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The old saying goes, “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” Perhaps—I haven’t checked every diner on the planet to verify that claim—but that doesn’t mean you can’t occasionally get something for nothing. Indeed, if you just turn on your smartphone and open up your app store, you’ll find a swarm of apps that give you money just for signing up.

In many cases, you’ll even get your money instantly.

Of course, you don’t want to download an app just for the instant sign-up bonus. Why go through the hassle? So ideally, you want to find great apps that fill some sort of need you already have that also pay out instant sign-up bonuses.

So today, I’m going to introduce you to several apps that give you money for signing up—and that you’ll want to keep after you’ve collected your bonus. Some of them help you save money. Others let you play games, watch videos, or complete other easy tasks for rewards. And still others invest your money and help it grow. For each app, I’ll explain the advantages of using it, and outline exactly how to get your sign-up bonus.

If you’re ready to get money instantly (or, at the worst, quickly) and enjoy other financial benefits, consider downloading one or more of the apps below—and then you can take yourself out for a free lunch.

 

Do Apps Give You a Sign-Up Bonus for Opening an Account?


Yes. Some apps do provide free money or other sign-up bonuses—but how exactly you qualify for it might differ from app to app.

In some cases, you might only need to literally sign up for the account. But in other cases, there might be other requirements, such as funding an account, receiving your first direct deposit in an account, hitting a minimum cash-out amount, or making a first purchase.

Below, I’ll cover the best apps that give you money for signing up. First, I’ll highlight apps that often require more involved actions after sign-up (but also usually offer bigger sign-up bonuses), and then I’ll provide examples of apps that will reward you just for signing up.

Sign-Up Bonuses: Our Top Picks


Popular Micro-Investing and Financial App
Self-Directed Investing App
Earn With Games and Surveys
Primary Rating:
4.2
Primary Rating:
4.9
Primary Rating:
4.0
Earn a $20 bonus when you set up recurring investments.
New investors get $3-$300 in stock, 1 month free Premium, and 1 month APY boost
Free to use, users are paid.
Popular Micro-Investing and Financial App
Primary Rating:
4.2
Earn a $20 bonus when you set up recurring investments.
Self-Directed Investing App
Primary Rating:
4.9
New investors get $3-$300 in stock, 1 month free Premium, and 1 month APY boost
Earn With Games and Surveys
Primary Rating:
4.0
Free to use, users are paid.

Best Apps That Give You Money for Signing Up (With Additional Action Required)


Let’s start out with apps where you might be required to, say, fund an account, spend a little money, or execute some other small action before earning a bonus.

1. Acorns ($20 Bonus Investment)


acorns homepage.
Acorns
  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
  • Bonus: $20 bonus investment

Acorns is a micro-investing app geared toward young adults and millennials that’s perhaps best-known for its “Round-Ups” program.

With Acorns Round-Ups, the app rounds up purchases made on linked debit and credit cards to the nearest dollar, investing the difference on your behalf. For example, if you purchase a coffee for $2.60 on a linked credit card, Acorns automatically rounds this charge up to $3.00 and puts the 40-cent difference aside. Once those Round-Ups reach at least $5, they can be transferred to your Acorns account to be invested.

The Acorns investment offering itself is a simple, automated platform that uses pre-built portfolios of ETFs to keep investors exposed to stocks and bonds, which is similar to many robo-investing offerings. Acorns’ basic approach makes it one of the best investment apps for beginners.

Here’s more about what you can expect from Acorns’ varying subscription options:

