27 Easiest Ways to Make Money Online (and What It Takes to Get Paid)

One of the most popular ways to make money online today, especially if you’re a millennial, is to join an online freelance platform like Fiverr or TaskRabbit where you can get paid for doing tasks like designing logos or writing blog posts. But if that seems too involved, don’t worry: There are easiest ways to make money online without any extra work on your part, as long as you’re willing to do some research and put in some elbow grease first.

The best way to make money online quickly

1. Create quality YouTube videos

The YouTube audience is huge—1 billion monthly users in total. The sheer size of that audience means that it’s easy to make money from ads on your videos, or even use your channel as a launchpad for other income-generating activities such as selling products through affiliate links, creating ebooks, audiobooks, or course offerings. If you have expertise in a certain area and want to start producing free content for YouTube, go for it! Just be sure to adhere to YouTube's Community Guidelines. 

If you receive an AdSense account error message when trying to monetize your video, don't worry; just follow Google's instructions here. You can also apply directly to AdSense using these instructions.

2. Become an Amazon seller

Amazon allows you to sell items as an individual or get paid a small commission for selling items as a third-party seller. You can also use Amazon FBA, which lets you store your products in Amazon's warehouses and ship them when there is demand. Either way, you need to have products in high demand that isn't being sold by other sellers on Amazon. 

Some of your goods can be imported from China, where they are cheaper than if you bought them from American wholesalers or manufacturers. And once those products are available on Amazon, it becomes easier to convert your customers into repeat buyers.

3. Sell stuff on Craigslist

Craigslist is one of my favorite ways to make extra money because it’s easy, fast, and doesn’t require any startup capital. There are two basic ways that people use Craigslist for business purposes: curb alerting and posting your own ads. 

If you want someone else to find customers for you, curb alerting can be a great way to earn some extra cash. Do note that in most cities, Craigslist charges $5 per month for every post you make—even if it doesn’t get any responses—so there is a financial cost associated with curb alerting.

4. Deliver grocery orders with Instacart

Instacart is an app that allows you to make easy money by simply shopping for groceries and delivering them to customers in your area. All you need is a car, smartphone, and time. And it doesn’t pay badly — a few hours of work a week can net you several hundred dollars. The majority of your earnings come from tips. There are no long-term commitments so if you want to try it out before committing, go for it.

5. Walk dogs or pet sit on Rover

If you’re a high school or college student, offering your services as a tutor is a great way to make money. You can tutor people online or in person. If you’re just starting out, you can find jobs pretty easily. Just ask your friends, classmates, and fellow students if they need help. 

You can also post ads on sites like Craigslist and more formal sites like Upwork will likely have tutoring gigs available as well. Since you already know what your own school teaches and since teaching was one of your favorite subjects in school, there’s a good chance that tutoring isn’t going to be an alien concept for you.

6. Earn $40/hour tutoring

Tutoring is one of those side jobs that will make you feel instantly better about yourself since most tutors get paid $40-$50/hour. If you're willing to go into someone's home or office and help them out on a one-on-one basis, you can ask for that—but I wouldn't recommend it unless you feel super comfortable with your subject matter. 

You can also ask if they'd be interested in hiring you part-time. If they do hire you full-time, it could easily turn into a $1000+/month situation. I've had more than one writing client bring me on board full-time because I did such a great job writing their copy!

7. Host Airbnb guests

Airbnb is one of the most popular ways people make money online. You can create an account and host people in your home, or become a super host and host high-profile travelers from around the world. In order to get started, you’ll need to submit an application through Airbnb that goes through a vetting process where you’ll need to be approved by them before officially becoming a host. To learn more about how hosting works with Airbnb, click here.

8. Sell items on eBay

Sites like eBay make it easy to turn your old t-shirts, books, and DVDs into cash—or at least bring in a few extra bucks. When you don’t want an item anymore, simply put it up for sale and other buyers will come looking. Just remember that selling items on eBay isn’t guaranteed money. Your potential profits will depend on how high you set your asking price and how long it takes for your merchandise to sell.

9. Start a blog and monetize through ads, affiliates, and sponsored posts

Starting a blog is easy, but it takes time to build an audience big enough to attract advertisers. You can speed up that process by monetizing your existing audience through affiliate marketing, paid guest posts on other blogs, or ad revenue sharing. Even though you won’t see immediate results from these efforts, over time you will begin to earn a passive income from your efforts. 

