Apps That Made People Rich in 2025: Top 10 Worldwide

Date: 24 Nov 2025

Author: Nikhil Randhe

In 2025, several mobile and web apps continued to create real wealth for users — not just profits for companies. Some people became wealthy by creating content (YouTube, TikTok, Roblox), by building businesses on platforms (Amazon Seller, Shopify), by freelancing at scale (Upwork, Fiverr), or by using crypto platforms (Binance, Coinbase).

Below I explain how each app paid users, give verified numbers where available, and offer a practical reality check for beginners.

How I Curate the List?

I have used three filters:

Real 2025 user earnings published by platforms or reputable industry reports.
Global reach — apps available to users worldwide in 2025.
Transparent payout mechanisms (publicly documented revenue programs, developer payout reports, or company filings).

List of Top 10 Apps That Made People Rich in 2025

For each app I have included how people earned and any verified average figures available. Values are in US dollars and I have also given sources.

1. Shopify

How it pays: Shopify itself doesn’t pay merchants; merchants sell direct-to-consumer via mobile-friendly stores, social commerce, and Shopify apps. Shopify’s financials show merchant activity growth in 2025.

Verified number: Shopify public reports show strong merchant revenue growth but do not give a single “average merchant income” that applies to all stores. Earnings vary from hobby stores making a few hundred/month to successful D2C brands with $10k–$100k+ monthly revenue. (No single verified global per-merchant monthly average is published.)

2. Amazon Seller App (FBA & Sellers)

How it pays: Selling physical products via Amazon (FBA, FBM, private label). Amazon’s seller dashboards and marketplace analyses provide revenue distribution data.

Verified number: Marketplace analyses for 2025 commonly report that many sellers have monthly sales from $1,000 to $25,000, with profit margins varying widely. A typical SMB seller’s sales around $10k–$12k/month with margins that can make net profits from a few hundred to several thousand dollars monthly depending on costs. Top sellers do far more.

Practical example: If a seller does $12,000 in sales a month with a 15% net margin, net income is ~$1,800/month. Scaling, branding and higher margins can push that far higher.

3. YouTube

How it pays: Ad revenue (YouTube Partner Program), channel memberships, Super Chats, merch and brand deals. YouTube reports that it has paid creators billions and details Partner Program options.

Verified numbers: Industry guidance for 2025 shows wide CPM/RPM ranges depending on niche and audience. Many estimates put creator earnings at about $5–$15 per 1,000 ad views (CPM/RPM ranges differ by niche and geography). Shorts payouts are generally lower per 1k views than long-form ad impressions.

Practical example: A channel that gets 1 million monetized views a month could earn roughly $5,000–$15,000/month from ad revenue (before YouTube’s cut/expenses), with additional income from memberships and sponsorships. Actual numbers depend heavily on how many views are monetized and the audience location.

4. Roblox

How it pays: Developers earn Robux (virtual currency) and convert Robux to real USD via the DevEx program. Roblox publishes creator payout figures in corporate reports.

Verified numbers: Roblox reported creator payouts of over $1 billion (March 2024–March 2025 period), showing rapid growth in developer income. Corporate disclosures and third-party analyses show the distribution is skewed: top creators and studios can make millions/year, while the median creator’s annual payout is small (some analyses report median payouts around ~$1,400/year while the top 1,000 developers average much higher). In short: big upside at the top, modest median.

5. TikTok

How it pays: TikTok’s monetization in 2025 included Creator Rewards / Creativity Program payments, live stream gifts, brand deals and affiliate links. TikTok’s support pages describe rewards calculated on “qualified views” and RPM (revenue per 1,000 qualified views).

Verified numbers: Public reporting and industry write-ups in 2025 placed TikTok Creator Rewards estimates broadly between $0.40 – $1.00 per 1,000 qualified views for eligible programs. Some publishers cite higher paid beta cases for exceptionally high-retention long-form content, but those are exceptions. Use the RPM as a guide — your actual monthly depends on views and other income streams (gifts, deals).

Practical example: A creator with 5 million views per month (qualified views) earning $0.6/1k would gross ≈ $3,000/month from Creator Rewards — plus gifts and brand deals. (Note: examples are illustrative; payouts vary.)

