How to earn money online: With economic uncertainty and layoffs making headlines, many people are searching for alternative ways to generate income. Savvy individuals recognize that earning money online can free you from the traditional 9-to-5, allowing you to travel freely or live wherever you choose.

Consider Rita Ting-Hopper, an immigrant from Hong Kong and the first in her family to attend college. A former attorney, she is now the founder of Festi, a consumer tech startup that enables people to showcase and profit from their skills—from yoga and dance instructors hosting Zoom classes while traveling, to stay-at-home parents running backyard yoga sessions, to celebrity chefs offering one-of-a-kind culinary experiences.

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1. Turn your passion into profit

Festi is a tool designed to support both the creator economy and gig workers, offering a simple, quick, and free way to earn income. Through Festi’s payment system, creators can sell online classes anytime, anywhere. “For instance, if you’re a fitness coach and find an open hour at the end of the day (or the following morning), you can host a pop-up workout—either in person or via Zoom—and charge participants to join,” explains founder Rita Ting-Hopper. Two of Festi’s most popular users are Bolivian sisters Jaz and Gabriela, who lead high-energy dance fitness sessions. “Festi allows you to transform any idea into a business within minutes,” Ting-Hopper adds. “You don’t need to build a website, set up a payment system, or track down payments through Venmo.”

2. Create Music

If you have a knack for music, check out Songfinch, a platform that allows anyone to make money by composing and producing songs. Established in 2016, Songfinch has support from industry heavyweights like The Weeknd, Quincy Jones, and Doja Cat. Here’s the process: Customers can request a customized, unique song from a Songfinch musician, whether it’s a birthday jingle, holiday track, or anniversary tribute. The songwriters work on their own schedule and keep full ownership of their creations. Some Songfinch artists have reportedly earned as much as $80,000 in a single year.

3. Work as a Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants provide administrative, technical, or creative support to clients, all from the convenience of home. And the pay can be quite attractive. You can explore virtual assistant opportunities on platforms like Flexjobs, 24/7 Virtual Assistants, and Fancy Hands.

4. Create a Book

Whether you dream of writing the next bestselling novel or want to produce an instructional e-book, publishing a book is more accessible than ever. The traditional hurdles of securing an agent or publisher are no longer a barrier. Today, self-publishing is straightforward and potentially lucrative, thanks to platforms like Barnes & Noble Press (a free service that lets you distribute print and e-books to a huge audience), Blurb (which helps you design, print, and sell high-quality photo books), and Lulu (a print-on-demand service offering free tools to bring your story to readers).

5. Provide Freelance Services

Whether your expertise lies in writing, editing, graphic design, programming, digital marketing, or administrative tasks, freelancing opens up countless opportunities. But how do you attract clients? You can offer your skills to customers worldwide through platforms that make it easy to find freelance work while building your brand. Popular online marketplaces for freelancers include Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, and Working Not Working.

6. Promote your abilities

If you have practical skills—whether it’s handyman services, cleaning, moving, home renovations, or even simple tasks like standing in line—there are platforms that can help you monetize them. TaskRabbit connects clients with professionals who can handle a wide variety of jobs, while Airtasker operates as a marketplace for service providers. Unlike traditional gig work, Airtasker follows a flexible model, letting “Taskers” choose when and where to work and set their own rates.

7. Earn by sharing your internet

Here’s an unusual way to generate passive income: using Honeygain, an app that pays you to share your internet connection. Simply install the app and keep it running in the background—the platform takes care of the rest. Your connection is used for business purposes such as ad verification, price monitoring, and brand protection. Honeygain claims to prioritize user privacy with advanced encryption. You can boost your earnings by connecting multiple devices with different IPs, referring friends, opening the daily “lucky pot,” and joining social media contests.

8. Get compensated for everyday activities

The Mode Earn App allows users to make passive income by performing normal daily activities like listening to music, playing games, reading news, shopping, or watching videos. By just using your phone as usual, you could earn around $600 a year—or more. There are 16 different ways to earn through the app.

9. Complete surveys for money

Nowadays, businesses are eager to pay for your opinion on products and services. All it takes is filling out online surveys to earn money. Some top survey platforms include Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, Qmee, and Cash Karma.

