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Apps that pay you to watch videos is one of the best ways to earn some extra cash.
Little work is involved other than watching a short clip.
For that reason, I’ve put together a list of free apps that pay you to watch videos online.
I often find that these apps are great for when I have a few minutes to spare while waiting for someone or am just lounging around.
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Table of Contents
15 Best Apps That Pay You To Watch Videos
Let’s go ahead and get started with our list of the 15 or more best apps that pay you to watch videos online.
Below we cover how these apps work, how much they pay and why they make our list.
But before we begin, we often receive this question from our readers:
Can I earn a passive income with these apps?
In other words, can you hit the play button, let the app sit there and rack up cash for doing nothing?
Unfortunately, the majority of these apps are not this way.
Most of them require you to hit a “next” button in order to continue watching the next video.
If there’s an app on this list that plays each succeeding video automatically (and there are a few), we’ll be sure to mention it in the description.
Below the list we’ve also included a section for tips and tricks to help you earn the most through watching videos.
1. Swagbucks
- Registration Bonus: $10 (sometimes varies)
- Join Swagbucks
Swagbucks is one of my favorite mobile apps out there due to its versatility.
Not only can you get paid to watch videos, but Swagbucks allows you to earn points when you complete surveys, play games, shop online, fill out free-trial offers and more.
It’s one of the most popular rewards sites on the web.
We put Swagbucks at the number one spot due to the fact that you can earn a passive income with this app.
In fact, we even did a write-up explaining how you can easily earn an extra $30/month in passive income letting the videos run automatically.
Each time you complete a task with the Swagbucks app, you’ll earn a certain amount of points.
These points can be exchanged either for cash prizes, direct deposits to your PayPal account or for gift cards.
Swagbucks also comes with a great referral program.
For each friend that signs-up using your link, you earn 10% of how much they earn for life. Keep in mind that this does not take away from their earnings.
Swagbucks does offer a $10 welcome bonus, but we’ve found this amount to vary anywhere between $5 and $10.
This is definitely one of the higher paying apps that pays for watching videos online.
Want to find out how to maximize your earnings? Check out our Swagbucks review.
2. Rewardia
- Registration Bonus: 100 Points
- Join Rewardia
Rewardia is quickly making its way up the list when it comes to earning money for completing small task jobs.
Start making money when you watch videos, complete surveys, play games and refer friends.
Unfortunately, you’re going to have to hit the “Next”button to keep earning with Rewardia, but their payout is usually much better than other apps here.
When you register, you automatically get a 100 point welcome bonus deposited into your account.
Once you reach the minimum balance, you can cash out for a free gift card or free PayPal money.
Most of the users find the games with Rewardia quite entertaining.
They also have a pretty decent referral program. Every time you refer a friend that earns their first 3,000 points, you also receive an additional 3,000 points in your account.
A great way to spread the word and get more referrals is by posting your link on social media pages such as Facebook or Twitter.
3. ClipClaps
- Welcome Bonus: $1 when you use code 5383581033
- Join ClipClaps
ClipClaps is an app that just recently launched that’s becoming extremely popular.
Get paid to watch videos that are both short and fun from your phone.
If you’re already searching YouTube for funny videos switch to ClipClaps to get paid for it.
When you register for the app, you automatically receive a $1 welcome bonus when you use the promo code 5383581033.
Otherwise, all new users receive what’s called a Diamond Chest upon registration. This Diamond Chest contains many prizes.
For example, my first chest contained 500 points and raffle tickets for free Amazon gift cards.
Earn even more cash by referring your friends. When they sign-up through your promo code or link, you earn $1 dollar.
What most people find about ClipClaps is that it can be quite addicting due to the entertaining videos.
Once you reach the minimum amount of points, you can exchange them for direct deposits to your PayPal account.
4. FusionCash
- Registration Bonus: $5
- Join FusionCash
FusionCash offers a great incentive right off of the bat by giving you a $5 sign-up bonus.
There’s a minimum of $25 needed in your account in order to cash out, but it shouldn’t take long to reach this amount.
