Apps You Can Make Real Money Off Of Average ratng: 9,2/10 5174 reviews

PayPal is one of the most popular payment platforms out there.

According to statistics, in 2018, there were 254 million active PayPal accounts.

That’s a huge number of people using the platform!

Swagbucks will give you $5 just for signing up, and you can make money relatively fast by taking surveys with them. Most surveys pay between $0.25 and $0.50, but some can be worth several dollars. Slide to make money! This app works by advertising on your phone’s screen. By downloading it, you allow this app to show different ads on your screen every time you open it for use. You can earn from $5 to. The 90 Best Money Making Apps of 2021 Apps that Pay You to Play Games 1. Mistplay is one of our favorite apps here at YMG! The app lets Android users easily make money while having fun and playing mobile video games. If you’re looking for new ways to make extra money, you’ll want to check out the top 10 money earning apps. There are more than 10 apps that can earn you money but I wanted to point out the best apps to make money fast. You can also check out the highest paying apps to make sure you’re making the most money. Apps that can make you money? It sounds too good to be true, but moneymaking apps do actually exist. While these apps won’t make you rich, they can earn you some respectable pocket money or pay.

One of the main reasons for PayPal’s popularity is that you can get your money pretty much instantly!

Handily enough, there are tons of apps and reward sites that pay through PayPal.

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Below, we cover apps for both Android and iOS devices.

Most of these are apps that pay instantly to PayPal. Others will send payments to your PayPal account within 24 hours or so after requesting a cashout.

iPhone (& Android) Apps that Pay You PayPal Money Fast

In this section, we cover a list of iOS (iPhone, iPad and other Apple devices) free money apps that send money to you via PayPal. Most of these apps also have an Android version. So if you have a device that runs on the Android platform, you can install the Android version.

1. Rakuten

Rakuten (former eBates) gives you cashback when you purchase items online.

There are more than 2,000 stores featured on there, and you can get cashback up to 40%.

There are coupons available too, and you get a $10 reward when you sign up. Gift cards are also a payment option in addition to PayPal.

Install the app

  • Download Rakuten for Android devices here.
  • Download Rakuten for iOS devices here.

2. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is one of the best rewards apps out there, as it allows you to earn points in a number of different ways.

You can get paid for doing super simple tasks, like:

  • Browsing the internet
  • Playing games
  • Watching videos
  • Taking surveys
  • Shopping online

In return for completing these tasks, you receive points, called Swag Bucks, or SB. You can redeem SB for money to your PayPal account. You can also redeem your points for gift cards to retailers like Amazon and Walmart.

You can make anywhere from $50 to $125 plus a month using Swagbucks, according to Reddit users, with one user earning almost $300 a month.

Install the app

  • Download Swagbucks for Android devices here.
  • Download Swagbucks for iOS devices here.
  • Check out our Swagbucks review to learn more about this app.

3. Ibotta

Ibotta pays you for receipts, but works slightly differently to other ones on this list.

Rather than paying for whole receipts, Ibotta pays you when you buy specific items. So you browse offers in the app, buy the item featured in the offer, upload a photo of your receipt, and Ibotta will give you a rebate.

In addition to offering PayPal payments, Ibotta also allows you to get your payment on a gift card.

Install the app

  • Download Ibotta for iOS devices here.
  • Download Ibotta for Android devices here.

4. Shopmium

Shopmium gives you cashback when you upload a photo of a receipt. You can get discounts on a range of products from cosmetics to groceries.

Install the app

  • Download Shopmium for Android devices here.
  • Download Shopmium for iOS devices here.

5. Receipt Hog

Receipt Hog allows you to upload receipts from stores, restaurants and cafés and earn rewards.

You can redeem your rewards for money through PayPal. You can also redeem your rewards for an Amazon gift card.

Install the app

  • Download Receipt Hog for iOS devices here.
  • Download Receipt Hog for Android devices here.

6. iPoll

With iPoll, you get paid to give your opinion on the products you buy, the services you use and the places you visit.

