Guide To Best Online Side Hustles (Low-Effort Options)
Introduction
Your parents' career advice to get a stable job, climb the corporate ladder, retire with a pension—made perfect sense in their world. But today, a staggering 53% of Gen Zers and 50% of millennials have embraced side hustles as their financial strategy of choice according to a Bankrate Survey.
Extra income streams seem to be the rule rather than the exception and with inflation on the rise, side hustles aren't just for splurging anymore—they're becoming essential lifelines for everyday expenses.
What's driving this massive shift toward multiple income streams? And more importantly, how can you join these resourceful earners without sacrificing your sanity or social life?
The digital revolution has made entrepreneurship accessible to everyone. With opportunities ranging from content creation to e-commerce, the options are virtually limitless.
As it turns out, some of the best online side hustles require surprisingly little effort but offer impressive returns.
This guide focuses specifically on those online side hustles that maximize returns while minimizing effort. So if you're looking to drive some extra income without burning out, let's dive in.
Criteria for the Best Online Side Hustles
When evaluating the most promising low effort side hustles, several factors separate the truly worthwhile opportunities from those that might waste your time. First and foremost is the effort-to-reward ratio—the best options require minimal input while offering substantial potential returns.
Scalability is another crucial consideration. The ideal side hustle can grow alongside your commitment, potentially evolving from supplemental income to a full-time business. This means looking for opportunities in growing markets with sustainable business models, not flash-in-the-pan trends.
Startup costs matter too. The most accessible best online side hustles can be launched with little to no upfront investment, making them particularly attractive for beginners. Additionally, consider the learning curve—some opportunities might seem lucrative but require specialized skills that take years to develop.
Finally, automation potential should be a priority for those seeking truly low effort options. The best side hustles allow you to create systems that eventually run with minimal ongoing input, transforming your business from active income to something closer to passive income.
With these criteria in mind, let's explore the top low-effort online side hustles that check all these boxes.
Top Low-Effort Online Side Hustles
Creating a Faceless Quiz Channel
Among all the best online side hustles available today, creating a faceless quiz channel stands out as perhaps the most ingenious combination of low effort and high potential.
These channels—which have exploded in popularity across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts—capitalize on people's natural love for testing their knowledge. The example above with 1.3k comments shows the engagement these kinds of videos receive and the potential for monetization.
The traditional approach to making quiz videos like using Canva can be time-consuming, requiring hours of research for questions and manual video editing.
This is where AI tools like Trivia by Typito AI have revolutionized the process. Instead of spending hours researching questions and designing graphics, you can simply input a topic prompt, and the AI generates complete, professional-quality quiz videos in one click, under a minute.
Getting started requires surprisingly little. Here’s how.
Step 1: Plan Your Content
- Choose a Niche: Focus on specific areas like sports, pop culture, or history. Use tools like ChatGPT for ideas on niches to pick. This would also be a good time to go on different platforms and check out which niches get more
- Identify Platforms: Use TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts. TikTok and YouTube Shorts have better monetization opportunities but Instagram Reels can also be used for increasing the visibility of your quiz videos and for capturing a larger audience.
Step 2: Set Up Your Channel
- Create Accounts: Sign up on your chosen platforms.
- Customize Profiles: Use engaging descriptions and relevant keywords.
Step 3: Prepare Content
- Use AI Tools: Utilize Trivia by Typito AI for automated video creation.
- Design Templates: Leverage pre-made templates for consistency.
Step 4: Publish and Promote
- Post Regularly: Maintain a consistent schedule.
- Engage with Audience: Respond to comments and use analytics to refine content.
Step 6: Monetize Your Channel
- Enable Ad Revenue: Join platform partner programs.
- Secure Sponsorships: Reach out to brands for collaborations.
- Affiliate Marketing: Promote relevant products in your content.
Check out our guide for monetizing quiz videos on TikTok- Here
Check out our guide for monetizing quiz videos on YouTube - Here
Step 7: Monitor and Optimize
- Track Performance: Use metrics like watch time and engagement.
- Adjust Strategy: Refine content based on audience feedback and analytics.
Profitability: The profitability of creating a faceless quiz channel is high because of the minimal initial investment (basic video editing software, AI tools like Trivia by Typito AI). Some faceless channels claim to monetize as soon as in 1 day using AI and other channels channels make up to $312 per day.
What makes this side hustle particularly appealing is its almost unlimited scaling potential. With AI handling the heavy lifting of content creation, one person can feasibly manage multiple channels across different niches, multiplying their income streams with minimal additional effort.
Print-on-Demand Merchandise
Print-on-demand (POD) represents another standout opportunity in the realm of low effort side hustles. This business model eliminates traditional e-commerce headaches like inventory management, shipping logistics, and upfront production costs. Instead, products—ranging from t-shirts and mugs to posters and phone cases—are created only after they're purchased.
The POD process is straightforward: you create designs, upload them to platforms like Printful, Teespring, or Redbubble, set your prices, and start marketing. When customers place orders, the platform handles production, shipping, and customer service, while you collect the difference between your selling price and their base cost.
