Table of Contents
How to Make Money Online Without Paying Anything – As An Influencer
1. Start a blog (earn income through Ads)
Love to write? Have experience or knowledge about a marketable area or niche?
Then write your own blog to make money online. There are a few free blogging sites out there that enable you to start a blog with little to no investment up front. All you need is some cheap web hosting and a domain name.
When we started this blog, we signed up with Bluehost as their rates & services are the most competitive in the industry and you can have your blog up and running in the next few minutes for as low as $2.95 per month. This is a special rate for our readers so make sure to click on the banner below.
However, shortly after growing our audience and the need for speed, we switched to WPX that gave our website the much needed boost in Google rankings it deserved! WPX’s knowledgeable chat agents and commitment to prioritize support for all users won us over in no time. While website hosting with WPX may not be the cheapest in the market, it’s worth every penny and so much more!
There are several ways to make money online using your blog. You can start by writing about a particular topic, showcasing your expertise, and then offering your consulting services or informational products for sale. If your content is good, you should be able to engage some clients early on. If writing content is not your strong suit, check out these AI writing softwares that help new and seasoned bloggers get over the writer’s block and polish their content.
Once you manage to get a lot of traffic to your blog, you can make money by placing ads with Google Adsense or Media.net. If your visitors click on these ads, you will get paid for that click. The pay per click is very low, but it can add up to a decent amount if you get a lot of traffic.
2. Become an affiliate marketer
Another great way to make money from blogging is to become an affiliate marketer. As an affiliate, companies will pay you to direct customers to their products via recommendations on your blog or social channels. If the redirected customer purchases, you get a commission.
Once your site has a good amount of traffic, you can sign up for affiliate programs in your niche. You must have great content to get approved for many affiliate programs, so focus on building that up first.
3. Start a podcast
If you have always been told that you have a ‘radio voice’ or just love to talk & engage with people, start a podcast to make money in 2023.
Podcasts are growing in popularity. There is no limit to the topics to choose from – there is an audience for everything. There is very little equipment needed. You can start with your phone and a pair of headphones. If you want a great microphone, you can start with this highly-rated microphone set from Amazon.
Decide the topic or theme for your podcast, plan out at least the first 10 episodes & get started. Remember that to get on to Spotify, Apple, or Google, you’ll need a podcast host – we have short-listed the best podcast hosting options (paid and free) to help you get started.
READY TO GET STARTED? Buzzsprout is our #1 choice for the Best Podcast Hosting service. We love how easy it is to get set up and started with Buzzsprout as a new podcaster. You don’t have to be a technology expert for it. Click here to get started today and receive a $20 Amazon gift card!
4. Become an Instagram influencer
Do you enjoy sharing your daily activities, personal passions, and recommendations with friends and family? Not afraid of social media and a little criticism from the whole wide world? If so, consider becoming an Instagram influencer and make money from sponsored posts while receiving some free goodies from brands for trial.
You will have to pick a niche and post a ton of content, regularly. Once you start getting traction, your social media following and the income can snowball.
5. Start a YouTube channel
Lights, Camera, Action! All you need is a camera and some of that charm to become a star on Youtube. You can start a YouTube channel, create videos on any topic of your liking and make passive income based on the number of views on your videos.
YouTube is free and so are videos that you upload on it. So long as your video reaches 1000 views for three consecutive months, plus 4000 hours of watch time in total from those thousand viewers, then ads will start showing up before and during your video–the more views your videos (and ads) have, the more you get paid.
6. Manage social media
Do you have a knack for social media? Do you find yourself explaining how certain social networks work to your friends? Do you have a decent following? Do you know exactly which kind of posts get engagement on Instagram vs. Twitter vs. TikTok, how to grow a following, what hashtags to use, which time of the day is best for posting etc.? Well, if you are a social media guru, there are plenty of small businesses that are looking to hire you!
Yes, you can make money online by managing social media for small businesses without paying anything. Sign up as a freelancer to create content, come up with captions, increase followers, manage paid ads, etc. You can specialize in a niche like travel, or cast your net wide. You can even opt to work with only one or two social networks of your choice.
You can learn by doing, or to get results faster, you can take online courses via Skillshare or Udemy to learn how to kickstart your business, obtain clients, create contracts, create a content calendar, learn social media management tools, etc. This option will require some investment though.
You can find social media manager postings as a freelancer at sites like Upwork, FlexJobs, Freelancer, and Fiverr.