In addition to PayPal payments, you can also get your earnings on a gift card for Amazon or iTunes.

Install the app

  • Download iPoll for iOS devices here.
  • Download iPoll for Android devices here.

7. Toluna

Toluna pays you for providing your opinion to brands on their products and services.

It’s actually one of the highest paying survey apps that pay through PayPal.

You’ll get points which you can redeem for money or for gift cards to places like Amazon, Starbucks and Petco.

Install the app

  • Download Toluna for iOS devices here.
  • Download Toluna for Android devices here.

8. Univox Community

When you share your opinion in surveys, Univox will give you points, which you can redeem for money to your PayPal account.

Amazon gift cards are also a redemption option, as well as Virtual Visa Cards.

For signing up, you’ll get 200 bonus points, which have a $2 value.

Install the app

  • Download Univox Community for iOS devices here.
  • Download Univox Community for Android devices here.
Apps You Can Make Real Money Off Of

9. Appdown

Appdown gives you points when you download apps. You can redeem these points for money through PayPal. Gift cards to retailers like Amazon, Google Play and iTunes are also a redemption option.

Install the app

  • Download Appdown for iOS devices here.
  • Download Appdown for Android devices here.

10. BerryCart

You can upload photos of your receipt on BerryCart (app review), and you’ll get cashback via PayPal. Gift cards are also available.

BerryCart has a focus on organic and non-GMO type food.

Install the app

  • Download BerryCart for iOS devices here.
  • Download BerryCart for Android devices here.

11. Perk

Perk is a rewards app that gives you points when you complete tasks, like watching videos and answering trivia questions.

You can redeem these points for rewards, chiefly gift cards, but also for cash through PayPal or Perk Plastik.

You can make $360 a year with this app. Take a look at our Perk review to learn more.

Install the app

  • Download Perk for iOS devices here.
  • Download Perk for Android devices here.

12. Qmee

Qmee gives you rewards when you give your opinion. There are coupons and deals available on the app too.

Aside from PayPal payments, Qmee also offers gift cards. What’s good about Qmee is that there’s no minimum withdrawal limit, meaning you can withdraw your earnings when you want to.

Install the app

  • Download Qmee for Android devices here.
  • Download Qmee for iOS devices here.
  • Download the Qmee Chrome Extension here.

13. SavingStar

Get cashback on eligible purchases with SavingStar. If you wanna get paid for scanning your receipts, this is a great app to do it with. You just need to upload a photo of your receipt and you’ll get paid.

You only need $5 in your account as well to withdraw your money.

Install the app

  • Download SavingStar for Android devices here.
  • Download SavingStar for iOS devices here.

14. InboxDollars

With InboxDollars, you get paid to complete tasks, like checking emails, completing offers, shopping online, taking surveys and playing games.

Install the app

  • Download InboxDollars for iOS devices here.
  • Download InboxDollars for Android devices here.

15. Viggle

This is another app from Perk. It focuses on live TV and streaming.

Basically, you get paid for watching your favorite TV shows.

With Viggle, you earn points when you check into any live TV or streaming program. You can check into TV shows and movies live on TV or through providers like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu.

Aside from payment through PayPal, you can also exchange your points for gift cards, or a Perk Plastik card, which is a prepaid debit card. You can also use your points to get prizes.

Install the app

  • Download Viggle for Android devices here.
  • Download Viggle for iOS devices here.

16. MooCash

Get money from MooCash when you complete tasks, like watching videos, playing games, trying new apps and taking surveys.

Aside from PayPal payments, you can also get your cash on gift cards for retailers like Whole Foods, Netflix, and Starbucks.

Install the app

  • Download MooCash for Android devices here.
  • Download MooCash for iOS devices here.

17. YooLotto

YooLotto gives you rewards when you complete tasks and offers.

Payment is sent via PayPal or you can get it on an Amazon gift card. Also, you can use YooLotto to check whether you have a winning lottery ticket.

Even if your ticket is not a winner, you can still get rewards, such as coupons and deals.

Install the app

  • Download YouLotto for iOS devices here.
  • Download YouLotto for Android devices here.

