10 Online Side Hustles To Level Up Your Income

Is your income from your main job barely enough to make ends meet? If it is, you should strongly consider starting an online side hustle.

In this guide, we’ll give you the scoop on ten of the best side hustles to start on the web and make stacks of cash.

Our Top Picks

There’s no shortage of ideas for side hustles you can choose from. These ones are our favorites:

• Being an Online Friend: Best overall
• Writing: Best for writers
• Reselling Legos: Best for Lego enthusiasts
• Reselling Prom Dresses: Best for teenage girls
• Reselling Concert Tickets: Best for music buffs
• Making Body Scrubs to Sell: Best for skin care enthusiasts
• Making Car Air Fresheners to Sell: Best for low budgets
• Reselling Apple Devices: Best for those with used iPhones
• Reselling Textbooks: Best for college students
• Reselling VPS Hosting: Best for tech-savvy people

Getting Started With Online Side Hustles

Here are a couple of questions people commonly have about online side hustles:

What Are Online Side Hustles?

An online side hustle is a way of making some extra money alongside that which you earn from your main job.

As the name suggests, such side hustles can be operated online through various platforms without needing a physical store or office space.

Selling or reselling consumer products are two great examples of online side hustles.

Alternatively, you can offer a service online, such as freelance writing or content creation.

Why You Should Consider Starting an Online Side Hustle?

Starting a side hustle in general, whether online or not, is an excellent idea.‍

It’s a way to boost your income while being your own boss and having flexible working hours.

There are also numerous advantages to working online.

They include being able to forgo the costs of utilities and rent you’d incur if you work out of an office or store.

Additionally, online businesses are easy to scale up and grow.  

The Best Online Side Hustles at a Glance

Many people question whether starting a side hustle online is a viable option to make additional income in your spare time.

Yes, it is, and here’s why:

What Is the Best Online Side Hustle?

The best online side hustles include being an online friend, writing, and reselling Legos, concert tickets, or prom dresses.

Ultimately, the best side hustle for you isn’t necessarily suitable for someone else.

It depends on the person’s skill set and interests.

For example, starting a side hustle reselling concert tickets may be a great idea for you, but it isn’t ideal for someone else who has no interest in music.

This is because they won’t be in touch with the music industry and won’t know which concert tickets will sell best.

Is it Possible to Passively Make Income Online?

There are plenty of ways to make passive income from an online business.

A lot of online side hustles don’t require you to stock up on inventory, and as a result, don’t need much start-up capital.

In turn, you can start making money right away without digging deep into your wallet.

The Online Side Hustles

Without further ado, let’s dive into the best side hustles to start online:

1. Being an Online Friend

To be an online friend is probably not the first option that comes to mind when thinking of online side hustles.

It involves giving your time, talking to people online, and acting as their virtual friend while getting paid by the hour.

Costs to Get Started

If we’re strictly talking about money, becoming an online friend as a side hustle costs nothing to start doing. However, it does cost you time.

Additionally, some platforms give you the option to pay a membership fee for added perks.

Where to Find Work/Gigs Being an Online Friend

Here are some of the most popular platforms for being an online friend:

PlatformFees/CommissionHourly RateFriendPCOptional monthly membership fee$5 to $50 per hourRent a Cyber Friend20% commission on earnings

$6 to $60 per hour

Rent a FriendNo profile setup fees and no commission $10 to $50 per hour

2. Writing

The internet is filled to the brim with blogs and websites with topics from all kinds of fields. All of these platforms need content for their pages, and you can be the one to provide it.

If you have a passion for writing, you can easily make a ton of money doing something you love.

The only extra skill you’ll need for this lucrative side hustle is a brief background in search engine optimization (SEO).

Costs to Get Started

Unless you’re going to start your own blog, launching an online side hustle as a writer is cost-free. Most people do it through gig-economy platforms that don’t charge profile setup fees.

Where to Find Writing Work/Gigs

Here are some of the platforms we recommend looking for writing gigs on:

PlatformFees/CommissionPayment MethodsUpwork10% commission on earningsPayPal, credit/debit card, bank account (ACH) transferFiverr20% commission on earnings

Credit/debit card, PayPal

3. Reselling Legos

Reselling Legos is a side hustle idea that involves purchasing LEGO sets with no intention of using them yourself.

The goal is to get your hands on rare sets that are in high demand. This low supply and high demand allows you to benefit from high resale value, and as a result, high profit margins.

You can either diversify your stock to cater to as wide an audience as possible or you can focus on one niche and sell to a specific category of customers.

Some Lego sets with high resale value include:

• Star Wars Ultimate Collector’s Millennium Falcon (Set #10179): Resale value of $7,000 for mint condition sets.
• Grand Carousel (Set #10196): Resale value of $2,900 for mint condition sets.
• King’s Castle (Set #6080): Resale value of $3,400 for mint condition sets.
• Statue of Liberty (Set #3450): Resale value of $1,300 for mint condition sets.