How to Make Money Online Without Paying Anything – From Online Sites & Apps
7. Join Swagbucks
Swagbucks rewards you for everyday things you already do online. You can get free gift cards and cash for answering surveys, testing products and services, reviewing online videos, etc. The payouts are not high, but if you already do a lot of these activities online, then why not get rewarded for it?
Click here to join Swagbucks.
8. Earn Cash Back
Use apps that give you cashback for shopping as you usually do, including on groceries, gas, clothes, etc. There are several cashback reward apps, but two of the best ones are TopCashback and Rakuten (or eBates).
Download either one of the apps, upload your receipt if any of the items are listed on the app, and cash out. Each app offers cash-back on thousands of stores, many of which you likely already shop at.
9. Sign up for Couponing Apps
Sign up for couponing apps like Ibotta, RetailMeNot, and ShopKick. Organize your household’s shopping list and earn money.
For example, Ibotta lets you cash out once your savings balance reaches $20.
10. Play video games
Is this a dream? Play video games and make money? Yes, but be forewarned that making money from playing video games is not easy. As you can imagine, there is a ton of competition and only a select few are good enough to make real money from playing at the top level.
Still, if you are good at it and want to make a side income, you can get paid to test video games at BetaFamily or PlayTestCloud. For example, PlayTestCloud will test you with a qualification test and if you are accepted, a 15-minute survey can pay $9.
11. Get paid for being healthy
Believe it or not, several apps will pay you to sign up and complete health and fitness programs. There are several to choose from – Download and sign up for one or more of Pact, Good Coins, Charity Miles or AchieveMint.
12. Download, install and keep these apps on your phone to earn money
ShopTracker, Nielsen Mobile Panel, and MobileXpression are some apps that either reward you for just using your phone or to take part in research-based activities.
13. Offer expert advice (JustAnswer, LivePerson)
Are you an expert in a certain field? For example, you played fortnight professionally or worked as a golf instructor every summer. Sites like 6Ya.com let you sign up as an expert and then get paid to answer questions or talk to people who have questions in your field of expertise.
14. Take surveys at Survey Junkie
As we mentioned, taking surveys is one of the easier ways to make money on this list. While Swagbucks is a top option, there are thousands of other sites out there that will pay you to answer surveys and provide your opinion.
Survey Junkie is one of the oldest and most reliable players in the industry. The pay rate is low at $1 to $3 but they do allow teenagers to make money by answering surveys. The minimum age to sign up for Survey Junkie is 13. You can cash out via PayPal once you have accumulated $10 in your account.
15. Become a product tester
If you want to test products like websites, apps, food, beauty brands, etc. before they’re released, there are plenty of companies who will pay you just for testing out their ideas. Look for sites like usertesting.com to sign up as a product tester.
16. Join a research/focus group
Get paid to offer your thoughts as part of a research or focus group. Current opportunities on LinkedIn are advertising a payment of $10 to $25 per survey.
17. Earn $10 Amazon credit for MyPoints sign-up
MyPoints is an online rewards site and app, where you can accumulate reward points for taking surveys, shopping online, watching videos, etc. They have a bonus reward for new members in the form of points equivalent to a $10 Amazon credit or $10 Visa credit once you spend $20 in the first 30 days of your membership. MyPoints has a huge variety of big brands and stores that you can shop at. This is a way to make money online by paying for things you would have normally shopped for anyway. There are some exceptions involved to earn the bonus offer, so we recommend that you read the terms and conditions.
18. Earn $10 for Rakuten sign-up
Similar to MyPoints, Rakuten is a hugely popular rewards and cashback site. Sign up as a new member by clicking here and earn a $10 welcome bonus once you spend $25 before taxes on eligible purchases within the first 90 days of your membership. We recommend reading the list of eligible purchases for each store before you get to shopping.
You can also refer friends to Rakuten and if they spend $30, you each get $30 cashback. Sign up using our link here.
19. Earn referral credits for signing up with UberEats and referring your friends
You can earn referral bonuses in 2 ways with UberEats:
- If you currently drive for Uber, refer a friend to get a bonus worth $100 – $1100, depending on your city, when your friend completes a set number of trips. In your driver app, look up the exact details of the bonus for your city.
- If you are an UberEats customer, you can refer friends to sign up for UberEats. When your friend places their first order, you both get a bonus. To ensure your friends use your code, go into your profile on the UberEats app. Scroll to the bottom of the ‘invite a friend’ banner. Copy your code and send it to your friends. If you are not currently an UberEats customer, Click Here to get started.