While you can get paid to watch videos, FusionCash also pays you to take surveys, refer friends, listen to music, clicking ads and more.
New users have an abundant amount of offers, and it’s not difficult to earn $25 within your first 30 minutes.
However, don’t expect to make this amount consistently. I typically find that after my first $25, I can earn around $5 – $12 per hour.
FusionCash also has an excellent referral program.
Get a $1 bonus when your referral confirms their email, $2 when they complete a Pay-To-Sign-Up offer, and an additional $5 dollars each time they cash out.
Definitely the best referral programs on this list as well as a great way to earn extra money completing small tasks.
This app does not offer gift cards as a payment option.
5. MyPoints
- Registration Bonus: $10 when you earn your first $20
- Join MyPoints
MyPoints is primarily known as a cash back shopping portal.
They’ve partnered with hundreds of online retailers across the web and placed all of their affiliate links onto their page.
Each time you click a link and shop at a retailer of your choice, they earn a commission
Instead of keeping this cash to themselves, they give it back to you in the form of cash back.
Expect to earn anywhere from 1% – 10% in cash back each time you shop.
Not only do you earn points for shopping online. MyPoints also gives you the opportunity to earn free cash just for watching videos on their mobile app.
Unfortunately, these videos are not passive, as you will need to hit a next button to continue watching them.
You even get a $10 bonus when you earn your first $20.
Refer friends for even more cash by receiving a 10% bonus of whatever they earn for life.
Want to find out more? Check out our full MyPoints review.
6. Inbox Dollars
- Registration Bonus: $5
- Join Inbox Dollars
Inbox Dollars is another rewards site that pays you for completing tasks aside from watching videos.
This includes, reading emails, playing games, taking surveys, filling out free-trial offers and more.
If you’re looking to earn the most amount of cash, I suggest doing a combination of reading emails and watching videos.
Both of these options are incredibly simple, which is why it’s one of my favorites on this list.
Keep in mind that with Inbox Dollars, it’s not a passive way of making money. You will need to click a “Next” button in order to play the next video.
The great thing about InboxDollars is that they give you a $5 sign-up bonus.
They also have an excellent referral program.
For every friend that you refer, you earn 10% of whatever they earn. Keep in mind that you will not be taking away from your friends’ earnings.
Earn points and get paid in gift cards to various retailers.
Still looking for more information? We wrote up a detailed Inbox Dollars review.
7. Idle-Empire
- Registration Bonus: 500 Points
- Join Idle-Empire
Idle-Empire is a great way to earn money completing tasks online.
This includes watching videos, referring friends, taking surveys and much more.
The best task to participate in? You earn free money being AFK on their servers, thus making this a passive income app.
You can even have Idle-Empire use your computer’s processing power to assist in the mining of cryptocurrency. In exchange, they give you free money – and you don’t have to do a thing.
They have a low minimum cash out rate of just 1,000 points. Keep in mind that you may need to save up a bit more in order to redeem for certain prizes.
They’re known for being one of the few rewards sites that pays you in free Xbox gift cards (and other retailers as well), but you also have the option to cash out for cryptocurrencies.
Idle-Empire is a little bit different than other small task sites since they try to build a community around their tasks.
Communicate with other members and talk about how you can increase your earnings even further, or just chat for fun.
When you refer friends, you get a 20% bonus on all of their earnings in addition to 50 points. In exchange, your friend receives a 500-point bonus.
8. Nielsen Computer And Mobile Panel
- Registration Bonus: None
- Join Nielsen Computer And Mobile Panel
Get paid with the Nielsen Computer And Mobile Panel by installing an app on your phone and leaving it running in the background.
You can earn up to $50 per year per device. This means that you can install it on more devices (desktop, mobile app or tablet) to increase your earnings.
The reason that Nielsen is able to pay you is because they collect data and sell it to companies as market research. All of this information is kept anonymous so that no one can trace it back to you.