Once your revenue streams exceed what you need for basic living expenses, consider investing some of your extra earnings in real estate or other investments that will allow you to generate cash flow for years into the future. Buy less than stellar properties in safe neighborhoods and keep them updated when possible; I personally have financed additional income property acquisitions with my savings account and an inheritance check I was lucky enough to receive about ten years ago!

10. Freelance as a writer for hire on Upwork

Freelance writers are in high demand as it's one of the most profitable sides hustles you can get into. If you have a way with words, making money online might be your calling. But writing isn't limited to books and blogs. These days, copywriters are needed for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and even Tinder profiles. 

Whether it's cutting copy or cranking out an email blast, doing it well can take some practice -- but when employed by yourself or a company looking for extra help getting its message out there, it doesn't have to be difficult. 

In fact, Upwork says its clients include everyone from Coca-Cola to Hewlett Packard. Its job categories range from entry-level jobs like proofreading and data entry all the way up to executive level roles like project management and business development managers. The site currently lists more than 500 jobs available in marketing alone, so there's likely something that fits your skillset on here. 

One word of caution: Upwork is more focused on businesses seeking freelancers rather than freelancers looking for work, so if you're just starting out or still building up your profile then other sites may be better suited to you right now. But if you're ready to start working right away, Upwork is definitely worth checking out later down the road.

11. Test websites and apps

If you're technically proficient, consider becoming a website or mobile app tester. Companies hire people to test out their websites, apps and social media offerings on various platforms, such as laptops and tablets. You'd be surprised how many companies need help in these areas, especially if they are planning to launch soon. 

For instance, Facebook regularly hires testers to check out their new features before launching them. According to FlexJobs, The pay ranges from $10 per hour up to the hundreds. Consider several different testing companies and that list of jobs will get much longer. There are also paid websites like UserTesting that will pay you to review websites or apps and then give you feedback on what works well and what doesn't.

12. Take surveys for money

Survey companies like Survey Junkie will pay you for completing online surveys about your opinions and attitudes. Companies want your opinion on a wide range of topics, from commercials to political candidates. If you register with them, they’ll email you whenever there are surveys available in your area(s) of interest; usually, surveys will take between 5 and 20 minutes and qualify for anywhere from one cent up to $50 or more in cash. 

You can also register with Opinion Outpost and begin taking surveys immediately using their Fast Cash feature. The amount of money you can make depends on how many survey companies you join and how many paid surveys you complete each month. Read our full Survey Junkie review for more information.

13. Sell your wares on Etsy

Etsy is a craft marketplace where you can sell your homemade items. While Etsy is mostly thought of as a place for handcrafted goods, it's really only limited by your imagination. If you look hard enough, you can find people selling all sorts of different things, from artisanal light bulbs to vintage Halloween costumes. To get started with Etsy, create an account and then check out their Getting Started guide.

14. Become an Instagram influencer

Before you get too excited, it’s worth noting that being an Instagram influencer isn’t as easy as shooting photos on your phone, posting them on your profile, and then hoping for freebies. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a viable source of income. 

As Business Insider previously reported, celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner are using their Instagram accounts to promote products they like — and then sharing in those companies' earnings. Not bad work if you can get it! With some upfront investment in a camera, lighting equipment, or other photo-taking accessories, you can join their ranks as an Instagram influencer. Learn how with Side Hustle School's Instagram how-to guide.

15. Monetize your Twitch channel

While Twitch is mostly used for video game streaming, there are actually a lot of ways you can make money on it. From advertising to sponsorships, if you can dream it up, Twitch probably has an opportunity for you. If you’re willing to put in some serious effort though, it’s not impossible to imagine earning upwards of $100K per year on Twitch. Here’s our guide on how to get started with Twitch and start making money online from home today!

16. Sell your photography

There are plenty of freelance photography sites that will buy your photos. These include Shutterstock, iStock, and Adobe Stock. You can also upload your photos to an online marketplace like Shutterstock or Etsy. These images generally sell for anywhere between $0.50 and $80 per image, although pricing is subject to change depending on a photo’s popularity and/or ease of use. 

And keep in mind that you don’t see a penny from sales until they're actually sold! If you have high-quality photos of any kind, it could be worth trying out a site like PhotoDune or Bigstockphoto—these sites have a history of paying at least a penny per photo sold... which really adds up if you've got 10+ good images!

17. Sign up for TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit is a peer-to-peer, on-demand job site. Basically, you can find local people to do just about anything—including running errands, house cleaning, and pet care. However, unlike other sites in its category like Thumbtack and Fiverr, TaskRabbit doesn’t actually provide any of those services itself; instead, it provides an easy way for others looking for work to connect with people who can get them done.

