earn Google Play credit, and the amount depends on the number of questions and how long a survey takes. You can spend the credit in the Google Play Store, and each credit expires one year from the date you earned it.

On iOS, each survey pays 10¢ to $1, and Google Opinion Rewards sends a PayPal payment each time your balance reaches $2. If your balance never reaches $2, it expires one year after your last survey.

The app is open to users over the age of 18 in 34 countries on Android and five countries on iOS, including Canada, France, Germany, the UK, and the US.

4. UserTesting: Provide feedback on websites and apps

UserTesting pays participants to test websites, apps, and other products. Tests come in three formats: surveys, recorded tests where you complete tasks while speaking your thoughts aloud, and live video conversations with a UserTesting customer.

To apply, you need a device with a microphone that meets UserTesting’s system requirements and an active PayPal account. The application includes a practice test that takes seven to 10 minutes, and UserTesting says you’ll hear back within a few days. According to UserTesting, a more complete profile qualifies you for more tests.

Test pay varies by the type of test, its length, and customer demand, and your dashboard shows the amount for each test. UserTesting sends payments in US dollars to your PayPal account 14 days after you complete a test, with no minimum balance. To qualify for full payment, you need to complete every task and think out loud as instructed. Customers can decline payment for incomplete tests, and UserTesting doesn’t withhold taxes from your earnings.

5. Second to None: Become a mystery shopper

Second to None hires mystery shoppers as independent contractors to evaluate customer experiences for brands across the US and Canada. Its clients include businesses in retail and ecommerce, restaurants, grocery, financial services, and healthcare.

To get started, create a free shopper profile on the CX Group Shopper Hub, where Second to None posts its assignments. Work is offered one assignment at a time, and you can accept or decline each one. You’ll need a computer, tablet, or smartphone, plus reliable internet access and transportation. Restaurant assignments include reimbursement for the meal, tax, and tip.

Second to None pays shoppers via PayPal or direct deposit, and payments are issued between the 15th and 20th of each month for approved assignments completed the previous month, once all required documentation has been submitted. There is no minimum payout threshold.

6. Shutterstock: Sell your photos and videos

Shutterstock lets you sell photos online, along with videos, vectors, and illustrations, by licensing them to customers. You can sign up for a free account, and submitting your work is free.

Each time a customer licenses your work, you’ll earn a percentage of the price Shutterstock receives, ranging from 15% to 40% across six earnings levels. Shutterstock has paid more than $1 billion to contributors since 2003. Because you earn on every license, a single upload can continue to earn you money over time, making stock content a passive income stream. Images and videos have separate levels, and you move up based on your download count in each category. All contributors reset to Level One on January 1 each year.

Your earnings per download depend on the customer’s plan, the license type (standard or enhanced), and your earnings level at the time. Shutterstock pays monthly; earnings from the previous month are calculated at the beginning of each month, and payments are usually sent through PayPal, Payoneer, or Skrill between day seven and day 15. You set a minimum payout between $25 and $2,000, and you will need an approved tax form on file to receive payment.

7. Printful: Design and sell custom products

Printful is a print-on-demand service that prints your designs on products such as apparel, bags, hats, drinkware, and wall art, then packs and ships each order under your brand name. Products are made only after a customer orders, so you don’t have to buy inventory upfront.

If you sell on Shopify, the Printful app sends each new order to Printful automatically for production and shipping. The app is free to install, and Printful charges you the base price and shipping for each product when it sells.

Printful is responsible for:

• Printing, packing, and shipping each order under your brand
• Reprinting or refunding orders that arrive damaged, defective, or misprinted, or that are lost in transit

You’re responsible for:

• Creating your designs using Printful’s design tools or your own files
• Setting retail prices and listing products in your store
• Marketing your store to bring in orders
• Handling returns or exchanges for wrong sizes, wrong colors, or changed minds, which Printful doesn’t cover

Your profit is the difference between your retail price and Printful’s costs. Printful recommends a profit margin of at least 30% of the base price to cover non-Printful costs such as platform fees, ad spend, and payment processing.

Raven Gibson started Legendary Rootz as a side hustle in college, and her designs are now sold at Target. She uses Printful to move from product idea to sample to Shopify listing. “With Printful, I really appreciate the ability to connect everything together,” says Raven on Shopify Masters. “I have an idea. I’m able to go in, see if they have a product that serves that idea, and get a sample created. Once it’s approved, it’s all connected to Shopify. I love it.”