18. Embee Meter

Embee Meter runs in the background of your phone to monitor the quality of your phone’s internet calls and just how well your phone works in general. So, you basically use your phone as you normally do, while Embee Meter runs in the background and gives you points for it.

Aside from redeeming your points for money to your PayPal account, you can also get gift cards and, in some countries, mobile airtime.

Install the app

  • Download Embee Meter for Android devices here.

19. ShopAtHome

ShopAtHome is a cashback app. When you shop through ShopAtHome, you can get cashback to your PayPal account. Or, if you prefer, you can get the cashback on an Amazon gift card.

When you sign up, you’ll get a $10 bonus as well.

Install the app

  • Download ShopAtHome for Android devices here.
  • Download ShopAtHome for iOS devices here.

20. TopCashBack

TopCashBack is a cashback app. You can get payment through PayPal, and also from Amazon, which earns you an extra 3% cashback.

Install the app

  • Download TopCashBack for Android devices here.
  • Download TopCashBack for iOS devices here.

Android Apps that Pay You Money Through PayPal

Above, we covered apps that pay you through PayPal, which are available for both Android phones and iPhones.

Apps you can make real money off of youtube

But, there are also apps that pay through PayPal that are only available to Android users.

These apps range from game apps to apps that pay you to watch ads on your phone’s lock screen.

So take a look at these apps.

21. AppBucks

Complete offers and other easy tasks and AppBucks will pay you. Aside from PayPal payments, you can also choose to get a Google Play gift card.

Money

Plus, there’s a $10 sign up bonus available.

Install the app

  • Download AppBucks for Android devices here.

22. AppKarma

AppKarma gives you money to your PayPal account, or gift cards when you download and try new apps. You can also get paid via gift cards for brands like Amazon, iTunes and Google Play.

Install the app

  • Download AppKarma for Android devices here.

23. FeaturePoints

FeaturePoints gives you points when you try out new apps. You can redeem your points for money to your PayPal account.

Gift cards are also a redemption option for places like Amazon and Starbucks.

Install the app

  • Download FeaturePoints for Android devices here.

24. AppLike

Earn points for playing games and trying new apps recommended by AppLike. You can redeem them for money to your PayPal account or for gift cards for brands like Amazon, Netflix, the Google Play store and Spotify.

Install the app

  • Download AppLike for Android devices here.

25. Fronto

Fronto is an app that pays you when you display content on your phone’s lock screen. It’s such an easy way to make money from your phone without really doing anything.

Install the app

  • Download Fronto for Android devices here.

26. Slidejoy

Slidejoy pays you to display ads and news content on your phone. Gift cards are also a payment option.

Install the app

  • Download Slidejoy for Android devices here.

27. ScreenPay

ScreenPay will pay you to display personalized deals and promotions on your phone.

Install the app

  • Download ScreenPay for Android devices here.

28. AdMe

AdMe pays you to display news, deals and coupons on your phone’s lock screen. Aside from PayPal payments, you can also get gift cards for places like Best Buy and Walmart.

Install the app

  • Download AdMe for Android devices here.

29. SurveyCow

SurveyCow is an app that displays mini-surveys on your phone’s lock screen. When you complete these surveys you earn points that you can redeem for cash through your PayPal account.

Install the app

  • Download SurveyCow for Android devices here.

30. Paid Unlock

Apps you can make real money off of interest

Paid Unlock pays you to display ads on your phone’s lock screen.

Install the app

  • Download Paid Unlock for Android devices here.

31. Mr. Rebates

Mr. Rebates gives you between 8% and 10% cashback when you shop at the stores it features. There are more than 2,500 stores and brands on the app, like Dell, Macy’s and Walmart.

There’s a $10 reward available for signing up too.

Install the app

  • Download Mr. Rebates for Android devices here.

32. AppKarma

AppKarma is an app that pays you to try out new apps. In addition to PayPal payments, you can also get your money on a gift card to retailers like Amazon, iTunes and Google Play.

Install the app

  • Download AppKarma for Android devices here.

