Ibotta vs Swagbucks – How Do These Apps Operate Differently?

It’s 2021 and everyone is looking for creative ways to make and save money. Luckily, there are apps for that, but which one is really worth your time?  Swagbucks and Ibotta have a lot in common. For starters, they are both apps created with the intention to help you make and save money. We’re going to dive into how each app works with our in-depth reviews as we answer the question -Ibotta vs Swagbucks, how do these apps operate differently?

Swagbucks Review

So what exactly is Swagbucks and how does it work? Swagbucks is a free online rewards program. Upon signing up, you can earn cash and gift cards for shopping online, watching videos, playing games, searching the internet, taking surveys, and more. Basically, you can make money while doing all of the things you would typically do on your smart device.

Swagbucks is available as a free app, website, and browser extension. The way you make money is through earning something called “SB points.” With each online activity you do, you accrue a certain amount of SB points. You can also earn points through shopping in person or eating at a restaurant, as long as you upload your receipts.

You can also earn points by referring your friends to use Swagbucks. If they earn 300 points before the first day of the month following their sign-up date, you’ll earn a 300 point bonus in addition to earning 10% of their earnings for as long as you both use the app.

Once you’ve accrued enough points, you can either cash out your earnings on PayPal or you can redeem them for a retail gift card. Typically, 1,000 SB points are worth $10, but Swagbucks also runs promotions where you have the potential to earn more.

On the Apple Store, Swagbucks has 4.4 stars based on 47,000 ratings with over 1 million downloads. It’s ranked #94 in the top charts for shopping.

Swagbucks Benefits

Ibotta Review

Now that we understand Swagbucks, what is Ibotta? Similar to Swagbucks, Ibotta is also a free online rewards program – you earn cashback rewards as you shop. Ibotta works with over 1,500 retailers and brands, including Petco, REI, Domino’s Pizza, Walmart, Sephora, and much more. There are no additional charges for using Ibotta, and you can earn money when purchasing anything from pet food to alcoholic beverages.

Also similar to Swagbucks, Ibotta does not require a minimum subscription time. You can sign up for the app and use it as much or as little as you’d like. Get more info about Ibotta in our Ibotta Review.

Ibotta was founded in 2012 and has since paid out over $1 billion in cash rewards to more than 35 million users. The cash rewards you earn are either a flat amount or a percentage of your purchase. You can use the mobile app on your smartphone or you can use the browser extension for Firefox or Google Chrome.

You can purchase gift cards through Ibotta and get cashback instantly, rather than waiting for your daily purchases to accrue cash. You can also link your loyalty accounts to earn cashback on purchases in stores that you frequently visit. If you are shopping in person, you can upload your receipt from a participating retailer within 24 hours of your purchase to earn rewards.

On the Apple store, Ibotta has 4.8 stars based on 1.3 million ratings with over 10 million downloads. It’s ranked #37 in the top charts for shopping.

Ibotta Benefits

Ibotta vs Swagbucks: Popularity

Based on what we’ve learned from the app store, Ibotta far outweighs Swagbucks in popularity. Ibotta has over 10 million downloads while Swagbucks falls behind with over 1 million downloads. Ibotta also has a 4.8 star rating and is ranked #37 in the app store’s top charts in the shopping category. Meanwhile, Swagbucks has 4.2 stars and is ranked #94 in the app store’s top charts in the shopping category.

If you’re one to follow the masses, Ibotta is definitely the better option based on its positive reputation with millions of users.

Ibotta vs Swagbucks: Cash Out Options

Now let’s break down the cash out options for Ibotta and Swagbucks. Which app has the better option? Well, it depends on your personal preference. As we mentioned before, with Swagbucks’ rewards system you earn SB points and once you’ve earned enough points you can redeem them for cash paid to your PayPal account or for a gift card from a participating retailer.

With Ibotta’s rewards system, they skip the point rewards method completely. Instead of earning points, you’ll be able to see how much cash you are actually accruing in real-time. Once you’ve earned over $20, you can transfer your cash directly to your bank through PayPal or Venmo.

Regardless of which app you select, you’ll need to download PayPal if you want to receive your rewards in cash. Ibotta will always require you to use a PayPal or Venmo account to receive your rewards. If you don’t mind receiving your rewards in gift cards, however, you can skip creating a PayPal or Venmo account by choosing Swagbucks over Ibotta.

Ibotta Referral vs Swagbucks Referral

As we mentioned, both Ibotta and Swagbucks offer referral rewards. With Swagbucks’ referral program, if the friend you refer earns 300 points by the first day of the following month after they sign up, you also earn 300 points in addition to 10% of their lifetime earnings. Keep in mind, typically 1,000 SB points are worth $10, with the exception of occasional promotions which offer the opportunity to earn more.

When you sign-up via Ibotta referral, you get a $30 sign-up bonus. Also with the Ibotta referral program, you earn $10 whenever someone signs up for Ibotta using your referral code and redeems an offer. A qualifying offer includes any brand purchase, any receipt, and any item offers – that’s it! Read more about the Ibotta referral program in this Ibotta referral article.

In our personal opinion, we prefer the Ibotta referral program as it’s a little more straightforward. Also, the person you referred doesn’t have to do a whole lot on their part to earn you an extra $10.

Don’t forget that with Swagbucks’ referral program, you earn 10% of the referred user’s earnings for the entire length of their app use. This means there’s not really a limit to your earnings. With Ibotta, you’re limited to $10 per referral. If you can get past the whole points system, Swagbucks might be the better option for lifetime earnings. Read more on how to use a Swagbucks sign up code here.

Which App Will Save You More Money?

Perhaps the key difference between Ibotta and Swagbucks is that in order to earn rewards on Ibotta, you have to spend money. With Swagbucks, you can earn rewards for simply engaging in online activities not necessarily associated with shopping or purchasing services, like playing games or completing surveys.

In this way, Swagbucks can be considered an income source, albeit small, whereas Ibotta cannot. But don’t get us wrong, Ibotta is a great tool for earning back money on your purchases, especially on the purchases you already regularly make. You don’t necessarily need to change your spending habits in order for Ibotta to work for you. And you earn cash directly, rather than accruing points with Swagbucks.

Ultimately, both apps are great tools to keep in your financial toolkit. Review your spending habits and where you regularly shop. Then check to see if Ibotta or Swagbucks work with those retailers. The best way to save money is to find the app that works best for you, your lifestyle, your digital activities, and your spending habits. Choose the app that requires as little effort and change to your lifestyle as possible.

There are also other Ibotta competitors around the market, read Ibotta vs Rakuten, and Ibotta vs Fetch to asses which is best for you.