Best Secret Websites To Make Money Now (2024)

Whether you’re a busy student, a small business owner, or someone looking for extra cash to supplement your nine-to-five, there is no shortage of websites to help you earn a few bucks in your spare time. However, it can be difficult to figure out where to look for online gigs that match your interests and skills.

Luckily, there are a host of lesser-known websites and apps that can help you earn money in a variety of ways—from selling online courses to taking surveys to working as a mystery shopper.

Here are some easy-to-overlook websites you can explore to earn money in your free time:

1. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a website that allows users to earn rewards for completing various tasks, like watching videos, taking surveys, and playing video games. Businesses pay Swagbucks to put their digital products in front of customers, both for advertising purposes and to gather user data (for example, users provide valuable feedback for businesses by completing paid surveys).

Users earning money online from Swagbucks can make anywhere from a few cents to several dollars per task, depending on the task at hand and how time consuming it is. According to Swagbucks, users can make between $100 to $200 a month if they use the app for 10 to 25 minutes per day. Once you’ve earned enough reward points, you can turn your points into gift cards (to large chains like Walmart, Target, or Starbucks), or convert your points into cash, as long as you have a verified PayPal account.

2. Shutterstock

Shutterstock is an online marketplace for licensing stock photos. If you have a knack for photography and a backlog of photos you’ve captured, consider uploading your snapshots to Shutterstock to create a passive income stream.

Business owners, marketers, and content creators search through images on Shutterstock and license photos for materials like advertisements, presentations, training manuals, and social media posts. Every time someone licenses one of your stock photos, you earn a percentage of the licensing fee. That percentage is between 15% and 40%, depending on the download counts of your photos, meaning you can make anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars per photo.

3. TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit is an online marketplace that connects paying clients with freelancers who have the skills to help with tasks like furniture assembly, home repairs, cleaning, and executive assistant services. Freelancers on TaskRabbit—known as Taskers—can set their own rates and earn money in their spare time by choosing which tasks they want to perform. All tasks have a one hour minimum and range from $15 an hour all the way up to $100 an hour for more complicated or difficult tasks.

4. Google Opinion Rewards

Google Opinion Rewards is an app that pays users for completing surveys about their purchase history, submitting reviews about products or services from local or online businesses, and responding to opinion polls. These surveys typically take less than a minute and pay anywhere from 10¢ to one dollar. Payment is available through Google Play credit or PayPal, and you can cash out once you surpass a threshold of $2.

There are a limited number of surveys available on Google Opinion Rewards, and you can only take surveys once the app notifies you that they’re available for you in your specific area. This means you will only be able to make a few dollars per day, depending on how many surveys you have access to.

5. Second to None

Second to None offers customer and employee experience consulting services including mystery shopping, in which freelancers earn money when they shop online or in person and provide detailed feedback about their shopping experience. This information gives merchants and retailers valuable insights about their companies’ customer experience. You can become a mystery shopper by creating a free account and receiving work on an assignment-by-assignment basis, with payments ranging from $5 to $100, depending on the assignment. For example, a mystery shopper might sample and evaluate a new dish at a restaurant or provide feedback about the usability of a brand’s new coupon.

6. Upwork

Upwork is a freelancing platform that lets users bid on paying jobs and projects. Freelancers can make money online through Upwork by providing services including virtual assistance, graphic design, web development, and copywriting expertise. You can sign up for Upwork for free and begin bidding on jobs immediately. Most freelance gigs pay anywhere from $15 to $40 an hour, with more technical jobs like public relations management and business consulting yielding up to $100 an hour. Upwork is a useful platform for making money online, as long as you have the experience and skill sets necessary for specific tasks.

7. Spring

If you have a talent for graphic design and a fanbase around your own original content or your company’s brand, consider creating t-shirts or other custom products through a social commerce platform like Spring (formerly Teespring). Spring gives you the tools to easily design and sell products like hoodies, phone cases, and tote bags. Spring makes your products on demand, thereby eliminating upfront costs, and the company handles all of the production and distribution of your products in exchange for a percentage of the final sale price.

8. Rover

Rover is an online marketplace that connects pet owners with freelancers who can provide housesitting, dog walking, or boarding services. If you enjoy spending time with cats or dogs, consider signing up as a pet care provider on Rover to earn some extra income. You can create a profile that specifies whether you’re comfortable walking dogs, pet sitting in a client’s home, or boarding pets in your own space. You can indicate what days and times you’re available to provide pet care services, then pet owners can browse your profile to decide if it’s a good fit before paying anywhere from $15 to $40 an hour depending on the service.

9. UserTesting

On UserTesting, you can make money by providing businesses with feedback on products or services in real time through videos or audio files. You share your thoughts on the experience of navigating a website, using an app, or engaging with a prototype, in tests that take around 10 to 20 minutes. To start earning money on UserTesting, complete the site’s application process and ensure you have an active PayPal account and a decent microphone for recording your feedback in real time.

10. Teachable

If you have a knowledge base in a particular subject, consider selling online courses with a course creation platform like Teachable—which helps you to develop classes in subjects ranging from languages to marketing, music production, and watercolor painting. You can host your classes on Teachable, integrate them into your website, or share them on marketplaces like Skillshare or Udemy.

11. Wrapify

This relatively little-known websiteconnects businesses that want to advertise, with freelancers who are willing to rent out space on their vehicles. To sign up for Wrapify, download the app and provide some information about yourself, your car, your area, and your commute. You’ll need to have a clean driving record and pass a standard background check to be approved.

If there are companies on Wrapify with advertising campaigns specific to your area, Wrapify will provide you with a decal advertisement to wrap your car. Wrapify pays roughly $200 to $450 a month, depending on your mileage and where you drive. The platform is a particularly useful option for drivers with long daily commutes and rideshare or delivery drivers who use their cars regularly.

12. InboxDollars

Similar to Swagbucks, InboxDollars is a website that rewards users for completing online tasks like taking surveys, playing games, watching videos, using apps, and shopping. The site pays between 25¢ to several dollars based on the complexity of the task. InboxDollars pays via mailed check, gift card, or PayPal after users reach an initial $15 threshold.

Secret websites to make money FAQ

How can I make $1,000 fast?

You can use websites like Upwork and TaskRabbit to start working quickly, sell stock photos on websites like Shutterstock, or create courses with an online program like Teachable.

Are there actually secret websites where you can earn income?

You can earn extra income and cash rewards on websites like InboxDollars and Swagbucks, mystery shopping platforms like Second to None, and customer feedback sites like UserTesting.

Can I earn money by creating a website?

Yes, you can earn money by creating a website, especially if you’re willing to put in the work to build a profitable blog or ecommerce website. For example, ecommerce platform Shopify makes it easy to set up an online store for your products or even launch a dropshipping business with a third-party supplier handling all of the logistics of order fulfillment.

Best Secret Websites To Make Money Now