33. Fitplay

Fitplay recommends game apps to you, and if you try out these apps, you’ll earn points. Points can be redeemed for cash to your PayPal account or for gift cards for stores like Amazon and the Google Play store.

Install the app

  • Download Fitplay for Android devices here.

34. EarnHoney

Complete easy tasks, such as participating in surveys, playing games or shopping online with EarnHoney. In return for completing tasks, you’ll earn points. You can redeem these points for money to your PayPal account, but also for gift cards to places like Amazon, eBay and Target.

Install the app

  • Download EarnHoney for Android devices here.

35. Gift Hunter Club

Complete tasks, like trying out apps, completing offers and taking surveys and Gift Hunter Club will pay you.

Aside from PayPal payments, you can also get gift cards for Amazon, Xbox Live and iTunes.

Install the app

  • Download Gift Hunter Club for Android devices here.

36. BeFrugal

BeFrugal is a cashback app that features more than 5,000 stores, including well-known stores, like Best Buy, Target and Walmart.

Aside from payments to your PayPal account, you can also get gift cards to places like Amazon.

Install the app

  • Download BeFrugal for Android devices here.

37. Watch2Earn

Watch2Earn is an app that gives you points when you watch videos. You can get your earnings to your PayPal account or on gift cards.

Install the app

  • Download Watch2Earn for Android devices here.

38. Rewardable TV

Rewardable TV gives you points for watching trending videos, movie trailers and gifs. You can then redeem your points for cash through PayPal.

Install the app

  • Download Rewardable TV for Android devices here.

39. CreationsRewards

CreationsRewards gives you points for browsing websites, watching videos and taking surveys.

You can redeem your points for cash to your PayPal account. Also, gift cards for places like Amazon and Walmart are a redemption option.

There’s a $3 sign up bonus available too.

Install the app

  • Download CreationsRewards for Android devices here.

40. GrabPoints

GrabPoints gives you points for doing things like downloading apps, completing offers, participating in surveys, and watching videos.

You can redeem your points for money to your PayPal account. Also, you can redeem your points for gift cards to places like Amazon and Walmart. You can get $5 just to sign up.

Install the app

  • Download GrabPoints for Android devices here.

PayPal Money Earning Apps (High Paying Gig Apps)

The paying gig apps below pay you to do a tasks both offline, like visiting local businesses to provide your feedback, and online, such as data processing.

You can take on as many or as few tasks as you want to, making this a flexible way to make money.

41. EasyShift

  • Download EasyShift for Android devices here.
  • Download EasyShift for iOS devices here.

42. Gigwalk

    • Download Gigwalk for Android devices here.
  • Download Gigwalk for iOS devices here.

43. Field Agent

  • Download Field Agent for iOS devices here.
  • Download Field Agent for Android devices here.

44. Spare5

  • Download Spare5 for iOS devices here.

45. Clickworker

  • Download Clickworker for iOS devices here.
  • Download Clickworker for Android devices here.

Closing Thoughts

As you can see, there are plenty of apps to make money for PayPal. So if you’re looking for a quick and convenient way to get paid, give some of these money making apps a try.

What’s great about these apps is that they give you easy ways to earn PayPal money instantly (in some cases).

Playing games and taking surveys can be done anywhere, and these types of tasks don’t require you to block out huge chunks of time to complete them. Not to mention, with some of these apps, such as the lock screen apps, you literally don’t have to do anything to make money.

These apps won’t make you rich, but they do give you an easy way to make a little extra spending money! These truly are some of the best legitimate iPhone and Android apps that pay you through PayPal.

Apps make a lot of money. Spending on Google Play and the App Store hit an incredible $39.7 billion during the first half of 2019 according to data from Sensor Tower. This was a 15.4 percent increase on the same period in the previous year.

Additionally, app use is growing. In its most recent “State of Mobile” report, AppAnnie found that between 2016 and 2018, time spent in-app grew by 50 percent, while downloads increased by 35 percent. This suggests there are plenty of opportunities for people looking to create an app and make money.

