25 Ways To Make Money Online (That Are Actually Legal)

Everybody wants to make money online. The problem is there’s no shortage of “get rich quick” ways of making money online. Finding legitimate ways to work from home is challenging, so we did the work for you!

Here is a detailed look at the top 25 ways you can earn money online legally.

1. Pick Up Freelance Work

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You can start making money online for free by securing some freelance work. You can get paid for your unique skills by scrolling through remote job boards with projects posted on freelancing platforms like Upwork, Flocksy, or Fiver.

If you want to make money online, you must take an inventory of your skills first. For instance, if copywriting is your area of expertise, you should share your writing samples on these sites and apply for copywriting-related jobs. Similarly, if you’re a social media manager, graphic designer, or website developer, among others, you can list those talents.

2. Test Websites and Apps

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Another way to make money online without extensive education is to test websites and apps. According to Indeed, some websites will pay you an average of $10 for every 20 minutes you spend trying certain technology. Theoretically, you can make more than $700 a day (if you don’t sleep.)

3. Pick Up Tasks on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk

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Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is a crowdsourcing platform allowing business owners and everyone to outsource tedious business tasks to a virtual workforce. From simple research to survey participation, there is no shortage of ways to add value and get paid.

4. Take Surveys for Money

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From Swagbucks to InboxDollars, many platforms will pay you cash in exchange for answering questions. These surveys can average pay you anywhere from two quarters to $20.

5. Make Money From Your Blog With Affiliate Links

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Creating a blog is now easier than ever. From launching a free website on sites like WordPress or Squarespace to even using Google’s Blogger, you can create a blog around a niche topic and start getting traffic.

The better the content you create and the more views you get, the more likely you can pitch to other brands. You’ll link their websites or products to your articles and can get paid with a click.

If the idea of creating a new website scares you, you can also check out sites like Medium, where you can slowly build out a loyal following and easily publish your content.

6. Sell Your Wares on Etsy

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Image Credit: Badon Hill Studio/Shutterstock.

Are you into pottery? If you have a robust collection of pottery you’ve created, you can start selling them on the online marketplace Etsy. By optimizing your descriptions, you can secure passive income every week. You can also direct people to your Etsy page from other sources, such as a personal website or social media.

7. Self Publish an E-Book

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Image Credit: Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock.

A popular way of making some money online is to create an e-book. If you’re a subject matter expert in something or have an interest, you can use open platforms such as Amazon KDP to create a book or digital resource of your own and sell it online. If you have a social media base or following, you can also list it as a low-ticket offer.

8. Get Advertising Revenue From Your Blog or YouTube Channel

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If you love creating videos and sharing knowledge, sign up for a free YouTube Channel account and start creating. As of 2023, there are nearly 2 million users who are monetizing their YouTube channels. Youtube, as part of its partner program, will pay you for the views you get on your video.

Now if you have a blog, you can also use Google Adsense to list ads on your website and earn money based on ad clicks.

9. Become an Instagram

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Image Credit: Dragon Images/Shutterstock.

If you start creating content on Instagram, with even a few thousand followers, you can make money. Assuming you develop a deep connection with your followers, you can pitch yourself for brand deals and sell courses, memberships, and more to your audience.

Becoming an Instagram influencer doesn’t mean you have only to express your fashion and lifestyle tastes; you can also take the role of a thought leader that people can learn from. You’re well on your way by connecting your profile with a lead magnet and nurturing your following daily through engaging content.

10. Monetize Your Twitch Channel

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Twitch is a video streaming platform that attracts a huge subset of video gamers who want to live stream their plays. The site has an affiliate program that lets you monetize with as little as 50 followers. From subscriptions to video ads, you can create a revenue stream on Twitch in multiple ways.

11. Sell Your Photography

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Image Credit: Shane Myers Photography/Shutterstock.

Are you a photography enthusiast or a professional? You can start selling your photography online through sites like Etsy, Adobe Stock, and Getty. Make royalties as you go!

12. Develop an App

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Image Credit: ntkris/Shutterstock.

If computer programming is up your alley and you’re a tech wiz, why not create an app? From engaging mobile games to organization tools, there are plenty of ways to add value to people’s lives and get paid. Even if you list the app for free, you can always upsell features within the app.

13. Become a Virtual Tutor

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The opportunity to become a virtual tutor is now easier than ever. From partnering with organizations such as Varsity Tutors to listing your own on sites like Thumbtack, sometimes making extra cash every week is as easy as creating a free account.

14. Build Websites

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If you have experience launching websites and understand HTML/CSS, consider building sites to make money online. Many digital business owners are looking for help to launch their websites but need more expertise.

From listing your services on freelancing platforms to sharing them on social media, some people need your technical support.