  • Acorns Bronze: Includes an Acorns Invest investment account, as well as Acorns Later for tax-advantaged investment options such as Roth IRAs. Also includes Acorns Checking, a bank account that has no account fees, lets you withdraw fee-free from more than 55,000 ATMs nationwide, and is paired with a debit card that can go into your digital wallet; Smart Deposit, which allows you to automatically invest a bit of each paycheck into your Acorns accounts; and, of course, Round-Ups.
  • Acorns Silver: Everything in Acorns Bronze (Acorns Invest, Later, Checking, etc.), plus Premium Education, which includes live Q&As with Acorns’ expert investment team, invite-only sessions with the Acorns Support Team, access to a quarterly market report, and more; Emergency Savings with a high APY; and a 25% bonus on Acorns Earn rewards (up to $200 per month).
  • Acorns Gold: Everything in Silver, plus custom portfolios that allow you to hold individual stocks; live Q&As with financial experts; a 50% match on Acorns Earn rewards (up to $200 per month); $10,000 in life insurance; even the ability to set up a will for free. Parents also get Acorns Early access for up to four children. And Gold is the only way to unlock Acorns Early Invest: a custodial account for your child that lets you invest for them while they’re a minor.

Silver and Gold also feature a powerful way to accelerate your savings: Later Match. While most people are aware that employers will sometimes match funds you contribute to your 401(k), “matches” are virtually unheard of in retirement accounts like IRAs, where there’s no employer to kick in extra cash. However, Acorns itself will match 1% or 3% on new contributions to IRAs for Silver and Gold subscribers, respectively. 

→ How to get Acorns’ sign-up investment bonus

Acorns offers $20 when you sign up and set up recurring investments. It’s one of the best investment bonuses currently on offer because there’s no luck involved to earn the maximum amount. To earn $20 from Acorns, you have to complete a few steps:

  1. Sign up for an Acorns account.
  2. Set up recurring investments ($5 minimum)
  3. Make your first successful recurring investment.

Your $20 bonus will be awarded within 10 days of the following month.

Learn more in our Acorns review, or use our link to sign up with Acorns today.

Related: How to Make $20 Fast [14 Legit Ways to Get Free $ Instantly]

2. Webull ($3-$300 in Fractional Shares, APY Boost + Free Premium)


webull homepage.
Webull
  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Desktop app (Windows, Mac, Linux), web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
  • Promotion: 1 free month of Premium, 1 month of boosted APY, 10 fractional shares worth $3-$300

Webull is a wallet-friendly brokerage account that offers no-commission stocks, ETFs, and options, $0 contract fees on many options, and requires no deposit minimums.

It also offers fractional-share investing, which allows investors to start buying for as little as $1. In other words: Beginners working with small dollar amounts can still easily diversify their portfolio across numerous investments. Newer investors can also learn trading skills through the courses in Webull’s education center, and even practice their skills via Webull’s paper trading service.

Webull is available across just about every platform, allowing you to research, trade, and track your stocks on your smartphone, tablet, or desktop.

Why choose Webull to trade stocks?

Webull provides investors with several useful features and tools, including:

  • Charting tools
  • Free real-time stock quotes and stock alerts
  • Customizable screeners for both stocks and ETFs
  • Preset lists—including Top Gainers, Top Losers, Most Active, and Best-Performing Industries—investors can use to identify opportunities
  • Voice commands: Simply speak to buy, sell, or look up information about a ticker
  • “Big Button Mode”: Populates giant buttons on your screen that allow you to quickly make trades with just a push

Webull also offers extended trading hours (pre- and after-market trading) and 24/7 online help. And you can get more than just brokerage accounts—you can also sign up for tax-advantaged retirements such as traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs, including contribution matches.

You can also subscribe to the paid Webull Premium tier, which provides a higher APY on uninvested cash, IRA rollover and transfer matches, higher IRA contribution matches, better margin rates, and more.

On top of all that, Webull frequently runs promotions that typically involve earning free stock.

→ How to get Webull’s various bonuses

Currently, Webull is offering new users a litany of bonuses connected to making an initial deposit. Here’s how to collect a free month of Premium, an APY boost, and $3-$300 in fractional stock:

  • Use our link to sign up with Webull and get a free month of Premium just for opening your account.
  • Deposit at least 1¢ and get one month of boosted APY in Webull Cash Management.
  • Deposit at least $100 and receive 10 fractional shares worth between $3 and $300.

