Megan Grant | 

16 Best Side Hustle Websites That Are Legit

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Do you have a job on top of your job? You’re in good company. Side hustles are the in thing right now. In fact, one 2022 survey found that 93% of working Americans have a side hustle — and many of them have more than one. Whether you simply want to make a little extra cash or you seriously need more of it to make ends meet, you’re in the right place. We’re listing 15 of the best side hustle websites that are a legitimate and trustworthy way to earn some extra income.

Whether you want something small on the side or you’re interested in a side gig that could lead to more full-time and permanent work, these websites will help get you going. In a world where our 9-to-5s don’t often cut it (unfortunately), knowing where to look to find extra options is helpful.

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The Top 16 Side Hustle Websites

A teen looking at the Fiverr website on a laptop

Variety is the spice of life. Using these side hustle websites, you can earn money from your phone or computer, whether you spend a couple of extra hours a week on your side hustle or treat it more like a part-time job.

1. Product Report Card

You can earn Amazon gift cards — sometimes even Visa gift cards — just by completing surveys at Product Report Card.

All you have to do is register, fill out a short questionnaire, and you can start taking surveys. And, it's free to sign up.

2. Upwork

Upwork is a side hustler’s dream. When you’re setting up your account (which you can do for free), you select the category that best represents what types of jobs you want to look for. Here’s an example of some of them:

Jobs will pay either an hourly rate or a fixed fee. Then you apply for jobs, which will cost you “connects.” Think of these like tokens. For instance, I currently have 145 connects, and if I want to submit a proposal for a gig, it would cost me six connects. (Note: this has nothing to do with real money, although you can purchase more connects with your earnings.)

You don’t have to spend a dime up to this point, but note that once you start getting paid, Upwork will take their cut. (That’s how most side hustle websites make money.) Here’s how the fee structure works:

  • If you earn $0 – $500, they take 20%.

  • If you earn $500.01 – $10,000, they take 10%.

  • If you earn $10,000.01 or more, they take 5%.

This structure is per client. It’s not based on your total earnings. So once you start working for someone new, you start all over.

While no hustler likes losing money, one perk here is that Upwork offers payment protection for both the side hustler and the client. You get more value for that service fee compared to other side hustle websites.

3. Fiverr

Whereas Upwork is a bidding site (since you “bid” on jobs), Fiverr is a marketplace kind of like Amazon but for services. As a side hustler or freelancer, you create your profile and list your services. There are countless that you can offer. Just take a look at all of the categories and how many subcategories exist beneath them. So. Many. Opportunities.

When a client needs to hire someone, they can purchase your product/service from your profile page.

According to Fiverr, the platform takes 20% of the gig price from the seller (you), so you should factor this into your rates. The upside is that it’s a flat fee and you always know what to expect. That’s the case whether it’s a new client or a repeat one. The downside is that … it’s a flat fee, meaning you could be paying more than you would on Upwork, depending on how much you’re earning.

Let’s talk about how you can get more out of this side hustle website. One smart idea is to offer variations of your service as one seller does:

The Basic package is $10, and the Standard is $20. The price difference is nominal enough for the buyer that they often take the pricier version just to get the best value for their money, which means that you earn more.

I also recommend you apply to become a Fiverr Pro. If you’re accepted, there will be a special badge on your profile, and you’ll have an easier time getting away with higher rates.

4. Remote.co

If you’re looking for a remote job, this is the place to be. Remote.co has job listings for all types of professionals, including developers, virtual assistants, and project managers. You can even filter the results by full-time work, part-time work, freelancing, etc.

Note that this is more of a traditional job board. So when you go to apply for a job, it’s going to take you to that business’s platform. You don’t have to worry about fees, but this also means that Remote.co isn’t a direct path to earning money for a side hustle.

What’s unique about this platform, though, is that unlike other side hustle websites, applicants get their own profile page where they can talk about themselves more.

5. FlexJobs

FlexJobs is one of the best places to find flexible jobs that allow you to work from home or … anywhere. They have over 25,000 hand-vetted opportunities from nearly 6,000 companies, and they help support side hustlers by offering skills tests, courses, and other content that positions you as a competitive candidate. And you can find roles in 50+ fields, full- and part-time, from entry-level to executive — all around the globe.

This is a paid service, but you can expect better quality than other comparable sites.

If you’re not happy with the service, you can get a full refund if you request it within 30 days of purchase.

Keep in mind that FlexJobs considers itself a “job search service.” They know that most job boards are free, but they’re not a job board. For a nominal fee, you get tons of perks, plus discounted coaching and resume reviews.

Related: 101 Best Side Hustles

6. Contra

Contra is a commission-free marketplace for freelancers. Yes, you keep all of the money you earn. The site even has built-in contracts to protect both you and the client. The platform also vets all clients and projects to ensure that they’re high-quality, which is a huge bonus for the user (you).

Here’s the catch. (Womp womp.) You can’t apply for or bid on anything. You can only earn money once Contra matches you with an opportunity based on how good of a fit you are for it. If and when you become a top-rated worker, they’ll feature you on their Discover page.

Aside from that, though, all you can really do to promote yourself is share the link to your Contra profile with others online.

For context, I’ve been writing for nearly 15 years and created a Contra profile many months ago. So far, I’ve gotten nada. Zip. Zilch. In other words, don’t put all of your eggs into the Contra basket. If and when you do get a gig, though, know that it’s probably going to be pretty sweet. I would couple it with one of the other sites on this list.

7. Virtual Vocations

Virtual Vocations is exactly what it sounds like: a platform to find your next online side hustle. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of other sites, but it gets the job done.