What makes POD particularly attractive as one of the best online side hustles is its minimal design requirements. You don't need to be a professional graphic designer to succeed. Simple text-based designs, clever phrases, or niche-specific concepts often outperform complex artwork. Many successful POD entrepreneurs use template-based design tools like Canva or even AI design generators to create marketable products with almost no design experience.
The key to standing out in the crowded POD marketplace is finding underserved niches with passionate fans. Rather than creating generic designs for broad audiences, successful sellers focus on specific communities—from obscure hobby groups to fans of cult classic media. This targeted approach reduces competition and increases conversion rates.
Marketing POD products requires minimal effort when done strategically. Building a niche-focused Instagram account or Pinterest board can drive significant traffic to your store. Some entrepreneurs even combine this with the quiz channel approach mentioned earlier—creating content that attracts their target audience and subtly promoting their merchandise.
Profitability: The profitability of print-on-demand merchandise is moderate to high, depending on niche selection and marketing efforts. With minimal upfront costs (using platforms like Printful or Redbubble), The average profit margin typically ranges between 15% and 60%, with most businesses operating within the 25% to 50% range.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing remains one of the most accessible online side hustles for beginners. The premise is elegantly simple: you promote other companies' products and earn commissions on resulting sales. No product creation, inventory, or customer service required—just connect consumers with solutions and take your cut of the transaction.
The barrier to entry has never been lower. Popular programs like Amazon Associates allow anyone to start earning commissions on virtually any product in their massive catalog. Specialized affiliate networks like ShareASale, CJ Affiliate, and ClickBank offer higher commission rates for niche products.ClickBank, for instance, offers commission rates that can go as high as 75%, which is significantly higher than many other affiliate networks.
The real genius of affiliate marketing as a low effort side hustle lies in content creation efficiency. Once you've created content highlighting products—whether blog posts, YouTube videos, or social media reviews—these assets continue generating commissions indefinitely with minimal updates. This creates a compounding effect where each piece of content becomes a passive income stream.
Choosing the right niche dramatically impacts success. The ideal affiliate marketing niche sits at the intersection of your interests, profitable commission structures, and reasonable competition levels. Products with higher price points or subscription models generally yield better returns for your effort. For instance, promoting a $1,000 course with a 40% commission rate requires far fewer sales than promoting $10 items with 4% commissions.
This video talks about ranking in niches that currently work for bloggers that want to make money off of affiliate marketing.
Content strategy matters tremendously. The most effective affiliate marketers don't overtly sell—they solve problems. Creating genuinely helpful buying guides, honest reviews, and comparison content builds trust while naturally incorporating affiliate links. This approach aligns perfectly with search engine algorithms that prioritize valuable content.
What makes this side hustle particularly appealing is its synergy with other income streams. Many successful affiliate marketers combine this approach with blogging, YouTube channels, or social media presence, creating multiple monetization layers for the same content.
Online Course Creation
Creating and selling online courses might initially seem intimidating, but modern platforms have transformed this into one of the most accessible low effort side hustles available today. The digital learning market continues explosive growth, with Global Market Insights projecting it to exceed $1 trillion by 2028.
The misconception that course creation requires professional-grade production value or comprehensive expertise has prevented many potential creators from entering this lucrative market. In reality, successful courses often focus on solving specific problems rather than providing encyclopedic knowledge.
Platforms like Udemy, Skillshare, and Teachable have democratized course publishing, handling the technical aspects of hosting, payments, and even marketing. This infrastructure allows creators to focus exclusively on content development.
The genius of course creation as one of the best online side hustles lies in its efficient repurposing potential. Many successful course creators simply repackage knowledge they've already developed through their careers or hobbies. A series of blog posts can become course modules; existing presentations can transform into video lessons.
Production doesn't require expensive equipment either. A smartphone camera, basic microphone, and free screen recording software are sufficient for creating professional-looking content. Many successful courses use simple slides with voiceover rather than instructor videos.
The passive income potential truly sets course creation apart. Unlike many side hustles requiring ongoing time investment, courses can generate revenue for years after creation. Some instructors report earning five or six figures annually from courses they created years ago with minimal updates.
Strategic pricing and positioning dramatically impact success. While mainstream platforms like Udemy might offer greater visibility, they typically take larger revenue cuts and encourage race-to-the-bottom pricing. Self-hosting through platforms like Teachable or Podia allows for premium pricing and full revenue control, though requires more marketing effort.
Selling Digital Products
The digital product marketplace represents perhaps the purest form of scalable, low effort side hustles available today. Unlike physical products requiring manufacturing and shipping, digital assets can be created once and sold infinitely with effectively zero marginal cost.
The diversity of profitable digital products is staggering. E-books, templates, printables, stock photos, audio files, software tools, graphic design assets—virtually anything that can be delivered electronically can become a digital product. This versatility allows entrepreneurs to leverage existing skills or quickly develop new ones in profitable niches.
