The rise of the gig economy has been going on for decades. It’s a model that prioritizes flexibility, ease of use, and low overhead in the workforce. In many ways, it’s already become the dominant paradigm for young people.
But it’s not always easy to find jobs that fit your schedule and skill set. And it can be hard to keep track of all the different apps you’ve signed up with—and whether they’re legit or not.
That’s why [company name] has put together this list of the best (and most legit) apps for gig work.
Best Apps For Gig Work
11 Best Gig Economy Apps for Extra Cash
We’ve researched the most popular gig economy apps around and created a cohesive list of the best gig apps to help you earn a little extra cash. From rideshare apps to skilled labor openings, check out our analysis below.
Skilled Labor
Qwick
For all the food industry gurus out there, Qwick is the best gig economy app for you. Qwick is an on-demand hospitality and event industry staffing service company that connects Professionals to flexible shifts with businesses in need of staff. Individuals looking to work as bartenders, line cooks, or banquet servers can find their next shift with Qwick.
The best part about Qwick is the incredible flexibility and freedom the app offers. With this platform, you choose the shifts you want. When and where are up to you, and you have the option to accept the positions that work for your needed income. Set your own hours doing jobs you enjoy at the touch of a button.
Currently, Qwick’s services are available in Arizona, Illinois, New York, Texas, California, Florida, and Georgia. However, this fast-growing company is bound to be offering shifts at a location near you soon enough. As a certified Great Place to Work, we’re sure you’ll enjoy working with Qwick!
Handy
If you’re all about home improvement, Handy is the best gig app for you. Handy focuses their gig app on home-cleaning and handyman services. With a flexible work schedule, you can manage your time and work as many hours as you please. Sign up on their site, let them know what type of work you’re looking for, and start making some hard-earned money. With Handy’s convenient tracking system, you can build credit using the app for anyone interested in renting a home or car.
Top professionals can make roughly $1,000 a week with Handy’s high-paying rates. It’s important to note, however, that professionals are considered independent contractors and are responsible for any cleaning or hardware supplies a job may require. Be sure to budget for what you’ll need when accepting each opening. As a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient, you can trust the services of Handy.
TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit is the perfect gig app for any professionals looking to pick up odd jobs for extra cash. TaskRabbit lets you pick from various tasks like assembling a table or planting flowers to keep you busy throughout the day. Becoming a Tasker is easy with their quick online registration. Once you’ve got your account, you can begin raking in positive reviews and increasing your prices as your skills grow.
With TaskRabbit, clients reach out to you. While this can be great for Taskers with glowing reviews and a wide range of skills, it can be a bit difficult to get started on the app. However, for dedicated employees, TaskRabbit offers the opportunity to grow brand awareness and expand your clientele at your fingertips. Each task also comes with its own price range, meaning you’ll know exactly how much you’ll be getting paid before accepting.
Thumbtack
Named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company, Thumbtack is another gig economy app that offers a wide variety of jobs that you can complete. Living in a state that sees a high average of snowfall each year? Get paid to snowplow someone’s driveway. Have a passion for renovations? Earn some extra cash by completing some interior painting. With Thumbtack, there’s a job for every skill.
Signing up with Thumbtack is as easy as 1-2-3. Create a profile, customize your settings to fit your skills, and wait for customer leads to appear. While the bidding process is relatively simple, one of the biggest challenges professionals face is the time-consuming process of going back-and-forth with customers. Since there may be multiple bids on a project, you may have to constantly lower your bid and wait to hear if you’ve been chosen.
Rideshare
Uber
If you enjoy driving around your town while helping people get to their destination safely, Uber is the gig economy app for you. As long as you don’t mind passing a background check and have a car that meets Uber’s standards, you can be a driver for the highly popular rideshare app.
Uber offers you the option to set your schedule, so you can work whatever times fit your lifestyle. Payment depends on when, where, and how long you drive, but the entire process is done through your phone, so you can rest assured you’ll receive payment. The app service is available across the United States, and even in other countries, so you have the opportunity to work from anywhere.
LYFT
Similar to Uber, LYFT is a rideshare app that offers you the opportunity to taxi people from location to location. LYFT makes it easy to earn extra cash with Peak Hours that offer more money for rides. Payment is based on the time and distance of your ride, plus any additional tips you make from the ride.
