Watch Ads For Money: 9 Sites That Are Worth Your Time

Is it possible to watch ads for money?

You may be surprised to learn there’s an entire internet subculture devoted to getting paid to watch ads. Some people even buy extra phones and laptops so they can run ads continuously on multiple devices, often seeing a positive return in as little as three months!

But you don’t need to be quite that committed.

It’s possible to earn a little bit of spending money or a free gift card here and there by watching ads on your computer or phone in your spare time. In some cases, you can even do this while getting work done, by having the videos play in the background.

Which websites and apps should you start with? There are a lot of scams and time-wasters out there, so we researched the best available options.

First, we collected data from reviews of all the apps on platforms like Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, the App Store and Google Play. Then we dug into what real users are saying about them in various forums and communities across the web.

Here’s what we found.

Note: The reviews and ratings data contained in this article was last updated on May 11, 2022. We update this article periodically throughout the year.

#1. Swagbucks Video

Swagbucks gets a lot of attention and is widely considered one of the best overall survey and reward websites. That’s partly because it’s more versatile than many others. In addition to making money watching ads, you can get paid for taking surveys, playing games and more.

In fact, we identified over 20 different ways to make extra money on the site in our comprehensive Swagbucks review.

While you’re not going to get rich from watching videos and ads through Swagbucks, the extra cash does add up over time — especially if you combine it with some of the better money-makers on the site, such as its online shopping portal.

For example, if you’re booking a vacation, Swagbucks often has cash-back offers on travel websites like Expedia that pay up to 5% (and occasionally more). These larger purchases are a great way to rack up reward points quickly. Those points, which are called SBs, can be redeemed for gift cards or PayPal cash.

There’s also a $10 sign-up bonus, which you can earn after spending $25 through the cash-back shopping portal.

Swagbucks ($10 Bonus)

Put cash back in your wallet

Get paid to shop online, watch videos, take surveys and play games with this all-in-one rewards site. Redeem your points for gift cards and PayPal cash starting at just $3.

Visit Swagbucks.comRead Swagbucks Review

#2. InboxDollars

InboxDollars is another legitimate, widely-used website, having paid out more than $59 million to its members since its inception in 2000.

The Penny Hoarder claims you can make up to $225 a month by watching ads, movie trailers, app trailers and other videos on the site.

Based on the research and testing we conducted for our InboxDollars review, that figure seems like the high end of the range. We estimate the average person can earn $25 to $50 per month with consistent usage.

As with Swagbucks, you can also earn cash by taking surveys, printing and redeeming coupons, shopping online, browsing the internet and reading emails. And if you’re a gamer, you can get paid for playing games like sudoku, solitaire, chess, arcade games and crossword puzzles.

You’ll also get $5 just for signing up.

While the site does have great reviews, the one drawback compared to Swagbucks is that you’ll need $30 in your account to request a payment. Swagbucks has no minimum withdrawal, with most of its cash-out options starting at just $3.

Visit InboxDollars.

#3. MyPoints

MyPoints is a decent tool to use to watch ads for money. Some of the entertaining videos you can watch include things like Golden Globes coverage and gossip from Hollywood. The problem is that the videos on the platform don’t pay much.

But there are other ways to earn extra cash on the site, and most of them pay better. You can cash in on your hobbies to make money, like playing games, traveling, using coupons and filling out online survey questionnaires.

You’ll earn a $5 sign-up bonus for taking five surveys. And since the minimum payout is only around $3 (depending on the option you choose), it’s easy to quickly earn a free gift card, travel miles or PayPal cash.

Learn more about the site in our MyPoints review.

#4. AdWallet

AdWallet offers a straightforward proposition: get paid 50 cents for watching a 30 second ad and answering one simple question about the content. It’s the most clear-cut offer of any option on this list, and with a pay rate that adds up to $60 per hour, it’s the most lucrative one by a wide margin.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you should plan on quitting your day job. Like all of the platforms listed here, AdWallet offers a limited number of earning opportunities.

The specific amount of videos you’ll be able to watch depends on your demographics and household composition. In our initial 30-day test, we received one opportunity per week. So while the pay rate of $1 per minute is excellent by any standard, it would take two and a half months to earn enough to cash out.