8. Rover: Earn money as a pet caregiver

Rover connects pet care providers with pet owners looking to book services such as dog boarding, house sitting, drop-in visits, doggy day care, dog walking, and cat sitting. You must be at least 18 to join the platform, where you’ll work as an independent contractor rather than a Rover employee.

As a sitter, you choose your clients, set your own rates, and set your own schedule. According to Rover’s data from September 2026, the average rate is $21.80 per drop-in visit, $55.45 per day for house sitting in the owner’s home, and $49.01 per day for boarding in the sitter’s home, though rates will vary based on location. Rover takes a 20% service fee per booking, so you keep 80% of your earnings. The rate on your profile includes this fee. Fees differ in California, and some US sitters are part of a pilot program with different fees.

Payments appear in your Rover account two days after you complete a service. Rover’s payment processor, Stripe, then transfers the funds to your bank account by direct deposit, which can take up to five business days to arrive. To get paid, you need to provide your Social Security number and bank account details.

Bookings arranged through Rover need to stay on the platform. Completing a Rover booking off the platform violates Rover’s Terms of Service and can lead to account deactivation.

9. TaskRabbit: Get paid for completing local tasks

TaskRabbit connects Taskers with clients who need help with odd jobs such as furniture assembly, TV mounting, moving, cleaning, and yard work. As an independent contractor, you choose the categories you work in.

To become a Tasker in the US, you need to:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be able to work in one of Taskrabbit’s active US cities
• Provide a US Social Security number and personal information for a background and ID check
• Have a checking account, a valid credit card, and a smartphone
• Pay a one-time, nonrefundable $25 registration fee

TaskRabbit uses three earning structures. In most categories, you set your own hourly rate and keep 100% of it, plus 100% of tips. Some tasks, including IKEA assembly and partner tasks, pay a fixed amount per task, and direct-hire jobs use a pre-set hourly rate.

TaskRabbit’s pricing guide lists typical hourly rates between $40 and $70 for furniture assembly, $35 to $65 for home cleaning, and $55 to $90 for TV mounting. Hourly tasks have a one-hour minimum and are billed in 15-minute increments after that; you can set a two-hour minimum in the categories you choose.

After you complete a task and the client is charged, most payouts arrive within one to three business days through Stripe. Tips are paid out with the task payment.

10. Upwork: Find freelance opportunities

Upwork connects freelancers with clients hiring for skills such as virtual assistance, graphic design, web development, and copywriting.

Upwork’s Basic plan is free, but submitting proposals uses Connects, Upwork’s virtual tokens, which cost 15¢ each. Upwork gives users free Connects in some cases, including a monthly allowance offered to some freelancers.

Upwork’s hourly rate guide lists typical rates of $10 to $25 per hour for beginners, $25 to $60 for intermediate freelancers, and $60 to $120 or more for advanced freelancers with specialized skills. Rates also vary by category: For example, the guide lists $10 to $20 per hour for virtual assistants and $19 to $45 for copywriters. Upwork also charges a Freelancer Service Fee of up to 15% per contract. You see the fee before you submit a proposal or accept an offer, and it stays fixed once the contract begins.

On hourly contracts, your logged hours are invoiced on the Monday after each work week, and clients can review them through Friday. Earnings become available the following Wednesday. On fixed-price contracts, funds are released when the client approves your work, or automatically 14 days after you submit it if the client takes no action.

11. Teachable: Create and sell online courses

Teachable lets you create and sell online courses, coaching sessions, digital downloads, and memberships, at prices you set. Teachable doesn’t have a free plan, but each paid plan includes a seven-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Teachable’s Starter plan costs $29 per month billed annually, or $39 billed monthly. With it, you can publish up to five products; you’ll be charged a 7.5% transaction fee on sales. The Builder plan costs $69 per month billed annually and has no transaction fee when you use Teachable Payments, though standard payment processing fees still apply.

You can also sell courses and other digital products from a Shopify store. Shopify’s Basic plan costs $29 per month billed annually and includes unlimited products. When you accept payments through Shopify Payments, you don’t pay third-party transaction fees, and online card rates on Basic start at 2.9%, plus 30¢.

