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

42 ideas

  • Software and apps
    GIF meme maker with watermark removal sales
    A GIF meme site that earns from one-off sales of watermark removal.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2024
  • Digital products
    Self-published book on deploying applications
    Wrote and sells a technical book on deployment that shows the steps without higher-level tools.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2022
  • Digital products
    Online courses sold on Udemy
    Creates and sells courses on Udemy.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2021
  • Physical products
    Twitter bot with related merchandise
    A bot that posts a space-weather graph and built a following, which led to selling related t-shirts.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Historic-style city maps sold online
    Runs a hobby business selling maps made in a historic style.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    3D printed replacement parts for appliances
    Designed a 3D printed upgrade for a worn part in certain coffee grinders and sells it through a print-on-demand storefront. Traffic comes from repair guides.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Sell surplus chicken eggs
    Sells eggs from backyard hens when they lay more than the household uses.
    Hands-off
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Digital products
    Themes marketplace for static site generators
    A site selling themes for static site generators that has started making sales.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Sketchpads for wireframing sold on Shopify
    Designs and sells sketchpads for mobile and browser wireframes through a Shopify store, reordering inventory in larger batches as it sells out.
    $100 to $1kOnline
    Hacker News, 2018
  • Digital products
    Pre-built cloud VMs for learning Ethereum
    Lists virtual machines on major cloud marketplaces that come set up for Ethereum development, with video tutorials. Revenue comes from VM sales.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2018
  • Digital products
    Self-published game development book
    Wrote and self-published a book about a game framework. Earns a small monthly income from sales.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2018
  • Digital products
    Self-published programming tutorial book
    Writing and self-publishing a tutorial book on the Angular framework.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2018
  • Physical products
    Print-on-demand patent artwork store
    Turned public patent drawings into wall art images, cleaned up by a hired assistant and batch processed. An online store sends orders to a print and fulfillment service automatically.
    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
    Self-published guide to music software
    Wrote and sells a printed guide to using a music recording program along with music technology basics. It has to be updated for each new software version.
    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
  • 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
  • Physical products
    Webcam cover stickers sold online
    A physical sticker product that covers laptop cameras, sold through Amazon and its own website without any advertising.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Digital products
    Book on choosing hosting for startups
    Wrote a book that helps bootstrapped startups pick the right hosting setup. Income comes from book sales.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Digital products
    Ebook about running an app business
    Wrote and sells an ebook about building an app business.
    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
  • Physical products
    Dropship electric bike store
    Helped a friend set up an online store selling electric bikes with a dropship model.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Digital products
    Ebook on making HTML5 games
    Wrote and sells an ebook teaching game development with a JavaScript framework.
    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
  • Physical products
    Growth hacking handbook sold direct
    Wrote a book on growth hacking and sells copies directly, with almost no maintenance work.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Physical products
    Math textbooks in print and PDF
    Writes and sells math textbooks as print and PDF, built around curating expert knowledge.
    Hands-offOnline
    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
  • 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
    Puzzle game for iOS
    Built a puzzle game for iPhone that earns a tiny amount from sales.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Physical products
    Anti-surveillance webcam stickers by post
    Created and sold stickers aimed at privacy concerns, shipped by hand to several countries with no marketing spend.
    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
  • Digital products
    Ebook promotion website
    A site promoting ebooks on dating, requiring few hours of work per month.
    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
  • Digital products
    Self-published book on adult ADHD
    Wrote and published a book on adult ADHD that still brings in a small amount from sales.
    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
  • 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
    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
  • Physical products
    Designed t-shirts printed on quality apparel
    Designed t-shirts and had them printed on higher quality apparel, selling them through a dedicated website.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2011
  • Physical products
    Hardware accessories such as tablet cases
    Designed and sold iPad cases through a small online store.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2011
  • Software and apps
    Logic puzzle game on the iOS App Store
    Built a puzzle game for iPhone sold on the App Store.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2011