You also have the option to earn points with Nielsen when you watch videos from your phone through the Nielsen TV Ratings portion of the app.
Watch YouTube videos and you’ll be sending the company information on what videos you watch, how long you watch them for and the types of videos.
This is one of the better passive income apps out there.
The app takes up so little processing power and memory that you don’t have to worry about it slowing down your phone.
Nielsen allows you to earn points that can be traded in for free gift cards.
Still confused on how it works? Our full review of this app covers all you need to know.
9. Earnably
- Registration Bonus: None
- Join Earnably
Earnably is another small task website that pays you to play games online, take paid surveys, watch videos and refer friends.
This is not a passive income earner, as you will need to hit “Next” to play the next videos.
A lot of people comment on just how easy it is to earn with this app.
Most users find that they can earn a decent amount of cash just by referring their friends. You get a 10% bonus on whatever they earn for life.
You need a minimum of $5 to cash out for PayPal cash or gift cards.
The amount you can make from watching videos from this app isn’t as high as other items listed here, but it’s still a decent earner. We recommend at least trying it out.
If you want to find out more information, read our Earnably Review.
10. AdWallet
- Welcome Bonus: $.50 after your first video.
- Join AdWallet
AdWallet is exactly ads it sounds. Get paid to watch ads online from your mobile phone or desktop computer.
The great thing about this company is that you earn in the form of cash, so you’re not confused about how much money your points convert to.
The videos you watch with AdWallet pay quite well. In fact, you can often receive between $.50 cents and $3 per short video.
The downside? There just aren’t that many videos available.
We recommend checking back every couple of days or so to see if there are new videos available.
Refer friends for even more cash to get a 10% bonus of whatever they earn. Unfortunately, they only allow a maximum of 3 paid referrals.
In order for AdWallet to function properly from your PC, you must turn of your ad blocker or the videos won’t run.
This is one of the few rewards apps that allows you to cash out directly to your bank account. You can also cash out via PayPal.
11. Creations Rewards
- Registration Bonus: $5
- Join Creations Rewards
Earn money watching videos online through Creations Rewards.
I’ve only recently started using this site, but I couldn’t be any happier with it.
Their site is very similar to Swagbucks in which you get paid to watch videos and participate in a wide range of other activities.
Also get paid and earn points to take surveys, watch videos, complete small tasks and referring friends.
You get a $5 bonus when you earn your first $5 in your first 5 days, and their referral program gives you 10% of all your friends’ earnings.
Watching videos with Creations Rewards has a fairly decent payout rate when comparing to the other options on this list.
The great thing that I love about this site is that they only require a minimum of $5 to cash out.
If you try the site for a short amount of time and decide you don’t like it, you can easily quit and still walk away with something.
You can redeem your points for gift cards or PayPal money.
12. CashCrate
- Registration Bonus: None
- Join CashCreate
CashCrate has been around for a while now and they’re only growing stronger in terms of reputation.
Get paid to watch videos, shop online, take paid surveys, refer your friends and more. In short, it’s another short task site.
From watching videos alone I’ve found that I can earn an extra $20 – $30 per month.
If you’re looking at increasing your income even further, feel free to participate in the other tasks as well.
Their surveys also tend to have a decent payout rate.
Each time you complete a task you earn a certain amount of points.
These points can be exchanged for gift cards.
The unique thing about CashCrate is that you can also earn money by completing small side hustles or part time jobs.
You can also view all of their earning opportunities before you even sign-up for the site as a new user.
At this time, CashCrate does not currently offer any sort of welcome bonus.
13. App Trailers
- Registration Bonus: 50 points
- Join App Trailers
Get paid to watch videos through App Trailers.
This is one of the simpler apps on the list since you can’t make money doing anything else.
The unique thing about App Trailers is that they categorize their videos fairly well. You can choose to watch movie trailers, ads for games or other options.
App Trailers isn’t as high of an earner, and it’s not a passive income earner either.
However, a lot of people tend to find their videos quite enjoyable. Most last around 30 seconds and pay 10 – 20 points.
