All Side Hustle Ideas
Every idea links to its source

Side hustle ideas from people who actually run them

Real side businesses, described by their owners. Filter by cost, time and how they earn.

Ideas
651
ideas
Publications
14
publications and shows
Categories
8
categories

Browse by category

  • Digital products67
    Files sold online: templates, printables, ebooks, stock photos, fonts, presets, plugins, recorded courses
  • Software and apps205
    A web app, SaaS, mobile app, browser extension, bot or API that people pay for or that earns from ads
  • Content and media105
    A blog, niche website, newsletter, YouTube channel, podcast or social account that earns from ads, affiliate links or sponsors
  • Physical products105
    Making, printing or reselling physical goods, online or in person
  • Services and freelancing103
    Doing work for clients for a fee: freelance, consulting, done-for-you services, repairs, local services
  • Rentals and assets36
    Earning from something you own: renting property, rooms, equipment, vehicles, parking, vending machines, domains
  • Directories and marketplaces11
    A job board, listings site, directory or marketplace that connects buyers and sellers
  • Teaching and coaching19
    Live tutoring, lessons, workshops, coaching or cohort classes

Matching ideas

About the data

Startup cost
Under $100$100 to $1k$1k to $10kOver $10k
Time
Hands-offA few hours a weekPart-timeNear full-time
Where
OnlineIn personOnline and in person
Earns from
AdsAffiliateSubscriptionsOne-time salesService feesRentMarketplace cutSponsors and donations
Coding
No coding neededNeeds coding