Costs to Get Started

To start your online Lego resale business, you’ll need to purchase Lego sets that have the potential to sell well. You may not incur this cost initially if you already have Lego sets you purchased earlier.

Another cost you should consider is that of listing your offerings on an online platform. This platform may be a website you create or an already existing e-commerce platform.

Where to Find Work/Gigs Reselling Legos

You can resell Legos on various online platforms. They include:

PlatformFees/CommissionPayment MethodseBayUp to 13.25% of the sale price, plus $0.30 per orderPayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, credit/debit cardFacebook Marketplace5% selling fee per shipment

Credit/debit card, PayPal

CraigslistNo listing fees and no commission Cash and check

4. Reselling Prom Dresses

When high school girls purchase prom dresses, they only use them one time. As a result, once prom night has come and gone, they don’t know what to do with their dresses.

The best solution is to resell your prom dress to make some extra income and avoid leaving it to gather dust in your closet.

This can also turn into a fully-fledged side hustle if you know which kinds of prom dresses sell well. You can buy designer prom dresses that are in good condition from those who want to get them off their hands and sell them to prospective customers at a higher price.

Costs to Get Started

The startup costs for this side hustle mainly revolve around building your inventory and the online platform you choose to sell on.

Once you’ve bought prom dresses to sell, you’ll need to either create a website or sell on another platform. Such platforms often charge listing fees and are likely to take a commission out of each sale you make.

Where to Find Work/Gigs Reselling Prom Dresses

Here are some of the e-commerce platforms people use to resell prom dresses:

/CommissionPayment MethodseBayUp to 13.25% of the sale price, plus $0.30 per orderPayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, credit/debit cardFacebook Marketplace5% selling fee per shipment

Credit/debit card, PayPal

CraigslistNo listing fees and no commission Cash and checkPoshmark20% commission on each saleInstant transfer, PayPal, direct deposit, check, Venmo

5. Reselling Concert Tickets

Reselling concert tickets is another great side hustle to consider starting online.

For starters, there are so many artists in the industry right now. Each of these artists has millions of fans. In turn, finding an event with highly sought-after tickets is an easy task.

Another advantage of reselling concert tickets online is that you can do it without ever stepping foot outside your house.

Finally, as with any good side hustle, concert ticket resale offers you the ability to be your own boss and have flexible working hours.

Costs to Get Started

The startup costs of an online concert ticket resale side hustle are virtually non-existent.

All you need is some seed money to buy tickets for upcoming concerts and list them for sale. An initial investment of $500 should be more than enough.

Where to Find Work/Gigs Reselling Concert Tickets

Here are our top picks for websites to resell your concert tickets on:

PlatformFees/CommissionPayment MethodsStubHub15% commission on the amount due to the sellerAmerican Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, StubHub gift cards, or PayPalTicketmaster15% commission on the amount due to the sellerAmerican Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Diners Club, Ticketmaster Gift Card, PayPal, or VenmoVivid Seats10% commission on the amount due to the sellerAmerican Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Google Wallet, Apple Pay, PayPal, PayPal Credit, and Android Pay

6. Making Body Scrubs to Sell

When you break it down, making money is easy. All you need to do is find a product with consumer demand, manufacture it, and list it for sale.

Body scrubs are a great example of such products. You can take advantage of their high demand by sourcing the ingredients needed, making different types of body scrubs, and listing them for sale on one of the many available online platforms.

The great thing about body scrubs is that their ingredients are inexpensive. Your cost of production will be low and you can sell your body scrubs for high prices. This is especially true if you successfully position your brand as a high-end one.

Costs to Get Started

The cost of starting a body scrub business online is around $5,000.

They include the cost of ingredients, such as white and brown sugar, oils, food coloring, and coffee grounds. There’s also the cost of packaging materials, marketing, and legal requirement costs.

Where to Find Work/Gigs Selling Body Scrubs

You can sell your body scrubs on:

• Facebook Marketplace: A great choice due to Facebook’s massive user base
• Craigslist: Make sure to provide detailed product descriptions
• Instagram: Present your products in an attractive way, establish a niche, and start swimming in cash
• Etsy: An excellent place to sell body scrubs as well as other homemade items

7. Making Car Air Fresheners to Sell

Another highly-demanded product you can make and sell online is car air fresheners.

All you’ll need is some easily obtained ingredients and some time to learn the tricks of the car air freshener production craft. With a little bit of practice, you’ll start making all kinds of appealing scents that’ll put a smile on your customers’ faces.

What’s left is to choose an online platform to sell your car air fresheners on and start making your wallet fatter.

Costs to Get Started

Not only are the ingredients of car air fresheners easy to obtain, but they’re also cheap. They’ll make up a small part of your startup cost along with the cardboard cutouts of the tree shape that car air fresheners come in.

