Top 5 Solitaire Games Paying Real Money [2024]

Solitaire has been one of my favorite games ever since my dad brought home our first computer. But finding the best app options that actually pay real money can be tricky, so I tested five of the most popular solitaire cash games to see how they stack up.

While they share many similarities, each has significant differences. For example, Solitaire Cash and Solitaire Clash were both easy to use and didn’t glitch. However, Solitaire Cash charges only a $1 withdrawal fee regardless of your balance, while Solitaire Clash charges 15% on your total withdrawal unless you meet some requirements. This means that using Solitaire Cash may mean you receive a higher percentage of your winnings if you’re strategic about waiting to withdraw money until you have a bigger balance.

While these games are fun and can help you earn a little side cash, knowing the details can help you get more from your solitaire playing.

Solitaire Cash: Best for learning how to play

App store ratings	Apple App Store: 4.6 out of 5 Samsung Galaxy Store: 4.5 out of 5 Google Play Store: Not available
Minimum entry fee (for cash tournaments)	$1
Minimum cash deposit	$5
Minimum withdrawal amount	$5
Withdrawal processing fee	$1
Payout options	Refund to your original payment method and PayPal
Prohibited states	Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, South Carolina, Washington

Solitaire Cash from Papaya Gaming, Ltd. is one of my top three solitaire cash games, although the game pace felt slower than with some of the other apps listed below.

Like many other cash game apps, Solitaire Cash allows you to play against yourself to collect points. If you’re over age 18 and your state allows cash games, you can enter tournaments against others of equal skill for a chance to earn cash prizes.

Each game has a low range of entry fees, just $1 to $5, making them more accessible to all players. However, the prize pools are smaller than other games.

If you don’t have enough in-app currency (called gems and bonus cash) to enter the larger tournaments, you can deposit your own money to cover the fee. While you don’t have to make a cash deposit to play, it can help you enter bigger prize pools faster.

You can deposit money via PayPal, Apple Pay, Visa, or Mastercard, and you will earn bonus cash for completing daily challenges or depositing higher amounts. While you can use the bonus cash to enter tournaments, you can’t withdraw it.

When you reach higher game levels, you’ll access additional features like Clubs (level 8) and Cards (level 15) that can help you connect with other players and provide ways to earn extra money within the app.

Learning how to play Solitaire Cash is straightforward, and I started playing immediately after going through the tutorial. I played Solitaire Cash for about 30 minutes after downloading it and accumulated $0.20 in bonus cash and about 300 gems (I’ve since earned more).

If I made a cash deposit, I could pay entry fees and compete for cash prizes. The highest entry fee, $5, offers a prize pool of $30. But if you win, you must split the prize pools among the top three winners — first place earns more than second place, and second place earns more than third.

Like other games of skill, it can be challenging to earn a substantial amount of money with Solitaire Cash unless you’re highly skilled and consistently place first in multiple prize pool tournaments.

When you have at least $5 in winnings, you can request a withdrawal by tapping the Account section of the main menu in the upper right corner and finding the Withdraw option. You’ll pay a $1 processing fee on all withdrawals. Instead of getting a check or gift card, you’ll receive a refund to your original deposit method and any additional balance via PayPal.

Download Solitaire Cash | Read more in our full Solitaire Cash review

Solitaire Clash: Best for larger prize pools

App store ratings	Apple App Store: 4.8 out of 5 Galaxy Play Store: 5 out of 5 Google Play Store: Not available
Minimum entry fee (for cash tournaments)	$1
Minimum cash deposit	$5
Minimum withdrawal amount	$5 (according to the terms of service)
Withdrawal processing fee	15% of the amount deposited in your account (waived in some circumstances)
Payout options	A refund to your original payment method and PayPal or Venmo for additional balances
Prohibited states	Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, and U.S. territories

Although Avia’s Pocket7Games produces Solitaire Clash, it is highly similar to Solitaire Cash, which Papaya Gaming develops.

I enjoyed this game more than the others. The graphics are cartoonish, but the game offers higher prize potential than Solitaire Cash. In this game, I earned the highest gem score and the most bonus cash, helping me get closer to entering tournaments without depositing my own money.

After downloading Solitaire Clash, I played for about 30 minutes and entered gem-only tournaments. By the end of two days' worth of on-and-off testing and one deposit of $5, I earned over 1,000 gems but only had $1.47 left of my original balance — so quickly making money isn’t guaranteed.

To enter bigger prize pool games faster, you can deposit cash via Apple Pay, PayPal, and credit/debit card (Visa and Mastercard) in amounts between $5 and $50. The lowest cash game entry fee is $1 for a prize of $5. The biggest prize pool is $100 with an entry fee of $25, offering significantly more earnings potential than Solitaire Cash if you win.

However, like Solitaire Cash above, if you win, you split the prize pool with the second- and third-place winners. For example, I won a game with a 120-gem prize pool but received only 70 gems. In a later game, I placed second in the same prize pool and earned 40 gems, while third place earned 10 gems.

