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

501 ideas, page 9 of 11

  • 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
    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
    Nonfiction Kindle books on Amazon
    Publishes several nonfiction Kindle books on Amazon and markets them for ongoing sales.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Services and freelancing
    Outsourced social media and blog posting for a firm
    Does social media and blog content for a jewelry company from home and subcontracts the work to a lower-cost writer.
    Under $100Online
    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
  • Content and media
    Articles and affiliate marketing blog
    Writes blog articles and earns from affiliate marketing.
    Online
    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
  • Services and freelancing
    Blog that brings in consulting work
    Runs a blog that has brought a steady flow of consulting opportunities.
    Under $100Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Browser strategy game with niche audience
    Created a web game that earns enough to live on while traveling.
    Online
    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
  • 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
  • Software and apps
    Cribbage game for iOS
    Built and released a cribbage card game for iPhone and iPad.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Rentals and assets
    Cryptocurrency mining rig
    Runs hardware that mines cryptocurrencies.
    $1k to $10kHands-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
  • Digital products
    Ebook on PHP deployment
    Wrote a book on deploying PHP applications that sells steadily from the owner's website and builds an audience list.
    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
    Educational 3D and 4D geometry iPhone app
    Built an iOS app that teaches what a tesseract is and lets users manipulate it. People keep buying it in a small niche.
    Hands-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
  • 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
  • Physical products
    Joke coffee mug on print-on-demand
    A programmer humor coffee mug sold through a print-on-demand marketplace.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Language learning websites
    Runs a couple of sites for language learners that cover living expenses.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Live streaming platform for event organizers
    A platform for event organizers to host and live stream events.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Local niche job board
    A jobs site that earns from affiliate links and AdSense, being rolled out as a network.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Mac web development app
    A web development tool for Mac sold through the Mac App Store.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Software and apps
    Marketing attribution software with affiliates
    A subscription analytics product largely automated in onboarding and billing, with an affiliate program and agency customers that expand usage.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Directories and marketplaces
    Marketplace for Flash website components
    Runs a marketplace and sells components on larger marketplaces, still earning from support and sales.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014