Directories and marketplaces side hustle ideas

A job board, listings site, directory or marketplace that connects buyers and sellers.

Startup costUnder $100$100 to $1k$1k to $10kOver $10k
TimeHands-offA few hours a weekPart-timeNear full-time
WhereOnlineIn personOnline and in person
Earns fromAdsAffiliateSubscriptionsOne-time salesService feesRentMarketplace cutSponsors and donations
CodingNo coding neededNeeds coding

11 ideas

  • Job board website that wins on marketing
    A simple job board website in a saturated category. The founder credits distribution and marketing, not the product, for its success.
    Directories and marketplaces
    Starter Story, 2026
  • Template marketplace for modern web frameworks
    Runs a directory of website templates for static site generators and frameworks, earning affiliate sales and now sponsorships.
    Directories and marketplaces
    Hacker News, 2024
  • Network of niche job boards and content sites
    Built job listing sites and blogs that run mostly automatically and cover expenses with ads and sponsorships.
    Hands-off
    Hacker News, 2021
  • Marketplace for premium startup domain names
    Sold a few domains at a profit and then launched a site selling high-quality startup names to fund other ventures.
    Hands-off
    Hacker News, 2016
  • 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.
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Marketplace for boat dock listings
    A marketplace connecting boat owners and dock spaces, grown by posting in boating groups and forums.
    Directories and marketplaces
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Online marketplace for plant nurseries
    A niche marketplace where garden centers sell plants nationwide, with the owner taking a share of each sale.
    Directories and marketplaces$1k to $10k
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Theme marketplace for Ghost blogs
    A marketplace for themes for a blogging platform.
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Marketplace for Flash website components
    Runs a marketplace and sells components on larger marketplaces, still earning from support and sales.
    Directories and marketplaces
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Local penny auction website
    A penny auction site for a local market, relying on manual bank transfers for payment since cards are rare, with plans to white-label it.
    Part-time
    Hacker News, 2011
  • AI-built niche directory sites
    The operator uses scraping tools and an AI coding assistant to build a listing site for a niche, then monetizes through leads, ads, affiliate links or listings. One example was a luxury restroom trailer directory.
    Hands-off
    The Koerner Office