15 Top Secret Websites To Make Money This Year
Are you tired of hearing the same old advice about making money online through Etsy, Fiverr, or eBay? While those platforms are great, there’s a treasure trove of hidden gems that can help you make spare money online without investment.
At Side Hustle Nation, we’re dedicated to helping you boost your personal profitability by uncovering legitimate ways to make money online. Some of these “secret websites” may not be widely known, but they offer serious opportunities to earn money now.
Whether you’re looking for websites to make money for free, make money online instantly, or simply learn how to make money now, these platforms are worth exploring. While they’re not exactly “secret,” they’re often overlooked, and that makes them the perfect tools to help you achieve financial freedom.
Ready to dive in and discover how to make money online now? Let’s get started!
The app stores are FULL of apps that cost exactly $0 to download. In fact, over 90% of apps are free according to TechCrunch! But just because building apps are free doesn’t mean they can’t make money. Obviously, free apps have huge revenue potential, and one of the ways to make money with apps is by offering in-app purchases or displaying ads to users. Another popular strategy is to offer premium features for a subscription fee. Cash advance apps like Dave have also become increasingly popular in recent years, providing users with short-term loans and overdraft protection.
To make money with your mobile app, you need to think creatively and strategically about monetization options that will work best for your app and target audience. Successful examples of each monetization strategy can be found in the app stores, so it’s important to research and analyze the competition to ensure that your app stands out and offers unique value to users. For example, secret texting apps earn a lot because they know who theier users are. With the right approach and execution, you can generate extra money with your mobile app and achieve success in the app market.
Looking for reliable ways to earn money online now? For those with free time and access to a car, platforms like Uber remain one of the top online money-making sites in 2025. The Uber app allows you to make money on your own schedule, offering unparalleled flexibility for drivers.
To get started, you’ll need a valid driver’s license, proof of residency in your state, and to pass a thorough background check. Once approved, you can begin earning immediately. The best part? You decide when and how long you want to work, making it an excellent side hustle for anyone seeking websites to make money online in their spare time.
With the gig economy thriving in 2025, Uber and similar apps continue to provide legitimate opportunities to make extra income while maintaining control over your schedule.
If you have a room in your home which is not being used, you can rent it out with Airbnb. All you have to do is manage reservations and guests have your house clean and ready when visitors arrive.
Want to earn money online now without spending a dime? Sharing your opinions through platforms like Google Opinion Rewards remains one of the top secret websites to make money for free in 2025. These platforms reward you for quick surveys, making them perfect for anyone looking for legitimate ways to make money online instantly.
Here’s how it works: You can earn up to a dollar for every survey, most of which take only about 20 seconds to complete. These earnings are credited weekly, allowing you to make money now simply by sharing your thoughts on topics like hotels, local retailers, and products.
For iOS users, payments are made via PayPal, providing real cash in hand. Meanwhile, Android users on Google Play earn credits that can be redeemed for apps, games, or other purchases in the Google Play Store.
In 2025, online money-making sites like these continue to grow in popularity, offering simple, hassle-free ways to earn spare money online without investment. Whether you’re looking for quick cash or just want to make the most of your free time, these platforms are a must-try!
There is a lot of money on applications. Billions of dollars. But most win by a certain type of application; many others do not make any money at all.
It is very difficult to put a single figure about how much income can I generate an application due to the wide range of applications and the disparity of money they produce.
For example,
- The top 200 applications generate an average of $ 82,500 per day.
- The 800 best applications generate about $ 3,500.
- Apps for playing games also make around $ 22,250,
- While entertainment applications make $ 3,090 a day
The mobile app for the phone market has grown considerably in recent years and industry experts predict continued growth.
In 2018, mobile traffic accounted for 52.2% of total web traffic in the United States, and 3.6 hours adults spend digital media consumption occurred in smartphones, with desktops, laptops, and other devices connected with difficulties to keep up. You can have more people downloading the app. Gaming apps are highly popular.
If you’re exploring websites to make money or build a passive income stream in 2025, subscription-based models for mobile applications offer lucrative opportunities. As an app developer, understanding this monetization strategy is crucial, especially for products or services like cloud platforms, streaming services, or digital content.
Unlocking Income Through Subscriptions
Many free mobile applications provide restricted content or features available for a limited time, encouraging users to pay a subscription fee for full access. Developers often offer a free trial period to attract users and charge a recurring fee for unrestricted access. This model is particularly effective for apps related to video and audio streaming, online newspapers, and magazines.
Despite its effectiveness, only about 5% of the most successful apps currently use subscriptions, making it an underutilized but promising strategy. Developers who adopt this model can earn extra income while providing valuable services to users.
