Like it or not, your data is constantly being collected by data collection apps, search engines, and social media platforms.

Sure you can go incognito and avoid some of this, but if companies are willing to pay you for your mobile data, why not earn a few dollars each month?

Below you will find a list of the 17 best data collection apps to make money with broken down into a few categories;

• Data collection apps that pay
• Shopping data apps that pay
• Driving collection apps pay
• Workout data collection apps that pay

The 14 Best Data Collection Apps to Make Money With:

Data Collection & Usage

1. Tapestri

Tapestri pays you for your location data. Large retailers like Lowes want to know your shopping habits so that they will buy your data from Tapestri. As a reward, Tapestri pays you for this very vital data! Don’t worry; it is all anonymous, and the retailers won’t reach out to you!

2. Permission Research

Permission Research relies on its members to gain valuable insight into online trends and behavior. It works by installing software on your phone, and your internet usage data is collected, pooled, and sold (don’t worry, they protect your data).

You can earn money and rewards by using this and also opportunities to complete additional surveys for money.

3. Honeygain

• Get it here: Honeygain.com
• How you make money: You earn $1 for every 10GB of data shared and $5 if you refer a friend.

Using your unused internet bandwidth, Honegain rents it out and uses it to gather valuable market research data. According to its website, Honeygain is the first-ever app that allows its users to make money online by sharing their Internet connection.

4. Mobile Expression

• Get it here: Mobile Expression
• How you make money: $5 after the first week, $5 every few weeks in the form of a gift card.

Get paid for your internet surfing. Seriously, it is that simple. When you download MobileExpression, the data collection app uses your internet data to help shape “The Future of the Internet.”

Follow these steps:

1. Download the software/app on your phone
2. Claim earned credits each week
3. Exchange credits for gift cards

5. Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel

• Get it here: Get Nielsen
• How you make money: Get $50 annually in points for gift cards

Nielsen Ratings is the original data collector that paid you back in the cable TV days. Now, the app tracks how you use the internet, your tablets, phones, and TV. You can earn up to $50 each year to redeem gift cards.

Other data collection apps you can consider are:

• Data Coup
• Mobile Performance Meter
• PhonePaycheck
• Placed Pane
• AppOptix
• UpVoice
• SurveySavvy Connect (Pays up to $180 per year)

Online Shopping:

6. Dosh

• Get it here: Dosh
• How you make money: $10 sign up bonus for new members

Dosh, will you pay you for your consumer data after you shop! Connecting the Dosh app to your credit card accounts lets you earn back cash rewards for shopping. Your data is safe with their 256-bit encrypted security, and you can get a $10 sign-up bonus!

7. Drop

Like Dosh, you will link your credit cards to Drop and then choose the five stores you shop at the most. When you make purchases at these stores, you will get points that can be later redeemed for gift cards from your top retailers.

Fitness & Step Data Collection Apps

8. Sweatcoin

• Get it here: Healthier You!
• How you make money: Get a Sweatcoin for every 5,000 steps or refer a friend. One Sweatcoin is about .05 cents.

Sweatcoin is a free app that rewards your daily steps with their Sweatcoin currency. The cool thing about Sweatcoin is that it is free to join, it’s international, and you get paid to work out. Perhaps the downside is that to get fully rewarded for your steps; you have to level up by paying in Sweatcoin.

Put another way; you are limited to being rewarded for 5,000 steps a day which is only about $.05. You can use the ‘Sweatcoin’ spend with their marketplace, donate, or exchange.

The screenshot from above is how many SweatCoins I got when I downloaded the app exactly one week ago. I haven’t even looked at the app during that time! I also referred a few running buddies and quickly racked up some points.

9. Runtopia

Are you a runner? Runtopia is a GPS-based running app which enables you to track runs that convert steps into currency units called SPC coins. You can use the coins you earn each week to redeem for cash or things like fitness clothes.

10. Evidation (formerly Achievement)

• Get it here: Download it here
• How you make money: Points can be redeemed for cash

Evidation will pay you every time you walk, log meals, or complete other forms of healthy activities. The way it works is simple:

1. Fill out surveys for 200 points or earn up to 80 points for each activity per day
2. Accumulate 10,000 points and get a $10 PayPal payment. 1,00 points = $1

11. PK Rewards

The way it works is effortless. With PK Rewards, you track your workouts. Convert your effort into coins, allowing you to trade for rewards from brands like Lululemon, Amazon, Nike, and more!

Getting paid to work out sounds excellent!

Mileage Data Collection Apps:

12. OnMyWay

OnMyWay is a Mobile App that pays you not to text and drive. You can earn up to $0.05 for each mile you drive safely as a reward for not texting and driving. If you drive 20 miles to work and 20 miles back, that is $2 a day. It is estimated (not quite sure how) that the app has saved 188 lives.

Gas money!

13. Mobilio

Perhaps it is conscious capitalism on their part. Still, Mobillio’s mobile data collection app promotes safe driving, or as they put it, “Do not use your phone while driving, and we reward you with our currency MOBILIO.”

Mobilio is a cryptocurrency, and it is hard to discern how much you can make when you use their app. However, when they launched in 2020, one Mobilio token was worth 3 cents USD. Transparently, their marketplace isn’t very special, but consider downloading Mobilio if you feel like free earning when driving.

14. Safe 2 Save

• Get it here: Safe 2 Save
• How you make money: Collect points that can be redeemed for food and coffee in your local area.

You can earn two points for every minute of undistracted driving. The founder of Safe 2 Save wanted to promote undistracted driving after a student lost her life in College Station. While you might not make a ton, driving safe can help you earn points that can be redeemed. It isn’t clear how much points are worth when translated to currency.

Cool idea – do you drive for Uber or Lyft? You can collect Safe 2 Save points, wrap your car for the money, and drive simultaneously! Triple dipping!

How much can you make with mobile data collection apps?

Depending on how much data you are willing to share, you could make as little as a few dollars a week up to $20+ a week. You can combine the efforts of several apps that use mobile data collection to pay you.

For example, if you get SweatCoin, PK Rewards, Dosh, and Mobile Expression, you can easily make $20 in your first 1-2 weeks, depending on how active you are with working out and

Another quick way to make money is to use a survey app and complete online surveys like:

• Survey Junkie
• Swag Bucks
• Inbox Dollars

Note: The real key to making money with all of these apps is referring others to the app! You can get $5, $10, and in some cases, $15 bonuses (SavvyConnect) when you refer a friend or family member.

The Bottom Line –

When it comes to data collection, your data is used in various ways to help companies reverse market or target consumers, make better projections for future products, and gauge trends.

Some people prefer to remain incognito and avoid any of their data from being collected, especially the sensitive data. While making a few extra dollars a month sounds nice, it will depend on your comfort level with how your data is collected, stored, and utilized.

On the other hand, some people could care less as most of their data is already out!

Hopefully, this list of the best data collection apps that pay you helped; just do your due diligence and vetting before signing up!

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock