Get Paid to Exercise: Best Apps That Actually Pay in 2026

The Reality of Exercise Apps

Let's set expectations upfront: exercise apps won't replace your income. But they can add $20-$100 per month for activity you're already doing, or provide motivation to do more. The key is understanding which type of app fits your lifestyle. For more earning options beyond exercise, check out our guide to apps that pay real money.

The biggest payouts come from betting on yourself through challenge apps. The easiest money comes from passive step tracking that runs in the background while you go about your day.

Best Apps for Walking & Steps

Sweatcoin

Sweatcoin converts outdoor steps into "Sweatcoins" you can redeem for cash, gift cards, or products. The earning rate sits around 1 Sweatcoin per 1,000 outdoor steps, which translates to roughly $5-$15 per month if you average 8,000-10,000 steps daily. Payout options include PayPal cash, gift cards, products, and charity donations, with cash options starting around $5-20 in coins.

The app runs completely passive in the background with no daily check-ins needed. The main limitation is that it only counts outdoor steps using GPS, so indoor walking won't earn. The earning rate has also decreased over time, and the best rewards require accumulating lots of coins. Despite these drawbacks, Sweatcoin remains the best passive walking app available. Set it and forget it, then keep walking. You can read more details in our full Sweatcoin review.

Evidation (formerly Achievement)

Evidation lets you earn points for steps, sleep tracking, food logging, and connecting health apps. You can earn up to 80 points per day, with 10,000 points equaling $10. Monthly earnings from activity alone typically range from $2-$5, though surveys can boost this. Payouts go through PayPal or direct deposit with a $10 minimum (10,000 points).

Unlike Sweatcoin, Evidation counts all steps including indoor walking and syncs with most fitness trackers. The company is legitimate and the process is straightforward. The downside is slow earnings, often taking 2-4 months to reach your first payout due to daily points caps. Still, it's completely passive once connected. Check our full Evidation review for more details.

Winwalk

Winwalk offers a simple step-to-coins system where you earn 1 coin per 100 steps, with 100 coins equaling $1. Monthly earnings typically range from $3-$8, paid out in Amazon, Starbucks, and other gift cards. The minimum payout is just $1, making it easy to cash out quickly.

The app counts indoor steps and has a simple interface. However, there are daily earning caps, no cash payout option (gift cards only), and you'll need to watch ads to boost earnings. Winwalk works best as a supplement to other walking apps rather than a standalone solution.

For a complete guide focused specifically on walking rewards, see our apps that pay you to walk guide.

Best Apps for Gym & Workouts

Insurance Fitness Programs

Many health insurance companies pay you to exercise through their wellness programs, and this is often the highest-paying exercise reward available. UnitedHealthcare Motion offers up to $1,000+ per year for meeting daily goals. Humana Go365 gives points for workouts redeemable for gift cards. Cigna Healthy Rewards provides gym membership discounts plus activity rewards. Blue Cross fitness programs vary by state and plan but often include similar benefits.

The key insight here is that most people don't know these programs exist. Check your insurance benefits before signing up for any other exercise app because you might already have access to the best-paying option. If you're already going to the gym, this essentially becomes free money for activity you're doing anyway.

Gym Rewards Programs

Many gyms now offer their own points systems for check-ins. These vary widely by gym chain, but typically let you accumulate points toward merchandise, membership discounts, or gift cards. Ask your gym directly about any rewards programs they offer, as these often aren't well advertised.

For those interested in earning beyond just gym visits, combining exercise apps with passive income apps creates a solid earning stack.

Challenge & Betting Apps

These apps let you bet on yourself. Higher risk means higher reward, but you need to actually hit your goals or lose your stake.

StepBet

StepBet works by having you pay an entry fee (typically $40), then hit personalized step goals for 6 weeks to split the pot with other winners. Potential winnings range from $45-$60 per game if you win, and company data shows about 85% of players succeed. Multiple games run continuously so you can play back-to-back.

The strength of StepBet is that goals are personalized to your baseline activity level, not some arbitrary number. Most people win because the goals are achievable. The financial stake creates real motivation that simple tracking apps can't match. The downside is losing your entire entry fee if you fail, which requires consistent effort over the full 6 weeks.

DietBet

DietBet challenges you to bet on losing 4% of body weight in 4 weeks (or 10% in 6 months). Entry fees typically run $25-$50, with average winnings of 1.5-2x your entry fee. However, only about 50% of players win.

The app provides strong financial motivation and community support, with verified weigh-ins to prevent cheating. The concern is that the 50% failure rate means real financial risk, and some people may be tempted toward unhealthy rapid weight loss to hit their numbers. This app works best for people who genuinely need to lose weight and respond well to financial motivation.

HealthyWage

HealthyWage offers the biggest potential payouts by letting you bet on your own weight loss with customizable stakes and timelines. Entry fees range from $20-$500 per month (you choose), with potential winnings up to $10,000 based on their calculator. Timelines span 6-18 months depending on your goal.

This is the high-stakes option for serious weight loss goals. You can calculate your potential winnings upfront before committing any money. The risk is significant because you're potentially betting thousands of dollars over many months, and you must meet your exact goal to win. Use their calculator to understand exactly what you're getting into before signing up.

Real Earnings: 6-Month Test

We tested multiple exercise apps simultaneously to see what realistic earnings look like. Here's what we actually earned over 6 months of normal activity.

The insurance program paid the most at $25 per month for exercise we were already doing. Passive apps like Sweatcoin and Evidation earned $13.67 per month combined with literally zero extra effort. StepBet added both motivation and earnings but required consistently hitting goals. The total came to roughly $52 per month for staying active, with most of that being passive or part of an existing routine.

The Exercise App Stack

Maximize earnings by running multiple apps simultaneously. Here's how to structure your stack based on how much effort you want to put in.

The Passive Stack

For zero extra effort, install Sweatcoin to run in the background tracking outdoor steps, Evidation to sync with your fitness tracker for passive points, and Winwalk to count all steps with low minimum payouts. Also check if your insurance offers a fitness program because that's often the highest-paying option. This passive stack should earn $15-$40 per month for walking you're already doing.

The Motivated Stack

If you want extra accountability and higher earnings, add StepBet to the passive stack for financial stakes on hitting step goals. You can also add Charity Miles if you run regularly since it earns donations for charities while giving you a feel-good bonus. This motivated stack should earn $30-$60 per month with consistent effort.

For more ways to stack passive income, check out our guide to the best passive income app stack.

Who Should Use Exercise Apps

Exercise apps work great if you already walk 5,000+ steps daily, use a fitness tracker or smartwatch, need external motivation to exercise, want to gamify your fitness routine, or simply like earning money for things you already do.

They're probably not worth it if you expect significant income over $100 per month (that requires serious commitment), would exercise less without tracking (some find constant measurement demotivating), have privacy concerns about health data sharing, or would make unhealthy choices to win betting challenges.

Privacy Considerations

Exercise apps collect health data, so be aware of what you're sharing. Sweatcoin tracks location data and step counts. Evidation syncs with health apps and may share anonymized data with researchers. StepBet and DietBet collect step data, weight data, and verification photos. Insurance programs can affect your health profile.

If you're already comfortable with fitness trackers, these apps aren't much more invasive. But read privacy policies carefully if data sharing concerns you.