18. Create an Online Course

If you're highly knowledgeable in a specific area, like management, consulting, or cryptocurrency, you can sell your knowledge online. There are no setup costs involved — you can literally begin from your computer. 

Sites like Udemy and Teachable offer platforms where experts can build entire courses around what they know best. Then, these sites will take a percentage of each course's revenue for selling it on their platform.

19. Create an App

If you’re interested in creating an app, there are a number of resources available. However, it’s important to choose your target platform and consider how you want your app to look and feel before you begin coding. 

Do some research on popular apps that have a similar function as yours and see what it takes to build something similar. If there aren’t any similar apps on the market, consider how much you might need to spend in order to build out functionality like in-app purchases or a robust API.

20. Create Side Gigs on Fiverr

If you’re creative and have a talent that can be turned into services, then one of Fiverr’s many gigs could be for you. Fiverr is an online marketplace where people sell all sorts of services at $5 a pop. If you’ve got a knack for writing, photography, accounting, marketing, coding, or another service-based skill and some experience with providing it on a professional level, put your skills up on Fiverr. Check out what other providers are offering their services for $5 here.

21. Dropshipping

This works especially well with items you can find on Alibaba and Amazon, where many sellers will ship their products for free. Use a service like Oberlo or Shopify to find products – then get your supplier to ship directly to your customer. One caveat: dropshipping is not a good idea if you’re selling something that’s time-sensitive. 

You wouldn’t want your delivery to arrive too late. I have more info in my personal story about starting an e-commerce store, where I talk about how I sourced my first product for dropshipping. At that time, it was less than $1 per item but now things are even cheaper!

22. Make Money with Affiliate Marketing

Do you have a knack for writing? You can make extra money with affiliate marketing. If you know how to write a good sales letter, you could be in line for commissions from items purchased through your recommendation. Check out Amazon’s affiliate program and find out if they are currently accepting new members. 

To get started, create a website about an industry or topic that interests you. Then sign up for an affiliate program related to your site and start promoting products on it. You can also make money online by becoming an influencer on social media platforms like Instagram or YouTube or Twitter. Use these platforms to share content related to your niche market and engage with potential customers who will hopefully purchase what you recommend!

To learn more about affiliate marketing, please read The Ultimate Guide to Affiliate Marketing for Beginners

23. Sell Domains

Some developers are now making up to $500,000 a year by selling their websites. And there’s one way they do it—through domain flipping. Domain flipping basically involves buying domains that have a few quick wins and then reselling them at a profit. There’s more than one way you can go about it, too. 

You can buy old domains at big registrars like GoDaddy or nameJet and resell them at better prices on BrandBucket and Flippa. Or you can build your own site, just as these developers did—with legitimate traffic from Google search results!

24. Sell Your Designs Online

If you have a knack for drawing or design, consider selling your work online. While platforms like Etsy and Zazzle are good places to start, you can also create your own website to sell your products. If you’re just getting started, you can offer things like T-shirts or posters that are already designed and printed through services like CafePress. Or if you’re really good at creating digital graphics, you could sell an online course on graphic design basics—such as GraphicRiver or Creative Market.

25. Publish E-book

If you have a passion for it, then you could try your hand at publishing an e-book. In order to do so, you'll need to dig up some dirt on what keywords are currently in demand and see if there's a demand for your book. Many sites like Amazon also allow you to publish e-books as well as paperbacks. 

However, if you're not interested in dealing with any of that and just want a quick way to make money online, try out Fiverr. You can create an e-book or even just sell one through their website or through forums like Warrior Forum. Fiverr is definitely not something you'd want to spend a lot of time on though because each gig typically takes less than five minutes.

26. Become a TikTok Consultant

You can make serious money by becoming a consultant for TikTok, an app that lets you record 15-second videos of yourself lip-syncing and dancing to popular songs. If you really like music and are pretty creative with it, using your phone or even just a plain old digital camera, then you might be able to make some extra cash for sure. Or even set up something in your area if there are enough people interested. Click here for more information about how you can do that!

27. Sell Greeting Cards

Most people have a talent for something, whether it’s painting, drawing, writing songs, or playing a musical instrument. Find out what you’re good at and sell greeting cards of your creations on sites like Etsy. 

You’ll likely make more than enough money to pay for your supplies so long as you put a lot of effort into your work. If you want to work with companies instead of individuals, explore sites like CafePress or Zazzle where people can buy custom products from your designs.