In today’s digital landscape, the opportunities to generate income online have never been more diverse or accessible. Whether you’re looking to supplement your current income, build a full-time online career, or just explore the possibilities of digital earning, this comprehensive guide to the best websites to make money will provide you with everything you need to get started.
We’ve researched, vetted, and compiled over 100 legitimate websites to make money where you can start earning—from freelancing marketplaces and creative selling platforms to innovative newcomers that are redefining how people make money online. Each recommendation comes with realistic earning expectations, pros and cons, and expert tips to help you maximize your success on these websites to make money.
Table of Contents
- How to Use This Guide
- Freelancing & Gig Platforms
- E-commerce & Selling Platforms
- Creative & Design Marketplaces
- Online Surveys & Micro-Task Websites
- Tutoring & Online Course Platforms
- Writing & Content Creation Platforms
- Affiliate Marketing & Blogging Platforms
- Investing & Fintech Platforms
- Hidden Gem Platforms
- Essential Tips for Success
- Conclusion & Next Steps
How to Use This Guide / Choosing the Right Websites to Make Money For You
Before diving into the extensive list of websites to make money, it’s important to determine which platforms align best with your:
- Skill level: Some websites require specialized skills, while others welcome beginners
- Time commitment: Consider whether you want a full-time income source or just occasional earnings
- Income goals: Be realistic about potential earnings based on your situation
- Interests: Choosing platforms aligned with your interests increases long-term success
Use the categories below to navigate to the types of websites to make money that match your specific situation and goals. Remember, it’s often better to focus deeply on 1-2 platforms rather than spreading yourself too thin across many.
Freelancing & Gig Platforms: Top platforms to Make Money
Fiverr
Description: A leading marketplace connecting freelancers with clients seeking digital services across hundreds of categories.
How You Make Money: Create “gigs” offering your services (writing, design, programming, marketing, etc.) and set your own prices.
Earning Potential: Beginners typically earn $5-50 per gig; experienced sellers can make $100-10,000+ per project with high-value skills.
Pros:
- Low barrier to entry with a user-friendly platform
- Excellent visibility for new sellers through their search algorithm
- Ability to scale by offering package tiers and add-on services
Cons:
- 20% commission fee on all earnings
- Can be highly competitive in popular categories
- Building reputation takes time and consistent quality
Expert Tip: Develop highly specialized gig offerings rather than generic services. For example, instead of “logo design,” offer “minimalist logo design for fitness brands” to stand out and command higher rates.
Join Fiverr today and start offering your services
Upwork
Description: Enterprise-grade freelancing platform connecting professionals with businesses of all sizes.
How You Make Money: Apply to client job postings or get invited based on your profile and specialization.
Earning Potential: $15-150+/hour depending on skills and experience.
Pros:
- Access to higher-quality, longer-term clients
- Protected payment system ensures you get paid
- Opportunity to build ongoing client relationships
Cons:
- Sliding fee structure (20% initially, decreasing with repeat clients)
- Competitive proposal process requires strong pitching skills
- Strict profile approval process
Expert Tip: Track your time using Upwork’s tools even for fixed-price projects—this data helps you price future projects more accurately and demonstrates your value to clients.
Freelancer
Description: Global crowdsourcing marketplace with millions of projects posted.
How You Make Money: Bid on projects or participate in contests where clients select winners.
Earning Potential: $10-50/hour for most skills, with specialized talents commanding higher rates.
Pros:
- Large volume of available projects
- Contest format offers alternative way to showcase skills
- Lower competition in some technical niches
Cons:
- Higher number of low-budget clients
- Complex fee structure and membership tiers
- More competition from global workforce
Expert Tip: The platform’s skills tests can significantly boost your visibility in search results—invest time in taking relevant tests to stand out from competitors.
E-commerce & Selling Platforms
Shopify
Description: Leading e-commerce platform that enables anyone to set up and run their own online store.
How You Make Money: Sell physical or digital products through your customized online storefront.
Earning Potential: Unlimited; successful stores generate $1,000-100,000+ monthly after covering costs.