The free Shopify Digital Products app, made by Shopify, lets you attach files or links, such as course videos and PDFs, to your products. It sends customers an access link after purchase, and you can set access limits.

To sell coaching or consultation sessions, you can add a booking app from the Shopify App Store. Appointment Booking Cowlendar is a Built for Shopify app with a free plan for up to five bookings a month. It turns a product into a bookable service and supports virtual sessions through Zoom or Google Meet.

12. Wrapify: Get paid to advertise on your car

Wrapify pays drivers, including rideshare and delivery drivers, to display brand advertising on their cars. To get started, download the Wrapify app, sign up as a driver, and complete your profile. When campaigns are available in your area, offers will appear in the app.

Wrapify states that drivers pay no upfront costs, and estimates driver earnings at $181 to $452 per month, depending on how much of the car the wrap covers.

13. Studypool: Earn money helping students with homework

Studypool is an online platform where students post homework questions with a budget and time limit, and tutors bid to answer them. Studypool accepts tutors from all countries, and its service fee on tutor earnings starts at 20%.

Studypool’s Honor Code forbids using its services to complete tests or homework assignments. Tutors may not prepare, sell, or distribute term papers, essays, or other written material for students, and students may not submit Studypool material as their own for academic credit.

Through Studypool’s Notebank, you can also upload study documents, such as class notes and study guides, and earn money when subscribers unlock them. Under Studypool’s Terms of Use, contributors earn $1 to $10 per unlock by a qualified subscriber, with higher amounts for unlocks by new subscribers.

These terms require that you be the original creator of anything you upload, or hold all the rights needed to grant Studypool a license to it. The Honor Code also prohibits uploading another person’s materials and claiming them as your own, or using Studypool in any way that violates your instructor’s or institution’s academic policies.

Schools may have their own rules on sharing coursework. California State University, Los Angeles, for example, lists uploading instructor-provided assignments, exams, and quizzes to sites including Studypool without the instructor’s written permission as an academic honesty violation. Check your school’s academic integrity policy before uploading course materials.

To withdraw your earnings on Studypool, you need a balance of at least $50.

14. Prolific: Get paid to participate in academic research

Prolific pays participants to take part in research studies for universities, researchers, and global organizations. You must be over 18 and live in a supported country, which includes most Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries.

To join, sign up for the waitlist. Prolific sends invitations based on researcher demand for different demographics and expertise, so some people are invited within hours, while others wait months or longer. Once invited, you’ll need to verify your account with your phone number and a photo ID and complete an onboarding study.

Prolific requires researchers to pay at least $8 per hour, and recommends $12 or more. Each study has a fixed reward, so its effective hourly rate drops if the study takes longer than the researcher estimated.

You can cash out to PayPal once your approved balance reaches $6, and payments arrive in PayPal within 24 hours. Your first four cash-outs have a 72-hour wait between them. After that, you can cash out once a day.

15. Honeygain: Earn passive income by sharing your internet

Honeygain is an app that pays you for sharing part of your unused internet bandwidth. The app runs in the background on Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux devices.

Honeygain says businesses use its network of residential connections to access publicly available web data for purposes like price comparison, ad verification, and market research. Those requests are routed through your connection and use your residential IP address. According to Honeygain, the businesses can’t see your personal files, messages, or browsing history.

You earn credits for each megabyte you share, and 10,000 credits equal $10. Honeygain’s blog puts the rate at around $1 per 10 gigabytes shared. Once your balance reaches $20 (20,000 credits), you can request a payout to PayPal or send your earnings to JumpTask, a separate platform, to cash out in gift cards or crypto. Honeygain notes that payouts typically process within two to three business days.

16. Clickworker: Complete microtasks for pay

Clickworker pays people to complete small online tasks, including surveys, text creation, web research, app testing, and short photo, audio, or video recordings. You’ll find and accept jobs in Clickworker’s online workplace or in its iOS or Android app, and each accepted job is reserved for you for a fixed time.

Clickworker pays per task, not by the hour. Tasks pay anywhere from cents to tens of dollars, depending on factors such as average completion time, difficulty, required qualifications, and any expenses involved.

Payment for a completed, accepted job becomes available after at least one week, and Clickworker sends payouts weekly between Wednesday and Friday.

