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

7 ideas

  • Content and media
    Niche newsletter funded by sponsors
    A free newsletter grows an audience and sells sponsor placements to advertisers. Subscriber growth is helped by paid ads and referral tools.
    Online
    The Koerner Office, 2025
  • Software and apps
    Open source UI library funded by sponsors
    Maintains a UI library for a programming language and gets income through GitHub sponsorships.
    Under $100Online
    Hacker News, 2024
  • Software and apps
    Document editor funded by protocol grants
    Built a document editor on a decentralized protocol alongside a day job. Revenue came from grant money from the protocol.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2021
  • Content and media
    YouTube channel restoring an old car
    Documents fixing up an old sports car on YouTube. Income comes from ads and Patreon support.
    Online and in person
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Teaching and coaching
    Gigging musician and guitar lessons
    Plays regularly with a jazz band, gives occasional guitar lessons at home, and earns a little from fan support on Patreon for performance videos.
    Online and in person
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Content and media
    Long-form article and podcast site without ads
    A site publishing original long-form non-fiction in article and podcast form, funded by donations, a published book and content licensing instead of advertising.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2019
  • 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