For comparison’s sake, Swagbucks’ hourly earning potential isn’t nearly as high, but it has a much larger inventory of videos. Plus, there are multiple ways to earn.

When you do accumulate $10 in your AdWallet account, you can withdraw your funds directly to your bank account, or choose from around 200 digital gift cards.

Note that to use AdWallet, you’re required to provide a cell phone number and the system does not accept VOIP numbers (such as those from Google Voice). AdWallet doesn’t have an iOS or Android app, so the company uses text messages rather than push notifications to let you know when new videos are available.

Still, if you’re willing to give the company your cell phone number, we think AdWallet offers a solid combination of straightforward earning potential, good pay for the time and effort, and easy cash-out options.

Learn more by watching the video below and visit AdWallet here.

#5. Ibotta

Ibotta is a bit different than other get-paid-to-watch apps, because it’s not as simple to use as just clicking “Play” and letting a video roll. But it does offer some of the best reward-for-effort of any option on this list.

After creating an account, you open the app to look for in-store offers that you want to take advantage of. For example, you might see an offer for $1 cash-back on any loaf of bread, or $2 cash-back when you buy a specific brand of yogurt.

In the screenshot below, you can see an example of an offer for $3 cash-back on any three boxes of cereal:

To qualify for this cash-back, you’ll need to click a button to add the offers to your account. And in some cases you’ll be asked to watch a short video ad. (That’s usually the case with the highest-value offers.)

Ibotta started out as strictly a cash-back app for groceries, and it’s still one of the best ways to save money at the grocery store. But recently, the app has added additional ways to earn rewards, such as via online shopping and by linking your store loyalty cards.

Just make sure to grab your receipt! You’ll need to snap a picture of it to claim your rewards.

Learn more in our Ibotta review.

#6. iRazoo

iRazoo is an all-in-one online rewards program that offers paid video ad watching as well as the following earning methods:

• Download apps. You may be required to use the app, like reaching a certain level within a game.
• Paid survey offers. iRazoo sources its surveys from nine major market research firms, and provides a fairly consistent stream of new surveys to take.
• Money makers. You’ll have to spend a little up-front, but you earn more in rewards than you paid.
• Play games. iRazzo offers 50+ games — mostly web-based puzzle games like Mahjong — through a link to the Arkadium platform.

You can cash-out via gift card once you’ve accumulated $3 in iRazoo points, but you need $20 to request a transfer to your PayPal account.

Visit iRazoo.

#7. AppNana

With AppNana, you earn points (which are called “Nanas”) by completing a variety of tasks on the platform. This includes downloading free apps, watching ads, referring friends and simply opening the app each day.

Once you’ve accumulated enough Nanas, you can use them to purchase paid apps, or cash them out for a free Amazon gift card. The minimum redemption is 30,000 Nanas, which is valued at $1.

Their Android app has over a half-million reviews in the Google Play store, with a 4.3 rating. However, verified reviews and the consensus on the popular Beer Money subreddit (where users share their experiences with money-making sites and apps), seems to be that AppNana is not worth your time.

#8. Market Force

Are you a movie buff? Do you love seeing the previews of all the new movies that will be coming out soon? Why not cash in on that passion?

Movie studios are eager to learn more about their audiences and what brings them in. To get that information, they pay audience members to give them the details they want.

It’s like mystery shopping, but in a movie theater. Check out Market Force Information to see the opportunities available and fill out a brief application.

If you’re selected, you’ll get email alerts for assignments in your area, which include:

• Watching and recording each movie trailer that plays before a movie.
• Counting the number of patrons in attendance at a certain show.
• Watching the different advertisements the movie theater plays before the trailers start.

Pay varies by area, but you can expert to earn around $10 per theatre check.

#9. Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel

You can make up to $50 per year through the Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel. All you have to do is download their app to your smartphone and then use the device as you normally would — whether you’re watching TV shows online, scrolling social media or playing games.

Participants are also entered into sweepstakes, so you could potentially win more than $50 a year. Every month, the company gives away $10,000, which is split between 400 winners — with the grand prize winner getting $1,000.

The set-up process is easy. All you have to do is give your basic information, create a username and password, and install the app. Then you’re done.

If you’re going to be online anyway, this is a good opportunity to make a bit of cash off of it.

Make Money Watching Ads: FAQ