You can sign up and start using it for free with limited access. Here’s what a free account includes:

If you want more access, there are three ways to commit to a premium plan.

What I found especially helpful about this platform are the filtering options. You can narrow down your search in a flash.

The “Date Posted” filter is really useful. This makes it easy to hop on job postings as soon as they’re live and beat your competition.

8. Wordvice

Wordsmiths, if you haven’t already, run, don’t walk, over to Wordvice. It’s not a job board or bidding site. Rather, you apply to work directly for them, but they’ve got over 500 editors all over the world. The positions offer all the flexibility and freedom you could ever want from a side hustle.

They say they can give you a steady inflow of work, and the pay will depend on the word count of the content and the turnaround time the client expects.

I tried to get a straight answer on what exactly the pay looks like, but it varies. They have a pricing calculator for potential clients to estimate what Wordvice will charge them, so I used that. For a 1,000-word personal blog, it would cost the client anywhere from $40 to $93.

But remember, that’s the total cost for the client before Wordvice takes their cut. So you, the editor, can expect to receive a little less.

The good news? If you can edit quickly, you could make pretty decent money. (For what it’s worth, Glassdoor says the average pay is $4,338 per month.)

9. Dribbble

Dribbble is a website where designers showcase their work. In other words, you can use it for your portfolio. However, if you’re any sort of creative designer looking for a side hustle, the platform has that, too. Similar to Remote.co, when you’re ready to apply for a job, Dribbble will send you to that website.

I love how user-friendly the job board is, too. You can easily filter the results to find the exact kind of side hustle you want. This is really going to reduce the time you have to spend sifting through jobs that just aren’t the right fit for you.

You can’t scoff at the quality of the jobs, either. Big names like Amazon, Salesforce, and Facebook use Dribbble to find talent.

10. JustRemote

You can get started finding an online side hustle via JustRemote for free, but what especially caught my eye was this:

With their PowerSearch feature, you can uncover hidden gems for just $6! This will come in handy and help you scope out job opportunities with less traffic, which means … less competition.

Even if you opt for the free version, you can search plenty of opportunities across various fields all around the world.

Once you’re ready to apply, the page will take you to the company’s website.

11. Remotive

Tech is where the money’s at, so if you’re looking for something specific to this field, Remotive is your go-to. They feature hand-vetted openings around the world, and they even include a salary range, which you don’t always get. Plus, they offer additional support for side hustle-seekers in the form of guides, lists, and articles.

These openings are no small potatoes, either. Sift through the job seekers and you’ll likely see some names you recognize, like Fujifilm.

12. ModSquad

ModSquad prides themself on being the original content moderation company. They offer community management, support with social media engagement, crisis management, incident response, and more.

To do this, they need help from “mods” all around the world. That’s where you come in. Mods are freelance contractors, so you work remotely. Choose the projects you want to be a part of and come up with your own schedule. Be aware that because of the nature of the commitment, they will run a background check and put you through onboarding once you apply and have been accepted.

I couldn’t lock down an hourly rate directly on the website, but a quick look at Indeed tells me that hourly pay ranges from $12.90 to $15.63.

13. RemoteLeads

Here’s another one for our tech readers. RemoteLeads makes it easy to find the exact side hustle you’re looking for based on your category and tech of choice.

You’ll happily run into some of the bigger names in the industry, like Couchbase, Newswire, and Reddit.

Like some of the other platforms on this list, when you go to apply for a position, you’ll be directed to the company’s website. After spending a few minutes here, I really enjoyed how nichey this platform is and how it speaks a tech pro’s language. Most platforms don’t get specific enough to find Angular-centric opportunities.

14. We Work Remotely

WWR claims to be the largest remote work community on the planet — no small accomplishment. It’s also trusted by some of the biggest brands you can think of, including Amazon and Google.

There are a few things side hustlers might find extra sweet about WWR. For starters, you can see how much competition you’re dealing with because the platform will tell you how many other people applied.

There are also tags on each posting (like “Devops and sysadmin” that direct you to related postings when you click on them. And finally, there’s another link in the top right corner that’ll take you to more related jobs.

This makes for a more personalized experience and reduces the time you have to spend looking for side hustles (or full-time jobs) that make sense for you.

15. TranscribeMe

TranscribeMe is a platform where people can hire professionals to turn their audio and video files into written content. Full disclosure: there are a lot of transcription sites that hire freelancers, and on most of them, the pay isn’t great. This is where TranscribeMe excels.

Do note, however, that (as an example), that’s $22 per audio hour, not per hour you spend. So if one hour of audio takes you three hours to transcribe, you get paid for one hour. That’s where you have to be careful. Also, be aware that many of the gigs are for audio files that are a few minutes long. The good news? There’s no limit on how much work you can do. If you’re comfortable jumping from one small project to another very quickly, this might be the environment for you.

This is also a great side hustle if you don’t have any particular work experience and want to start earning quickly. All you need is your computer, typing skills, and two ears, and you can start making money on TranscribeMe.

16. SolidGigs

It’s only fitting that we end with this side hustle website. SolidGigs is heaven on earth for freelancers. It’s not a job board or bidding site. Rather, it’s a lead generator. Their gig hunters do the heavy lifting to match you with the top 1% of freelance jobs from various sources. Essentially, they handle lead generation and client acquisition for you so that you can focus on providing a great service to your clients.

Note: they offer a free 7-day trial and, after that, you’ll have to upgrade. It’s $35 a month, or $21 a month if you commit to a full year. The upside is that they don’t take a cut once the client pays you. So unlike Upwork and Fiverr, you pay the exact same thing per month/year.

I can say from experience that the hardest part of building a stable side hustle is by far landing clients. SolidGigs manages that for you. Win!

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