Software and apps side hustle ideas

A web app, SaaS, mobile app, browser extension, bot or API that people pay for or that earns from ads.

204 ideas, page 2 of 5

Software and apps
Niche credit card processing business
Started a niche credit card processor that has made money for many years.
Online
Hacker News, 2022
Software and apps
No-code app builder born from clinic tools
Began by writing Windows apps for a hospital department and grew it into a SaaS tool for building calculator apps.
Online
Hacker News, 2022
Software and apps
Online solitaire game platform
A solitaire site that began as a Mac app, found by looking for popular apps with poor reviews, and now supports the owner.
Online
Hacker News, 2022
Software and apps
Open source website change detection service
An open source tool for detecting website changes, with a paid hosted subscription and custom work for companies.
Online
Hacker News, 2022
Software and apps
PDF bank statement data extraction web app
A web app that pulls transaction data out of PDF bank statements, built after the owner needed it for personal spending analysis.
Online
Hacker News, 2022
Software and apps
Privacy-friendly website analytics tool
Built an embeddable analytics product that avoids cookies, sold as hosted subscriptions and to customers on invoice.
Online
Hacker News, 2022
Software and apps
Royalties from embedded device software
Wrote embedded software and earned a royalty on every device shipped for many years.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2022
Software and apps
SaaS wrapper around open-source email checker
Created an open-source email verification tool, then built a paid hosted service on top of it.
Online
Hacker News, 2022
Software and apps
Screen recording tool with auto-polish
A Mac app that creates polished product demo videos from screen recordings using cursor movements and clicks.
Online
Hacker News, 2022
Software and apps
Simple apps and games monetized later
Builds small apps and games for niche audiences and earns by adding paid features and selling ad space.
Online
Hacker News, 2022
Software and apps
Simple tool for a niche industry
Built a very basic tool for an industry the owner wanted to be part of, then found a larger opportunity there that now supports them full-time.
Online
Hacker News, 2022
Software and apps
Sports film review software
Software that ties game stats to video footage for coaches, sold to schools in many states.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2022
Software and apps
Uptime monitoring service for APIs and websites
Built a monitoring tool that began with GraphQL services and expanded to all APIs and web apps, running it with a couple of hours of work each workday.
Part-timeOnline
Hacker News, 2022
Software and apps
Web scraping API service
Started by scraping real estate listings for personal use, then built a scraping API that handles blocking and sold access to paying customers.
Online
Hacker News, 2022
Software and apps
Weekly email of saved Twitter bookmarks
Built a small tool that emails a weekly digest of newly saved Twitter bookmarks, with paid subscribers.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2022
Software and apps
Coupon site and tiny developer tools
A coupon site for developers plus a set of single-purpose web tools such as encoders and HTML cleaners.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2021
Software and apps
Email unsubscribe by forwarding service
A service where users forward unwanted emails and it finds unsubscribe links and fills web forms for them.
Online
Hacker News, 2021
Software and apps
Timestamped audio feedback sharing site
A web app for sharing audio clips with timestamped comments, such as a music teacher giving feedback to a student.
Online
Hacker News, 2021
Software and apps
Video recordings for pull request reviews
A tool for recording video explanations on pull requests, to reduce misunderstandings during code review.
Online
Hacker News, 2021
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
Software and apps
Safari tab refresh extension for Mac
A paid Mac App Store app that grew out of a personal need for a Safari extension that refreshes tabs automatically.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2021
Software and apps
Web hosting business started on the side
Started a web hosting company on nights and weekends during grad school, which later became a full-time business.
Online
Hacker News, 2021
Software and apps
Niche Mac App Store app
Wrote a Mac app years ago that still makes steady daily sales through the app store without marketing.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2020
Software and apps
Tool to convert CSV and JSON into SQL
Runs a web tool that migrates data from files like CSV, JSON and XML into MySQL databases, sold to users who need conversions.
Online
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
White-label stock analysis tool with revenue share
Built a web tool for stock technical analysis and offered it white-labeled to companies with distribution, splitting profits with them.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Customizable GPS scavenger hunt platform
Built a platform for scavenger hunts played on phones. Sells it to team-building event companies and also to individuals for birthdays and parties.
Online
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Data map charts via subscriptions and licenses
A charting product for data maps, earning from subscriptions and from licensing its chart library.
Online
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Remote logging tool for mobile app developers
Turned an internal debugging and remote logging tool for iOS and Android into a subscription product for customers of all sizes.
Online
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Chrome extension that audits websites
A browser extension that tests sites for SEO, speed and security best practices, with free and paid tiers.
Online
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
API for sending cookies to customers
Built a service with an API that lets businesses send cookies to customers and partners across Europe and the US.
Online
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Chart image and QR code API
An open source API that generates embeddable chart images and QR codes. Monetized as a hosted service.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Configurable announcement banner service for websites
Runs a subscription service that lets sites display announcement banners.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Localized wedding registry platform
An independent wedding registry site for a local market. Couples pay a one-time activation fee, and Google ads bring in traffic.
$1k to $10kHands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Mac app for browsing video collections
Built a desktop app for managing video libraries and sells licenses. Donates the proceeds to charity.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Online gaming logo maker for esports teams
A web tool that lets esports teams create mascot style gaming logos, currently in private beta.
Online
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Patreon support for open source game
Collects small monthly support on Patreon for a niche open source game.
Under $100Online
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Pay-per-use SMS sending API
An outgoing text message API with flat pricing, small packages for hobbyists, and a free daily message. Has an open source version.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Portfolio tracking tool for crypto investors
Built a portfolio management tool for cryptocurrency investors and reached subscription revenue quickly with a basic version, while keeping a day job.
Online
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Team calendar app sold as subscription
A team calendar software product that earns recurring revenue and could grow with more marketing.
$1k to $10kOnline
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Web service that texts kids to call parents
Sells a web service that randomly sends text reminders for kids to call their parents or for adults to call theirs.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
WordPress plugin and theme update service
A service for WordPress plugin and theme developers covering updates, git deployment, analytics and load testing, paid by subscription.
Online
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Marketing automation software for fitness businesses
Started a company offering marketing automation to fitness businesses, with recurring revenue and a partnership with a martial arts actor's affiliates.
Online
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Habit-based collaborative writing platform
A platform for learning to write alongside others, built around habits and streaks.
A few hours a weekOnline
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Published indie games with small ongoing sales
A few games the owner published that continue to sell a little each year without any input.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Subscription stock analysis service in German
Publishes in-depth long-term stock analyses for German-speaking investors. Revenue comes from monthly subscriptions.
Online
Hacker News, 2019
Software and apps
Small iOS apps sold on the App Store
Publishes a few small utility apps on the App Store and keeps improving them. Income comes from app sales.
$100 to $1kOnline
Hacker News, 2018
Software and apps
Subscription trading models on a stock platform
Built a stock trading model for personal use, then published it on a platform where subscribers pay to follow it. Subscribers take responsibility for any trades.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2018
Software and apps
Automated dependency update service for developers
Built a service that keeps software dependencies up to date and supports multiple programming languages. It started as a passive project and became a full-time company.
Online
Hacker News, 2018

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