Pros:
- Professional-looking stores with no coding required
- Robust app ecosystem for extending functionality
- Built-in analytics and marketing tools
- Excellent mobile optimization
Cons:
- Monthly subscription fees ($29-299) plus transaction fees
- Success requires marketing knowledge and product sourcing skills
- Building traffic takes time and often paid advertising
Expert Tip: Start with a niche product category where you can become known as a specialist store, rather than trying to compete with general marketplaces. Use Shopify’s blogging features to create content marketing that drives organic traffic.
Start your e-commerce journey with Shopify
Read : Start Your Shopify Store 2025: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Spocket
Description: Dropshipping platform that connects online retailers with US and EU suppliers for high-quality products.
How You Make Money: Add products to your online store and earn profit margins when customers purchase; Spocket handles fulfillment.
Earning Potential: 20-50% margins on products; successful stores can earn $1,000-10,000+ monthly.
Pros:
- Quality suppliers with faster shipping than overseas alternatives
- One-click product importing to your store
- Automated order processing saves time
- Product samples available at discounted rates
Cons:
- Monthly subscription required for meaningful business operation
- Limited to their supplier network
- Higher product costs than some overseas suppliers
Expert Tip: Use Spocket’s supplier filtering to find products with the fastest shipping times and highest customer ratings—these metrics significantly impact repeat business and customer satisfaction.
Explore premium dropshipping with Spocket
Etsy
Description: Marketplace focused on handmade, vintage, and unique factory-manufactured items.
How You Make Money: Create and sell handcrafted items, vintage goods, or unique supplies.
Earning Potential: Varies widely; successful shops earn $1,000-10,000+ monthly.
Pros:
- Built-in audience seeking unique, handmade items
- Lower marketing costs due to platform’s search traffic
- Community support and resources for sellers
Cons:
- Multiple fees (listing, transaction, payment processing)
- Increasingly competitive market
- Success requires understanding Etsy’s search algorithm
Expert Tip: Invest in professional product photography—on Etsy, visual appeal drives conversions more than almost any other factor. Products with 8-10 high-quality images typically outperform those with fewer photos.
Creative & Design Marketplaces
Kittl
Description: An innovative design platform that simplifies creating professional-quality designs without advanced design skills.
How You Make Money: Create and sell design templates, fonts, graphic elements, or use it to design products for print-on-demand services.
Earning Potential: $200-5,000+ monthly for popular template creators and designers.
Pros:
- Intuitive interface with powerful design capabilities
- Growing marketplace for selling your design assets
- Excellent for creating designs to sell on other platforms
- Perfect for non-designers to create professional-looking work
Cons:
- Newer platform with developing user base
- Premium features require paid plans
- Learning curve for more advanced features
Expert Tip: Create design template bundles specifically optimized for entrepreneurs and small businesses in trending niches like wellness, sustainability, or digital products. These targeted collections typically sell better than general-purpose designs.
Unleash your creativity with Kittl
Creative Market
Description: Digital marketplace for design assets created by independent creators worldwide.
How You Make Money: Sell fonts, graphics, templates, themes, photos, and other creative assets.
Earning Potential: Top sellers earn $2,000-30,000+ monthly; average successful shops make $500-2,000.
Pros:
- High-quality marketplace with premium pricing
- 70% commission on sales (one of the highest in the industry)
- Strong community of professional designers and creatives
Cons:
- Strict quality standards for submitted products
- Competitive marketplace requiring original work
- Success requires consistent creation of new products
Expert Tip: Pay attention to the platform’s weekly “Fresh From the Shop” emails and trending categories. Creating assets that align with these trends can result in being featured, dramatically increasing visibility and sales.
Redbubble
Description: Print-on-demand marketplace where artists upload designs that customers can purchase on various products.
How You Make Money: Upload your artwork that customers can buy printed on over 70 different products.
Earning Potential: $50-3,000+ monthly depending on design popularity and volume.
