Whether you’re a side hustler, a student, or just someone looking to boost their income from the comfort of home, making money online with your laptop is a game-changer.
And there are many many ways to earn money with a laptop.
In this guide, we’ll explore creative and practical ways to transform your digital device into a cash generator. Get cozy, grab your laptop, and let’s dive into the world of earning online effortlessly!
Today, we’ll cover 50 ways to make money with a laptop.
Table of Contents
Top 10 Ways to Make Money with a Laptop
Like I said above, there are tons of ways you can earn money from your laptop.
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Swagbucks: Watch videos, shop online, take surveys, and more. Join now and get $10 instantly to start!
What are the best ways though?
Well, we cover those below.
In this section, you’ll find the top 10 best ways to make money from a laptop.
1. Do some Freelance writing
Freelance writing is definitely one of the best ways to make money from your laptop. Freelance writers get paid to create content like blog posts, articles, and books for clients.
Sure, freelance writing requires quite a bit of effort and of course, you’ll need to be skilled with spelling and grammar, but it can be quite lucrative. You’ll need to find writing work though.
Here are some writing websites that pay:
You can also find private clients on sites like UpWork and PeoplePerHour.
How much does it pay?
Freelance writers get paid in different ways. Some gigs will pay you per word, others will pay you hourly, some will pay per article, and others will pay you per project.
Per word, pay can vary from as little as $0.01 per word to as much as $0.10 per word or even more than that. Hourly pay for writers can range from $5 to $129 an hour and is $32 an hour on average.
Some places pay you per article. For example, at Verblio, pay starts at $10.50 for a 300 to 400 word post.
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2. Start a blog
If you’re looking for creative ways to make money, then consider starting a blog. You can write about any subject you want from beauty products, to cameras, to cooking.
Once you have a topic to write about, you’ll need a domain name and hosting from sites like Bluehost, HostGator, and GoDaddy. You will also need to use a site like WordPress.org to publish your content.
Start researching and writing posts, and then start uploading them. Upload content on a consistent basis, as this will help you to get more traffic and build up an audience for your blog.
There are lots of ways to make money from your blog, such as:
- Putting Google ads on your site
- Using affiliate links in your posts
- Creating sponsored content for brands
You won’t make money from your blog right away, but once you build up traffic to your site, blogging can be really profitable.
The more traffic you get to your blog the better because you’ll get more views on ads, more clicks on affiliate links, etc., which means more money.
That’s why it’s important to get visitors to your site and build your following.
How much does it pay?
How much you’ll earn from your blog varies depending on things like how much traffic your site gets and what methods, such as creating sponsored content or adding Google ads to your site, that you use to monetize your blog.
Bloggers earn $30 an hour on average. Pay can range from $16 to $60 an hour.
3. Tutor
Tutoring is one of the best ways to make money with your computer. If you enjoy teaching others, then this could be the perfect gig for you.
Tutors get paid to teach people, and the best part is that you can tutor people online right from the comfort of your own home.
Here’s where you can find tutoring work:
- Skooli
- Pear Deck Learning (Formerly TutorMe)
- Aim-for-A Tutoring
- Tutor.com
- Manhattan Prep
- ZipRecruiter
How much does it pay?
Tutors earn $23 an hour on average. Pay can range from $10 to $44 an hour.
4. Take surveys
Surveys are such an easy way to make money.
Everyone has an opinion, right?
So, you may as well get paid for it!
Surveys are one of the simplest ways to make money online. Anyone can get started with them. All you need is your laptop, an internet connection, and, of course, an opinion.
What’s great about surveys is that you can take them whenever it suits you. So, whenever you have some downtime, you can take some surveys.
Here are some survey sites that you can try:
Signing up for a few survey sites is an awesome idea. This is because you won’t qualify for every survey on a single site. By joining a few websites though, you can increase the number of surveys that you qualify for.
How much does it pay?
How much you’re paid depends on the survey site you’re using. Pay can range anywhere from $0.05 to $25 per survey.
5. Virtual assistant
Looking for a way to make money right from your computer?
Virtual assistant work could be just the gig for you.
As a virtual assistant, you’re paid to help people with tasks like:
- Making phone calls
- Scheduling appointments
- Organizing meetings
You can do this job right from the comfort of your own home, making it a great way to make money.
Here’s where you can find work as a virtual assistant:
How much does it pay?
Virtual assistants earn $21 an hour on average. Pay can range from $6 to $38 an hour.
6. Dropshipping with Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
Dropshipping with Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) could be just the business idea you need. With it, you can make money right from the comfort of your own home while being your own boss, and what’s better than that?
Amazon is a super popular website. In fact, it is the most visited eCommerce site in the United States.
Get in on Amazon’s popularity with dropshipping with Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA).
FBA is a type of dropshipping whereby you take a pre-existing product and put your own branding and logos on it. Then, you sell it to consumers.
Private labelling is also sometimes known as brand-creation or white-labelling. A lot of stores do this and it’s a good model as you don’t need to manufacture any products yourself, but you still get to label them with your own branding.
Once you have the products, you can start to sell them with FBA.
With FBA, you, or your supplier, send the products directly to Amazon’s warehouse and then Amazon handles everything else, like the shipping and customer service, for you.
