I Tested the Top 5 Passive Income Apps — Only One Surprised Me 📲💸

Introduction — The Dream of Earning While Doing Nothing

Let’s be honest — the phrase passive income is like a siren song in the world of money-making. The idea that you can earn without actively working every second is incredibly appealing. For years, the dream was reserved for people with rental properties, stock portfolios, or giant YouTube channels. But in 2025, a new breed of opportunity has emerged: passive income apps.

These are apps that promise to make you money while you sleep, walk, eat, or simply exist. They’re marketed as “set it and forget it” money machines. But here’s the question: do they actually work, or are they just another trap designed to waste your time and battery life?

I decided to find out — by testing the top 5 passive income apps everyone’s talking about this year. I spent weeks using each one, tracking my earnings, monitoring my phone’s performance, and noting how much effort was actually required.

And let me tell you: while most performed exactly as I expected, only one app genuinely surprised me.

My Testing Rules

Before diving into the reviews, here’s how I set up my experiment:

Use each app for at least 7 days to give it a fair chance.
No special treatment — I’d use my phone like I normally do.
Track time, effort, and earnings in detail.
Judge on more than money — usability, transparency, and enjoyment matter too.

App #1 — SleepEarner: Getting Paid to Dream?

Claim: Earn money based on your sleep quality and hours slept.

The first app I tested sounded like the easiest one of all: just sleep. SleepEarner works by tracking your movements, breathing patterns, and noise levels while you rest. It supposedly pays you for “healthy” and “consistent” sleep habits.

My 7-Day Experience

The setup was simple: place my phone on the nightstand, keep it plugged in, and let it run overnight. Every morning, I’d wake up to a “Sleep Score” and a small cash balance.

By the end of the week, I had earned… drum roll… $3.20.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Absolutely zero effort required.
Sleep tracking was surprisingly accurate.

Cons:

Earnings are extremely low unless you have perfect sleep.
Requires your phone to be plugged in all night.
You can’t game the system — moving too much or waking up resets your score.

Verdict

SleepEarner is fun for novelty value, but you won’t retire on it. Still, I loved the idea of monetizing something I’d do anyway.

App #2 — StepCash: The Backwards Walking Challenge

Claim: Earn money by walking backwards and hitting daily step goals.

Yes, backwards. StepCash markets itself as a “fun way to improve balance and coordination while earning.” I figured it would be a disaster — but curiosity won.

My 7-Day Experience

To earn, you must complete a set number of backward steps each day. The app uses your phone’s gyroscope to detect movement direction.

The first two days were awkward. My neighbors gave me odd looks as I shuffled backward down the street. But by day 5, I was moving more confidently.

Earnings: $7.50 in a week.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Actually good exercise for muscles you rarely use.
Fun if you enjoy silly challenges.

Cons:

Risk of bumping into things (I almost walked into a tree).
Not ideal in crowded areas.

Verdict

Better than I expected — a solid combination of fitness and fun. But it’s not for the shy or clumsy.

App #3 — AdWatcher: The Battery Drainer

Claim: Earn money by letting ads play in the background.

AdWatcher’s concept is simple: run the app, let it display ads on your lock screen or background, and earn for every ad viewed. You don’t even need to click.

My 7-Day Experience

I left the app running during work and sleep. After two days, my phone’s battery life was noticeably worse. After a week, I had earned $1.80.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

You literally do nothing but let the phone run.
Earnings are automatic.

Cons:

High battery drain.
Earnings are tiny compared to the phone wear and tear.

Verdict

Yes, it works, but it’s not worth the long-term cost to your phone.

App #4 — VoiceMint: Talking for Dollars

Claim: Earn money by saying phrases or answering short verbal prompts.

I almost didn’t include VoiceMint because it feels semi-active, but it’s so low effort that I counted it. You get paid per recording, and the app uses your voice to train AI models.

My 7-Day Experience

I spent 5–10 minutes a day recording silly phrases like “The banana ate the sandwich” or “Turn left at the purple house.” The tasks were oddly fun.

Total earnings: $10.20 in a week.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Quick, easy, and strangely entertaining.
Clear payout system.

Cons:

Not truly passive — requires a few minutes daily.
Limited tasks some days.

Verdict

One of the better-paying apps for minimal effort, but you have to like talking to your phone.

App #5 — CryptoFarm: The Unexpected Winner 🌱💰

Claim: Grow virtual plants that generate cryptocurrency over time.

CryptoFarm sounded ridiculous — a gamified app where watering pixel plants earns real digital currency. But here’s the twist: the app stakes a portion of its profits from crypto investments and distributes it to users.

My 14-Day Experience

You “plant” seeds in your virtual garden. Each seed matures over time, earning small amounts of cryptocurrency daily. All you have to do is log in and water them occasionally.

I earned $25 worth of crypto in two weeks. The more plants you own, the more you earn — and there’s a built-in marketplace to trade seeds.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Surprisingly addictive and visually pleasing.
Real earning potential if crypto prices rise.
Almost entirely passive.

Cons:

Earnings fluctuate with crypto markets.
Temptation to spend money buying more seeds.

Verdict

CryptoFarm blew my expectations out of the water. It’s fun, feels rewarding, and actually generates meaningful income compared to the others.

My Final Rankings

CryptoFarm — Fun, engaging, and profitable.
VoiceMint — Quick, easy earnings for minimal talking.
StepCash — Quirky and good for exercise.
SleepEarner — Cute concept, tiny earnings.
AdWatcher — Barely worth the battery cost.

Lessons Learned

Testing these apps taught me a few truths about passive income in 2025:

Truly passive earnings are small unless you invest time, money, or both.
Entertainment matters — if the app is fun, you’ll stick with it longer.
Transparency is rare — pick apps that clearly explain payouts.
Battery life is gold — avoid apps that drain it for cents.

✅ Sources

TechRadar — “Top Passive Income Apps of 2025” — https://techradar.com/passive-income
Forbes — “How Gamification Shapes Earnings Apps” — https://forbes.com/gamification
CryptoFarm Official — https://cryptofarm.io
Reddit Passive Income Forum — August 2025 Discussions
Psychology Today — “Why People Stick with Gamified Money Apps” — https://psychologytoday.com

Written by the author, Fatima Al-Hajri 👩🏻‍💻