20. Earn referral credits for signing up with DoorDash and referring your friends
Similar to Uber above, you can earn referral bonuses by referring friends to drive or order from DoorDash. Sign up here to read the terms and conditions for your city.
21. Sign up as an Online Juror
You may have never thought of this, but just like everything else, lawyers are going digital! Now you can earn money online without paying anything by becoming an Online Juror for mock trials. To prepare for big cases, lawyers conduct mock jury trials to test the strength and weaknesses of their cases.
As an online juror, you will be taking part and providing your feedback on real cases with real evidence and witnesses. It’s interesting work for sure! For 20 to 60 minutes of your time, you can make anywhere from $10 to $60 per case.
If you have always wanted to be a part of Law & Order and other courtroom dramas, sign up as an online juror and earn money online. Some sites that you can sign up on include Onlineverdict, JuryTalk, eJury, TrialJuries, and many more.
22. Get paid to do online research
An online researcher uses their internet skills to research and provides answers and data for clients. Research projects could be in any niche or industry and could include hunting for data, statistics, insights, trends, etc.
You can use the usual freelance websites like Freelancer, Fiverr, and Upwork to look for postings. There are also dedicated sites where you can find research work. StudyPool is a portal where you can answer course material-related questions for students. JustAnswer is a similar site, but you need to demonstrate expertise in a certain field to get accepted. ClickWorker is another one you can try out.
As a freelance researcher, expect to earn anywhere from $10 to $20 per hour, depending on your experience.
How to Make Money Online Without Paying Anything – If You Enjoy Teaching
23. Teach a language online
There are plenty of opportunities to teach English or another language online. Most require a Bachelor’s degree and some professional teaching experience.
If you are not there yet, you can check out Preply, which does not list any specific qualifications to teach. Besides English, you can teach Spanish, French, German, Arabic, etc., if you have the knowledge.
Italki is another site where you just need to be a native speaker or be fluent in a language to teach basic classes. There are plenty of language options to choose from, and you can set your own rates (minimums apply).
Verbalplanet and Justlearn are other similar sites to teach language online without any strict qualification requirements.
24. Tutor
If you are good at Math or Science, many tutoring centers hire tutors to teach kids of all ages. You can look for jobs in your area at your local Kumon.
If you have no previous experience and want to teach online, try WyzAnt.
If you have experience, look for jobs on Indeed.com, Tutor.com or advertise in your neighborhood.
25. Teach music online
If you’re a Tuba master or a Guitar guru, there are plenty of people willing to learn how to play an instrument or belt out a perfect note.
Advertise on Fiverr to start. For the best online music learning platform, sign up as a teacher with LessonFace for end-to-end video conferencing & scheduling integration.
26. Teach art
Like the above, you can sign up to Fiverr, Preply, or any freelancing website to teach art – if you’re good at sculpting, painting, or any art disciplines.
If you are 18 and above, you can also set up an Airbnb experience in your city – where you can teach a group art activity to people who sign up. For example, if you live near a picturesque setting, you can take a paying group to paint landscapes outdoors.
27. Create a course
Do you have teachable skills? Make a list of things that you are better at than most people, then create a course to teach it online on sites like Udemy or Skillshare.
For example: teach chess for beginners, how to create an NFT, the ultimate guide to Roblox, etc.
How to Make Money Online Without Paying Anything – If You Have Something to Sell or Rent
28. Sell handmade items (on Etsy)
Etsy is one of the best platforms to sell handmade or unique items online. If you have an eye for design and a knack for creating anything with your hands, you can sell on Etsy (you must be at least 18).
There are tons of categories to choose from, so basically any unique item you can create can sell well. For inspiration, check out the various categories and top-selling items on Etsy here.
29. Sell your photographs online
Turn your hobby into a money-making venture by selling your original photographs online on stock photography websites.
All you have to do is upload your photos to stock photography websites, and if their customers purchase your photos, you get a royalty payment. Ensure that the photos are your own and follow the guidelines, which differ from site to site. Some of the top-paying stock photography sites are Alamy, Shutterstock, and Dreamstime.
Another great website to sell your photos on is Canva, one of the biggest online graphic design websites. Users can use free options or purchase stock photography for their projects – which is where your photos can get sold.
30. Sell on Amazon
If you are 18 or over, create your own Amazon store and sell anything. Amazon is getting competitive, so do some research on top-selling categories and look for opportunities.
