We’ve all got those pockets of dead time. Waiting for the kettle. Commuting. Half-watching something on TV. Most of us spend that time scrolling social media and coming away feeling vaguely worse about ourselves. What if your thumb time was actually earning you something instead?
I’ve been testing out a handful of apps that promise to pay you for playing games, completing tasks, and sharing your opinion — and I want to give you an honest picture of what’s actually worth downloading. No fluff, no unrealistic promises. Just what I’ve genuinely found.
Here are three I’d actually recommend.
1. TesterUp – Best for Mobile Gamers
If you enjoy mobile games even a little bit, TesterUp is the one to start with. The premise is simple: you download games through the app, play them to hit specific milestones or level targets, and earn cash for doing so. The better you get, the more you earn.
I’ve been using it for around 90 days and have made roughly £50 playing Monopoly Go, Raid Masters, and Dice Dreams — all games I genuinely enjoyed, which made the whole thing feel much less like a side hustle and much more like just… playing games. The fact that money was accumulating in the background was a nice bonus.
A few things worth knowing going in: there’s a minimum withdrawal threshold before you can cash out, and your progress needs to track correctly through the app — most of the time this works fine, but occasionally it needs a nudge. Customer support has been responsive when I’ve needed them though.
Realistically, most people earn somewhere in the £20–£150 a month range, depending on which games you pick and how much time you put in. It won’t replace your income, but for something you’d probably be doing anyway, it’s genuinely worth it.
Sign up to TesterUp with my referral link here
2. Freecash – Best for Variety
If TesterUp is for the gamers, Freecash is for everyone else — or anyone who gets bored doing the same thing repeatedly. It offers more ways to earn than just about any other rewards app, including playing games, signing up for promotions, watching ads, and completing surveys.
What I like about Freecash is the flexibility. On a day where I don’t fancy gaming, I can knock out a few surveys. On a day where I’ve got more time, I’ll pick up a higher-paying game offer. It never feels like a chore because there’s always something different to try.
You can cash out via bank transfer, PayPal, or redeem your earnings as gift cards — which is handy if you’d rather put the money towards something specific like an Amazon or shopping balance. The minimum cashout is also lower than some competitors, which means you’re not waiting months to see your first payout.
It’s a solid all-rounder and one I keep coming back to when I want a bit of variety in how I earn.
Sign up to Freecash with my referral link here
3. Swagbucks – Best for Beginners
Swagbucks is probably the most well-known name on this list, and for good reason — it’s a long-running app that has paid out hundreds of millions of dollars to users over the years. If you’re new to reward apps and want to start somewhere that feels established and trustworthy, this is the one.
You earn “SB points” for things like answering surveys, shopping online, watching videos, and playing games, which you then redeem for gift cards or PayPal cash. It’s not the highest-earning platform on this list, but the sheer variety of ways to earn means there’s almost always something you can do regardless of how much time you have.
It’s also a great introduction to how reward apps work in general — once you understand the rhythm of Swagbucks, picking up TesterUp or Freecash alongside it feels very natural. Think of it as the gateway app.
Sign up to Swagbucks with my referral link
So Which One Should You Download First?
Honestly? All three are free and none of them take long to set up, so there’s nothing stopping you from running them alongside each other. But if I had to pick a starting point based on your situation:
- You like mobile games → Start with TesterUp
- You want variety and flexibility → Start with Freecash
- You’re brand new to reward apps → Start with Swagbucks
None of these are get-rich-quick schemes — and anyone telling you otherwise is overselling it. But as a way to make your downtime do something useful? They’re genuinely some of the best options out there right now.
Have you tried any of these? I’d love to know how you’re getting on — drop a comment below!
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-a-shirt-and-blue-denim-jeans-sitting-on-the-couch-7047607/