If you want to try to take a share of the mobile app market, you’re in the right place to learn how. In this article, we’ll first look at how to create an app, and then explore six of the most popular app monetization methods.

Here’s a look at what is in this article.

Table of Contents

  • 1 How to Create an App
  • 2 How to Create an App and Make Money
  • 3 Six Ways to Monetize an App

How to Create an App

The first step towards making money from an app is to go ahead and build one. This means you’ll need a good idea that people will find useful and want to download. If you don’t have a specific idea for an app, you can always think about a problem you have and a way to solve it.

Alternatively, are there any popular apps that you like but think could be improved? If so, why don’t you release an app with the improvement?

The founders of Instagram released the app in part because they loved the filters of Instamatic but thought it would be better if it was easier to share photos. It’s now one of the most downloaded apps ever.

If you are planning to monetize your app, you should consider this at the start of the design process. For example, if you choose to monetize your app using ads, you’ll need to build in space to display banners while designing your app.

Likewise, if you want to run a subscription, you’ll need to consider the features that will be available to all users, as well as those will only be available to those who pay.

We have an in-depth article on how to build your own mobile app that you can read here. In the article, we broke the process down into several steps:

First, You Need to Plan Your App.

If you already have an idea, this could be the easiest part of the process. If not, the most difficult. You can check out these 12 ways to generate app ideas if you are struggling.

When planning your app, you’ll need to have an exact idea about what it will do and the problem it will solve. You should also think about the target audience and what will appeal to them. You can get good ideas about the type of app that is successful by looking at competitors or non-competing apps with the same target audience.

This is also a good way to choose a monetization strategy. If you notice most apps like the one you want to create are free, you will probably struggle to be successful if you want to charge for your app. On the other hand, this could suggest the kind of app you want to make can be monetized through adverts.

Next, Choose How You Will Build Your App.

Once you have planned your app, you need to start building it. You have two options here. The first is to go through the whole process of creating wireframes, graphical interfaces, and testing the front and back end processes yourself. Alternatively, you can use an app builder to take care of the process for you.

While the first option provides more customization, the second option is easier for those without experience in developing apps.

If You Choose to go it Alone, You’ll Need to Start by Wireframing.

If you choose the custom route, you’ll have to start by wireframing. This will help you create the structure of your app. There are plenty of tools that can help with wireframing, including Microsoft’s Visio and Axure. Be sure to test out these wireframes extensively.

Then Design the Visual Elements of Your App.

At this point, you can begin designing the visual elements of your app, including your logo, color scheme, and any graphics or animations you choose to use.

You’ll need to do this whether you choose to build it yourself or use a DIY app builder. If you don’t have the expertise required, you can always hire a professional to take care of the process for you. Sites like Upwork are great for this.

Sort Out Your App’s Back End and Front End

The next step is where things get complicated. First, you’ll need to build the back end of your app. Getting this right will ensure your app works as it should. If you have limited software development experience, this is where using an app builder can save you a lot of time and stress.

Following this, you can design the front end, which is the interface the user will see.

Finally, Put Your App Through Final Tests

While you need to test your app out as you are making it, the final step is to test the finished product.

You should test the app on numerous devices and give it to different people who fit your target audience. This will allow you to collect a variety of opinions about what works and what doesn’t.

If you notice there are any problems, be sure to fix them before releasing your app.

How to Create an App and Make Money

Now you know how to create an app, we will look at how to monetize it. In this article, we’ve split monetization methods into six categories. These are:

  • Paid apps
  • Subscription
  • In-app purchases
  • Advertising
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Mixed monetization methods

The best way to create an app and make money will depend on the type of app you create. Games often do well with in-app purchases. On the other hand, many software as a service apps earn a lot of money through subscription programs. It’s also possible to use adverts to monetize your app.

The good news is, there are plenty of examples of successful apps no matter what monetization method you choose.

Before We Start: What Cut Do App Markets Take?

When setting the price of your app, a major factor to consider is how much the app marketplace you choose to distribute your app on takes. Both Google Play and the App Store have a very similar pricing structure. Here is a look at them.