Related: How to Get Free Stocks for Signing Up: 9 Apps w/Free Shares

3. SoFi Invest® (Up to $1,000 in Bonus Stock)


sofi invest homepage.
SoFi Invest
  • Available: Sign up below
  • Platforms: Desktop, web, mobile (iOS, Android)
  • Promotion: Up to $1,000 in bonus stock

SoFi is a multi-faceted financial company that offers everything from credit cards and insurance to student loans and mortgages … and they also allow you to trade and invest through its SoFi Invest app.

With SoFi Invest, you can invest as actively or as passively as you’d like. The Active SoFi Invest Brokerage Account has no required minimum balance, charges no commissions on stock, ETF, and options trades, and its options trading has no contract fees, either. Want to put your portfolio on autopilot? SoFi’s robo-advisory services will create a portfolio for you for an annual 0.25% assets under management fee (that can be designed to address one or several goals) and auto-rebalance it for you as necessary over time.

The interface is still very much geared toward younger, less experienced investors—everything is focused on simplicity and ease of use, rather than an expanse of sophisticated tools. SoFi also offers budget-friendly features such as fractional shares, which allow you to invest for as little as $5. And SoFi even provides a social element, such as bringing SoFi members together at exclusive events.

And one thing that sets SoFi apart is your ability to handle many financial tasks within the very same app. SoFi’s app allows you to tackle anything from banking and investing to student loans, insurance, and mortgages. Better still, you can subscribe to SoFi Plus to unlock an additional $1,000 per year in extra value across all of SoFi’s financial arms.

→ How to earn bonus stock from SoFi Invest

SoFi Invest allows you to win a randomly selected dollar amount, up to $1,000, worth of bonus stock. To qualify:

  1. Click the link below to open a new brokerage account with SoFi.
  2. Fund your account with $50 or more within 30 days of the account opening.

Your bonus should post to your account in 10 business days.

Related: 14 Best Investing Research & Stock Analysis Websites [2026]

4. Moomoo (Up to $1,000 in NVDA Stock)


moomoo homepage.
Moomoo
  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Desktop app (Windows, Mac), web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
  • Promotion: Up to $1,000 in free NVDA stock with qualifying deposit

Moomoo is a cost-friendly trading platform that offers no-commission stocks, ETFs, and options, and no contract fees on equity options.

While Moomoo is great for advanced traders, offering powerful tools to empower your trading insights and strategies, its differentiated approach (simple interfaces and high ease of use) make it a match for some intermediate and beginner investors, too. The desktop platform is highly customizable, while the mobile app is straightforward, allowing you to search for stocks and trade with minimal hassle.

But again: Moomoo has more than enough under the hood for advanced traders to get the job done. Its charting system, for instance, includes 62 technical analysis indicators and 22 drawing tools. You can set up alerts based on changes in price, bids, turnover ratio, and more. Free Level 2 market data helps you get a greater understanding of a stock’s value, determine how liquid a stock truly really is, and better time your trades. You can even enjoy 24/7 financial news handpicked by Moomoo’s editorial team.

→ How to get your free shares on Moomoo

Moomoo is currently offering new users a deposit bonus of up to $1,000 in free NVDA shares. Here’s how to collect it:

  1. Use our link to open a new brokerage account with Moomoo.
  2. Make a deposit within the promotional period. Amount of stock is determined by deposit size; $100 or greater gets $20 in stock; $2,000 or greater gets $50 in stock, $10,000 or greater gets $300 in stock, and $50,000 or greater gets $1,000 in stock.

Related: 11 Best Stock Trading Apps [Free + Paid]

5. Wealthfront ($50 Deposit Bonus)


wealthfront signup new
Wealthfront
  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Desktop web app, Apple iOS and Google Android.
  • Sign-up bonus: $50 deposit bonus

Wealthfront is a popular robo-advisor that offers numerous account types, including individual, joint, and trust taxable brokerage accounts, Traditional, Roth, SEP, and Rollover IRAs and 529 plans.

While some of its robo-advisor competitors have a relatively high minimum balance requirement of a few thousand dollars or much more, Wealthfront requires a fairly small initial deposit of $500 to open an account. (Again, that’s high for an investment account, but low for a robo-advisory product.) So if you don’t have a huge sum invested already to move into the account or to rollover from an existing account like a 401(k) or other IRA, this account might be a good choice.