10. Join focus groups

Going beyond surveys, online focus groups are an excellent way to make money from home or while traveling. Companies like Respondent and User Interviews offer higher-paying opportunities and carefully select participants who have relevant skills or experience.

11. Tutor online.
Think being a tutor means you had perfect grades in school? Not necessarily. Platforms like Tutor.com, TutorMe, and Studypool hire people to share their knowledge across a variety of subjects—so you don’t need to know everything!

Just be careful when choosing which jobs to take. Some students are just looking for someone to complete their homework or write essays for them. Stay smart when browsing opportunities.

12. Try user experience testing.
Companies want their websites to provide useful information, meet goals, and generate revenue. When something isn’t working, they need feedback—and that’s where you come in.

If you can quickly tell whether a site is easy to navigate, sites like UserTesting or TryMyUI will pay for your opinion. Tests can pay around $10, and live conversations can earn up to $120!

13. Complete surveys.
Survey websites like MyPoints or Survey Junkie pay for sharing your opinions. Sounds simple, right? Keep in mind that you may not qualify for every survey—they often target specific groups.

You’ll usually need to complete several surveys to cash out your rewards. It’s not a way to get rich fast, but with patience, it can bring in extra money over time.

14. Earn cashback through apps.
There are plenty of apps that give you cashback or coupons, making it easy to earn money for simple tasks—like snapping a photo of your receipt. Apps such as Ibotta, Rakuten, Shopkick, Receipt Hog, and Dosh can help you earn a little extra without much effort.

15. Teach English online.
Similar to tutoring, but focused on teaching English. Companies like VIPKid handle lesson plans and grading for you, so you don’t have to worry about paperwork.

You will need a four-year degree in any field and at least two years of teaching, tutoring, or coaching experience. If you qualify, this can be a rewarding way to earn money.

16. Monetize your creative skills.
If you’re artistic or creative, you can freelance on sites like Fiverr. Writers, editors, graphic designers, and voice-over artists can connect with clients looking for their talents.

You’ll make a profile that acts as a portfolio and resume, showing potential clients your skills, rates, and experience. It’s a great way to earn money doing something you enjoy.

17. Work as a virtual assistant.
If you’re organized, enjoy variety, and like helping others, being a virtual assistant could be a great fit. You’ll assist business owners in balancing work and personal life.

Check out sites like Upwork and Zirtual to find opportunities in this field.

18. Become an influencer.
If you have a strong following on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or a blog, you can get paid for your content.

Whether it’s fashion, cooking, or home décor, brands may pay you to promote their products. You can also explore affiliate marketing and sponsored posts using platforms like ShareASale or Amazon Associates.

19. Manage social media for others.
Love social media but not being in the spotlight? Help businesses grow their online presence instead.

Many companies use social platforms to reach customers and promote themselves, but keeping up can be overwhelming. If you’re creative, enjoy connecting with others, and understand different social channels, social media management might be perfect for you.

20. Earn money from your photos.
Do you have a collection of beautiful sunset shots or carefully styled coffee photos on your phone? You can turn those into extra cash. Platforms like Foap pay around $10 per photo (and sometimes more for special “missions”), though they do take half of your earnings.

Keep in mind, there’s no guarantee your photos will sell. Still, even selling just a few can be an easy way to make money from the photos you’re already taking every day.

21. Drive for Uber or Lyft.
If you need some extra income and prefer a flexible schedule, consider driving for Uber or Lyft. You can choose your hours and work as much or as little as you want. Plus, you get the perk of meeting new people and having interesting conversations along the way.

Your earnings depend on your city and how frequently you drive. If you have a free Saturday, think of it as getting paid to explore your city as a part-time taxi driver.

22. Work as a food delivery driver.
If you enjoy driving but prefer minimal interaction, delivering food through services like Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, or Postmates could be ideal. This is a convenient way to earn extra money while listening to audiobooks or catching up on your favorite podcasts.

23. Participate in a focus group.
Do you enjoy sharing your thoughts and opinions? Why not get paid for it? Look for local or online focus groups where you can test products or provide feedback. Just make sure you meet the group’s criteria before signing up.

24. Deliver groceries.
If shopping excites you but you don’t want to spend your own money, this could be perfect. With Shipt, you get paid to shop for and deliver groceries to customers, with shoppers earning up to $22 per hour. Instacart is another excellent option for this type of work.