How to get free stuff online?
Trying to answer that question brings back fond memories when I was asking the exact same question years earlier.
You see, I’ve been doing freebies since 1997 when the Internet was a totally different place.
I discovered websites offering freebies with no participation or credit card required, free samples by mail with no catch and all the coupons that saved me money.
So, I started AbsolutelyFreebies.com to share all my findings and the tried-and-true free samples that I managed to get my hands on.
Later, I turned this website into a blog and expanded the topics to include personal finance topics and side hustle ideas to keep up with the trend.
Today, the site no longer lists freebies exclusively.
While you can still find other traditional free stuff websites online, most of them are littered with broken links or worse still, scam offers. Finding genuine free stuff can be a real challenge.
To avoid those problems, I have handpicked the most trustworthy sites and apps to help you save money and find legit free stuff online.
Related: Check out the free stuff category for more places to get free stuff online. You’ll find free baby samples, free birthday stuff, free beauty products and more.
This post may contain affiliate links. See our policy page for more information.
Table of Contents
How to Get Free Stuff Online
Today, it’s possible to get free stuff shipped to your house.
But if you’re not from the U.S, Canada or the U.K, finding free digital items are easier since they can be delivered instantly online for free.
To get free stuff online, you’ll have to familiarize yourself with websites for free stuff.
This list includes places that offer free cash and gift cards which can be delivered digitally, to free samples via mail as well as other reliable and popular free stuff sites.
To help you locate the free stuff quicker, I’ve organized the freebies according to their unique deals and types.
Free Money & Gift Cards
When it comes to getting free cash online, the saying “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” still rings true today.
In order to get your hands on these goodies, you may have to answer survey questions, perform online tasks, use rebate apps to earn points and so on.
The free money you earned can be transferred directly into your PayPal account while gift cards are delivered digitally.
Here are a few sites and apps that will reward you for doing a little bit of work online.
Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is one of the highest rated survey sites online. With well-vetted surveys and clean interface, you’ll be able to start making money quickly.
You can earn between $0.50 to $50 per survey. Most surveys take between 1 to 2 minutes to complete. Even if you get disqualified from a survey, it gives you three points for trying.
To start earning, just complete your profile to earn $2 worth of points immediately.
The points you earn are redeemable for free gift cards to many popular stores such as Amazon, Walmart, Target and hundreds more.
Plus, you can also get cash transferred to your Paypal account.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks rewards you for doing everyday tasks like searching the web, watching videos, completing surveys and playing online games.
For each completed task, they will reward you with “Swagbucks” (SB) points. These points which can be exchanged for popular retailer gift cards and Paypal cash.
The pay for each survey varies from a couple of cents to a couple of dollars. A typical survey takes around 10 to 20 minutes to complete.
You’ll get $5 just for signing up.
Paribus
Instead of giving you money, Paribus gives you refund by tracking if stores owe you money. It works by scanning your email inbox for receipts.
For example, when there’s a sudden price drop after the purchase, or you missed the coupon or promo code or your guaranteed shipment show up late, it will help you get a refund automatically.
If you’ve made a purchase online in the last month or so, sign up for Paribus now to see if a store owes you money.
Don’t worry, the service is free to use. And it’s one of the easiest ways to earn money passively.
Nielsen Mobile App
Nielsen, the well-known market research company, wants to understand how consumers use the Internet and mobile devices by studying websites and apps people use.
You can participate in their research and get paid $50 a year just to keep their app on your device. To qualify for the reward, you must keep the app installed for a minimum of 14 days.
By installing the Nielsen Mobile app on your smartphone or tablet, Nielsen collects your Internet usage habits over time.
To help alleviate any privacy concern, Nielsen encrypts and anonymizes your data along with thousands of other participants statistics and then use them to make reports and analysis.
There are no surveys or tasks to complete. Just install the app and get paid $50!
Sign up and download the Nielsen app here.
Ibotta
Ibotta is a free mobile app that rewards you with cash on your purchases.
Simply download the app and save on everything from groceries to household essentials to dining out.
To start earning money, simply check the app before you shop for relevant offers from participating store.
After your purchase, take a photo of your receipt and upload it to Ibotta to redeem the offer.
Ibotta will match the receipt with the deals and reward you with cash back in your account. You cash back will be deposited into your Ibotta account within 48 hours.
When you refer your friends, Ibotta will pay you $5 and your friend get $10 free!
Download the Ibotta app here. Enjoy a $20 welcome bonus (or other bonus) when you redeem an offer.
For more ways to turn the hours you spend online doing what you do into cash, check out my other article: How to Get Free Money Fast.
Also check this article 17 Genius Ways to Earn Gift Cards Free (Amazon, Visa, Walmart & More) to discover more ways to earn free gift cards.
Free Samples by Mail
Trying out free samples is a great way to try new products or services because you don’t have to spend money to get them.
Companies give away free samples as a way to introduce their products to potential customers.
While there’s no obligation on your part to buy the products, sometimes there’s a catch.
Some free samples require you to fill out surveys, give your email or perform certain actions in exchange for the free products.