Google Play

  • Google Play takes a 30 percent cut of the cost of all apps and in-app products.
  • It takes 30 percent of all subscriptions for the first 12 months of a customer’s subscription. After this, it only takes 15 percent.
  • Developers have to pay a one-off $25 fee to create a Google Play developer account.

Apple App Store

  • Apple takes a 30 percent cut of all apps and in-app purchases.
  • Like Google, this reduces to 15 percent after a customer has subscribed for 12 months.
  • Developers have to pay a fee of $99 per year to release apps on the App Store.

Six Ways to Monetize an App

Apps That Get You Money

Here is a look at six methods you can use to monetize your app.

Sell Your App

Creating a paid app is perhaps the simplest way to make money from your app. All you have to is create an app and make money from people who download it. Both Google Play and the App Store make it easy for users to pay for apps, so you have a ready-made audience.

However, being successful can be difficult.

If you want to encourage people to download your paid app, you will have to offer a lot of value. It can help if you have an existing audience, you can market your app to or if you have a budget you can spend on promoting your app.

You’ll also have to put a lot of effort into your app market listing as you’ll need to give people a good idea about your product without them actually being able to experience your app.

When pricing your app, there are plenty of things you should consider.

Take a look at the average price of competitor apps to see how much you can charge. If you want to use advertising to encourage people to buy your app, you’ll have to consider how much it will cost you to get one person to download the app.

As you can see from this screenshot, most paid apps are cheap. On the current list of top paid apps in the U.K., must are under £5 with only two in the top 21 costing over £10. Those are Site Audit Pro and FL Studio Mobile.

Things to Consider

While paid apps can be a good way to earn money from your app, it can be limiting. First, there is no way for people to try out your service. This can act as a barrier that stops them from downloading your product. This is even more likely to be the case if your brand is unknown, and you may struggle to convince people to pay for your app.

A slight workaround could be to offer your app to download for free and then offer customers the option to pay a onetime fee to unlock the whole app. Although, on both Google Play and the App Store, this counts as an in-app purchase as the user isn’t paying to download the app.

Overall, you may find that other methods of monetization are more effective. According to AppAnnie, the highest-grossing paid app on July 3 in the U.S. was Minecraft. However, it was only the 29th highest-grossing app overall. The second highest-grossing paid app is Heads Up, which isn’t even in the top 50.

If you are looking for a way to maximize app revenue, using a subscription or in-app purchases could be a better option than charging users to download your app.

Use a Subscription to Get Repeat Payments

Subscription is when developers charge users a recurring fee to use the app. The fee is usually monthly, although developers can give users the option to pay for a longer-term—for example yearly or quarterly—upfront for a discount.

This is a type of monetization is common with software as a service apps or apps that provide access to media. Think about streaming apps such as Spotify or Netflix, or productivity apps like Microsoft Office or Dropbox.

Subscriptions are great for app developers as they can get a consistent recurring income from the people using their apps. It works for users, too, as the monthly fee is often modest.

Unlike paid apps, subscription apps are usually free to download. This can be a good way for developers to gain a base of users. Having a larger number of downloads will also look good on the App Store and Google Play.

To encourage people to use the service, it is common for developers to offer a free trial. This will allow them to get an idea of what the app is about and how it can benefit them. Alternatively, apps that use a subscription model can offer a basic tier that provides some functionality for free, and then a paid tier that provides the full-service.

A good example of an app that does that is Medium, which offers users a limited number of premium articles per month, as well as access to the site’s free articles. If users want full access to the service, they have to pay a fee of $5 per month or $50 per year.

This can be a good way to keep people interested who maybe don’t want to sign up for the subscription now, but perhaps could be persuaded to do so in the future.

Beyond this, it is even possible to offer multiple layers of pricing. For example, there could be a free layer, a low-cost layer with some added features, and a premium layer that contains everything.

Productivity app Airtable allows users to use the app for free. However, there is also a Plus version for $10 per month, a Pro version for $20 per month, and an enterprise version with custom pricing.