Wealthfront offers some valuable perks with its accounts, including automatic tax-loss harvesting, automatic rebalancing, automatic trading, and the option to customize your expert-built portfolio. This top robo-advisor also offers access to a 529 plan (or the ability to link an external one to your account) to help with saving for educational expenses. This is an uncommon feature for most standalone robo-advisors outside of a traditional brokerage, so it’s well worth noting.

If you’re considering putting this on your shortlist, just note that Wealthfront does charge a 0.25% annual management fee across the board. That’s more affordable than some robo-advisors, but it’s also not free. Learn more on Wealthfront’s website.

→ How to get your $50 deposit bonus on Wealthfront

If you use our link to open a new taxable brokerage account with Wealthfront, fund it with $500 or more within 30 days of account opening, and leave the funds there for at least seven days, you’ll receive a $50 deposit bonus in your account.

Related: Free $5 Instantly: How to Make an Extra $5 Fast

6. Swagbucks ($10 Bonus)


Swagbucks homepage.
Swagbucks
  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
  • Bonus: $10

Making money online through Swagbucks is simple. Swagbucks lets users earn Swagbucks points (SBs) by completing simple tasks—that includes taking surveys, yes, but also shopping online, playing video games, or even just doing web searches.

Users can redeem SBs for gift cards from popular retailers, such as Apple, Amazon, and Target; the website awards more than 7,000 gift cards every day. However, if you just want cash, you can redeem points that way, too, and receive the money in a PayPal account. You’ll need your own bank account if you want to transfer this money for you to use.

Users also earn SB points for every dollar spent shopping online through the service and get access to exclusive coupons and deals, even for prescriptions. You can also get cash back for groceries and other essentials at popular stores like Apple, Amazon, and Target, and more, when you take a picture of the receipt. Swagbucks even offers opportunities to get cash back for dining.

→ How to get your Swagbucks bonus cash

To get your $10 sign-up bonus from Swagbucks, do the following:

  1. Use our link to sign up with Swagbucks.
  2. Activate the Bonus in the Swag Ups section of your account.
  3. Spend a minimum of $25 on a single purchase at a store featured in Swagbucks.com/Shop within 30 days.

Usually, the purchase credits within 32 days, and the bonus is rewarded a couple of days after that. The bonus comes in the form of 1,000 SB, which is $10 in value.

Related: 11 Best Alternative Investments [Options to Consider]

7. Groundfloor ($50 Bonus)


groundfloor homepage.
Groundfloor
  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
  • Bonus: $50

Groundfloor accounts allow accredited and non-accredited investors alike to participate in real estate investment loans.

Groundfloor says more than 300,000 users have invested more than $2.2 billion on its platform to date. It has seemingly returned the favor: Groundfloor reports more than 10% average annual returns since the service got off the ground.

The platform’s primary offering is Groundfloor Notes—short-term investments backed by loans made out to real estate investors. Groundfloor Notes typically mature in 30 days, 90 days, or 12 months, and interest rates on Notes vary based on several factors, including bond rates, investor demand, and level of risk in the loan.

However, investors now can invest in individual real estate loans, as well as a variety of private markets including pre-IPO equity, small-business finance, consumer credit, and even music royalties.

Groundfloor users can choose their own investments or let the experts choose for them. You can start investing with as little as $10 per individual investment opportunity, though certain investments require higher amounts, such as $100 or $1,000.

→ How to earn Groundfloor’s $50 bonus

  1. Use our link to open a new Groundfloor account and answer a few questions.
  2. Connect to a bank account.
  3. Transfer at least $50.

You’ll receive a $50 credit that you can use to invest in Groundfloor. The credit will typically come 30 days after you complete your qualifying transfer.

Related: 15 Best Investment Apps and Platforms [Free + Paid]

8. Cash App ($5 Bonus)


cash app homepage.
Cash App
  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Desktop, web, mobile (iOS, Android)
  • Bonus: $5

Cash App markets itself as a smarter way to manage your money. Whether you’re looking to send, spend, bank, or buy stocks or bitcoin, Cash App has several useful features that allow you to handle, save, and invest your money.

