Walking is one of the simplest things we humans do. We walk to the store, to our office, to the bus stop, or sometimes just to clear our heads. But in 2025, walking has become more than just a way to get from point A to point B—it has become a business model. With the rise of health-focused apps and the obsession with side hustles, a new trend has emerged: “Get Paid to Walk” apps.
When I first heard about this, I was skeptical. Could I really make money just by walking? Or was it just another flashy idea designed to trick people into downloading apps and watching ads? To find out, I decided to test five of the most popular “get paid to walk” apps for an entire month. My mission was simple: walk, track, and see which one actually puts money (or something valuable) in my pocket.
Here’s what happened.
Why “Get Paid to Walk” Exists in the First Place
Before I dive into each app, let’s pause and ask a bigger question: why do these apps even exist?
The truth is, they’re based on two powerful ideas:
- Gamification of health – People love turning boring routines into games. If you give me points, coins, or rewards for doing something healthy, I’ll probably do it more.
- Advertising and partnerships – Most of these apps aren’t charities. They make money through ads, partnerships with brands, and by selling health-related data (anonymized, in theory). They then share a tiny portion of that revenue with the users.
So, no—you’re not going to get rich by walking. But you might earn small rewards, gift cards, or even crypto, while improving your fitness. And honestly, that’s not a bad deal.
The Five Apps I Tested
After hours of research (and dozens of Reddit threads full of both hype and complaints), I chose five apps that seemed legit, popular, and available worldwide:
- Sweatcoin
- StepBet
- Runtopia
- Lympo (Walk & Earn Crypto)
- PK Rewards
Each app had its own quirks, reward systems, and frustrations.
App 1: Sweatcoin — The Social Media of Walking
Sweatcoin is probably the most famous walking app out there. The pitch is simple: you walk, you earn Sweatcoins (a kind of in-app currency), and you can exchange them for rewards.
At first, I was impressed. The interface looked sleek, and the app tracked my steps more accurately than I expected. After a week, I had earned about 100 Sweatcoins.
But here’s the catch: Sweatcoins aren’t actual money. They’re closer to coupons. I could use them for discounts, free trials, or—if I saved enough—for bigger rewards like Apple AirPods.
The problem? To get anything truly valuable, you need thousands of Sweatcoins. At my pace, that would take months. Still, it was motivating. I found myself walking more just to hit the daily step goals.
Pros:
- Fun and addictive
- Good at pushing me to walk more
- Offers some real rewards
Cons:
- Takes forever to cash out big prizes
- Not “money” in the traditional sense
App 2: StepBet — Gambling With Your Fitness
StepBet works differently. Instead of just giving you coins for walking, it makes you bet on yourself. You join a “game,” pay an entry fee (usually around $40), and commit to hitting certain step goals for six weeks.
If you succeed, you win your money back—plus a share of the prize pool from people who failed.
This one scared me. I’m not usually the type to gamble, but I figured it might give me some extra motivation. For six weeks, I checked my phone every night to make sure I was on track. The fear of losing $40 was enough to get me moving on days when I’d normally just stay on the couch.
At the end, I won $52. Not life-changing, but a solid $12 profit for walking.
Pros:
- Real money payouts
- Extremely motivating
- Forces you to stay consistent
Cons:
- Risky if you fail
- Requires upfront investment
App 3: Runtopia — Small Cash for Fitness Tasks
Runtopia is a fitness app with a built-in reward system. You can earn points (called Sports Coins) for walking, running, or even doing audio-guided workouts.
The good news? You can actually exchange those points for PayPal cash. The bad news? It’s not much. After walking consistently for a month, I made about $3.50.
That might sound like peanuts, but it’s still one of the few apps that pays real money without requiring you to gamble.
Pros:
- Real cash payouts
- Includes other fitness activities
- Decent design
Cons:
- Very low earning potential
- Points expire if you don’t use them
App 4: Lympo — Walk for Crypto
This one was the wild card. Lympo rewards you in cryptocurrency tokens for completing daily walking challenges. As a crypto nerd, I was excited to test it.
The first week was fun—I completed small challenges like “walk 1,000 steps before 11 AM” or “hit 8,000 steps today.” Each challenge gave me a bit of crypto.
But crypto is volatile. By the time I tried to cash out, my rewards had lost value. Still, the idea of earning crypto just for walking around felt futuristic.
Pros:
- Lets you earn crypto (unique concept)
- Fun challenges
- Potential to grow in value
Cons:
- Very unstable value
- Limited cash-out options
App 5: PK Rewards — Turning Effort Into Coins
PK Rewards is less about steps and more about “effort points.” It tracks how hard you’re working (whether you’re walking, running, or cycling) and rewards you with coins.
Those coins can be exchanged for gift cards, fitness gear, or occasionally cash. I liked that it measured effort instead of just raw steps, but the rewards system was slow. After two weeks, I had enough coins for a $5 gift card.
Pros:
- Rewards all types of activity
- Gift card options are solid
- Fun to track “effort”
Cons:
- Slow to earn
- Small catalog of rewards
My Honest Ranking
After a full month of testing, here’s how I’d rank them for someone who actually wants value:
- StepBet (Best for real money, if you’re consistent)
- Runtopia (Small but steady PayPal payouts)
- Sweatcoin (Fun, but feels like a coupon system)
- PK Rewards (Good effort tracking, slow rewards)
- Lympo (Exciting but unstable crypto rewards)
If I had to stick with one long-term, I’d probably choose StepBet for the money and Sweatcoin for the motivation.
Lessons I Learned From Walking for Money
- You won’t get rich — These apps are side hustles, not full-time jobs.
- The real reward is fitness — I walked more than ever during this test, not because of the money, but because of the structure.
- Motivation hacks work — Even tiny rewards can push you to move more.
- Some apps are more marketing than money — Be smart and pick the ones that actually pay.
✅ Sources
- Sweatcoin Official Site — https://sweatco.in
- StepBet Official Site — https://stepbet.com
- Runtopia App — https://www.runtopia.net
- Lympo Walk-to-Earn Crypto — https://lympo.io
- PK Rewards — https://www.pkfitness.com
- “Get Paid to Walk” Trends — Forbes Health, 2024
Written by the author, Fatima Al-Hajri 👩🏻💻
You must be logged in to post a comment.