108 ideas, page 2 of 3

  • Software and apps
    Hosted instance of open source software for friends
    Lets a couple of people use a personal instance of an open source program they run, so they do not have to host it themselves, in exchange for a small monthly fee.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Software and apps
    Mac screen recorder app with GIF export
    A lossless screen recording app for macOS sold through the Mac App Store and its own site. Adds features like animated GIF export to keep sales coming in.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Physical products
    Resell SSL certificates online
    Runs a site that resells SSL certificates. Margins are thin because support requests eat into profit, so the owner would rather sell an own product.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Content and media
    Searchable product catalog with affiliate links
    A website with a searchable product catalog that earns from Amazon affiliate links.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Directories and marketplaces
    Social network for amateur voice actors
    A community site where hobbyist voice actors connect and find work. It started by accident and now earns a steady monthly income.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Software and apps
    Text a photo, send a postcard service
    A service where customers text a photo and a physical postcard is mailed. Built with a web framework and an SMS API, and paid per postcard.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Content and media
    Twitter bots listing local tech events
    A network of automated accounts that gather tech meetups and conferences for each city and tweet them, plus a weekly mailing list. Money comes from affiliate fees for conferences and workshops and from ad blocks in the newsletter.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Software and apps
    Watermarking tool and live productivity course
    Sells a watermarking tool, and also runs a multi-week video productivity course that is paid for each time a new class fills.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Services and freelancing
    Web design with ongoing hosting fees
    Designs websites for clients and hosts them on cloud infrastructure, collecting monthly web and email hosting fees.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Software and apps
    Free online tools for converting delimited data
    Built a set of web tools for converting between data formats like CSV. Income comes mostly from Google ads plus an occasional affiliate link.
    A few hours a weekOnline
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Content and media
    Community site for founders funded by sponsors
    Runs a website that interviews developers and entrepreneurs about how they earn from their projects. Revenue comes mainly from sponsors.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Software and apps
    Free online map chart maker funded by ads
    Runs a free tool that lets people make colored maps of countries and regions. Income comes from display ads and occasional donations.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Software and apps
    Subscription RSS reader on cloud hosting
    A paid RSS reader that is open source and runs on a managed cloud platform. Users pay a subscription handled through a payment processor, and it needs almost no ongoing effort.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Content and media
    Maps in your own language site
    Built a site that forces Google Maps links into a chosen language. Ad revenue covers its hosting.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Portfolio of paid iPhone apps
    Builds and sells many iPhone apps, with updates and freelance on the side.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Simple wine cataloging iOS app
    Built a minimalist wine catalog app for iPhone, sold as a paid app.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Android shopping app with affiliate links
    Built a simple Android shopping app that earned from Amazon affiliate links and ads.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Anonymous messaging web app
    A web app for sending and reading anonymous messages, with paid accounts adding extra features.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Daily photo reminder app for iPhone
    Built an iPhone photo reminder app that Apple featured, earning without marketing spend.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Services and freelancing
    E-commerce site built for profit share
    Built an online store for an acquaintance in exchange for a share of profits each pay period.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Fitness tracker companion iPhone app
    An iPhone app that converts tracker activity to diet program points and offers calorie tracking, sold through the App Store.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Host a nonprofit's forum for ad revenue
    Hosts a forum and website for a nonprofit, in exchange for placing ads that cover the hosting costs.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Logo gallery supported by ads
    A logo design gallery where designers submit work, earning from ads and ad network placements.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Niche iOS apps for hobby communities
    Builds iPhone apps for groups like skydivers and beer fans, earning from sales and Apple affiliate links.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Pay-per-character message site using Bitcoin
    Built a website where people pay in Bitcoin per character to post a message.
    $100 to $1kHands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    PC builder tool with affiliate links
    A website that helps users assemble PCs, earning from affiliate links and ads.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Piano app for iPad
    Built an iPad piano app that stays in music charts and sells without marketing.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Phone GPS tracker with ad revenue
    A web tool that tracks phones periodically and shows locations on a map, earning from site and YouTube ads.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Puzzle game for iOS
    Built a puzzle game for iPhone that earns a tiny amount from sales.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Audio analysis apps for iPhone
    Built iPhone apps like an oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer, used by sound engineers and teachers.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Cribbage game for iOS
    Built and released a cribbage card game for iPhone and iPad.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Language learning websites
    Runs a couple of sites for language learners that cover living expenses.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Local niche job board
    A jobs site that earns from affiliate links and AdSense, being rolled out as a network.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Music notation training web app
    Built a site for practicing reading music notation while learning piano. It earns on its own without promotion.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Online PC building tool with ads
    Runs a tool for assembling a PC online and earns from ads and affiliate programs.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Paid iOS utility and study apps
    Sells a clipboard manager app and a study summaries app for students with in-app purchases.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    PHP ad server software
    Built and maintains an ad server script with a hosted SaaS version, sold to site owners.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Rhyming dictionary website with ads
    Built a rhyming dictionary site where an ad unit covers the hosting costs.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Digital products
    Sell software on Envato marketplaces
    Sells scripts and plugins through a code marketplace and a beginner's book on making WordPress plugins.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Tax calculator website with ads and affiliates
    A site of tax and finance calculators that earns from AdSense and affiliate income, needing only occasional upkeep.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Trading simulator app for iOS
    Built and sells an iOS app that simulates trading.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    UK bank account validation web app and API
    Offers a tool and API to validate UK bank account details, and sells a data file of sort codes.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Unicode text effects tool
    A free site for playing with Unicode text and ASCII art, earning small ad income.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    WCF testing software products
    Built developer tools for testing WCF services, since expanded to several products and recommended by developers on Q&A sites.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Call filtering app for phones
    An app that filters unimportant calls and lets urgent ones from chosen contacts through. Sold as a paid app.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2011
  • Software and apps
    Captcha recognition service paid per solve
    Built a machine learning system that solves captchas, paid per captcha, so income continues after the build.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2011
  • Software and apps
    Cheap bulk SMS sending service
    Runs a text messaging service with low per-message pricing. Earns from message volume.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2011
  • Services and freelancing
    Convert websites into WordPress themes
    Did site-to-WordPress theme conversions for clients, finding them through targeted AdWords ads.
    $100 to $1kPart-timeOnline
    Hacker News, 2011