Sending and receiving payments is free with Cash App, so you can rest assured knowing that your money is always accounted for when you transfer funds to friends and family.

Similar to Venmo, Cash App lets you instantly send money to anyone for free. You can even send stocks or Bitcoin. Your balance updates immediately, so you always know your transaction was successful. If you don’t have any funds in your account, the money is drawn from a linked card or financial account.

The recipient doesn’t need to have a Cash App account. You can use an email or phone number to transfer money. However, they will need to create an account within 14 days or the money is returned to you.

Optionally, you can deposit your paychecks, tax returns, and more into the app. Direct deposits are available as soon as they are received, which may be up to two days faster than banks.

→ How to get your Cash App bonus

You and a friend can both get $5 bonuses when one of you uses the other’s Cash App referral code to sign up for Cash App. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Use our link to download and sign up with Cash App. You’ll need to register with your phone number.
  2. Link a debit card.
  3. Go to Settings, then Invite Code, and enter your referral code from a friend.
  4. Within 14 days, send at least $5 (lump sum or multiple payments) to anyone.

Instant Sign-Up Bonuses: Our Top Picks


Earn Cash Toward Your 529
Earn Cash for Everyday Activities
Earn more than $30 in free cash.
Sign up and get $5.
Earn Cash Toward Your 529
Earn more than $30 in free cash.
Earn Cash for Everyday Activities

Best Apps That Give You Money for Signing Up (Instant Sign-Up Bonus)


Now, let’s move on to apps that provide immediate gratification, in the form of immediate bonuses. (Note: Some of the below apps have both an immediate sign-up bonus, as well as additional bonuses that require more actions.)

9. Upromise ($5.29 Sign-Up Bonus, $25 Linking Bonus)


upromise homepage.
Upromise
  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
  • Sign-up bonus: $30.29 ($5.29 for signing up, and $25 for linking a 529 plan)

Upromise makes it easier to save for your child’s future higher education expenses, and has helped families save more than $1 billion for college to date.

After you create a Upromise account, you link it to either your 529 plan, student loan account, or a checking or savings account. You can also apply for a no-monthly-fee Upromise Mastercard that earns you cash rewards when you shop, eat at restaurants, and more, and the service will automatically deposit both your cash rewards and any monthly contributions into your 529 plan or linked bank account. You’ll also earn more in cash-back rewards with the Upromise Mastercard than you will with any other linked debit or credit card.

Also, every month, Upromise gives five families a $529 college scholarship. Every dollar of earned rewards gets you an entry.

→ How to get your free money on Upromise

As soon as you use our link to sign up with Upromise and verify your email, you’ll be awarded $5.29. To receive an additional $25, you must:

  1. Link a 529 plan account within 30 days.
  2. Keep the account active through the first cash-back rewards redemption cycle.
  3. Make sure your cash-back rewards account balance meets the minimum transfer amount to be able to transfer rewards into the linked account.

Related: 11 Best Free Investing Apps [Invest for Free]

10. Sproutful ($1 Sign-Up Bonus)


Illustrated image of a potted plant holding a smartphone.
Sproutful
  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Desktop, mobile web (Apple iOS, Android)
  • Promotion: 100-point sign-up bonus

Sproutful is a free platform that offers you real money just by playing mobile games and sharing your opinion. And it features one of the most flexible sets of payout options in the industry.

Getting started is simple: You sign up for free. Then you start taking paid surveys, or playing a variety of games (casual, puzzles, board games, adventure/RPG, slots, and more). You earn points, which you can redeem once you’ve accumulated just $5 worth of earnings.

Sproutful allows users to cash out via PayPal or Venmo, or get paid via gift cards from literally hundreds of brands, including Airbnb, Amazon, Apple, DoorDash, Google, PlayStation, Spotify, Starbucks, Uber, and Walmart. That’s one of the broadest payout selections among paid-survey sites we cover.

While this is one of the newest such apps on the market, it has quickly built up a sterling reputation, earning an “Excellent” rating on Trustpilot.