You may want to create a new email address just for the free sample registrations.
Either way, it’s a great way to save money on things you would normally buy or just to try out new products you wouldn’t purchase otherwise.
For more ways to get free samples and learn how to protect your privacy while requesting free samples, check out my other article: How to Get Free Samples by Mail.
PINCHme
PINCHMe is a free sample program that mails you samples of free products from brands in exchange for your feedback.
The best thing about PINCHme is that they don’t just send you one or two free samples, but a box of free samples containing various products to try.
These samples can be anything from coffee, soap, dog treats, shampoo, makeup, chips and more. Not everyone will receive the same free samples and they can run out fast.
PINCHme is a great way to get free samples by mail with no credit card required. It’s also a fun way to receive products to test via mail and become a product tester.
ShopGala
Sign up to receive free samples from popular brands, coupons and other offers which are shipped every month.
You must first complete the ShopGala registration process and provide your full name, mailing address, date of birth, email address and any other information requested during the registration process.
To qualify you must be 18 years of age or older.
Influenster
This is for those who are active on social media and don’t mind sharing their experience using the product samples with their followers.
Active Instagrammers will have the best chance of receiving their box of free samples called “Vox Boxes”.
Once you receive a box, you can complete certain tasks online to improve your chance to get another box in the future.
The more effort you put it, the higher your chances of getting more freebies.
SuperSave Makeup & Beauty Samples
If you’re looking for free makeup samples and beauty products, SuperSave offers various makeup samples and other related offers to help you save money.
Like most other similar offers, you’ll need to provide some personal information, complete their survey and agree to let them use your information in accordance with their Terms of Service.
If you don’t mind that, here are a few to check out:
- SuperSave Makeup Samples – free makeup samples.
- SuperSave Dove Soaps – free Dove product samples.
- SuperSave Beauty – free beauty and health product samples.
Everyday Family: Moms Sampling Club
Everyday Family: Mom Sampling Club Registration offers users access to the Everyday Mom Sampling Club.
As a member, you will receive a new box of samples every month as part of this exclusive program.
If you are an expectant or a new mom, they also offer a number of different free baby samples, offers and coupons from name brand advertisers.
You can enter their sweepstakes for a chance to win free diapers.
Amazon Product Sampling
With Amazon Product Sampling, you can try the latest products from Amazon with no obligation to purchase or review the products.
To sign up, visit their preferences page to opt-in for receiving samples and to let them know which sampling categories you’re most interested in.
Not everyone will be selected to receive a sample though and you don’t have to be a Prime member to participate.
ILoveSamples.com
You will be able to get free samples of some of your favorite products without spending a penny.
BzzAgent
BzzAgent sends you free products and services in exchange for sharing your honest opinion with people you know. You can join BzzAgent UK if you are in the UK.
To get your free samples, first, you need to tell them your interests by completing surveys. If they find matching products, BzzAgent will send you an email asking you to apply.
Finally, you share experiences and opinions with friends and posting your stories on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and blogs.
The more you share, the more samples you can qualify to receive in the future.
Free Birthday Stuff
There are a number of retailers, restaurants and businesses that will give your free birthday stuff, coupons, free food and other treats on your special day.
Rather than listing all of them here, check out this article: 59 Places That Give You Free Birthday Stuff.
Websites for Free Stuff
A lot of the free sample offers you find on these websites are limited time offers so you have to act fast.
It’s a good idea to create a special email address to register with these freebie sites to avoid spam in your regular email address.
Craigslist
There are free stuff sections on Craigslist listing items which people give away for free.
Not all of these items are in good working condition. Others may have minor issues that require some fixing. If you look hard enough, you can still unearth some gems.
The items can be anything such as electronics, furniture, books, appliances, toys, construction supplies and more.
To find these free stuff, you can google “craigslist free stuff + your city” or head over to Craigslist and do your search from there.
FreeCycle.org
FreeCycle is like Craigslist but only for free stuff.
FreeCycle is a nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns and neighborhoods to encourage reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills.
You can find almost anything from televisions, clothing, furniture and other free household stuff from the nearly nine million members worldwide.
Some regions have more activity than others, so depending on where you live, you may or may not find great free stuff right away.
If you want to get rid of something you no longer need, you can post your own offers too.
TheKrazyCouponLady.com
The Krazy Coupon Lady was started by two young women looking for deals from their home computers.
This extreme couponing site uncovers the best deals in every category from coupons, weekly flash sales alerts to exclusive online deals so that families everywhere can afford to live well and slash their grocery bills.
Their Freebies section is full of links to sites where you can get samples for free.
Freeflys
Freeflys has been featured on the Today Show, ABC News, Fox News and The Doctors among others.
Click on the Samples menu to find the freebies on offer in various categories.
One of the best categories to explore is free food samples where you find stores like Safeway, Whole Foods, Associated Supermarkets, Pathmark, Vons, etc promoting their food samples.
You can browse deals or subscribe to receive daily email alerts when new freebies are posted.
TheFreeSite.com
TheFreeSite.com is the home of the Web’s best freebies featuring a roundup of the top free products, samples, services and other free stuff online.
