Side hustle ideas from people who actually run them
Real side businesses, described by their owners. Filter by cost, time and how they earn.
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- 651 ideas
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- Files sold online: templates, printables, ebooks, stock photos, fonts, presets, plugins, recorded courses
- A web app, SaaS, mobile app, browser extension, bot or API that people pay for or that earns from ads
- A blog, niche website, newsletter, YouTube channel, podcast or social account that earns from ads, affiliate links or sponsors
- Making, printing or reselling physical goods, online or in person
- Doing work for clients for a fee: freelance, consulting, done-for-you services, repairs, local services
- Earning from something you own: renting property, rooms, equipment, vehicles, parking, vending machines, domains
- A job board, listings site, directory or marketplace that connects buyers and sellers
- Live tutoring, lessons, workshops, coaching or cohort classes
Matching ideas
About the data40 ideas
- Content and mediaA YouTube channel of personal finance reviews and tutorials built on search traffic. Income comes from affiliate commissions on products like budgeting apps and savings accounts.OnlineSide Hustle Nation, 2026
- Content and mediaShort product review videos uploaded through the Amazon Influencer Program, which appear on product listings and earn commissions. The approach relies on filming high volumes of products found close to home.Online and in personSide Hustle Nation, 2026
- Content and mediaDocuments government processes for immigrants and earns commissions on services they need, such as banking, insurance and translations, plus some consulting.Hacker News, 2026
- Digital productsMade a course on spreadsheet functions and formulas hosted on a small course platform, earning a commission share.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2024
- Content and mediaRuns a white-label flight and hotel search engine and shares deals by social media and email subscription.OnlineHacker News, 2024
- Directories and marketplacesRuns a directory of website templates for static site generators and frameworks, earning affiliate sales and now sponsorships.OnlineHacker News, 2024
- Content and mediaRuns a flight deals blog and newsletter with an embedded flight and hotel search tool, earning from bookings.OnlineHacker News, 2022
- Content and mediaBuilt a site comparing glasses retailers that earns affiliate commissions.Under $100Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2021
- Content and mediaA product review blog that earns from affiliate commissions.OnlineHacker News, 2021
- Content and mediaStarted a price comparison website for college textbooks that earns affiliate commissions, mostly from search traffic.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2019
- Content and mediaRuns a site that reviews web hosts and earns affiliate commissions. Competition is heavy.OnlineHacker News, 2019
- Content and mediaMakes video tutorials on Arduino programming on a personal site. Earns referral commissions when visitors buy parts.OnlineHacker News, 2019
- Content and mediaRuns a website reviewing music equipment, especially MIDI keyboards, and earns commissions through Amazon affiliate links.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2019
- Content and mediaA niche blog about getting a professional engineering license, carrying affiliate links to a prep package seller. Earns passively from affiliate commissions.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2019
- Content and mediaRuns a curated list of Hacker News recommendations and products. Earns small amounts from affiliate links.A few hours a weekOnlineHacker News, 2018
- Content and mediaA blog about earning a professional engineering license in a niche with little coverage. Income comes from an affiliate deal with a company selling licensing prep packages.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2018
- Content and mediaRuns a blog about watch straps featuring photography from brands and custom leather makers plus interviews. Income comes from affiliate links.OnlineHacker News, 2018
- Content and mediaBuilt a search tool that ranks Amazon products by ratings and review volume, grouped by price range. Money comes from affiliate links.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2016
- Content and mediaWrote a blog about the process of getting a professional engineering licence, which draws search traffic. Earns from ads and affiliate referrals to a seller of exam prep materials.Under $100Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2016
- Content and mediaMaintains a handful of websites, including a gift ideas site that earns through Amazon affiliate links and some content sites.OnlineHacker News, 2016
- Content and mediaA website comparing prices for domain extensions across registrars. Earns through registrar affiliate commissions and paid data downloads.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2016
- Content and mediaWrote a how-to guide for bypassing an ISP's required modem and router, and recommends a tested router through an Amazon affiliate link. Costs almost nothing to host.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2016
- Content and mediaA website with a searchable product catalog that earns from Amazon affiliate links.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2016
- Content and mediaBlogs about travel and working remotely from an RV. Money comes from Amazon affiliate links placed in posts.OnlineHacker News, 2016
- Content and mediaA network of automated accounts that gather tech meetups and conferences for each city and tweet them, plus a weekly mailing list. Money comes from affiliate fees for conferences and workshops and from ad blocks in the newsletter.OnlineHacker News, 2016
- Content and mediaAdded Amazon affiliate links to a popular Raspberry Pi garage door tutorial and earns from purchases.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2014
- Software and appsBuilt a simple Android shopping app that earned from Amazon affiliate links and ads.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2014
- Physical productsWrites nonfiction books and earns from advances, royalties, foreign rights deals and Amazon affiliate links.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2014
- Content and mediaA website that helps users assemble PCs, earning from affiliate links and ads.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2014
- Content and mediaEarns affiliate commissions by referring people to Shopify.Under $100Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2014
- Content and mediaRuns affiliate blogs and a WordPress plugin that tests which call to action gets the most clicks.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2014
- Content and mediaWrites blog articles and earns from affiliate marketing.OnlineHacker News, 2014
- Content and mediaBuilt a Rails site recommending gadgets and gifts and earning through affiliate links.OnlineHacker News, 2014
- Content and mediaA small site that shows random Amazon products, earning from affiliate links.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2014
- Content and mediaBuilt a better way to browse Kindle books and earns affiliate fees when visitors buy.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2011
- Content and mediaRuns a personal blog that earns small commissions from Amazon affiliate links.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2011
- Content and mediaA site that tells you where to buy tracks heard in DJ tracklists, earning small affiliate commissions that cover its hosting.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2011
- Content and mediaA search site for books that earns small amounts from affiliate sales.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2011
- Content and mediaWrites album reviews and earns from ads and affiliate commissions when readers buy the reviewed CDs.OnlineHacker News, 2011
- Content and mediaRuns wallpaper websites that earn from domain registration commissions, plus ads on a related blog.Hands-offOnlineHacker News, 2011