Your main expenses will be to obtain a business license and to rent a workspace to make your products in if you don’t have a suitable space at home.

Where to Find Work/Gigs Selling Car Air Fresheners

Here are some great places to sell your car air fresheners:

• Facebook Marketplace: Invest in sponsored Facebook ads to boost your sales
• Craigslist: Doesn’t charge you listing fees or commission
• Instagram: From personalized air fresheners to air freshener sprays, let people know what you have to offer on your Instagram shop
• Etsy: Charges a 6.5% fee on every sale

8. Reselling Apple Devices

Due to Apple devices’ tendency to retain their value better than other consumer electronics, used iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and AirPods are excellent items to resell as a side hustle.

If you really want to make a lot of money reselling Apple devices, you should consider becoming an Authorized Apple Reseller.

Costs to Get Started

Naturally, your main startup cost when starting this business will be to obtain the used Apple devices you’re going to resell.

Additionally, you’ll need to spend even more if you want to go the Authorized Apple Reseller route and start reselling Apple devices on your own website.

Where to Find Work/Gigs Reselling Apple Devices

Here are some of the best platforms for reselling Apple devices:

PlatformFees/CommissionPayment MethodsGoRoostrNo listing fees or commissionPayPal, Zelle, Venmo, Store creditSwappa3% commission on the amount due to the sellerPayPalGadgetGoneBased on payout (maximum of $50)PayPal, Amazon gift card, check

9. Reselling Textbooks

Have you ever wondered if you can resell your used textbooks online? The answer is that you absolutely can.

Textbooks are among the best items to resell because of how expensive new textbooks are. College students are always looking to get the books they need at lower prices from the resale market.

As long as your books are in good condition and their edition isn’t outdated, it won’t be hard to find willing buyers.

Costs to Get Started

If you look around your house, you’re likely to find plenty of textbooks that you’re no longer using. You can start listing these textbooks for sale right away.

As a result, there are no startup costs to start an online textbook resale side hustle for most people. That being said, there’s the hidden cost of commissions and fees charged by the platform you’ll sell on.

Where to Find Work/Gigs Reselling Textbooks

The online platforms suitable for reselling textbooks include:

PlatformFees/CommissionPayment MethodsAmazon15% commission on the amount due to the sellerAutomated Clearing House (ACH) transfers. Funds reach your linked bank account within six business dayseBayUp to 13.25% of the sale price, plus $0.30 per orderPayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, credit/debit cardFacebook Marketplace5% seller fee per shipmentPayPal, credit/debit card

10. Reselling VPS Hosting

Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting is an excellent way to make money online. It involves subscribing to packages offered by VPS hosting providers and reselling them to clients who need these services for their websites.

Costs to Get Started

The cost to start a VPS hosting resale business involves subscribing to packages from VPS hosting providers. These packages range from $4.99 a month to $129.99 a month. You’ll also need to spend some cash on setting up a website to resell VPS hosting on.

Where to Find Work/Gigs Reselling VPN Hosting

Here are a couple of the best VPS hosting providers to subscribe to packages with:

ProviderPackagesInMotion Hosting$35.99/month, $55.99/month, $85.99/month, $109.99/monthA2 Hosting$54.99/month, $67.99/month, $89.99/month, $99.99/month

How to Start an Online Side Hustle

The next step after finding a side hustle you love is to know how to start it. Here are some of the most important steps you should take when starting an online side job:

Find a Product or Service to Sell

Your first step is to find a demanded product or service to provide. Try to find something that’ll offer you a high profit margin when you sell it.

Find a Platform to Sell on

Depending on your offered product or service, you should choose a suitable online platform to sell it on.

Make Sure You Have a Solid Business Plan

Make sure you have a clear view of how your side hustle is going to make money. It’s important to think about this carefully before you start.

Market Your Product or Service

What good is having the best product or service on the market if no one knows about it? This is why it’s important to have an effective marketing strategy.

Hire Help if Needed

As your side hustle grows, you may need extra hands on deck so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Wrapping Up

When thinking of online side hustles, there’s no shortage of ideas to choose from. That being said, some ideas are better than others.

Our pick for the best online side hustle to start is being an online friend. It costs literally nothing to start doing and has excellent income potential. Writing and reselling concert tickets are also great options to consider.

What are you waiting for? Pick a side hustle and start boosting your income now!

Similar Side Hustles to Check Out

You can find a diverse range of side hustles to consider starting on the Gigworker side hustle directory.

Here are some of them:

• Side Hustles From Home: Who says you have to leave the house to make some extra cash? Here are some simple side hustles you can start from the comfort of your home.
• Easy Side Hustles: Running a side hustle doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some of the easiest ways you can boost your income.
• Side Hustles That Pay Well: The main reason why anyone starts a side hustle is to make stacks of cash. Here are some side hustles that’ll make your wallet a lot fatter!