When it comes to any rideshare app, there’s always concern about the wear and tear on your car. With LYFT, you have the opportunity to use one of their LYFT Driver Centers that offers at-home repairs to damage done by drives. Ranked 4th on the LinkedIn Top Companies – Startups list, the rideshare app is an excellent addition to your income.
Food Delivery
GrubHub
Of all the most popular food delivery apps, GrubHub commonly pays the most. The delivery app features a payout option that shows you exactly how much you’ll make when you choose to take an order, including the tip. With this option available, it’s easy to find the orders in your area that will work best with the income you’re looking to bring home.
To become a driver with GrubHub, you’ll need a car, a valid I.D., car insurance, and a smartphone. If you meet those four qualifications, you’re all set to become a driver! Simply sign up, wait for the approval, and begin delivering. GrubHub lets you set your own hours as well, so you can make deliveries at any time. The major downfall to an app like this is the wear and tear that comes with the additional miles on your car.
DoorDash
If you’re looking for a food delivery service app that offers a decent amount of tips and bonus pay, we suggest checking out DoorDash. Like GrubHub, this food delivery app shows you the full amount you’ll make before you accept the job. You also have the opportunity to see just how close or far the order is, so you create a schedule that works with your location and schedule.
Registration for this app takes less than 5 minutes, and you can start orders as soon as you’ve been approved. In select cities, you may even have the opportunity to DoorDash on a bike if you’re unable to use a car. DoorDash around your hometown or make some extra cash as you visit different cities across the country.
UberEats
Like the food delivery apps before it, UberEats gives you the option to become a delivery driver in your city. Don’t have a car? No worries, UberEats offers the chance to deliver on your scooter or bike as well. If you choose to use a car or scooter, you’ll need to submit a valid driver’s license and some form of vehicle insurance to be approved.
UberEats lets you earn extra cash as you drive around your favorite town. The innovative app offers driving suggestions to make navigating to restaurants and customers’ homes smooth and simple. Track your earnings using the app and earn cash daily or weekly.
Freelance
Fiverr
Trusted by Facebook and Google, Fiverr is one of the best gig economy apps for Professionals looking to grow their skills. Simply post your specialty on the app and wait for clients to contact you. Fiverr offers opportunities for jobs in areas such as graphic design, social media management, and programming. Simply sign up, post your gig with the skills you’re offering, and let clients find you. You may have to compete against some strong contenders at the start, but you’ll be a top Professional before you know it.
This gig app offers a wide variety of job opportunities that can help you to grow in your career. However, for Professionals just starting, the starting pay is $5 per project. As you accept more positions and receive glowing reviews for all your hard work, you’ll have the chance to set your own pay rates and increase your project income.
Best on demand job apps
- Uber
If you own a car and love to drive then you might want to check out Uber. You can use this ride-sharing gig economy app and get the opportunity to earn some extra income on your schedule. With Uber, you have an option to drive full-time or on a part-time basis and earn a decent income. An additional perk with Uber comes by way of surge pricing. During times of high demand for rides, fares may increase to make sure those who need a ride can get one. This is to incentivize drivers with higher fares in return for riders getting pickups available quickly and reliably in areas with high demand.
Pros: Convenient and cashless; competitive pricing; safety and flexible schedule for drivers.
Cons: Potential scams by drivers; driver’s license required; cancellations; ineffective rating system; drivers are responsible for all of the costs of the service; vehicle depreciation.
- Lyft
Lyft is a gig platform that helps to connect drivers with passengers seeking rides. Considered as among the best rideshare app Lyft also allows riders to schedule rides a week in advance. Like other rideshare apps, it notifies the driver’s arrival and shows the passenger an estimated cost. With this app drivers get additional insurance policies and can even earn more money if they work during peak times.
Pros: Gig workers can start as soon as the day after signing up in some cities; offers flexible work schedules; earn more during peak demand hours; drivers keep 100% of tips.
Cons: Drivers are responsible for all of the costs of this service; cancellations; ineffective rating system, vehicle depreciation.