Pros:
- Zero upfront costs—no inventory or shipping to manage
- Your art can appear on dozens of products automatically
- Global customer base and handling of all customer service
Cons:
- Lower profit margins than self-fulfillment
- Limited control over final product quality
- Designs need to stand out among millions of others
Expert Tip: Focus on creating designs around micro-niches with passionate fans rather than broader popular topics. A design catering to enthusiasts of a specific video game character typically outperforms generic gaming designs.
Online Surveys & Micro-Task Websites to Make Money
Prolific
Description: Academic research platform connecting researchers with participants.
How You Make Money: Complete surveys and participate in academic studies from universities worldwide.
Earning Potential: $6-12/hour, potentially earning $100-300 monthly with consistent participation.
Pros:
- Higher pay rates than most survey sites
- Interesting studies on various topics
- No disqualifications mid-survey (pre-screening is done beforehand)
- Minimum pay rate of £5/hour guaranteed
Cons:
- Limited number of studies available
- May not qualify for all studies
- Payment in GBP (requires currency conversion for non-UK users)
Expert Tip: Complete your demographic profile 100% to maximize study invitations and enable notifications to be among the first to access new studies, which fill quickly.
Amazon Mechanical Turk
Description: Crowdsourcing marketplace where businesses offer small tasks that require human intelligence.
How You Make Money: Complete HITs (Human Intelligence Tasks) ranging from data categorization to content moderation.
Earning Potential: Beginners make $3-8/hour; experienced workers with scripts and qualifications can earn $10-15/hour.
Pros:
- Constant stream of available tasks
- Immediate approval for some HITs
- Flexibility to work anytime
- Qualification system to access better-paying tasks
Cons:
- Many low-paying tasks
- Learning curve to find worthwhile HITs
- Some requesters reject work unfairly
Expert Tip: Install browser extensions like MTurk Suite to identify high-paying HITs quickly and track your earnings efficiency. Focus on building qualifications that unlock access to higher-paying task batches.
Clickworker
Description: Platform offering micro-tasks including data categorization, text creation, and research.
How You Make Money: Complete short tasks or qualify for their UHRS (Universal Human Relevance System) platform.
Earning Potential: $5-15/hour depending on task availability and speed.
Pros:
- Available internationally
- No minimum payout threshold
- Access to UHRS offers higher-paying opportunities
- Wide variety of task types
Cons:
- Inconsistent work availability
- Task compensation can be low for time invested
- Some projects require qualifying assessments
Expert Tip: The UHRS platform accessible through Clickworker typically offers 3-5x higher earnings potential than standard Clickworker tasks. Prioritize qualifying for and maintaining access to this system.
Tutoring & Online Course Platforms
VIPKid
Description: Online English teaching platform connecting North American teachers with Chinese students.
How You Make Money: Teach English online to children using the platform’s curriculum.
Earning Potential: $14-22/hour base pay plus incentives.
Pros:
- Flexible scheduling
- All lesson materials provided
- No lesson planning required
- Bonuses for attendance and student feedback
Cons:
- Requires bachelor’s degree and teaching experience
- Peak hours align with China time zone (often early mornings in North America)
- Competitive hiring process
- Contract renewals based on performance
Expert Tip: Record a demo lesson in a well-lit space with minimal background distractions and bright, engaging props. Successful applicants demonstrate high energy and clear pronunciation rather than formal teaching experience.
Udemy
Description: Online learning marketplace where anyone can create and sell courses.
How You Make Money: Create and sell courses on any topic where you have expertise.
Earning Potential: Varies widely; successful courses earn $1,000-10,000+ monthly, while average courses earn $100-500 monthly.
Pros:
- Complete control over course content and pricing
- Access to millions of potential students
- No approval process for courses
- Lifetime earnings from a single course
Cons:
- Platform takes 50% commission on sales through their marketplace (0% on sales you drive)
- Highly competitive in popular subjects
- Price promotions can devalue premium courses
- Success requires marketing effort
Expert Tip: Udemy’s algorithm heavily favors courses with high completion rates. Design your course with short, focused lessons (under 6 minutes each) to boost engagement and completion, which improves visibility.
