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

19 ideas

  • Digital products
    Coding challenges newsletter and courses
    Writes a newsletter of real-world projects for learning programming, and sells paid courses.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2024
  • Physical products
    Music manuscript notebooks
    Makes and sells notebooks with music staff paper for musicians.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2021
  • Rentals and assets
    Buy and sell expiring domain names
    Takes preorders for expiring domains and tries to catch them when they drop, and also holds a portfolio of domains for later development.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Amazon third-party seller side business
    Sells products as a third-party seller on Amazon, treated as a semi-passive side business.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Laser-cut wooden fan merchandise on Etsy
    Makes wooden items with a laser cutter based on video games and shows, and sells them on Etsy. Covers materials and machine time.
    $1k to $10kA few hours a week
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Multi-camera trigger system for photo booths
    Designed hardware and an iPhone app that remotely control arrays of cameras. Sold mainly to photo booth operators.
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Custom writing pads matched to handwriting
    A website where customers tailor a writing pad to their handwriting style, sold as a physical product.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Glow-in-the-dark cosmetic mods for synthesizers
    Sells phosphorescent cosmetic modifications for synthesizers, a niche hardware accessory product.
    $100 to $1kOnline
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Resell computer processors on local classifieds
    Sells genuine Intel processors on a local classifieds site in a country where import costs make online marketplaces hard to use, earning a margin on each sale.
    A few hours a weekOnline
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Eco-friendly pet supply online shop
    Sells high-quality pet toys, treats and collars, and started with dog-themed T-shirts printed and shipped by a supplier. Holds pet inventory at home and ships orders.
    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
  • Digital products
    Smartwatch faces sold on the app store
    Designed watch faces for a smartwatch and sold them at the lowest price in the store. Sales were strong at first, then copies appeared and they pulled the apps.
    Under $100Online
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Software and apps
    Niche iOS apps for hobby communities
    Builds iPhone apps for groups like skydivers and beer fans, earning from sales and Apple affiliate links.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Digital products
    WordPress portfolio theme on ThemeForest
    Turned a portfolio site into a WordPress theme sold on ThemeForest, plus answering support emails.
    A few hours a weekOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Digital products
    Credit card sign-up bonus travel hacking
    Opens new credit cards regularly for sign-up bonuses and redeems them for travel, and plans a course teaching the method.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Physical products
    Historic-style city maps sold online
    Designed a London map in a historic style and sells it as a physical product online.
    A few hours a weekOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Digital products
    Technical book on Stripe payments with Rails
    Wrote a book about payments with Stripe for Rails developers, backed by related blog posts and content.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Trading simulator app for iOS
    Built and sells an iOS app that simulates trading.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Physical products
    Online store for a family-made grafting tool
    Sells grafting tools made by a relative's family company through an online store, after testing demand on eBay.
    A few hours a weekOnline
    Hacker News, 2011