Platforms like Etsy, which many associate exclusively with handcrafted physical goods, have become powerhouses for digital product sales. Other marketplaces like Creative Market, Gumroad, and Envato Elements provide specialized venues for different product categories. Some entrepreneurs build even greater margins by selling directly through their own websites.
What makes digital products stand out among the best online side hustles is their unparalleled profit margins. With no production costs beyond initial creation and minimal platform fees, profit margins typically range from 70% to 95%. This economic efficiency means even modest sales volumes can generate significant income.
Creation tools have simultaneously become more powerful and more accessible. AI tools now assist with everything from writing and editing to graphic design and code generation. These advancements have dramatically lowered the skill threshold for creating professional-quality digital products.
The most successful digital product entrepreneurs identify specific problems faced by clearly defined audiences. Rather than creating generic products for everyone, they develop specialized solutions for particular professions, hobbies, or life situations. This targeted approach reduces marketing costs and increases conversion rates.
Strategic bundling and tiered pricing further enhance profit potential. Many sellers offer individual products alongside discounted bundles or membership subscriptions providing access to their entire product library. This approach increases average order value while creating recurring revenue streams.
Tools and Resources to Enhance Your Side Hustle
The proliferation of specialized tools has dramatically reduced the effort required to launch and scale these best online side hustles. AI tools lead this revolution, automating previously time-consuming tasks across virtually every business function.
Content creation
Historically among the most labor-intensive aspects of online business—has been transformed by AI assistants. Tools like Trivia by Typito AI completely automate video production processes that previously required hours of manual work. Similar AI solutions now handle writing, graphic design, audio production, and code generation with minimal human input.
Specialized skill
For tasks requiring specialized skills outside your expertise, freelancing platforms like Fiverr and Upwork provide access to global talent pools at reasonable rates. Strategic outsourcing of specific functions—whether it's graphic design, copywriting, or customer support—can dramatically increase your output without proportionally increasing your time investment.
Analytics tools
Google Analytics offers comprehensive website tracking at no cost. Social media platforms provide increasingly sophisticated native analytics. Specialized tools like Hotjar reveal precisely how users interact with your digital products or sales pages. Data-driven decision making separates thriving side hustles from struggling ones.
Automation platforms
Platforms like Zapier connect disparate systems, eliminating manual data transfer and triggering actions across multiple platforms. These "set and forget" workflows handle everything from email marketing sequences to social media publishing, further reducing the active effort required to maintain your side hustle.
Project management tools
Tools like Trello, Asana, or Notion bring structure to your operations, particularly valuable as you begin juggling multiple income streams. These platforms help prioritize tasks, track progress, and maintain documentation, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks as your empire expands.
The real power comes from strategically combining these tools into cohesive workflows. The most successful side hustlers build systems where tools seamlessly hand off tasks to one another, creating largely automated business processes requiring minimal human intervention.
FAQs: Addressing Common Questions
What are the best online side hustles for beginners?
For complete beginners, creating faceless quiz content using tools like Trivia by Typito AI offers perhaps the lowest barrier to entry among all best online side hustles. The automation handles the technically challenging aspects, allowing you to focus on topic selection and distribution. Affiliate marketing also remains highly accessible for newcomers, particularly when combined with platforms you already use, like Instagram or TikTok.
How much time do I need to invest in a side hustle?
The beauty of these low effort side hustles is their flexibility. Many successful side hustlers start with just 5-10 hours weekly. Creating systems and leveraging automation tools like Trivia by Typito AI can dramatically reduce time requirements. The initial setup phase typically requires more time investment, but many of these businesses can eventually run on just a few hours weekly once systems are established.
How do I balance a side hustle with my full-time job?
Strategic automation represents the key to maintaining this balance. Focus on side hustles with high automation potential, like the options outlined in this guide. Batch similar tasks together (creating a week's content in one session, for instance) to maximize efficiency. Most importantly, choose side hustles aligned with your interests—when you enjoy the process, the additional work feels less burdensome.
Conclusion
The landscape of best online side hustles has never been more accessible or potentially rewarding. The emergence of powerful AI tools like Trivia by Typito AI has dramatically reduced the effort required to create valuable, monetizable content. What once required teams of specialists can now be accomplished by a single person with the right systems.
The most important step is simply starting. Choose one opportunity from this guide that aligns with your interests and available resources. Focus on building systems rather than just completing tasks—this approach creates scalable, increasingly passive income streams rather than just trading time for money.
Remember that consistency matters more than perfection. The most successful side hustlers aren't necessarily the most talented but rather those who show up reliably, learn continuously, and adapt strategically. As your first venture begins generating revenue, you can reinvest in tools and assistance that further reduce your active involvement while increasing output.
Your future self will thank you for the financial flexibility and opportunities these low effort side hustles create. The journey toward financial freedom begins with a single step—take it today.
Try Trivia by Typitio and see how easy it is to create quiz videos. You’ll have a faceless channel going in no time making you cash on the side.