Get Paid to Watch Videos: Best Apps & Websites That Actually Pay in 2026

A survey by Side Hustle Nation found that 68% of people trying video-watching apps quit within the first month, and the reason is simple: most platforms pay between $0.50 and $3.00 per hour. Before you download your first app, you need to know which platforms actually deliver on their promises, what you can realistically earn, and whether your time is better spent elsewhere.

This guide breaks down the 10 best apps and websites that genuinely pay users to watch videos, reveals the actual hourly rates you can expect from each platform, and shows you how to maximize earnings if this side hustle fits your goals. You'll also discover why platforms like EarnLab offer substantially higher returns for the same time investment.

Quick Platform Comparison

How Does Getting Paid to Watch Videos Work?

Video rewards sites make a profit off advertisers who need audience data and engagement metrics. Advertisers spend between $0.01 and $0.50 per view on the platform when you watch their sponsored content, depending on the category and target audience. The platform then forwards 10-30% of that income to you, which is why the earnings are so small.

These sites monitor your viewing habits closely, since advertisers won't pay unless the content has genuinely been watched. Most require periodic interaction, such as clicking a button, answering a question about the content, or confirming you're still active. Others track more closely whether the video window is open, or whether you've muted the sound, so you can't just leave videos running in the background unwatched.

Payments vary across platforms, and most operate on a points-based system where you earn credits that convert to cash or gift cards once you accumulate a set amount, usually 100 points earn you one dollar. Other sites pay directly in cents per video, which is more transparent but also makes clear just how small the payout is per view.

10 Best Apps & Websites That Pay You to Watch Videos

Swagbucks – Watch Videos and Earn Points

Swagbucks has one of the longest-running and most trustworthy video reward schemes, having paid out more than $600 million to users since launching in 2008. The platform offers various video playlists, each category with its own content, such as entertainment, news, cooking, and lifestyle, with videos lasting between 30 seconds and 3 minutes. Each video earns you between 1-4 Swagbucks (roughly $0.01-0.04).

The system automatically queues videos into continuous playlists so you can leave it running and check in periodically. Swagbucks does run occasional attention checks where you have to click to confirm you're watching, and missing too many halts the playlist. Gift cards have the lowest redemption threshold at 300 Swagbucks ($3), while PayPal cashouts need 2,500 Swagbucks ($25).

What sets Swagbucks apart is the variety of other earning methods available. Adding video watching to surveys, shopping cashback, and web searches can help you hit payout thresholds faster than video views alone.

InboxDollars – Get Paid for Video Playlists

InboxDollars takes a different approach, paying directly in cash instead of points, which removes any confusion about conversion rates. The platform partners with major brands for video content across news, entertainment, and product segments, with published rates around $0.01-0.03 per video. Most videos run 2-5 minutes.

It has a minimum balance of $30 before you can request payment, a significant time investment considering videos only earn pennies each. InboxDollars also applies a $3 processing fee to most cashout options, effectively raising the real minimum to $33. Reviewers have reported it took 2-4 months of daily use to hit the initial payout goal.

The platform holds an A+ rating despite complaints about the high minimum, since it has continued paying users who meet the requirements. Payment processing typically takes 10-14 business days after the request.

iRazoo – Video Rewards Made Simple

iRazoo is a video-based rewards program with fewer features than larger platforms. It offers a simple interface where you pick video categories and start earning points right away, with most videos giving 3-7 points, and 1,000 points worth roughly $5 in rewards.

The minimum redemption starts at 3,000 points ($15) for Amazon gift cards, relatively high compared to some competitors. Video availability isn't always steady, and outside peak periods you may only see 10-20 videos available daily. The platform works best combined with other income streams like surveys and offer completions.

User reviews average 3.2 stars, a mixed rating. The main complaints center on videos failing to credit properly, requiring users to request manual adjustments.

MyPoints – Watch, Shop, and Earn

MyPoints operates under the same parent company as Swagbucks and offers a similar video-watching experience with comparable payout rates. Videos earn 1-5 points each, with 1,000 points worth roughly $6.25 depending on the redemption option. The platform particularly excels at combining video watching with shopping cashback, creating a fuller rewards ecosystem.

The minimum redemption starts at just $3 for select gift cards, easier to reach than many alternatives. Payment processing is reliable, typically completing within 5-10 business days for gift cards and 10-14 days for PayPal transfers. The platform has operated since 1996 with strong user trust.