6. Instagram

How it pays: Sponsored posts, affiliate commissions, paid subscriptions / badges, Reels bonuses and brand deals. Platforms and influencer-marketplace trackers publish per-post ranges by follower tier.

Verified number: Influencer calculators and 2025 industry articles show typical per-post rates:

Type	No. of Followers	Average Income
Nano	1–10k	~$10–$100
Micro	10–100k	~$100–$500
Mid	100–500k	~$500–$2,000
500k–1M	500k–1M	$3k–$15k
1M+	1M+	$10k+

Monthly income varies by how many sponsored posts and deals an influencer does.

Practical note: Instagram often pays via one-off posts and longer partnerships. A creator with 100k followers doing 4 sponsored posts a month at $800/post could gross ~$3,200/month (plus affiliate income). If you also want to become a creator on instagram read our blog post related to niche selection & content creation for instagram.

7. Binance

How it pays users: Binance Earn products (staking, Flexible & Locked Earn), trading, liquidity programs and promotions. Binance documentation lists APRs and product details.

Verified number: Returns depend on asset and product — simple staking/APY ranges vary widely by token and term. Binance lists product APRs (e.g., single-digit to double-digit percentages on some locked products), but these change constantly and carry risk.

Because yields depend on how much crypto a user holds and market moves, there is no reliable average monthly USD income per user to cite — only product APR ranges the platform publishes. Always treat crypto yield as investment exposure, not guaranteed income.

8. Coinbase

How it pays users: Coinbase offers referral bonuses, “Learn & Earn” campaigns, staking and USDC rewards (where available). Coinbase documents its programs and promotions.

Verified numbers: Coinbase promotions are often campaign-specific (e.g., $3–$25 bonuses for referrals or quizzes). Coinbase also offers staking/APY products for eligible assets (variable). There’s no firm verified “average monthly user earning” — earnings depend on program participation, referred volume, and holdings.

9. Upwork

How it pays: Direct client contracts for services (hourly or fixed-price). Upwork publishes market stats and guides on freelancer earnings.

Verified number: Freelancing incomes vary widely. Upwork and related surveys in 2025 show that seasoned specialists can earn high five-figure to six-figure annual incomes; some reports cite average self-employed professionals in the US near $68k–$99k/year depending on the data source and market segment.

That translates to ~$5,000–$8,000+/month for many experienced freelancers in top niches.

Practical example: Senior developers, product designers, and high-end consultants on Upwork commonly bill $50–$200+/hour, full-time freelancers with steady clients often replace or exceed salaried incomes.

10. Fiverr

How it pays: Gig-based marketplace — sellers list services at tiered prices, Fiverr takes a commission. Fiverr’s own data shows many transactions but also a skewed distribution of earnings.

Verified number: Multiple analyses report that the majority of Fiverr sellers earn under $500/month, with a substantial share earning under $100/month. A small percentage of sellers scale to thousands per month.

In short: lots of opportunity, but earnings are concentrated at the top.

What Successful Users Did Different

Early adoption and consistency. Many top earners began early on a platform or committed to frequent high-quality output.
Niche focus and skill upgrading. Top freelancers and creators specialized and improved skills that buyers/advertisers pay more for.
Diversified revenue streams. The richest users combined ad payouts with sponsorships, product sales, course sales, live gifts, and affiliate income.
Scaling from solo to team. Sellers often moved from solo work to agencies or studios (e.g., top Fiverr/Upwork sellers scale by hiring).
Data and optimization. Top sellers treat the app like a business: testing pricing, ads, SEO, creatives, and audience analytics.

Risks & Reality Check

Income volatility. Creator payouts and crypto yields fluctuate month-to-month. Don’t assume steady checks.
Platform policy risk. Account bans, policy changes or demonetization can stop income suddenly (seen across social and marketplaces).
High concentration. On most platforms a small share of users take most revenue (e.g., Roblox and creator economies).
Scams & misinformation. Watch out for “get-rich-quick” schemes promoting guaranteed returns (especially in crypto).
Taxes & fees. Platform fees, payment processors, advertising spend, returns and taxes materially change net income.

Final Verdict — Skill or Luck?

Both. The platform economy rewards a mix of skill, timing, persistence and some luck (viral hits, early beta access, token launches). Most consistent high earners treat platform income as a business: they optimize, diversify, and reinvest. For beginners, starting small, learning quickly, and choosing a clear niche gives the best odds.