When you’re ready to withdraw your winnings, you must verify your identity. If the app doesn’t accept the age verification form (which it didn’t during my testing), you must upload a photo of your driver's license and a selfie.

Once verified, choose the Withdrawal option on the top-right corner menu and enter the amount. The minimum is $5 and may take up to 15 days to process. There is a 15% service fee, which you can avoid if you’ve spent more than 50% of your deposits on game entry fees.

You’ll receive a refund via the original payment method you used to make deposits first, and any remaining balance goes to your PayPal or Venmo account.

Download Solitaire Clash | Read more in our full Solitaire Clash review

Solitaire Cube: Best for prize pool options

App store ratings	Apple App Store: 4.6 out of 5 Samsung Galaxy Store: 4.5 out of 5 Google Play Store: Not available
Minimum entry fee (for cash tournaments)	$0.60
Minimum cash deposit	$5
Minimum withdrawal amount	None listed
Withdrawal processing fee	$1.50 charge for all withdrawals under $10
Payout options	A refund to your original payment method; paper check (U.S.) or PayPal (international) for additional balances
Prohibited states	Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee

Solitaire Cube, developed by Tether Studios, is similar to Solitaire Cash and Solitaire Clash, but this app doesn’t offer a tutorial to help you get started. You’re taken directly to your first game when you pick an avatar.

If you aren’t depositing cash and entering cash tournaments, Solitaire Cube rewards you with Z coins, which you can use to enter non-cash games. It also has multiple items you can earn, including trophies, medals, and bonus cash.

Unlike the other apps, you can also earn tickets to exchange for prizes in the Z store. However, be warned that you need a lot of tickets to get anything of value. The lowest amount I saw was 20,000 tickets for just $1 in bonus cash, and several items required millions of tickets.

The entry fee starts at $0.60 for a prize of $1 — the lowest for any of these apps except 21 Blitz, which Tether Studios also develops.

I didn’t enjoy Solitaire Cube as much as the other apps. The background is very dark and has a jumble of features and ads. The app glitched several times on two devices during testing and caused the cards to freeze. The timer kept counting down, wasting my chance to complete the game and earn a higher prize.

Although it's not my favorite game, Solitaire Cube has the highest prize pool among these games. The biggest prize is $200 and has an entry fee of $120. Since Solitaire Cube doesn’t split the prize pool like the other apps, you’ll make $80 if you win. But remember, it may take you a long time (and a lot of entry fees) to win that $80.

When you’re ready to withdraw funds, click the My Account tab, hit Withdraw, and follow the prompts. Note that there is a fee of $1.50 for withdrawals under $10.

Like many of these apps, Solitaire Cube will first use your winnings to refund the payment method you used to make a deposit. They will mail a paper check if you live in the U.S. and have additional money to receive. If you live internationally, those funds go into your PayPal account.

Solitaire Cube says it can take up to six weeks to receive your requested withdrawal, and you aren’t allowed to make additional deposits until the withdrawal is complete.

Download Solitaire Cube | Read more in our full Solitaire Cube review

Solitaire Smash: Best for PayPal users

App store ratings	Apple App Store: 4.8 out of 5 Samsung Galaxy Store: 3.5 out of 5 Google Play Store: Not available
Minimum entry fee (for cash tournaments)	$1 or $0.30 and 120 gems
Minimum cash deposit	$5
Minimum withdrawal amount	$5
Withdrawal processing fee	$1 for all balances
Payout options	PayPal
Prohibited states	Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Montana, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Vermont

Solitaire Smash is available through the Apple App and Samsung Galaxy Stores, and it looks and functions like Solitaire Cash.

Similar to the other apps listed here, you must deposit cash (using Apple Pay or PayPal) to cover entry fees on higher-price tournaments. The app showed ads from the start encouraging deposits. If you win, you’ll also split the prize pool among the top three winners.

The feature I liked most about Solitaire Smash was the difference between the prize pool and the entry fee. For example, the biggest prize is $120, but the entry fee is only $20, so the top three players will split $100.

Similarly, a mid-tier game with a prize of $60 only charges a $10 entry fee, offering a profit of $50 split among the top three. Comparatively, Solitaire Clash provides a prize pool of $55, but the entry fee is $9, meaning you’ll have to split $46 three ways.

When you’re ready to withdraw funds, go to the Account tab in the upper right-hand menu and choose Withdraw. Solitaire Smash has a $5 minimum withdrawal and a $1 processing fee. It’s one of the few apps that uses PayPal for payments instead of first issuing a refund.

Of course, to make extra money with your phone, you’ll need to play Solitaire Smash (or other apps) consistently and likely for a long time to see any real profit, especially if you’re depositing cash for entry fees.

Download Solitaire Smash | Read more in our full Solitaire Smash review.