Teachable
Description: Platform for creating, hosting and selling your own online courses under your own brand.
How You Make Money: Create courses or coaching programs and sell directly to your audience.
Earning Potential: Unlimited; successful course creators earn $2,000-50,000+ monthly.
Pros:
- Full control over branding, pricing, and student data
- Keep most of your revenue (just platform fee)
- Build your own independent business
- Advanced features like memberships and certificates
Cons:
- Monthly subscription fee required
- No built-in marketplace for discoverability
- Success requires your own audience or marketing
- More technical setup than marketplace options
Expert Tip: Use Teachable’s bundling feature to create different price tiers by combining related courses. This increases average order value by 30-40% for most course creators compared to selling individual courses.
Writing & Content Creation Platforms
Medium
Description: Publishing platform with Partner Program for writers to earn based on member engagement.
How You Make Money: Write articles that Medium members read and engage with.
Earning Potential: Average writers earn $50-300 monthly; top writers earn $1,000-10,000+.
Pros:
- No barrier to entry for new writers
- Built-in audience of paying subscribers
- Distribution through publications and algorithmic recommendations
- Payments based on engagement, not views
Cons:
- Earnings can be unpredictable
- Algorithm changes affect income
- Best success comes from consistently publishing
- Limited control over monetization strategy
Expert Tip: Instead of chasing trends, establish yourself as an authority in a specific niche by creating “cornerstone content”—comprehensive guides that you can link to from shorter, more frequent posts. This internal linking strategy significantly boosts overall engagement.
Substack
Description: Newsletter platform allowing writers to monetize their audience directly.
How You Make Money: Build an email subscriber list and charge for premium content.
Earning Potential: Varies greatly; successful newsletters earn $1,000-100,000+ monthly.
Pros:
- Direct relationship with readers
- 90% of subscription revenue goes to writers
- Complete content ownership
- Growing marketplace for newsletter discovery
Cons:
- Building a paying subscriber base takes time
- Requires consistent content schedule
- Success depends on niche expertise and writing quality
- Handling subscriber expectations and churn
Expert Tip: Start with a free newsletter to build audience, then introduce paid tiers with exclusive content. The most successful Substack writers typically maintain a 90/10 split of free/paid content to continue growing their audience while monetizing.
Contently
Description: Premium content creation platform connecting brands with freelance writers.
How You Make Money: Create content for major brands at premium rates through platform matching.
Earning Potential: $200-2,000 per article, with regular contributors earning $2,000-10,000+ monthly.
Pros:
- Some of the highest rates in freelance writing
- Work with major, reputable brands
- Portfolio tools to showcase your best work
- Payment protection and handling
Cons:
- Highly selective acceptance process
- Project availability varies by industry expertise
- May experience gaps between assignments
- Requires professional-level writing experience
Expert Tip: Contently’s algorithm prioritizes writers with complete, detailed profiles that include samples closest to clients’ industry needs. Upload 10+ diverse, high-quality samples and fill out every profile section to maximize matching opportunities.
Affiliate Marketing & Blogging Platforms
WordPress.org
Description: Self-hosted website platform powering over 40% of all websites online.
How You Make Money: Create content that attracts traffic, then monetize through various methods (affiliate marketing, ads, products, services).
Earning Potential: Unlimited; successful blogs earn $1,000-100,000+ monthly depending on niche and monetization strategy.
Pros:
- Complete ownership and control
- Unlimited monetization options
- Thousands of themes and plugins
- Maximum flexibility for growth
Cons:
- Requires hosting costs ($5-30 monthly)
- Steeper learning curve than hosted platforms
- Responsible for maintenance and security
- Success takes consistent effort over 6-12+ months
Expert Tip: Install the Yoast SEO and Rank Math plugins simultaneously to get complementary optimization recommendations. Where the tools agree represents your highest-impact optimization opportunities.
Amazon Associates
Description: Amazon’s affiliate program allowing you to earn commissions from product recommendations.