Another type of subscription you could consider is non-renewing subscriptions. These subscriptions provide access to content for a limited amount of time. For example, an app could provide access to seasonal content during a global event.

What to Consider When Monetizing Your App with Subscriptions

Subscriptions are a great way to earn consistent income from an app. However, your product has to offer enough value to make users willing to pay for it.

Unlike with advertising-based monetization methods, you won’t create an app and make money from people who use your service for free. Although, it is possible to display ads on the free version of your product and then take them away when the user signs up to a subscription.

In-app Purchases Can be Highly Lucrative

In-app purchases are one of the most effective ways to monetize an app. According to Apple, there are four types of in-purchase:

  • Consumables are items such as in-game points or currencies that can be used within the app. These are common in games, and they can be used by players to buy new items or access new levels. As the name suggests, these items can only be used once.

A game that has been highly successful at using consumables is Pokemon Go. In the game, users buy Pokecoins, which can then be used to buy various in-game items. Reports from earlier this year suggest Niantic has earned a total of $2.3 billion from the game.

Apps You Can Make Real Money Off Of
  • Non-consumable items are those that do not expire once a consumer has bought them. Examples of this include extra options in a photo editing app. Once a user has bought these items, they can use them for as long as they own the app.
  • The final two types of in-app purchase are auto-renewable and non-renewing subscriptions. As we covered subscriptions above, we won’t go into detail on these here.

The good thing about in-app purchases is there is essentially no limit to the amount people can spend. Paid apps which have a one-time fee, or even subscriptions with a recurring fee are highly limited in the total amount they can earn per user.

Games that use in-app purchases can be incredibly lucrative. In games, in-app purchases are often used to let users buy items to make their gaming experience better. This has led to free games like PUBG, Clash of Clans and Pokemon Go consistently being ranked among the highest-grossing apps.

However, it isn’t only games that can effectively use in-app purchases. Other types of apps that successfully offer in-app purchases include photo editor apps offering additional options or filters or messaging apps offering users the chance to buy emoticons or gifts.

For example, the messaging app Kakao Talk is one of the highest-grossing apps globally. While it is free to use, one of the ways it earns money is by selling emoticons that people can use within their chats.

What to Consider When Monetizing Your App with In-app Purchases

The most important thing to consider is whether or not your app can offer something enticing enough as an in-app purchase. If you can’t, it is unlikely that anyone will buy what you are offering. In general, games have a lot of success with in-app purchases

Another major consideration comes with the controversy around loot boxes. Look boxes are products users can buy that provide them with a random selection of in-game items. While these are an effective monetization tool, many countries are debating whether they are a form of gambling.

Because of this, loot boxes are heavily regulated and even illegal in some countries. You should be sure to check out the regulations of the country you plan to operate in if you want to offer this kind of item.

Use an advertising-based model

Mobile advertising is a huge business. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) recently said that in 2018, 65 percent of all digital advertising revenue came via mobile platforms. This includes browsers and text messages, as well as apps.

What Apps Give You Real Money

Advertising is commonly used by apps that offer content to users for free. For example, news apps or games. It can also be used by apps that also offer in-app purchases or paid versions as a way to monetize non-paying customers.

The best thing about advertising is that it’s a good way to earn money from your app without your customer having to spend any money.

The easiest way to get started is through a cost-per-click advertising platform. Some of these include Google’s AdMob or AOL’s SSP. Signing up to one of these will allow you to start placing ads into your app.

Most ads come in the form of banner ads, interstitial ads, or videos.

  • Banner ads are interspersed around your content. They are fairly non-intrusive; this has the advantage of not interrupting the user experience, but they are easy to ignore.

In the screenshot below, you can see how podcast app BeyondPod uses a banner add within the user’s podcast feed. It is almost too unobtrusive, and it is easy to ignore.

On the other hand, YouTube shows much larger banner ads that fit in well with the content the user is already watching. If it wasn’t for the “Ad” marking in the bottom corner, it would be hard to work out if the recommendation was an advert or not.

