I’ve been running 8 passive income apps on the same Mac Mini for 3 months.
Same hardware. Same internet. Same electricity bill.
Here’s the definitive ranking — based on real earnings, not marketing promises.
The Rankings
Tier 1: Worth Running on Any Device
#1 — Grass
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Monthly earnings | ~$15-25 |
| Payout method | GRASS tokens (crypto) |
| Resource usage | ~190 MB RAM |
| Setup difficulty | Easy (desktop app) |
Grass is the undisputed champion. It earns more than all other bandwidth apps combined. The only catch is that it pays in crypto tokens, so the dollar value fluctuates.
Verdict: Must-have. If you only run one app, make it this one.
#2 — Honeygain
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Monthly earnings | ~$4-5 |
| Payout method | PayPal or JMPT tokens |
| Resource usage | ~34 MB RAM |
| Setup difficulty | Easy (Docker) |
Honeygain is the reliable second earner. It’s been around since 2018, payments are consistent, and the Docker setup is simple.
Verdict: Essential. The OG of bandwidth sharing.
Tier 2: Solid Additions
#3 — Storj
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Monthly earnings | $0.50-3 (growing) |
| Payout method | STORJ tokens (crypto) |
| Resource usage | ~1.1 GB RAM |
| Setup difficulty | Medium (identity + Docker) |
Storj is different — it’s storage, not bandwidth. Earnings start low but grow as your node fills up and gets trusted. My 3.3TB node is steadily accumulating data.
Verdict: Long-term play. Requires patience and an external drive.
#4 — Pawns.app
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Monthly earnings | ~$0.15-0.25 |
| Payout method | PayPal, Bitcoin, gift cards |
| Resource usage | ~8 MB RAM |
| Setup difficulty | Easy (Docker) |
Pawns.app wins on flexibility. The $5 minimum payout and multiple cash-out options (including gift cards) make it the easiest to actually get paid from.
Verdict: Great for quick first payouts.
Tier 3: Nice to Have
These apps earn small amounts individually but cost nothing to run.
#5 — EarnFM
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Monthly earnings | ~$0.15-0.20 |
| Resource usage | ~55 MB RAM |
EarnFM — Stable, quiet, does its job.
#6 — Traffmonetizer
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Monthly earnings | ~$0.05-0.15 |
| Resource usage | ~2 MB RAM |
Traffmonetizer — Lowest resource usage of any app. Uses 2 MB of RAM.
👉 Get Traffmonetizer + $5 Bonus
#7 — PacketStream
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Monthly earnings | ~$0.05-0.10 |
| Resource usage | ~13 MB RAM |
PacketStream — Simple, no-frills, PayPal payouts.
#8 — Repocket
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Monthly earnings | ~$0.03-0.05 |
| Resource usage | ~25 MB RAM |
Repocket — Newest platform. Growing but still small earnings.
The Full Comparison
| Rank | App | Monthly $ | Payout | Min Payout | RAM | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grass | $15-25 | Crypto | — | 190 MB | Read |
| 2 | Honeygain | $4-5 | PayPal/Crypto | $20 | 34 MB | Read |
| 3 | Storj | $0.50-3+ | Crypto | — | 1.1 GB | Read |
| 4 | Pawns.app | $0.15-0.25 | PayPal/BTC/Gift | $5 | 8 MB | Read |
| 5 | EarnFM | $0.15-0.20 | PayPal/Crypto | $1 | 55 MB | Read |
| 6 | Traffmonetizer | $0.05-0.15 | BTC | $10 | 2 MB | Read |
| 7 | PacketStream | $0.05-0.10 | PayPal | $5 | 13 MB | Read |
| 8 | Repocket | $0.03-0.05 | PayPal/Crypto | — | 25 MB | Read |
My Recommendation
If you’re just starting:
- Install Grass — highest earner, no-brainer
- Add Honeygain — reliable second income
- Add Pawns.app — low payout threshold, easy cash
If you have an old hard drive: 4. Set up Storj — long-term storage income
If you want to maximize: 5. Add the rest — they all stack without conflicts
The complete setup guide for your server takes you from zero to full stack in an afternoon.
The Bottom Line
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total monthly earnings | ~$25-35 |
| Total RAM used | ~1.4 GB |
| Electricity cost | ~$3-5/month |
| Net monthly profit | ~$20-30 |
Not life-changing money. But it’s completely passive, the hardware was free (old computer), and it runs itself.
Check out all the apps with signup bonuses and start building your stack.
The best app is the one that’s running. The second best is the one you install next.