How You Make Money: Promote Amazon products and earn 1-10% commission when your audience purchases.
Earning Potential: New affiliates typically earn $50-300 monthly; established sites earn $1,000-50,000+.
Pros:
- Massive product catalog to promote
- Customer trust in Amazon increases conversion rates
- Easy integration with content sites
- Additional bounties for service signups
Cons:
- Relatively low commission rates (1-10%)
- 24-hour cookie window
- Strict compliance requirements
- Regular program changes affecting commissions
Expert Tip: Focus on promoting products with high review counts (500+) and ratings between 4.0-4.7 stars. These convert significantly better than perfect 5-star products (which consumers often distrust) or those with fewer reviews.
ShareASale
Description: Affiliate network connecting publishers with thousands of merchant programs.
How You Make Money: Promote products/services from member merchants and earn commissions on sales.
Earning Potential: Commissions typically range from 5-50% depending on the merchant.
Pros:
- Access to 3,900+ merchant programs in one dashboard
- Many exclusive merchant relationships
- Reliable monthly payment schedule
- Detailed reporting and tracking
Cons:
- Interface less modern than some competitors
- Merchant approval process can be lengthy
- Some programs have strict promotional requirements
- Variable commission structures to track
Expert Tip: Sort programs by “EPC” (Earnings Per Click) rather than commission rate when selecting merchants. This metric reveals which programs actually convert well, not just those offering high commission percentages.
Investing & Fintech Platforms
Fundrise
Description: Real estate investing platform allowing individuals to invest in private real estate with low minimums.
How You Make Money: Invest in diversified portfolios of private real estate and earn through quarterly dividends and appreciation.
Earning Potential: Historical returns of 7-12% annually on investments.
Pros:
- Low minimum investment ($10)
- Access to private real estate previously unavailable to average investors
- Passive income through quarterly dividends
- Portfolio diversification beyond stocks and bonds
Cons:
- Investments are illiquid (3-5 year recommended holding period)
- Fees impact returns (1% annual fee)
- Returns not guaranteed
- Real estate market fluctuations affect performance
Expert Tip: Start with their “Starter Portfolio” option, which provides the most diversification for smaller investors. As your investment grows beyond $5,000, consider transitioning to their specialized strategies based on your financial goals.
Note: Investment platforms involve risk of loss. Only invest what you can afford to lose and consider consulting a financial advisor.
Robinhood
Description: Commission-free trading platform for stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrency.
How You Make Money: Invest in assets that appreciate in value or generate dividends.
Earning Potential: Varies based on investment choices, market conditions, and capital invested.
Pros:
- No commission trades
- Fractional shares available
- User-friendly interface for beginners
- Quick account setup
Cons:
- Limited research and educational tools
- No retirement account options
- Simplistic trading tools compared to traditional brokerages
- Controversial payment for order flow model
Expert Tip: Enable Robinhood’s recurring investments feature to automatically dollar-cost average into ETFs, reducing the impact of market volatility and enforcing investment discipline.
Note: Investment platforms involve risk of loss. Only invest what you can afford to lose and consider consulting a financial advisor.
Coinbase
Description: Leading cryptocurrency exchange for buying, selling, and storing digital assets.
How You Make Money: Purchase cryptocurrencies that may appreciate in value or offer staking rewards.
Earning Potential: Highly variable based on crypto market performance; staking rewards typically range from 2-7% annually.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface for crypto beginners
- Strong security practices and insurance on USD balances
- Earn crypto through educational modules
- Staking rewards on select cryptocurrencies
Cons:
- Higher fees than some competitors
- Limited cryptocurrency selection compared to international exchanges
- Customer service can be slow during high volume periods
- Cryptocurrency investments are highly volatile
Expert Tip: Use Coinbase’s free “Earn” program to acquire small amounts of new cryptocurrencies by watching educational videos. This allows you to build a diversified portfolio without additional investment.
Note: Cryptocurrency investing involves substantial risk of loss. Only invest what you can afford to lose.
