Make Money

Watch Ads For Money: 7 Sites That Are Worth Your Time

Watch Ads For Money

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 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 should you start with? There are a lot of scams and time-wasters out there, so we conducted research into 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.

*Reviews and ratings were current as of February 7, 2021.

#1. Swagbucks Video

PlatformsBBB RatingiOS ratingGoogle Play Rating
iOS, Android, mobile browser and desktop4.11 with 1,126 reviews4.4 with ‎38,025 reviews4.1 with ‎53,171  votes

Swagbucks gets a lot of attention and is widely considered one of the best overall money-making websites. That’s partly because it’s way more versatile than many others. In addition to paying you to watch ads, you can earn extra money by taking surveys, playing games and more.

In fact, we identified over 20 different ways to earn 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 best-in-class 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 rewards quickly. 

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

#2. InboxDollars 

PlatformsBBB RatingiOS ratingGoogle Play Rating
iOS, Android, mobile browser and desktop4.11 with 1,126 reviews4.5 with 134,129 reviews4.0 with 101,463 votes

InboxDollars is another legitimate, widely-used website that has 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.

#3. Ibotta

PlatformsBBB RatingiOS ratingGoogle Play Rating
iOS and Android1.41 with 226 reviews4.8 with 1,167,670 reviews4.4 with 516,246 votes

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 value-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:

Ibotta ceral offer example
Many of Ibotta’s cash-back offers can be used at any store.

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 advertisement. (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 supermarket. 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. 

#4. MyPoints

PlatformsBBB RatingiOS ratingGoogle Play Rating
iOS, Android, mobile browser and desktop4.11 with 1,126 reviews4.3 with 2,782 reviews4.3 with ‎2,992 votes

MyPoints is a great 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.

But there are other ways to earn on the site as well. You can cash in on your hobbies to make money, like playing games, traveling, using coupons and filling out surveys.

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.

#5. AppNana

PlatformsBBB RatingiOS ratingGoogle Play Rating
iOS and AndroidN/A3.3 with 1,085 reviews4.1 with 567,653 votes

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 an Amazon gift card. The minimum redemption is 30,000 Nanas, which is valued at $1.

Their Google Play app has over a half-million reviews, with a 4.1 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. 

#6. Get Paid To Go To The Movies

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.

#7.Get Paid For Your Internet Usage

PlatformsBBB RatingiOS ratingGoogle Play Rating
iOS and AndroidN/A2.9 with 221 reviews2.7 with ‎6,230 votes

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 movies 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.

Common Questions

How much money can you make watching ads?

Your earning potential will vary depending on the site, your demographics and a variety of other factors. But even in a best-case scenario, you should view this as a source of side income; your monthly haul will be in the $10s, not the $100s.

Why do these companies pay people for watching ads?

The monetization strategy of each site differs, but in general, these sites and apps give you a share of the revenue they earn from delivering their partners’ ads to your eyeballs. 

Video ads produce much better results than image ads or banner ads, so advertisers are willing to pay a premium to make sure they’re actually viewed. That means rewards sites like the ones listed here can split their ad revenue with their users, creating a win-win scenario. 

Can you get paid for watching YouTube videos?

We are not aware of any legit ways to get paid to watch video content on YouTube.

Are there better ways to make money online?

Watching ads is one of the lowest-earning “get paid to” tasks you can find. You can often earn more money by completing surveys or even just by signing up for websites and offers

How do you become a Nielsen Family?

Many websites list Nielsen Family as one of the best ways to watch ads for money. Like Ibotta, Nielsen is a little bit different than a typical reward site that allows you to click “Play,” watch a video, and get paid. 

The company is one of the largest consumer research firms in America, and is most well-known as the company that provides the TV viewership ratings that determine whether or not shows get renewed for a new season or canceled.

Nielsen has a program called Nielsen Families that pays households monthly for allowing the company to track their TV viewership, in addition to filling out surveys about their TV habits. 

Nielsen then sends this viewership data (which is confidential) to networks so they can make better decisions about what shows to keep on the air. 

The big downside — and the reason Nielsen Family didn’t make our list of the top options — is that the program is invite-only. There’s literally no way to sign up; you just have to be on the lookout for an invitation in the mail.

On the positive side, Nielsen sends over 1 million new invites every year, so the odds of being invited aren’t as bad as they might seem.

Is It Worth It To Watch Ads For Money?

If you enjoy the content, watching ads for money isn’t the worst way to spend some of your spare time.

But keep in mind, the earnings on a per-hour basis are very low. And to actually see any money in your bank account, you need to earn the minimum withdrawal amount from each site.  

That said, it can be an easy way to make a little bit of real money with the popular sites mentioned above.

For those looking for a more legit side hustle, getting paid to do movie theatre audits can produce a decent hourly wage. You can learn more about how to get started in our beginner’s guide to mystery shopping

R.J. Weiss

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