The minimum amount of points you need to earn to redeem for prizes is 500 points. You can exchange your points for gift cards or PayPal cash.
The best part?
You’re paid instantly, so there’s absolutely no waiting involved.
14. National Consumer Panel
- Registration Bonus: None
- Join National Consumer Panel
National Consumer Panel (previous known as Nielsen Homescan Consumer Panel) is a company that collects data on consumer habits.
This is an app that pays you to scan products that you purchase. Yet in addition, they also provide video surveys.
Most people choose to use their Apple or Android device to get started, but they will also send you a manual barcode scanner if needed.
After you sign-up for a short time, they will eventually give you quite a few video surveys that you can use to make money.
While you can get paid to watch videos, it’s not one of the primary ways to earn with this app.
Earn points that can be exchanged for a free gift card, prepaid card and other options.
15. GrabPoints
- Registration Bonus: 500 points
- Join GrabPoints
GrabPoints allows you to get paid watching videos and completing other tasks directly from your phone.
This includes taking paid surveys, downloading smartphone apps, referring friends and more.
The best part? There’s an unlimited amount of videos you can watch.
When you watch videos, you earn points that can be exchanged for a free gift card to a retailer of your choice.
Unfortunately, this app is not passive due to the fact that you’ll need to close an ad after each video plays. This app pays 1 – 10 points per video.
One of the best ways to earn with the GrabPoints app is to download other smartphone apps. It takes longer, but the payout is much higher.
Tips For Maximizing Your Income With Video Watching Apps
Here are a few tips that I suggest you follow when it comes to watching video apps.
How Can I Get Paid To Watch Videos Online?
If you’re looking to get paid watching videos, simply install the app on your phone and start playing videos.
All of the apps on our list can be downloaded from either the Google Play Store or App Store.
Most apps allow you to earn points that you can exchange for real cash deposits via your PayPal account or free gift cards.
Don’t Stick With Just One App
I make sure to at least install a few money making apps on my phone.
Often times you’ll find that some apps have a limit on the amount of money you can earn in one day or a limit to the amount of videos you can watch. Diversify to maximize your earnings.
Get Multiple Phones
Since there’s so many different video watching apps on this list, it can be a bit difficult deciding which ones to run.
In order to get over this barrier, we suggest running these apps at the same time.
Most of the apps on this list also come with a website that you can watch on.
This means that you can also make money if you watch from your Desktop computer or laptop.
For those who are really into earning more cash, I suggest getting an extra phone or two.
With a desktop version and a couple of mobile phones running, you can easily run 3 or more of these apps.
If you’re looking for a cheap phone to run, try looking on Amazon Warehouse for buying refurbished phones. Any cheap smartphone will work.
Never Pay To Use an App
All of the apps on this list are 100% free.
If you’re ever asked to put in payment information to participate in a rewards app or website, it’s most likely a scam.
Don’t Use a VPN
Depending on the app, they may suspend your account if you’re using a VPN.
If you frequently use a VPN, either turn it off or contact the support team of the app and ask if the use of a VPN is permitted.
Get Paid Watching Videos Online In Your Free Time
If you’re looking to make some extra cash, running video apps can be a great way to increase your side-income.
I personally find that these apps are great for those with office jobs. You can run them under your desk or in your purse while working simultaneously.
If you’re having trouble deciding which of these apps to use, the main ones that we recommend are Swagbucks and Rewardia.
With these two apps alone, you’ll be able to maximize your earnings with the shortest amount of time possible.
InboxDollars also pays you to read emails, a ridiculously easy way to earn extra cash.
We’ve personally tried out all of the apps on this list, so we know that they’re legit ways to earn real cash.
For those of you who liked this article, you may also enjoy these other ways to get paid:
- 10 Best Ways To Earn Free Steam Gift Cards
- 20 of the Best Second Jobs for Extra Income
- Survey Junkie Review: The Highest Paying Survey Site On The Web
If you know of any other apps that pay you to watch videos online, we’d love to hear about them in the comments below.