Hidden Gem Platforms: Underrated Websites to Make Money
Remotasks
Description: AI training platform offering remote microtasks that help train machine learning systems.
How You Make Money: Complete tasks like image annotation, data classification, and transcription.
Earning Potential: $3-10/hour depending on task complexity and efficiency; top performers can access premium projects paying $10-20/hour.
Pros:
- Available worldwide with low barriers to entry
- Flexible scheduling with 24/7 task availability
- Training provided for higher-paying specialized tasks
- Weekly payments via PayPal
Cons:
- Learning curve for complex task types
- Income inconsistency based on project availability
- Some tasks are tedious and repetitive
- Requires attention to detail for quality ratings
Expert Tip: Complete their optional training courses to unlock “Remotasks Elite” projects, which typically pay 3-5x more than standard tasks and have more consistent availability.
Ko-fi
Description: Platform allowing creators to receive support, sell digital products, and offer memberships.
How You Make Money: Accept donations, sell commissions, digital products, or monthly memberships.
Earning Potential: Varies by audience size and engagement; active creators earn $100-5,000+ monthly.
Pros:
- No platform fee on donations (just payment processing)
- More flexible than subscription-only platforms
- One-time and recurring support options
- Sell digital products without approval process
Cons:
- Less name recognition than Patreon
- Requires existing audience for best results
- Limited built-in discovery features
- Basic analytics compared to specialized platforms
Expert Tip: Ko-fi’s “Commissions” feature is uniquely powerful for service providers—create specific service packages with customizable questions that help qualify clients before they book, saving time on consultations.
Playtest Cloud
Description: Platform connecting game developers with players to test games before public release.
How You Make Money: Play and provide feedback on mobile games under development.
Earning Potential: $9-15 per playtest (typically 15-30 minutes each); active testers receive 1-4 tests monthly.
Pros:
- Play games before they’re released
- No specific gaming skills required
- Tests available on iOS and Android
- Quick payment via PayPal
Cons:
- Limited test availability
- Must record your screen and voice while playing
- Detailed feedback required for payment
- Not consistent enough for primary income
Expert Tip: Complete your first few playtests with extremely detailed verbal commentary—developers rate testers, and those with the highest ratings receive significantly more test invitations.
Essential Tips for Success on Websites to Make Money
Regardless of which websites to make money you choose, these principles will help maximize your earnings:
Profile Optimization
- Complete all profile fields—platforms rank complete profiles higher
- Use professional photos and consistent branding across platforms
- Include keywords relevant to your skills/offerings
- Showcase your best work as examples/portfolio pieces
Building a Portfolio
- Start with lower-priced offerings to gather positive reviews
- Create samples specifically for your target platforms
- Document results and outcomes of past work
- Update regularly with your latest and best work
Time Management
- Track time spent vs. earnings on each platform
- Focus on platforms with the highest earnings per hour
- Batch similar tasks to increase efficiency
- Set specific working hours to maintain work-life balance
Avoiding Scams
- Research platforms thoroughly before investing time
- Never pay large upfront fees to access opportunities
- Be wary of unrealistic income promises
- Check reviews on independent sites like Trustpilot
Understanding Payment Terms
- Know each platform’s payment schedule
- Factor in fees when calculating actual earnings
- Understand withdrawal minimums and methods
- Keep records for tax purposes
Conclusion & Next Steps
The online landscape offers unprecedented opportunities to earn money through flexible work that matches your skills and interests. The key to success lies not in trying everything at once, but in selecting 1-2 websites to make money that align with your strengths and dedicating consistent effort to building your presence there.
Start by asking yourself:
- What skills do I already have or am willing to learn?
- How much time can I realistically commit each week?
- Do I prefer active income (trading time for money) or building assets for passive income?
Based on your answers, select one of these websites to make money from this guide that best matches your situation and dedicate 90 days to learning its ins and outs before evaluating your results. Remember that most successful online earners faced a learning curve before achieving significant income.
Ready to start your online earning journey? Choose your preferred websites to make money, create your profile today, and take that first step toward financial freedom.
