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

302 ideas, page 5 of 7

  • Content and media
    jQuery plugin blog with daily listings
    Runs a blog that lists a jQuery plugin each day and earns from advertising.
    Under $100Online
    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
  • Content and media
    Logo gallery supported by ads
    A logo design gallery where designers submit work, earning from ads and ad network placements.
    Online
    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
  • Digital products
    Niche WordPress themes
    Sells WordPress themes for specific niches, with a small ad budget and a little customer support.
    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
  • 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
  • Content and media
    PC builder tool with affiliate links
    A website that helps users assemble PCs, earning from affiliate links and ads.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Personalized children's books app for iPad
    Sells personalized kids books through an iPad app and is splitting it into individual book apps.
    Online
    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
    Printable bingo card software
    Sells software for creating bingo cards, needing little support.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Digital products
    Printable cupcake wrapper designs shop
    A website selling cupcake wrapper designs, with new designs needed to keep sales up.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Publish a friend's writing with ad revenue split
    Hosts a friend's political writings on a site and splits the advertising revenue.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Services and freelancing
    Rent out managed servers to tenants
    Administers rented servers, handling updates and small fixes for tenants who pay monthly fees after covering hosting costs.
    Over $10kHands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Role-playing game for preschool kids
    Made an online role-playing game for young children that earns a modest monthly amount.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Digital products
    Self-published ebook on side projects
    Wrote and self-published an ebook about running profitable side projects.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Shopify affiliate referrals
    Earns affiliate commissions by referring people to Shopify.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Simple Mac App Store app
    Has a simple app in the Mac App Store that sells with no ongoing support.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Small ERP system sold to local businesses
    Built a small ERP system sold to businesses on monthly fees.
    Online
    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
    Social game built with a partner developer
    Runs a social game with a developer partner that earns steadily with little ongoing time.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    SSL certificate add-on for Heroku apps
    Built an add-on that lets customers get SSL installed quickly. Reselling certificates required upfront cash.
    Over $10kHands-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
  • Directories and marketplaces
    Theme marketplace for Ghost blogs
    A marketplace for themes for a blogging platform.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Web analytics and conversion tracking services
    Runs subscription services for tracking website traffic and ad conversions, solo and mostly hands-off.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    White label dating websites
    Runs three white label dating sites that earn with little maintenance.
    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
  • Digital products
    Nonfiction Kindle books on Amazon
    Publishes several nonfiction Kindle books on Amazon and markets them for ongoing 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
  • Content and media
    Solar power blog driven by a YouTube video
    Runs a simple blog on solar power, linked from a YouTube video, that earns from AdSense ads.
    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
    Phone GPS tracker with ad revenue
    A web tool that tracks phones periodically and shows locations on a map, earning from site and YouTube ads.
    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
  • 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
  • Content and media
    Animated GIF sites funded by ads
    Runs cat and dog GIF websites supported by advertising.
    Under $100Hands-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
  • Content and media
    Architectural models niche blog
    A hobby blog about architectural models that earns from ads and Amazon affiliate links.
    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
    Buy and redesign an existing iOS app
    Bought an iOS sleep calculator app from its owner and redesigned the interface.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Rentals and assets
    Buy and sell domain names
    Sells domain names from a small portfolio.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Career website for Marine Corps members
    A career site for Marines with a mailing list, earning a modest amount with about a day of work per month.
    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