If you can source a product and sell it at a lower price, or better quality, than the competition, you can still be successful on Amazon in 2023.
The best part is Amazon’s FBA service – where you simply generate the orders, and Amazon manages inventory, shipments & returns.
31. Sell on eBay
While Amazon has taken over the e-commerce space, eBay remains one of the top places to make money by selling online.
There are advantages and disadvantages to selling on eBay vs. Amazon. Unlike eBay, Amazon sells its own brands, and thus, competes with 3rd party sellers (like you) on its platform. On the other hand, Amazon offers the FBA service.
There are other differences, so do your research to figure out which platform works best for the products you want to sell. Either way, the startup costs are very low, and there is potential to make a good amount of money with the right product & marketing.
32. Sell old clothes
If you’re like us, you have clothes in your closet just waiting for the fashion to come back or for the size to fit again. While both of these things are possible, it is also possible to clean out your closet and make some money.
Websites like Poshmark, ThredUp, and Tradesy all offer a marketplace for you to sell your gently used clothing online. Being a fashionista will certainly pay off, but some of these sites even accept Gap clothing.
33. Sell old purses
Similar to selling clothes, you can sell old purses. Do you have a never-used, still wrapped Louis Vuitton purse or a Chanel wallet that you are too scared to take out?
You can make a lot of money by selling them online. If your purse, wallet, or bag has any value, it can be sold online. There are plenty of sites that take designer bags, but if you don’t have one of those, you can also try reselling other gently used brands on eBay or Craigslist.
34. Sell old books
If you have not cleaned out your bookshelf in several years, you can make money online by selling old books. If you have early editions of popular books or recent versions of college textbooks, these can sell for a decent amount of cash.
The best way to make money online by selling old books is to list them on sites like Amazon, eBay, BookScouter, AbeBooks, and eCampus.
35. Sell unused gift cards (CardSell)
We all have old gift cards lying around that we have never gotten around to using. If you don’t intend to use them, you can earn money online by selling your unused gift cards on CardSell or Raise.
You can list your gift cards for a fair amount on each site. Once it sells, the site will take a percentage of the sale amount, and you pocket the rest. Not bad for something that’s sitting around in your sock drawer for years.
36. Sell jewelry online
Handcrafted jewelry can be sold on sites like Etsy and eBay. You can also look for interesting pieces at antique shops and flea markets, then resell them for a profit on eBay. Here’s a great article on The 5 best websites to sell jewelry online.
37. Sell in-game virtual items
Gaming is a huge industry! Another way to get paid to play video games is to sell your in-game items on sites like gameflip.com.
They have most popular gaming platforms listed, where players like you can buy & sell in-game items for real money.
38. Sell your video games
In addition to selling in-game items, you can sell games you don’t play anymore on gameflip.com as well. You can list and sell games for all major gaming systems like Steam, Xbox, and Playstation.
39. Rent your car
If you own a car, you can put it up for rent on private car renting platforms like Turo.
Car rental demand is at an all-time high, and supply is very low.
If you live in a busy city with many tourists, expect to make decent money by renting your car.
Turo rentals range from compact cars to luxury and exotic cars like Lamborghinis. Whatever you drive, you can likely rent it out. Turo rentals include insurance.
40. Rent your bike, cycle, snowsports, or any other gear online
You can rent basically anything you own to make money online. Check out sites like Fat Llama, Rentah, and Loanables to list your items.
41. Rent your parking spot
If you live in a busy urban area, renting out your spare parking spot can bring in a decent chunk of change every month.
A parking spot in New York City can cost as much as $400 per month. High monthly rates are also typical in cities like New Jersey, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Similar to Airbnb, several companies will help you match your spot to potential renters. Some examples are SpotHero, ParkingCupid, and CurbFlip.
42. Rent out your home/garage space for storage (neighbor.com)
Many people are searching for storage space, RV and boat storage, etc. If you have some spare room in your home, office, or garage, rent it out on neighbor.com. You can post your space for free and rest easy knowing that neighbor.com’s property protection plan insures it. You can approve or reject offers and get paid monthly.
Rates vary based on how much space you’re renting. As a sample:
- Garages can go from $100 to $600
- Driveways start from $50 to $100 per month
- Similarly, there are varying rates based on your location and space (shed, office, basement, etc.)
