21 Side Hustles With A Laptop to Make Money

Trying out these side hustles with a laptop can help you earn extra cash at home and on the go.

As someone who’s built a career blending passion and purpose, I know firsthand the power of creating income streams that align with my lifestyle. It’s essential for me to be able to travel and also do work that generates income. So, I researched and tested many of these laptop side hustles to make money.

From starting a blog to becoming a virtual assistant, these are the best side hustles with a laptop, allowing you to work virtually anywhere.

Top Laptop Side Hustles You Can Do At Home

Let’s dive into the best side hustles using your laptop or computer.

1. Blog and share your skills

Write about your experiences, share your recipes, or upload your artwork. When you have a blog, you own the connection between you and your potential customers.

Some ways of earning income include ads, sponsors, and affiliates. And you can also sell merch, coaching, and newsletter subscriptions.

This is the ultimate side hustle with a laptop because it can be done anywhere, at home or remotely. Learn how to start a WordPress blog.

2. Write articles as a freelancer

If you enjoy writing, many places are looking for content writers. And you don’t have to be a professional writer.

Your pay depends on your skill level and can increase with time. There are many freelance job boards connecting writers with publishers.

Find freelance writing gigs in our marketplace.

3. Online surveys

Completing online surveys is another side hustle with a laptop or smartphone.

Paid online surveys help you earn a few pennies to a few dollars per completed survey. However, you won’t make a lot of money doing them.

Start with InboxDollars and Branded Surveys. I’ve tried all of them. You can try them, too, to maximize your earning potential.

4. Fix resumes for job seekers

Years ago, I offered this gig to friends and was paid $50 to write and edit resumes. I realize that’s on the lower end. You can certainly make more than $50 writing resumes. Consider offering services such as reviewing, editing, or writing resumes. You can also offer LinkedIn profile enhancements. 

Posting your service on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn is the best place to start. If you don’t want to post on your socials, you can create a gig listing on Fiverr. This helps clients find you in the Fiverr marketplace.

5. Design logos and graphics

Another side hustle with a laptop is designing creatives for influencers and business owners.

If you’re artistic, offer your creative skills to design logos, posters, and more. You can create an offer on Fiverr or search for gigs on Upwork and Freelancer.com.

6. Design printables and downloadables

Make money designing printables. These are documents that people can download and print for themselves. You can create printables for anything, from budget templates to posters, journals, and coloring books. You can sell your printables and downloadables on Etsy or your own website.

And if you’re a pro on Google Sheets or Excel, you can sell your well-designed spreadsheets to others. Learn how to start your printables side hustle and launch a digital downloads business.

Canva is a powerful design tool. It’s also free, but you can upgrade for more features. It’s our go-to platform for making designs. Try Canva here.

7. Do transcriptions and translations

Businesses and entrepreneurs need help transcribing video into text and captioning audio. Find gigs with GMR Transcriptions and Rev.

8. Complete small tasks

Some companies need human editors and researchers to look at tons of data. Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (mTurk) offers a marketplace to find these data tasks that require using your laptop or computer.

9. Teach English or a foreign language

Many people are looking to practice their new language. Two popular apps are Rosetta Stone and iTalki. These two sites connect you with people from all over the world trying to learn new languages.

You can set up your schedule that works best for you. And with only a few hours per week, you can turn your conversational skills into money.

10. Be a tutor to a college or high school student

As a tutor, you help students improve in literature, writing, math, and science. Or you might assist them with basic study skills. Tutors break down lessons into something students can easily understand. 

A great place to start is Chegg, where they connect tutors with students from elementary to college.

11. Be a virtual assistant

Being a virtual assistant is another lucrative side hustle using your laptop.

It’s a good option if you’re detail-oriented and enjoy supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses. VAs can offer social media management, podcast booking, and Pinterest pin design services.

Consider your skill and expertise. Find VA opportunities on Upwork and Freelancer.com.

12. Become an instructor

Many people want to learn specific skills. Share your knowledge and get paid.

With Udemy, you can teach an online course on any subject with a dedicated community of learners.

13. Write and sell ebooks

Make money by sharing your stories and life lessons by selling ebooks. You can draft your novels using Word or Google Docs and upload them on Amazon KDP.

Don’t limit yourself to one book. Think about writing a series of books on any subject you desire.

If you want help with editing, use Grammarly to help with punctuation, spelling, and grammar.

14. Sell audiobooks

You can also turn your ebook into audiobooks on Audible and make additional income. Or, if you prefer, write your story, record it, and upload it on Audible without creating an ebook version.

Some beginner microphones to help you record better audio include the Samson microphone or Audio-Technica ATR2100.

15. Create and sell an online course

Share your knowledge with others through an online course. This is an opportunity to make recurring income with those who want more guidance.

Learn how to start an online course and the best platforms to use.

16. Make YouTube videos and tutorials

Have something to say but aren’t a natural writer? YouTube can be your place to shine and earn money.

Millions of people watch YouTube videos for entertainment and troubleshooting. So, if you know how to fix things or are interested in a subject, start a YouTube channel.

You make money through ads, sponsorships, or selling a service to your viewers. You can start by using your smartphone. Then, upgrade later on.

• For cameras, check out the simple Sony ZV-1 or DJI Pocket 3.
• For microphones, look into Rode Video Mic or DJI Wireless Mic.

17. Start a podcast

Podcasters make money through ads and sponsorships. You can use free services like Spotify to upload your podcast to streaming services in no time.

When recording your podcast, think about the quality of the sound. Popular microphone options for beginners include the Blue Yeti. Samson microphone or Audio-Technica ATR2100.

Read more about starting a podcast. 

18. Do Voiceovers

Turn your voice into a money maker using your laptop and microphone with this side hustle.

Voiceover actors make money reading manuscripts or screenplays. A good place to start is ACX (an Amazon company).

19. Start a private membership

People want to connect with others who share similar interests, and many will pay for access. I’ve seen membership groups for every interest you can imagine, from communities discussing sports to Marvel movies, bird watching, personal finance, and entrepreneurship.

Most membership fees range from $5 to $10 on the low end, with some at $100 or more. Learn how to launch your very own membership site.

20. Start a print-on-demand merch store

Create print-on-demand merch like t-shirts, phone covers, housewares, and more. POD merch allows you to sell your designs without having to carry inventory.

There are many print-on-demand companies like Amazon Merch and Printful. Read more on starting a POD side hustle here.

21. Sell your smartphone and professional photos

Do you love taking photos? Many companies seek original, candid, and unique photos for their website, social media, and marketing campaigns. 

I’ve included this in our list of side hustles with a laptop because you’ll need your computer to make some edits and properly upload your photos onto the platforms.

Foap is a marketplace that helps you license your smartphone photos to others. In contrast, companies like Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, and Pond5 allow you to sell licensing rights for professionally taken photos on their platform. 

Laptop Side Hustles Conclusion

That completes our list of the best side hustles using laptop. There are many ways you can use your laptop and computer to earn extra money. Review the list, print it out if you need to, choose a few to try today, and see how much you can make.

Do you have other side hustle ideas for using a laptop or computer at home? Let us know in the comments.