  • Interstitial ads take up the whole screen. They will usually be shown for a certain amount of time or until the user clicks to close the ad. These ads are effective as the user is guaranteed to see it.

The downside here is that they are very intrusive. Because of this, you should think carefully about when you place an interstitial ad. Good times could be when the user has finished editing a photo or when they are about to start a new level in a game.

An excellent example of this is the advert below from the video editing app PowerDirector. When the user clicks to leave the app, a pop-up appears showing an advert. The advert is almost impossible to ignore as the user has to perform another step to leave the app.

However, it isn’t too annoying because it only appears when the user is leaving the app, not mid-way through a project.

  • Video ads are often either short ads or longer ads that the user can skip after a certain amount of time. Clicking on the add will take the user to the advertiser’s product. Video ads are useful for advertisers as they are a good way to get across the message of the product.

Video ads are often shown while another video is loading, or before a level in a game. Perhaps the app most well known for video adverts is YouTube, which shows an advert before many videos on the service.

Things to Consider When Monetizing Your App with Advertising

While it is easy to get started with mobile ads, there are some downsides. The most obvious one is that to make good revenues, you will need to have a lot of users.

According to Businessofapps.com, the average CPM (the amount an advertiser pays per one thousand people who see its advertisement) for banner ads is $1, interstitial ads is $3.5, and video ads is $3.

This means it is hard to create an app and make money unless your app has a lot of regular users.

Another thing to consider is that whenever a user clicks on an advert on your app, they will be taken away from your app. This will reduce the amount of time they spend on your app and could even introduce them to a direct competitor.

Earn Through Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a common type of marketing on the web, although perhaps less commonly found in apps. With affiliate marketing, the app developer will advertise products on their app and then take a cut of the sale when a customer makes a purchase.

What Apps Make Real Money

Booking or comparison apps are a common type of affiliate marketing. For example, Skyscanner makes it easy for people who want to buy a flight to check prices from a range of providers.

The company gets a percentage of the cost of the flight whenever a user books a journey after being redirected to the booking website through Skyscanner. You can see how it works in the screenshot below.

Another example of how this could work would be a fitness app directing users to the website of a nutrition shop or exercise equipment store and then taking a cut of any sales made. Or a financial planning app that suggests financial products to its users.

The good thing about monetizing apps in this way is the amount of data apps have about users. For example, in the above example of a financial planning app, the app developers can offer the exact type of product that the user will find useful based on the data they have about the user.

Things to Consider When Monetizing Your App with Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing suffers from many of the same issues as advertisements – you’ll need a lot of users before you can make money.

It can also help if the product you are affiliated with is an expensive one or one that offers a large cut of the total cost of the purchase. While receiving ten percent of a £1,000 flight will get you a nice payday, receiving 3 percent of a pair of £50 running shoes is less impressive.

Use a Mixed Strategy

Many of the most successful apps use a variety of monetization methods. This way, developers don’t have to rely on one strategy. Here are some examples of how mixed monetization strategies could work in practice.

  • A common mixed monetization strategy is to ask users to pay to remove ads. This is good as an alternative to a paid app. It means app developers are still able to monetize free users, while also offering a more lucrative option to those who can pay. To make the paid option more appealing, you can even choose to add in some extras for those that pay. This could work for both one-off payments and subscriptions.
  • Some paid apps, especially games, charge a fee for the app, and then offer in-app purchases on top of the price of the game. Minecraft, NBA 2K19, and the Moment Pro Camera are all apps that have successfully used this strategy.
  • If you plan to rely on adverts as your monetization strategy, it could be a good idea to experiment with both affiliate marketing and regular adverts. If you do this, you can see which type of advertising is most lucrative and then focus on that.

Wrapping Up

This is the end of our guide on how to create an app and make money. Hopefully, you found it useful.

Apps You Can Get Money

As you can see, there are plenty of methods you can use to monetize your app. In-app purchases and subscriptions can be incredibly lucrative due to the potential for recurring income. However, many apps can successfully use other monetization methods such as advertising or charging the user upfront.

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