43. Lend money to make more money online
Peer-to-peer lending platforms like Prosper enable you to loan people money and charge interest in return. You can lend as little or as much as you want. If you like real estate, you can try GroundFloor, a lending platform specifically for house flippers. Once the flip is done, you get your money back with interest.
Note that P2P lending is risky as creditors can default, and home flips can turn a loss. As usual, do your due diligence before lending your money and only lend what you can afford to lose.
How to Make Money Online Without Paying Anything – If You Have Services to Sell
44. Sell on Fiverr
Fiverr is an online marketplace that connects service-based freelancers with paying customers. There are thousands of services that can be offered, so check them out and see if your skills and interest enable you to offer your own services.
45. Task Rabbit
If you are at least 19 years old, you can get paid to complete a multitude of tasks on Taskrabbit. You can leverage skills in categories as broad as furniture assembly, moving, and handyman services to car washing, sewing, or window cleaning.
46. Mechanical Turk
Mechanical Turk is an Amazon-owned site where you can get paid to complete tasks using the skills you already have. You will not be required to do anything physical. This site focuses on ‘human intelligence’ tasks like identifying pictures, data entry, and taking surveys.
47. Become a translator
Are you fluent in multiple languages? If so, offer your services as a translator. You can sell translation services on Fiverr or on other freelancing websites.
48. Transcription
Transcriptionists listen to audio or video files and convert them to text, usually with set style guidelines. This is useful for tasks like adding closed captions to videos, subtitles for foreign language videos, etc.
If you have strong English skills (or know a foreign language) and have a reliable internet connection, you can sign up as a transcriptionist to make money online without paying anything. There are several sites that provide transcription services and are always looking for skilled individuals to hire.
Most sites will ask you to complete an assessment to evaluate your skills before you can get started. If you get hired, you can apply for jobs posted and work as little or as much as you like. Some sites that hire transcriptionists are GoTranscript, Rev, Upwork, and lots more.
49. Become a virtual assistant
A virtual assistant supports other businesses or people remotely. You can offer to do any tasks that you are good at – social media management, data entry, writing, managing appointments, etc.
You can look for VA jobs on Fiverr, Upwork, or FlexJobs. You can also reach out to local small businesses with an offer to manage tasks for them.
50. Write Content
Freelance writers can make money from clients through fixed rates for a job (e.g., $100 per article), project work (e.g., the writer will get paid once he/she finishes writing an entire book), and hourly fees depending on how many hours they’ve worked that week.
Freelancers usually have to provide their own equipment like computers, software, and office supplies since employers usually only pay for freelancer’s time.
So if you have a laptop and Google Docs, get on over to a freelancer site to sign up. Be prepared to showcase your previous experience and portfolio to attract clients.
Some top freelance sites for writers are:
● Upwork.
● Freelance Writing Jobs
● Textbroker
● Contently
● MediaBistro
● ProBlogger.
51. Become a voice actor
Sites like voice.com hire freelance voice actors for gigs like voice-overs, translation, advertisements. Leverage your vocal cords and any language skills to make money. Create a profile, upload voice samples, and then reply to job postings to get started.
How to Make Money Online Without Paying Anything – If You’re Creative
52. Design t-shirts
While there is a lot of competition in the online t-shirt selling space now, you can still make money by selling t-shirts online if your designs are good.
Sign up for Merch By Amazon – if you get accepted, this is the most hands-off online t-shirt selling platform. You just upload your designs, and Amazon will take care of all the logistics.
You can also diversify by selling your t-shirts on Etsy or Shopify. This takes a little bit more work. You will have to set up your store (minimal investment required), but once done, associate your Etsy or Shopify store with a Printful account. When you are ready, upload your designs to Printful & link the product on your Etsy or Shopify store.
53. Become a Graphic Designer
If you have photoshop or other graphic design tools, and you are creative, list your services as a graphic designer on Fiverr.
You can get paid to design logos, stickers, and other designs for clients. You can also sign up for Canva and sell your designs as part of their paid purchase program for customers.
54. Edit photographs and graphics
If you are good with photoshop or other photo editing tools, you can sign up for sites like Fiverr to offer photo and graphic editing services. You can edit photographs, create business logos, banners, social media posts, etc.
Many blogs and small businesses source from Fiverr, so if you do an excellent job on the first campaign, you can build up a recurring source of revenue over time.
55. Create or resell an NFT
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have exploded in popularity in 2021. Some NFTs have recently sold for millions of dollars. Anyone can create or resell NFTs. Here’s a great step-by-step resource to guide you through it.