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

52 ideas, page 1 of 2

  • Software and apps
    Browser extensions named for popular searches
    Builds browser extensions that fix common site annoyances. Revenue comes from them, helped by search-friendly names and store reviews.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2024
  • Software and apps
    Minimal Android launcher with pro version
    A minimalist Android launcher distributed free, with a paid pro version.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2024
  • Software and apps
    License data compression to software publishers
    Built a compression tool that was slow to compress but fast to decompress and licensed it to big software vendors who shipped floppy disks.
    Hands-off
    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
    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
  • Content and media
    Eyewear comparison affiliate site
    Built a site comparing glasses retailers that earns affiliate commissions.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    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
  • Digital products
    Level design tool sold on Unity Asset Store
    Built a level design package and sells it on the Unity Asset Store, relying on organic discovery.
    Hands-offOnline
    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
  • Digital products
    Premium Jekyll theme for developers and academics
    Sells a boutique Jekyll theme aimed at software people and academics, with a free base version and a paid version.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Digital products
    Programming books on web frameworks
    Writes and sells books about programming, currently covering Angular and related tools, with little promotion.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Services and freelancing
    Websites for wineries paid in barter
    Built web pages for local wineries and was paid in goods such as wine rather than cash.
    Under $100
    Hacker News, 2019
  • 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
  • Content and media
    Fun small websites earning ad revenue
    A small project built for fun that earns a little from display ads and has grown slowly.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Software and apps
    Paid smartwatch faces on Google Play
    Develops watch faces for Android Wear and sells them as paid apps on the Play Store.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Content and media
    Technical blog post monetized with AdSense
    Published a how-to post on single sign-on between two business platforms on an old blog and added AdSense. Earns small ad revenue from search visitors.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Software and apps
    Simple paid and ad-supported mobile apps
    Builds small single-purpose mobile apps such as calculators and a flashlight. Some are sold for a fee and others earn from in-app ads.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Content and media
    Ad on a jQuery plugin documentation site
    Maintains a documentation website for a jQuery plugin and earns a small amount from a single ad placed on it.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Software and apps
    Small niche web tools monetized with ads
    Builds small web tools that solve narrow business problems, often around obscure shipping forms or data formatting chores. Income comes from display ads on the tools that get found.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Digital products
    ExpressionEngine add-on sold on a marketplace
    Wrote an add-on for the ExpressionEngine CMS and sells it through a marketplace.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Digital products
    Add-on for a popular video game
    Developed an add-on for a popular video game that earns small, usage-driven income.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Android client for a photo messaging app
    Built an Android app that added features to a popular messaging app, earning from an in-app purchase and ads until it was removed from the store.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    jQuery credit card validator with ad revenue
    Built a credit card validation plugin with a demo site that earns small ad revenue.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Kids glockenspiel app, free and paid
    Built a glockenspiel app for a friend's daughter, released a free version and a paid version with extra features.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Online JavaScript compression tool
    A free web tool that compresses and combines JavaScript files, earning from AdSense.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Small single-purpose websites from an agency
    A studio builds quick websites that solve small problems, getting traffic from blogs and earning from AdSense.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Tabletop RPG calculator with ad income
    A calculator tool for a tabletop game that was picked up by a gaming site and earns from an ad on it.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Digital products
    WordPress Genesis child theme
    Designed a child theme for the Genesis WordPress framework in a few days, and it keeps earning monthly sales.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    School directory funded by ads
    Evolved a failed school-focused social network into a directory site that earns from ads with little maintenance.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Digital products
    Custom OpenStreetMap maps for Kindle
    Made custom maps from OpenStreetMap formatted for Kindle and sells them as ebooks.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Local bus times Android app
    An Android app showing bus times for the owner's area, earning from optimized in-app ads.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Small Android apps portfolio
    Publishes several small Android apps that earn modestly without ongoing work.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Affiliate blogs optimized with a testing plugin
    Runs affiliate blogs and a WordPress plugin that tests which call to action gets the most clicks.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Android app to fix a router modem
    Built an Android app that roots and fixes problems on an ISP-supplied modem, selling it through the Play Store.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Android app with ads and in-app purchases
    Made a free Android app with a paid version, earning from ads, in-app purchases and paid downloads.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Android apps funded by ads
    Makes Android apps earning from ads, with a soundboard app as the main earner.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Android notepad app earning ad revenue
    A simple Android app built to learn the platform that now earns from in-app ads.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Digital products
    CSS animation templates on Envato
    Creates animated icons and page templates and sells them on a theme marketplace.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Free web solitaire game with ads
    A browser solitaire game that earns from ad revenue, built as a weekend project.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Gadget and gift idea affiliate site
    Built a Rails site recommending gadgets and gifts and earning through affiliate links.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Old Android app earning small ad income
    Wrote an Android app to learn the platform, updates it lightly, and earns a little from ads.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Paid physics puzzles Android app
    A paid Android app with a list of physics puzzles, built as a learning project and earning small steady income.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Digital products
    PHP library sold to developers
    Wrote a PHP library and sells licenses to developers, getting a few sales a year.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Prank website hosted on GitHub Pages
    Runs a simple prank site hosted cheaply on GitHub Pages that brings in a modest monthly income.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Random Amazon product generator
    A small site that shows random Amazon products, earning from affiliate links.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Shopify store admin app for Android
    An Android app for managing a Shopify store, sold on Google Play without marketing.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Showcase gallery of sites built with Bootstrap
    Runs a showcase website for sites built with a popular front-end framework, with very low running costs and steady traffic.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Kindle book browsing site with affiliate links
    Built a better way to browse Kindle books and earns affiliate fees when visitors buy.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2011