How Platforms Support Subscriptions
Both Google and Apple offer robust tools to help developers manage subscription operations. Apple charges 30% of subscription revenue for the first year, reducing it to 15% after one year of continuous service. Google provides more competitive terms, taking only 15% of subscription revenue, even during the first year.
Other Ways to Earn Extra Income in 2025
- Google Opinion Rewards: Share valuable feedback and earn rewards like gift cards or PayPal payouts.
- Transcribe Audio Files: Convert audio to text on websites offering paid transcription work.
- Test Websites and Apps: Use platforms that pay users to provide feedback on websites and applications.
- Sell Digital Products: Content creators can monetize through eBooks, courses, or design templates.
- Shop Online for Rewards: Earn cashback or points through secret websites offering online shopping incentives.
By leveraging these strategies and platforms, you can connect with audiences, create valuable content, and build a steady passive income stream in 2025. Whether you’re an app developer or a content creator, the opportunities to earn extra income online are more abundant than ever.
Applications have diversified from the cell platform as more integrated intelligent devices have entered the market. Smart TVs are a staple in over 70 million homes in the United States.
The most popular applications used on smart TVs are those that are appropriate for the environment and already have a very large user base existing like Netflix and Hulu.
The ownership of smart devices like Alexa and Google Home is predicted to soar to 125.65 million by 2021, with steady growth.
If it makes sense on the platform, it pays to have Smart TV and home devices into account when designing your application.
The supply expansion platform not only increases the exposure of your application but also opens up new revenue streams.
As with websites, you can make good money by getting individuals, companies, or brands to sponsor their applications.
This was an under-utilized app monetization method until fairly recently, but it’s starting to take off.
Basically, the idea is to build a niche application to make money with your mobile application with a specific target audience.
Below you will find a person or company that has a similar target audience and makes a deal for them to sponsor the application.
Subway sponsored the PrePlay football game app to engage with fans during Super Bown XLVI. Metro wanted to get in front of the Preplay audience and this is a perfect way to do it.
Subway brand is offered through the application and metro was also mentioned during videos within the application.
- The application can be downloaded for free
- There may be some free content available on the application, but not always. It is completely up to the developer
- You must pay a recurring subscription fee to unlock the entire contents of the application
Subscription models work well in mobile applications that regularly have new and fresh content added to them.
Thinking about news mobile apps or applications with video or audio-only. Mobile app subscriptions can be brought using a credit card. Other wallets such as PayPal, etc can be used.
Some of the applications most talked about and most successful in recent times have been the Kardashian / Jenner application series.
Basically, a lot of the Kardashian / Jenner launched their own applications with makeup tips, fashion tips, videos, etc.
They monetized the apps by having a $2.99 / month subscription fee.
Users must subscribe to access any content within the application.
Like the web, e-mail marketing works by collecting the email addresses and marketing it offers people via email.
Mobile applications offer a new opportunity to collect the email addresses of people who are interested in your product or service.
Although email marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies on the Internet, it remains largely underused in the mobile space.
Most of the big players are taking advantage of, but not something that most small developers are looking for yet.
Check out what 1 App did with in-app email collection. This app belongs to the creator of LeadLayer, and he managed to collect over 40,000 email addresses from the app.
The model ‘freemium’ is one of the most common ways for free apps to make money. We’re sure you’ve seen it in use plenty of times before.
freemium apps are free to download but contain shopping in the (IAP) application. When I say ‘Freemium Upsell’ I mean applications that offer limited functionality free with the option to unlock the full functionality with IAP. You can also shop online.
The general idea is that a user can download and use an application for free. If they like it and want more from the application, they have the option to spend money to get it.
One of the first major applications to use branded merchandise as a method of monetization was Angry Birds of Rovio.
You can buy all kinds of goods including Angry Birds toys, clothing and more.
The basic principle here is to take your brand or product and create physical assets to sell to her.
These physical assets can be sold within the application, and can also be sold through marketing by email if you are collecting the email addresses of users. If you have no application then hire mobile application developers and start your profit now.
App monetization model can be defined as a framework showing how a mobile app can earn revenue, generate profits higher than the average return on investment (ROI). In other words, the app monetization model provides answers to two fundamental questions:
Which type of value will be accessible? At what price? And for whom? What source(s) of income will be pursued?
This app monetization model is the most commonly seen in smartphone apps, the company gets rid of the cost barrier and allows free downloads. It aims to gather information about the people using the app along with a good user base so that this data can be sold to app publishers who then place specific ads in your app. By selling the data-driven advertising space, you make money easily.
