July 10, 2023
Editor
Kari is a writer for SideHustles.com. She previously managed a website in the privacy and digital compliance industry and earned money on the side by working as a pet sitter for 7 years.
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NoWalking. It reduces our risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and depression. It helps us live longer, it makes us happier, and now it can even earn us money.
That’s right—it’s actually possible to turn walking into a side hustle. You can do this to motivate yourself to get more steps in every week, or you can turn the strides you’re already taking into cash and rewards with these 15 apps that pay you to walk.
These walking apps pay you cold hard cash for clocking your daily steps:
Evidation is an app that claims to be (in partnership with several leading healthcare companies) all about empowering you to meet your health and fitness goals with cash incentives. You can connect the Evidation app to other apps on your phone, like your Apple Fitness tracker or Fitbit app, so that it can monitor and reward your physical activity.
You can also use the app to track your fitness goals, participate in health programs, and answer surveys for added rewards.
Gamify your fitness goals with StepBet. The app lets you play games, set goals, and place wagers on yourself. When you meet a challenge’s goals, you split the pot with other participants who “won” the game.
You can sync the Paidtogo app with your movement tracking device or track your steps directly in the app. Either way, this app allows you to earn coins that can then be cashed out for PayPal payments. Earn up to $0.10 per mile walked.
The catch is that Paidtogo can afford to pay its users because it charges subscription fees. Costs vary depending on how you pay, with plans costing between $7.50–$15 per month.
One of the leaders in this space, Sweatcoin aims to reduce carbon emissions by encouraging people to walk instead.
It’s usually a rewards-based app, as most earnings can be cashed in for prizes like gear, tech, and fitness classes.
However, there is a way to make actual cash on Sweatcoin. If you become a Sweatcoin “influencer” (meaning you invite 30 friends to join the app), you become eligible for cash rewards paid through PayPal.
These apps will pay you with rewards—like gift cards, discounts, and freebies—instead of money. Depending on what you’re looking for, this might be a little less appealing than actual cash, but it’s still an incentive to walk.
Sometimes the best reward is contributing to a good cause. You won’t walk away with money in your pocket or a gift card in your wallet, but Charity Miles lets you log steps and earn donations for charitable organizations.
You get to select the charity you’re walking for from the app’s list of 40+ options. Then you just walk, run, or bike and Charity Miles will donate on your behalf based on the distance you go.
Motivate yourself to complete your fitness goals with the PK Rewards app. You’ll clock your workouts (walks, runs, bike rides, etc.), then get a custom effort score for each workout you complete. The app will give you a payout in “coins,” the size of which will be determined by your effort score.
The coins you earn can be redeemed for rewards like gift cards, merchandise, and even trips (but it’ll take a whole lot of steps to earn enough coins for that).
Download the Paceline app and connect your Apple Watch, Garmin, or Fitbit to track your walks (and other fitness activity) and earn rewards. The goal is to reach 150 minutes of elevated heart rate each week. When you meet this goal, you’ll unlock rewards and deals from popular brands.
winwalk is an app that acts like a pedometer. You download it, then track your walks and runs and earn rewards that can be cashed out as gift cards.
If you’re concerned about privacy, this app is a good choice. It doesn’t feature GPS tracking, so it won’t be able to tell your location. Even better, this means it won’t excessively drain your phone’s battery.
This app is for dedicated athletes instead of casual walkers, as rewards can only be redeemed in the Runtopia store, which features athletic gear like shirts, socks, and belts.
Free members can earn up to 50 points per day by walking, running, or completing fitness tasks. There are also paid account options with higher daily earning thresholds.
Mine for coins while completing your daily steps with LifeCoin. The app tracks your walks and rewards your mileage with “coins.” Keep in mind that only GPS-monitored steps count, so the app will substantially drain your battery.
Coins can be redeemed for different types of rewards, including gift cards, technology, and gear.
Download the Fit For Bucks app to get rewarded for all your physical activity—including walking, running, or even dancing. Just connect the app to your fitness tracker (like FitBit or Apple Watch) and get rewarded for every step you take.
What we love about this app is the rewards system. Its rewards (like a free coffee, dessert, or fitness class) are based directly on how many steps you take, so there are no confusing procedures to worry about (like converting your steps to coins and then to rewards).
Make more money during your walk while completing jobs while you’re out and about. These four gig apps pay you to walk and work at the same time.
If you’re looking to get some steps in and need a little extra cash, iVueit poses a fun—and profitable—solution. The app sends you around town to take pictures of different locations, then answer questions about the establishment or area.
How much you make per “vue” varies, with estimates ranging between $7–$50 for each.
Complete odd jobs on foot with the Gigwalk app. It will send you out in your area to complete tasks like:
You won’t be continuously walking to earn money on this app, but you can use it in tandem with your daily promenades to make a quick extra buck.
If you want some company on your walks, sign up with a dog-walking app like Rover to earn an extra income taking hounds around town. You can set your own schedule and walking preferences, then pick up a pup for half an hour or a full hour of exercise.
This is a better earner than many of the other options on this list, as dog walkers tend to earn $10–$17 per hour. Keep in mind that Rover will take a 20% cut of what you earn on the app.
Another dog-walking app that lets you earn money while taking a stroll, Wag! operates much the same as Rover.
While the app has a great reputation and good earning potential, it can be a little costly for newcomers. You’ll need to pay an application fee when you sign up, for instance. This fee varies, but tends to be around $40–$50. On top of that, the app takes a whopping 40% commission from your earnings.
How much you can make from these apps varies—but across the board, the answer is “not a lot.” While using these apps is a great way to motivate yourself to stick to your fitness goals and win some fun rewards, they’re no way to make a living.
Here are some examples of what you can expect:
Many of the apps award additional points for tracking other fitness factors, like your heart rate and weight, and for completing surveys. But at the end of the day, all of these apps offer incentives, not second incomes.