21 Blitz: Best for people who prefer 21 Solitaire

App store ratings	Apple App Store: 4.6 out of 5 Samsung Galaxy Store: 4.5 out of 5 Google Play Store: 3.7 out of 5
Minimum entry fee (for cash tournaments)	$0.60
Minimum cash deposit	$5
Minimum withdrawal amount	No minimum listed
Withdrawal processing fee	$1.50 charge for all withdrawals under $10
Payout options	A refund to your original payment method; paper check (U.S.) or PayPal (international) for additional balances
Prohibited states	Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, South Dakota, South Carolina, and Tennessee

Because of the Google Play Store's policies about cash games, it can be difficult to find Android cash games to participate in. While 21 Blitz is only available as a single-player game without a cash feature, it is on the Google Play store.

You can play for cash if you download it on iOS or Samsung Galaxy devices. Tether Studios, the same developer as Solitaire Cube, also created 21 Blitz, so the tournaments, rules, and policies are the same.

As the name suggests, this game offers the 21 version of solitaire where, instead of building suits of the same color using the entire deck, you're creating groupings adding up to 21. The more groups of 21 you can make in three minutes, the more points you’ll earn.

As mentioned above, the Skillz platform is very dark, and some features aren’t well explained. It took some time to get the hang of the game, so I spent multiple rounds figuring out how to play. During my 30-minute test, the game froze on me twice, which is frustrating when you’re trying to maximize your score and winnings.

The prize pool and entry fees look exactly like Solitaire Cube, with the lowest fee being $0.60 for a prize of $1. The highest award is $200, requires an entry fee of $120, and you don’t have to split the pool among the top three winners.

Similarly, you must withdraw at least $10 to avoid the $1.50 fee. The game refunds payments to your original payment method. If they owe you more than your deposit amount, you’ll receive a paper check within six weeks if you live in the U.S. or a PayPal payment if you’re elsewhere.

Download 21 Blitz | Read more in our full 21 Blitz review

How to find the right solitaire game that pays real cash

Finding the right solitaire cash game will require considering your preferences and different app features. For example, I liked Solitaire Clash because it was easy to use, offered bigger prize opportunities, and didn’t freeze while playing. As you search for a new game, pay attention to the following things to help you earn more.

Game Options: Search for games with multiple options. If you like classic solitaire, there are various apps to choose from while some alternative versions may be harder to find. Pick a game you would enjoy playing so you’ll return to it consistently and increase your odds of winning.

Fees: Read the fine print of the apps you’re considering and pay attention to any required fees when you deposit or withdraw. If you decide not to play for months, consider cashing out and deleting your account to help you avoid inactivity or dormant account fees, which can eat into any winnings you leave in the app.

Payout structure: Understand the minimum payout amount, the methods offered (like PayPal, gift cards, or paper checks), and any rules about forfeiting your bonus cash when you make a withdrawal request. You should also be aware of the typical payout time.

Ratings: Read the app store ratings and comments to see what other players say about the solitaire game. This is an excellent way to discover if other users are experiencing problems with the company, like a lack of support or issues receiving payouts. Also, pay attention to what other players say about playing the game to help you improve your skills.

Availability: Ensure the game is available in your preferred app store (e.g., iOS or Android) and is compatible with your devices. Before you sign up, confirm that your state allows cash awards.

How to protect yourself from scams

Of course, playing online games comes with a degree of risk. While all the options listed here are legit game apps, other apps might look ok when you first see them, but once you download them, you’ll find red flags like:

• The app is full of ads that prevent you from playing the game.
• It takes your money without a chance to earn prizes.
• The app promises a payout, but the money never arrives.
• The game is unfair or impossible to win, or you can’t make enough to meet the minimum payout threshold.

To help spot a solitaire cash game scam, look for:

Grammar mistakes: If the app has typos, odd phrasing, or missing words, it may be a scam. Similarly, be suspicious if the app icon or other images look out of place or are unusually large or small.

Review app permissions: Check to see if the permissions an app uses on your phone align with its function. For example, downloading a solitaire app that needs to access your contacts, photos, or something similar is a red flag.

Read reviews: Check the reviews on the various app stores to see what other players say and if the cash-out process is legitimate. I tend to take a few negative reviews with a grain of salt, but I also look specifically for reviewers who mention how long it took to get paid, if there are too many ads, and any hidden fees or policies I wasn’t aware of.

Look at the number of downloads: Before you hit install, check the number of downloads an app has received. Many popular and legitimate apps have thousands (or millions) of downloads, so if you see an app that’s supposed to be popular with only a few downloads, it may be a counterfeit.

FAQ

Bottom line

Not only are solitaire games enjoyable, but they might also be a good way to earn cash from your phone. I recommend Solitaire Cash, Solitaire Clash, and Solitaire Smash to help you earn the most. Just remember that you’ll probably need to make an upfront investment by depositing cash to cover the entry fees and that there are no guarantees you’ll win or even make back your initial deposit.

Before downloading any apps, read reviews and research the developer to ensure it's a legit cash game that pays you for winning. You should also research tips that can help you get started with gameplay quickly and potentially maximize your earnings. This is especially true for games like Solitaire Cube that don’t provide tutorials.

Methodology

The games chosen for this list of best solitaire cash games are current or past FinanceBuzz partners. We didn’t review all of the options available on the app stores. When evaluating the games, we looked at factors such as fees, payout options, app store ratings, features, and whose needs each game might suit.