15. Start Investing

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One of the universal ways people make money online is by signing up for stock brokerages and making money off of dividend stocks. Companies pay their stockholders dividends quarterly, monthly, or even annually. You can choose to reinvest these back into the company or cash out.

Platforms such as Robinhood, among others, have made it easy for beginners to participate in the market.

16. Become an Online Translator

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Nationwide you can find that online translators, especially freelancers, make $29/hour on average. If you devote five hours daily to helping translate different languages, that can mean upwards of $4000 per month in additional income. You can scan LinkedIn for postings or offer your services on freelancing platforms to get started.

17. Create a Podcast

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It’s simple to start a podcast, but you can sell advertising placements if you do a great job and have a loyal fan base. Small businesses are always looking for creative ways to market themselves. A 30-second advertisement in one of your podcasts could bring in extra revenue.

Podcasters usually refer to Cost Per Mille (Cost for every 1000 listeners) in pricing their advertising placements to businesses. For instance, if an episode gets 20,000 people tuning in and the ad rate is $10 for every 1000 listeners, then you’ll pay $200 for, let’s say, a 30-second advertising spot.

18. Matched Betting

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image Credit: Amy Myers/Shutterstock.

Matched betting is a great way to make money online for sports enthusiasts. It works by covering all outcomes of an event to ensure you qualify for even more free bets and perks.

19. Review Websites and Apps

online shopping.
Image Credit: Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock.

You can get paid to give your opinion and rankings on a website or app. Sites like TryMyUI allow you to share your idea on user interfaces and experience browsing the sites. This way, companies get feedback for improving their products, and you can earn extra cash.

20. Get Paid To Sites

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Get Paid To Sites will allow you to participate in several tasks, such as taking a survey in exchange for rewards points or extra income. Consumer market research firms use these insights to improve their products and services.

21. Become a ‘Clickworker’

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Image Credit: Aila Images/Shutterstock.

If you have a laptop or computer ready to use, you can become a Clickworker. This brand name refers to a website that allows you to complete various tasks ranging from writing, translating, researching, and data processing in exchange for receiving money. The best part is you can make your schedule. Depending on your jurisdiction, there are some rules around which tasks you can take.

22. Gigs on Fiverr

 
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Freelancers on Fiverr, a platform similar to Upwork and Flocksy, can start listing their services for $5. Many famous influencers, such as ‘The Freelance Fairy” Alex Fasulo, have built seven figures online by leveraging these sites.

While her area of expertise was copywriting, she can also create multimedia content and provide social media services, among others, to bring in additional revenue.

23. Review Music for Money

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Do you love music? If chosen, you can participate in tasks by SoundCampaign and PlaylistPush to review songs and make up to $20 per song.

24. Sell Course Notes

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Have you finished higher education and are thinking of throwing away your notes? Not so fast. You can sell your notes online to new and current students and get some cash for your knowledge. Sites like Stuvia allow you to sell your notes to students worldwide.

25. Enter Competitions

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Image Credit: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock.

Last but not least, you can make money online by entering competitions. While additional revenue isn’t guaranteed, you can strike it big if you win. Sites like Fingerhut have Sweepstakes that gift up to $25,000 to one lucky winner. Like winning the lottery, chances are slim with online competitions, but if you win, you’re in for a treat.

 

12 Frugal Hacks That Make All The Difference

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A Reddit user who started the frugal journey with his wife a couple of years ago wanted to know the frugal hacks people had that made all the difference.

According to the OP, shopping grocery sales every week and planning their meals helped cut their bill from $250 to $100 per week. Other users shared their stories about frugal hacks they had that made some difference in their lives. Here are some of the best ones.

12 Frugal Hacks That Make All The Difference 

12 Items Frugal People Proudly Exclude From Their Shopping List

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Frugal people are known to spend their money wisely. They live within their means and don’t spend a lot of money. According to a thread on Quora, here are some common things frugal people never buy.

12 Items Frugal People Proudly Exclude from Their Shopping List

23 Side Hustles You Never Considered That Make More Than Your 9 to 5

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Have you ever wanted to make a lot of money from a side hustle and quit your 9 to 5? You may know about the typical side hustles, but I bet you never even heard of these lucrative side hustles!

23 Side Hustles You Never Considered That Make More Than Your 9 to 5

9 So-Called “Frugal” Habits That Are Actually a Waste of Time and Money

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Not everything is frugal! I am sure you have read articles and tips that promote frugal living and give some ideas that are just not frugal! These frugal myths float around and sometimes even cost people a lot of money!

9 So-Called “Frugal” Habits That Are Actually a Waste of Time and Money

10 Stupid Scams People Won’t Stop Falling For

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It seems like every day there is a new scam popping up, promising to make you rich or solve all of your problems. Yet, despite the prevalence of scams and the numerous warnings about them, people still fall for them.

10 Stupid Scams People Won’t Stop Falling For