Workers in North America are paid in US dollars through Payoneer once they reach $20, and US workers must submit a Social Security number and W-9 form first. In other countries, PayPal (10 euro or dollar minimum) and SEPA bank transfers (most of Europe, excluding the UK) are also available, depending on the country.

17. Mistplay: Get paid to play mobile games

Mistplay is a free rewards app for Android and iOS that pays you in points for playing mobile games you discover through the app. Under Mistplay’s Terms of Use, you earn points (called Units on Android) for gameplay, reaching in-game milestones, completing tasks such as surveys, and making in-game purchases. The number of points can differ from user to user for the same activity, and you must be at least 18 to join.

You can redeem points in Mistplay’s in-app Shop for rewards such as prepaid cards and gift cards from brands, including Amazon, Visa, Walmart, and Google Play. Each reward has its own minimum points requirement, and points can’t be exchanged for cash. Mistplay caps redemptions at $550 per calendar year, and your points can expire if you don’t earn any for 180 days.

How to choose the right money-making website

The platforms in this list differ in what they require, how they pay, and how much time the work takes. The sections below cover three factors to compare before you sign up.

Consider your skills and interests

Each platform has its own requirements, so compare them against the skills and equipment you already have. UserTesting requires a device with a microphone, TaskRabbit requires a background check, and Wrapify requires a personal vehicle.

The type of work also varies by platform, ranging from homework help on Studypool and freelance projects on Upwork to selling your own photos or designs. If you’d rather monetize a skill or hobby by turning it into a product, you could then sell it through your own online store.

Evaluate time commitment vs. earning potential

Side hustle earnings vary widely. In a June 2025 Bankrate survey of US adults, side hustlers earned an average of $885 per month, but the median was $200, and 14% earned more than $1,000 per month. They’re also time-consuming: A 2026 LendingTree survey found that 32% of side hustlers spend 5 to 10 hours a week on their extra work, and 24% spend 11 to 15 hours.

Pay structures on the platforms in this list also differ. Clickworker tasks pay from one dollar to several tens of dollars each, while Upwork’s hourly rate guide puts beginner freelancers at $10 to $25 per hour and expert freelancers at $60 to $120 or more. To estimate how many hours you’ll need to dedicate on a certain platform to reach your income goal, divide your monthly target by its per-task or hourly rate.

Some platforms in this list don’t need a set block of time. Honeygain runs in the background on your device, and Wrapify pays drivers to display ads on cars they’re already driving.

Understand payment methods and thresholds

Each platform sets its own payment schedule, payout methods, and minimum balance. Before you sign up, check how long you’ll wait for payment, how you’ll receive it, and whether the platform takes a fee.

Payment timing in this list ranges from about a day to two weeks or more. Prolific payments arrive in PayPal within 24 hours of cashing out. UserTesting pays through PayPal 14 days after you complete a test, and Clickworker sends payouts weekly, at least one week after a job is accepted.

Minimum payout thresholds affect how soon you can withdraw. Prolific lets you cash out at $6, while Honeygain requires $20 (20,000 credits) and Studypool requires a $50 balance. To estimate how long a threshold will take to reach, divide the minimum by what you expect to earn each week.

Keep in mind that platform fees will also reduce what you pocket for your work. Rover keeps a 20% service fee on each booking outside California, and Upwork’s Freelancer Service Fee ranges from 0% to 15% per contract. TaskRabbit charges US Taskers a one-time $25 registration fee, and Taskers who set their own hourly rate keep 100% of it plus tips.

Check whether a platform is legit

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that job scammers advertise the same way honest employers do, including online, on job sites, and on social media. According to the FTC, an offer that claims you can make a lot of money in a short amount of time, or with little work, is almost certainly a scam.

Before you sign up for a platform, the FTC recommends searching the company’s name with words like “scam,” “review,” or “complaint” to see whether others have reported problems. It also advises against paying for the promise of a job. Never deposit a check from a new employer and then send part of the money back, which the FTC identifies as a fake check scam.

The same rules apply to mystery shopping. The FTC says honest mystery shopping companies won’t ask you to pay for certifications, job directories, or job guarantees, and Second to None’s shopper profile is free to create. Wrapify likewise states that its drivers pay no upfront costs.

If you come across a job scam or lose money to one, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.