Established in 1995, it is one of the oldest and largest freebie websites online.
The best way to keep up with the latest freebies they offer is to subscribe to their free weekly newsletter. Every issue of this free newsletter is packed with great free products, services and samples.
FreeStuff.com
The goal of the site is to save you money by offering free stuff, free samples, coupons and discounts.
New freebies are added on a daily basis and are categorized into three different tiers. FreeStuff.com explains on their website what each tier means.
- Tier 1 free stuff includes computers, televisions, high dollar value gift cards and the like. With tier 1 free stuff, some program requirements are required in order to obtain your free stuff, but the dollar value of the requirements is typically much lower than what the item would cost if you were to purchase it outright. Thus, you receive a very valuable item with a lowered-value purchase on your end.
- Tier 2 free stuff examples include lower valued gift cards, and items that are still awesome but not quite on the same level as an expensive TV. Other examples include free samples of small items and magazines. These items typically do not require a purchase, but you usually have to fill out a survey or questionnaire before the item is sent.
- Tier 3 free stuff doesn’t rely on program requirements and may require that you fill in some contact information so that the item can be successfully sent to you. For other items, nothing at all is required. These include free downloads and other related freebies.
The best thing about FreeStuff.com is that they let you know right up front if there are any requirements attached to the free stuff companies and websites.
Free Stuff Times
Free Stuff Times was founded in 2002 with the goal of providing you with legit stuff before any other site can. New free stuff are being added daily, 7 days a week.
There are freebies in various categories, contests, coupons and other hot deals.
The Money section lists deals from CVS, Rite Aid, Target, Walmart and Walgreens. It’s an extreme couponer dream comes true.
You can follow them on social media to check for new deals on the go.
Reddit/r/freebies
If you love free stuff, then this freebies subreddit is one place you should visit.
Here you can find free pointless fun stuff, free shirts, free food, free stickers, free events, free magazines, and anything else that is 100% free.
The best thing about it is that it involves a community of people who are interested in the same thing as you.
People post and openly discuss all the freebie offers while helping everyone avoid scams.
You’ll also know if a freebie offer has expired at a glance so you won’t be wasting your time trying to sign up in the first place.
Free Digital Items
Top 100 Free Kindle Ebooks
There are a lot of free ebooks in the Kind Store itself. And the best way to discover them is by visiting the “Bestsellers in Kindle Store” and click on the “Top 100 Free’.
The list is updated a couple of times a day so the most popular free titles are always at your fingertips.
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is a primary repository of free domain ebooks offering over 59,000 eBooks.
You will find the world’s great literature here, with a focus on older works for which U.S. copyright has expired.
Thousands of volunteers digitized and diligently proofread the eBooks, for enjoyment and education. You can choose among free epub and Kindle ebooks, download them or read them online.
If the original book had illustrations and you want to see the illustrations, make sure to download Kindle (with images) file.
How Do You Find Free Stuff Online FAQs
I will try to answer some frequently asked questions about getting free stuff online . This helps you identify good offers and avoid free stuff scam.
Are free samples really free? What’s the catch?
Keep in mind that people usually don’t give away free stuff out of the kindness of their hearts.
By and large, companies and websites are looking to entice you to their site to drum up business, so they can sell you something.
Some companies will send you free stuff and products samples with no strings attached. Others might require you to complete a survey, join a mailing list, or pay shipping fees.
That said, there is an enormous number of worthwhile, legit freebies out there for the taking.
Just make sure to use reliable websites to find your freebies. Those that we list above are good places to start.
How long will it take for the free stuff to arrive in the mail?
Samples may take 6 to 8 weeks to arrive in the mail. They are shipped directly from the manufacturer and not from the freebie websites unless stated otherwise.
I signed up for a freebie but still haven’t received it. What should I do?
If the freebie has not arrived past the estimated arrival date, you will need to contact the company or website again to let them know about your situation.
In most cases, there may be a delay in shipping, the item is out of stock or got lost in the mail.
Do I get trial-size products for these freebies?
It depends on the company. Sometimes you can get full-sized products for free, but some companies offer sample size products.
These samples are perfect for travel due to their small sizes.
Do I have to give away personal information to get free stuff online?
If you request for free samples, most companies require your name and mailing address so that they know where to send the free products.
Some companies ask for more information than others to see if you are qualified for the freebie. Only share your personal information if you feel comfortable doing so.
You should never give out your credit card information or social security number when requesting a freebie.
If you need to enter your credit card information it should be to pay for shipping charges only. Make sure there won’t be recurring charges.
In most cases, any unnecessary information like your household or buying habits is likely going to be used for marketing purposes.
Create a new email account just for requesting freebie offers to keep all the junk mail in one place.
Remember, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve learned a thing or two about finding free stuff online from this article.
Don’t limit yourself to just one free product sample though. Try to get as many freebies as you like from the list.
Bookmark this article and come back as often as you like to get more free stuff online.
Now it’s your turn.
Do you have any experience using any of these sites? Perhaps you know of a great freebie that’s not on the list?
If so, feel free to share your experience with us in the comments below.