One practical advantage is the range of gift card options, including major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target, plus restaurant chains and entertainment services, so earnings convert into things you'd buy anyway.

Perk TV – Passive Video Watching

Perk TV became popular by allowing genuinely passive video watching on mobile devices. You can install the app on Android or iOS, pick a video category, and let content play continuously with minimal interaction. The app earns roughly 3-4 points per hour of passive viewing, with 1,000 points equal to $1.

The major drawback is the extremely low earning rate. Even running the app 8 hours daily only generates about $0.96-$1.28 per day, or $28-$38 monthly. One analysis calculated that users would need to run Perk TV continuously for 13 days to earn enough for a $5 Amazon gift card.

Perk has also become more restrictive over time, limiting how many devices you can run simultaneously and frequently changing video availability. Technical issues are common, with videos stopping unexpectedly or the app freezing and needing manual restarts that undercut the passive-income promise.

Viggle – Earn While Watching TV Shows

Viggle tries to monetize your existing TV watching by rewarding you for checking into shows you're already watching. The app uses audio recognition to verify you're watching specific programs, then awards points based on viewing duration, with most shows earning 20-100 points per hour depending on promotional bonuses.

The concept works well in theory, but implementation problems plague the platform. Audio recognition frequently fails and requires repeated check-in attempts, while the app drains phone batteries significantly from constant audio monitoring. Redemption requires 3,750 points for a $5 gift card, roughly 40-50 hours of verified viewing time.

Recent user reviews indicate declining satisfaction, with many reporting frequent crashes and customer service responses taking weeks. The platform also seems to be cutting bonus opportunities compared to previous years, further reducing earning potential.

Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel – Passive Viewing Rewards

Nielsen operates differently from typical video-watching apps. Instead of watching specific advertiser content, you install monitoring software that tracks your overall internet and app usage. Nielsen collects this data for market research and compensates you with $50-$60 annually in rewards.

This is about as passive as it gets, since you don't change your behavior at all. The software runs quietly in the background on your computer or mobile device, requiring zero active participation after installation. Nielsen is a legitimate, established market research company with decades of credibility, making privacy concerns less significant than with unknown platforms.

The tradeoff is minimal earnings at about $0.14 per day. However, since it requires literally no effort or time investment, some users install it on multiple devices to increase earnings. Nielsen limits participation to one account per household and restricts how many devices you can register.

Slidejoy – Watch Ads on Your Lock Screen

Slidejoy takes a different approach, showing advertisements on the lock screen of your Android device. Whenever you open your phone, you see an ad and earn credits whether or not you interact with it. The app pays about $0.10-$0.15 a day depending on how often you unlock your phone.

This translates to about $3-4 a month for most users, with $2 being the lowest typical case. It's the passive nature that makes it appealing, since you're opening your phone regardless of the time of day. That said, the ads can be annoying, especially during urgent tasks, and there's often a slight delay between the ad and unlocking your screen.

Privacy is also worth considering here, since Slidejoy collects information about your app activity and demographics to serve relevant ads. This is disclosed in the company's privacy policy, but some users aren't comfortable with the level of tracking involved.

AppTrailers – Short Videos, Quick Rewards

AppTrailers shows 30-60 second trailer videos for mobile apps, with each view earning 5 to 10 points. The platform offers bonus points for downloading featured apps, but you don't need to install anything to earn from video views alone. Typical users make between $0.50-1.50 an hour of active viewing.

The short video format means you have to interact regularly to move to the next video, which isn't ideal for passive income. Redemption requires just 5,000 points (PayPal or gift cards, $5), with processing taking 7-10 business days after the request.

User experience varies: some report stable income and redemptions, while others complain about videos that won't load or credit properly. This inconsistency shows in the platform's 3.1-star rating on the Google Play Store.

Hideout.tv – Stream Videos for Points

Hideout.tv partners with numerous rewards sites and games to offer video content that earns points redeemable on those platforms. You watch short clips, mostly games and tech reviews, earning credits that transfer to partner sites. The average earning rate is usually $0.30-0.60 per hour, depending on video availability and current rates.

