Imagine waking up in the morning, checking your phone, and realizing you earned money while you were sleeping. Sounds like a dream, right? But in today’s digital world, it’s not just possible—it’s real. With the right apps, you can build passive income streams that run on autopilot.
According to a survey by Bankrate, nearly 44% of Americans already have some form of side hustle, and many are turning to passive income apps to grow their earnings without constantly trading time for money. Whether you want to save, invest, or simply earn extra cash, these apps can help you put your phone to work.
Let’s dive into the top 10 apps that pay passive income automatically in 2025, and how you can start using them today.
1. Acorns – Invest Your Spare Change
Best for: Beginner investors
Acorns rounds up your everyday purchases and invests the spare change into diversified portfolios.
- Example: Buy a coffee for $2.75 → Acorns invests $0.25.
- Average users report saving $500–$1,000/year without even noticing.
This app is perfect for people who want to build wealth slowly without needing financial expertise.
2. Honeygain – Get Paid for Sharing Internet
Best for: Earning from unused internet
Honeygain lets you earn passive income by sharing your unused internet bandwidth.
- Average earnings: $30–$50/month depending on internet usage.
- It runs in the background, meaning you don’t have to do anything.
It’s not life-changing money, but it’s easy, automatic, and requires zero effort.
3. Rakuten – Cash Back on Everyday Shopping
Best for: Online shoppers
Rakuten (formerly Ebates) gives you up to 40% cashback when you shop at partnered stores.
- Example: Spend $100 at Walmart through Rakuten → Earn $10–$40 back.
- In 2022, Rakuten paid users over $2 billion in cashback rewards.
If you shop online anyway, this app makes every purchase an investment.
4. Stash – Automated Investing + Stock Rewards
Best for: Building wealth while you shop
Stash combines investing with everyday spending. You can buy fractional shares of big companies for as little as $5, and some purchases even give you stock rewards.
- Example: Buy at Amazon → Earn fractional Amazon stock.
- Easy to set up auto-investing for long-term passive income.
5. Swagbucks – Earn While Browsing & Shopping
Best for: Multi-task passive income
Swagbucks pays you in points (redeemable for cash or gift cards) for web searches, watching videos, or shopping online.
- Average earnings: $50–$200/month (depending on activity).
- Some tasks can be automated (like background videos).
Not fully passive, but set-and-forget tasks still earn you extra cash.
6. Ibotta – Grocery Cashback Made Easy
Best for: Everyday grocery savings
Ibotta gives cash back on grocery purchases by simply scanning receipts or connecting loyalty cards.
- Average users save $120–$300/year.
- Bonus: Many offers apply automatically when you link store accounts.
This app turns your weekly grocery run into a passive money maker.
7. Coinbase Earn – Crypto Rewards Automatically
Best for: Crypto enthusiasts
Coinbase lets you earn free crypto by holding certain coins or learning about blockchain projects.
- Passive earnings: $5–$50 in crypto for completing simple tasks.
- Some tokens even pay staking rewards just by keeping them in your wallet.
With crypto adoption growing, this can be an exciting way to earn while diversifying investments.
8. Fundrise – Real Estate Investing Made Simple
Best for: Long-term wealth building
Fundrise allows you to invest in real estate without buying property yourself.
- Minimum investment: $10.
- Average annual returns: 8%–12%, according to Fundrise reports.
Your money goes into rental properties and commercial projects, generating dividends automatically.
9. Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel – Get Paid for Data
Best for: Earning passively from your phone usage
Nielsen, a global research company, pays you for letting their app track browsing habits (secure and anonymous).
- Passive income: $50–$100/year per device.
- It runs quietly in the background.
If you use multiple devices, the earnings add up with zero effort.
10. Robinhood – Dividends on Auto-Pilot
Best for: Stock investors
Robinhood makes it simple to invest in stocks and ETFs that pay dividends.
- Example: Invest $1,000 in dividend stocks with 4% yield → Earn $40/year automatically.
- Dividends can be reinvested to grow faster.
With the right portfolio, this app helps you build long-term passive income through compounding dividends.
Bonus: Other Passive Income Apps Worth Exploring
- Chime – Earn interest on savings accounts.
- CashApp Investing – Easy fractional stock investments.
- Neighbor – Rent out unused storage space.
Key Takeaways
- Most apps won’t make you rich overnight, but they can stack up over time.
- Even earning $50–$200 per month passively adds up to $600–$2,400/year.
- The secret is to combine several apps and let them run automatically.
Passive income doesn’t mean “do nothing”—it means setting up systems that work for you in the background. The apps we explored today—from Acorns and Rakuten to Fundrise and Robinhood—are designed to help you earn money with minimal effort.
Think of them as little employees working silently inside your phone. Each one adds a small stream of income. And when you combine them, those streams can turn into a river of financial freedom.
As Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, famously said: “Don’t work for money. Make money work for you.”
Start with one app today, set it up, and let it earn while you sleep. In a year, you’ll look back and realize how powerful small, automatic streams of income can become.