→ How to Get Your $1 bonus on Sproutful

Getting your $1 bonus on Sproutful couldn’t be easier. Just sign up with our link, and you’ll start with a free 100-point bonus (worth $1).

Related: 5 Best Paid Surveys for Kids and Teens [Online Surveys]

11. InboxDollars ($5 Sign-Up Bonus)


inboxdollars homepage
InboxDollars
  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
  • Sign-up bonus: $5

InboxDollars helps users make extra money from doing simple tasks. Like with other money-making apps, brands pay InboxDollars for consumer opinions—which is where you come in. You can earn free cash by participating in several activities, including taking surveys and reading emails.

You can also earn cash-back rewards for online shopping, buying groceries, even spending on games. InboxDollars is partnered with GSN Casino, and users earn 18% cash back with InboxDollars for every dollar they spend on GSN games.

Better still: There’s no complex points system. Your earnings show up as real cash. Simple as that.

This passive income app isn’t a substitute for a full-time job, but it’s a great way to earn some extra money with only a little additional work on your part. And to entice new customers, InboxDollars is currently offering a $5 bonus to get started.

→ How to get the InboxDollars sign-up bonus

InboxDollars gives you $5 free cash just for activating your account when you use our link. After you sign up, watch for your first PaidEmail® in your inbox (which might take a couple of minutes). Confirm that you received the email, and that’s it!

Just note that the minimum cash-out amount is $15, so you’ll have to complete a few surveys or other small tasks to earn enough to cash out your bonus.

Related: 9 Best Stocks for Beginners With Little Money

Sign-Up Bonuses: FAQs


Which apps offer sign-up bonuses that allow you to get money instantly?

There are several apps where you earn money instantly, including the following:

While some of these apps pay money instantly, the instant sign-up bonus might be lower than the minimum withdrawal amount. Fortunately, many apps where you get money instantly provide enough to cash out right away, and usually, those that don’t only require slightly more effort to reach the minimum withdrawal amount.

What types of sign-up bonuses are available for the apps covered in this list?

The sign-up bonuses on this list let you earn cash, gift cards, crypto, or stocks. Some give you multiple options.

Are there apps that pay you to shop online?

Yes. Upromise, InboxDollars, MyPoints, and Swagbucks all pay you to shop online.

Do you need a bank account to get sign-up bonuses?

It depends on the app. Some apps let users take their sign-up bonus in the form of free gift cards or free money sent to a PayPal account. For these apps, you don’t need a bank account to get sign-up bonuses as you aren’t getting paid through direct deposit.

However, some apps require you to deposit money or make a minimum purchase. In this situation, you usually need an account to earn free cash.

Are there free sign-up bonus apps?

Yes. Several of the apps on this list provide a sign-up bonus where you get money instantly. Some of the other apps require a few more steps.

How do you convert points in some apps to cash?

When you sign up and get points from an app, always check the conversion rate between points and monetary rewards as this can vary. Frequently, a point equals 1¢, but this isn’t always the case.

Disclaimers


Moomoo

Moomoo’s parent company is Nasdaq-listed Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU). Their subsidiaries are licensed and regulated in the United States, Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong.

About the Author

Riley Adams is the Founder and CEO of Young and the Invested. He is a licensed CPA who worked at Google as a Senior Financial Analyst overseeing advertising incentive programs for the company’s largest advertising partners and agencies. Previously, he worked as a utility regulatory strategy analyst at Entergy Corporation for six years in New Orleans.

His work has appeared in major publications like Kiplinger, MarketWatch, MSN, TurboTax, Nasdaq, Yahoo! Finance, The Globe and Mail, and CNBC’s Acorns. Riley currently holds areas of expertise in investing, taxes, real estate, cryptocurrencies and personal finance where he has been cited as an authoritative source in outlets like CNBC, Time, NBC News, APM’s Marketplace, HuffPost, Business Insider, Slate, NerdWallet, Investopedia, The Balance and Fast Company.

Riley holds a Masters of Science in Applied Economics and Demography from Pennsylvania State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Finance from Centenary College of Louisiana.