- Handy
The Handy app works best for professionals who want to make some extra cash by helping others with small jobs. Handy pays more than a minimum wage and allows you to earn a pretty good income if you stay active and take on more jobs. This gig app is popular among cleaning and handyman professionals. With it, clients can track the location of the professional, manage their booking details, communicate with you, rate, and tip after each booking, and comes with more mobile-only features. Handy charges a percentage of the booking fee from the payment done to the professionals. Handy will charge for every service that is done through the app from both customers and professionals.
Pros: Higher than average minimum wages; flexible schedule, gig workers can work when they want; easy payment.
Cons: Cancellation fees; to reach clients you might sometimes take long drives.
- Grubhub
GrubHub is a food delivery app where you deliver customers food from their favorite restaurants. With it, you deliver food from a select listing of restaurants. Grubhub takes a commission from the restaurants according to the total percentage of the order.
See Also: The 10 Best Checklist Apps for Small Business
Pros: Scheduling flexibility; a guaranteed minimum hourly pay while they’re on the clock; the app shows you where the order is going before you accept it.
Cons: In many areas, Grubhub requires you to use a car, you are responsible for your taxes.
- Qwick
The Qwick app helps match professionals with food and beverage shifts in real-time. With it, you can choose the shifts that you want to work and get paid in as little as 30 minutes after you complete your shift. Qwick partners with hotels, catering companies, event venues, convention centers, and restaurants to offer gig workers a steady flow of available jobs.
Pros: The ability to pick only the shifts that fit your schedule; get paid instantly; connect with businesses, and expand chances of getting hired for long-term positions.
Cons: Some days work availability can be limited and slow; some shifts might be located in difficult places.
- Airbnb
This gig app helps to connect people renting out their homes or spare bedroom with people who are looking to stay in that location. With the Airbnb app, you can message guests and manage reservations all securely within the app. You can even add house rules you want your guests to follow such as no shoes, no parties to keep your property protected.
Pros: Free listings, hosts don’t have to pay to list their properties, Hosts can set their own price of their property rental, Airbnb covers damages of up to $1 million.
Cons: Minimal or no tax advantages.
- DoorDash
DoorDash is considered the best food delivery app allowing you to deliver food for nearby restaurants. It is the biggest delivery platform that works in a manner in which customers can place an order and the nearest DoorDash driver is alerted to pick it up and deliver it with their car. DoorDash earns revenue through delivery rate fees, a commission fee of 20% from the restaurants on each order, and advertisement.
Pros: Show you what you will make before you accept the order, including tip amount, You can see where the delivery is going in advance. Flexible; high hourly pay; tip potential.
Cons: In many zones, DoorDash requires you to use a car. Bikes are typically only allowed in dense zones.
- ParkingPanda
ParkingPanda allows users to locate and rent parking spaces, and rent out your stretch of car-friendly turf for cars, much akin to what Airbnb offers for lodging. To rent out their parking location on Parking Panda, users must first fill in the information about the parking space. In return Parking Panda will take a commission of 20% from the rental fee you get.
Pros: Potentially to earn money through little effort, no expenses or investments required, you don’t necessarily need to be at home when the renter arrives, flexible rental periods.
Cons: Your parking space may not be adequate; rental locations in low-demand areas may not be very profitable.
- Postmates
Postmates is considered the best delivery driver gigs because of its app that lets you make money by delivering food from restaurants and groceries. In return, Postmates will take a commission of 20% of the fees charged. Postmates couriers get paid weekly via direct deposit for deliveries made the previous week. However, there is an instant payment option if you need to get paid sooner.
Pros: Flexible scheduling; high hourly pay; tip potential.
Cons: Cost of gas; vehicle depreciation.
- Amazon Flex
Amazon Flex is an app that lets you deliver packages for Amazon customers. With it, you have the option to sign up for scheduled routes where you deliver multiple packages at once from a central Amazon warehouse or accept on-demand orders, where you do short deliveries and are paid a fixed sum for the delivery.
Pros: Offers hourly rates; driver’s keep 100% of their tips; track earnings using the app, flexible scheduling.
Cons: No steady income as blocks aren’t guaranteed on daily/hourly basis; you are responsible for paying car-related expenses including gas and maintenance.
Conclusion
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