Compared to most platforms, this one has fewer technical problems and more consistent crediting. Even so, the pay remains very low compared to other video-watching sources. There's also extra complexity in linking Hideout.tv to a partner site like Earnably or GrabPoints to redeem rewards.

Videos play one after another without needing interaction, only occasional checking. It works well as a background browser tab while doing other tasks, even though technically the videos are supposed to be actively viewed, as advertisers require.

How Much Can You Realistically Earn Watching Videos?

Expect to make around $15-40 a month if you spend 1-2 hours a day watching videos across several platforms. That works out to roughly $0.50-1.33 an hour, below the minimum wage in any developed country.

A study that tracked actual earnings over three months had testers use five different apps for an average of 90 minutes daily. The average monthly income across participants was $23.47, ranging from $18-31. The most active earner spent 3 hours daily across seven platforms and made $47 in their best month.

Video pricing varies drastically depending on advertiser budgets, time of year, and location. Opportunities and per-video rates are generally more favorable for users in the United States than elsewhere, and a platform's payout rates often drop as it ages and attracts more users competing for the same video inventory. Technical problems, such as videos that fail to credit correctly, apps that crash, and playlists that interrupt without warning, further reduce real income.

The opportunity-cost math is simple: if 2 hours a day earns you $1, you're making $0.50 an hour. Nearly any other side gig or part-time job pays more than this.

Tips to Maximize Your Video Watching Earnings

Running several platforms at once boosts income without adding to your active time. Install Swagbucks on your computer, open Perk TV on an old smartphone, and run Slidejoy on your main phone to stack earnings across platforms.

Focus on platforms with the highest per-video rates instead of spreading your time evenly. InboxDollars and Swagbucks generally pay more than Perk TV or Hideout.tv, so watch videos there when your time is limited.

Take advantage of bonuses and promotional periods, since most platforms pay more at certain times of day or on special occasions. Swagbucks also runs "2x points" days that often double video earnings, meaningfully boosting hourly rates during those windows.

Combine video watching with other earning methods on the same sites. Surveys, shopping cashback, and search rewards pay much better on Swagbucks and MyPoints, so treat video watching as an add-on to reach payout thresholds sooner.

Why EarnLab Is the Smarter Alternative

The core problem with video-watching apps is that the payoff is very low. EarnLab solves this by offering work that's far more profitable per hour and open to anyone with internet access.

Rather than limiting you to one low-paying activity, EarnLab offers variety in how you earn, based on your skills and time available. Surveys, data entry, user testing projects, and micro-tasks are all rated higher since they require more genuine participation and provide more useful data to clients. Video-watching sites pay $0.50 to $1.50 an hour, while EarnLab tasks typically pay $5 to $15 an hour depending on your skill level and choice of work.

The platform also has a minimum withdrawal of just $5, versus the $25-30 minimums found on video sites, and payments process within 24-48 hours instead of the usual 10-14 business days. You can get paid via PayPal directly in cash, gift cards for everyday shopping, or crypto to build a digital asset collection. There are no processing fees on withdrawals, so you keep everything you've earned instead of losing $3 to administration.

FAQs About Getting Paid to Watch Videos

Is getting paid to watch videos legit?

Yes, established platforms like Swagbucks and InboxDollars are legitimate businesses that genuinely pay users. However, legitimacy doesn't mean good earnings, since most users earn less than $1 per hour even on reputable platforms.

How much money can I make watching videos?

Realistic expectations are $15-$40 monthly with 1-2 hours daily across multiple platforms, translating to $0.50-$1.50 per hour on average. Heavy users running videos constantly on several devices might reach $50-$75 monthly.

What's the best app to watch videos for money?

Swagbucks offers the best combination of reliability, variety, and reasonable payout thresholds at $3 for gift cards. For truly passive earnings, Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel pays the most relative to effort since you install monitoring software and do nothing else.

Can I watch videos for money on my phone?

Yes, most major platforms offer mobile apps for Android and iOS. Mobile earnings typically match desktop rates at $0.50-$1.50 per hour, though phone battery drain becomes significant when running video apps for extended periods.

Is EarnLab better than video watching apps?

EarnLab provides substantially higher earnings per hour at $5-$15 versus $0.50-$1.50 for video-watching apps. The platform requires more active participation, but the 5-10x increase in earnings justifies the additional engagement, with faster payout processing and a lower $5 minimum withdrawal.