In-app purchases allow users to buy additional features or goods in an app: in-game currency, valuable items, extra time, health points, hints.
If you’re not sure about using in-app ads in your mobile game, opt for in-app purchases, as they’re optional and don’t push your users. Moreover, by giving choice to your users, you can create lasting relationships with them.
The app and basic features of the app are usually free. However, if the user would like to advance in the app faster, then they enter the pay-to-play model to enjoy certain premium features in any application.
In-app purchase models such as freemium model and app subscriptions.
Paid apps, or premium apps, fall into the category pay once and get it all. When the app markets just started, this was the only business monetization model.
It’s been eleven years since apps appeared, and this approach has lost its popularity over that time. Using this model is a risk these days, and you should take it only if your brand holds a dominant position and is in demand.
Moreover, make sure there aren’t a lot of competitors, as they’ll lower their prices to attract your potential customers, thus making you reconsider your price.
Certainty- With this model, you’ll definitely get paid for every download. Customer engagement- Users are more motivated to use an app they’ve paid for.
Another way to get profit from your app is to find a company that wants to cooperate with you and start an affiliate program. With an affiliate program, you’ll host ads with unique affiliate links and earn commission every time a user converts into a lead or sale.
To become a leader, a user needs to submit a contact form. When a lead buys your partner’s product or service, they become a customer.
As with sponsorship, affiliate marketing works best if your business has the same target audience as your affiliate partners and shares the same purpose.
It’s one more business asset you can exploit. Consider monetizing this data by selling it to an interested party. Researchers, institutes, marketers, and product owners are your potential clients, as they need data to develop and optimize their goods and services.
It’s a controversial method but provided it’s done wisely, you’ll get a legal source of income. To do so, prepare user consent forms and give users a chance to agree with the conditions.
The more daily active users you have, the more precise and relevant your data will be for data collectors. The main rule is to monetize only basic non-personal data:
- Device category
- Device make and model
- IP address
- Display size
- Mobile connection provider
- Network type
- Country
There are many apps that offer a free and basic version and users can upgrade their plans for better features. Many SaaS– (Software as a Service) based products utilize the freemium app monetization model.
The cloud-based file hosting service Dropbox offers new users 2 GB of free storage alongside premium options that allow users to buy additional space.
Which of these ways to make money with your mobile app interests you the most? Are you planning on trying any of them in your own apps? Thinking of getting your own app developed?
We have an expert team of developers that can help you get your app developed. Our team of developers always strives to give you nothing but the best. Let us know what you think about getting your own app developed. Contact Us Today!
FAQs
Which are the top secret ways to make money online?
Sponsorships
Subscriptions
Marketing Email
The ‘Freemium Upsell’
Merchandise For Sale
How can I make money with mobile apps?
In-app advertisements
Sponsorships
Subscriptions
Marketing Email
The ‘Freemium Upsell’
Merchandise For Sale
One time payment
crowdfunding
Which company is developing apps like Rakuten for earning money online?
Echoinnovate IT is one of the leading companies in app development with 12+ years of experience. As a custom mobile application development company.
We manage the entire lifecycle of your product planning, strategy, and app/web launch, from UI / UX design, application development or Web development, QA testing to product delivery.
Echo Innovate IT Establish in 2012 with 3 developers and a small cabin in Florida now we have 3 offices over the globe with 55+ Developers strengths,
We have developed more than 630+ projects in various industries.
Our team of mobile app developers uses the latest technology to develop the highest mobile apps.
How much does it cost to build an app like Swagbucks?
It is quite difficult to estimate the exact cost of building an app like Swagbucks. It may vary depending on the functionality and design you choose for development. You can also use an app cost calculator to know the exact cost.
Can you start a business with an app?
Yes, you can start a business with an app, such as a snow plowing business or a travel business. With a snow plowing app, customers can easily request services and schedule appointments, while the app helps manage drivers and routes. Similarly, a travel app can offer a seamless booking experience, real-time travel updates, and personalized recommendations to customers. By leveraging the power of technology, businesses can increase efficiency, streamline operations, and enhance the customer experience, all while expanding their reach and generating revenue through their mobile app.
How do you plan a budget for an app?
To plan a budget for mobile app development, consider the following factors:
Type of app and complexity of features
Platforms and devices to be supported
Design and user interface requirements
Backend infrastructure and API integrations
Testing and quality assurance
App store submission and marketing
It is also important to research and compare the costs of different mobile app development companies or individual developers to ensure that you get a competitive rate for the quality of work you require. Hiring a skilled app developer can help you plan a realistic and effective budget that aligns with your app development goals and timeline.