For providing these services, Amazon does charge you fulfillment fees.
How much does it pay?
Most Amazon sellers make at least $1,000 per month in sales and some super-sellers earn more than $100k a month in sales! 45% of Amazon sellers earn $1,000 to $25,000 per month.
7. Invest in crowd-funded real estate
Investing in real estate is something that many people consider, but it’s not affordable or accessible to many.
Fortunately, the internet has made investing in property a whole lot easier.
With crowd-funded real estate, those who don’t normally have the means to invest in property themselves, now have the chance to invest. It makes investing a whole lot more affordable.
Also, it gives you the chance to invest in real estate without the hands-on hassle that comes along with being a landlord.
One platform that allows you to invest in crowd-funded real estate for a relatively small amount of money is Fundrise.
While there’s an investment required upfront, you can potentially see some big profits in the long run.
While investing in crowd-funded real estate isn’t for everyone, it’s a great option if you have the money to invest upfront and are interested in the real estate business.
How much does it pay?
Pay varies.
8. Sell other people’s products with affiliate marketing
Want to make money online selling stuff, but without, you know, actually having to sell any products yourself? If so, affiliate marketing could be just the option for you.
With it, you’re paid to sell other people’s products. So, that means no sourcing products yourself, no shipping anything, and none of the hassles that you’d normally associate with selling products online.
Instead, you simply join an affiliate program and get affiliate links for products. Affiliate products can be found in almost any category you could think of from clothing to makeup.
Once you have your affiliate links, you just need to post them online in places like:
- Videos
- Landing pages
- Blog posts
- Newsletters
- A product resources page
- A comparison review site
- Social media posts
When a customer clicks on one of your affiliate links, they’re taken to the product page, just like they normally would be. If the customer makes a purchase, then you get a commission on the site. There are lots of affiliate programs out there.
Here are some affiliate programs you can try:
While affiliate marketing is easy in the way that you do not have the hassle of sourcing and selling your own products, and you can just sell other people’s products, it does still require effort.
If you want to make money with affiliate marketing, you will need to drive traffic to your affiliate links, which does require some effort on your part.
What’s great about affiliate marketing is that once the affiliate links are out there, you can keep earning money passively. And, it requires little investment, so you can potentially earn a lot of money without paying much upfront.
How much does it pay?
How much money you earn with affiliate marketing depends on things like the value of the affiliate products you’re selling, how much commission you get on each sale, and how many items you sell.
On average, affiliate marketers earn $38 an hour. Pay can range from $7 to $68 an hour.
9. Data Entry Clerk
Data entry clerks are paid to enter data into documents, spreadsheets, and other data management systems.
If you’re looking for an easy way to make money from home, then data entry work could be for you. You don’t typically need any qualifications or much experience to get started.
Here’s where you can find work:
How much does it pay?
Data entry clerks make $20 an hour. Pay can range from $8 to $40 an hour.
10. Self-publish books with Kindle Direct Publishing
For creative types, publishing a book with Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is one of the best ways to make money. And, you can do it right from your computer!
KDP is great because it allows anyone to write and publish a book. Back in the day, you’d need to find an agent and work with a traditional publishing house if you wanted to sell books.
Now, anyone can publish a book with KDP. KDP enables anyone to publish a fiction or non-fiction book and list it for sale on Amazon.
If you enjoy writing, then this could be a great option.
The start-up costs of publishing with KDP are pretty low, which is great.
With KDP, having multiple books for sale is a good idea because if a reader likes one of your books, then they may look to see what other titles you have for sale, and it’s good to have more books available for them to purchase. The more books you have available for sale, the more money you can make.
How much does it pay?
Amazon pays you 35% to 70% commission on your book sales. How much money you make depends on the number of books that you sell, how much your books are priced at, and how much commission you get.
Other Ways to Make Money with a Laptop
The options above are the best ways to make money with a laptop, but they’re not your only options.
There are plenty of other ways you can earn money with your computer.
11. Sell courses
If you are knowledgeable about a particular subject, then you could get paid to create a course about it and sell it. You can sell courses on whatever topic you want, like writing, painting, or WordPress.
Here’s where you can sell courses:
12. Sell stock music
You can earn money selling stock music online. People purchase stock music to add to things like YouTube videos, apps, and ads.
You can create music and sell it through stock music sites like:
13. Sell memes
As you probably know if you’ve spent any time on social media, memes are pretty popular. You can profit from their popularity by selling them.
PicturePunches pays you for posting memes. You can sell memes on Fiverr too.
You can make money with memes too by selling them on things like t-shirts, mugs, and other items on these sites:
14. Stream content on Twitch
Twitch is a platform for gamers and eSports fans. On there, you can stream various games like Grand Theft Auto, Minecraft, Fortnite, and Call of Duty.
You can earn money on Twitch by being either a Twitch Partner or a Twitch Affiliate.
15. Be an influencer
Influencers earn money promoting brands on their social media accounts, blogs, or YouTube channels. You’ll need a decent sized following to make money.
Here are some places where you can find influencer opportunities:
You can also reach out to brands for sponsorship opportunities.
16. Play games
Looking for fun ways to make money from your laptop? Well, one option is to get paid to play games.
Yes, there are actually websites and apps out there that pay you to install and play gaming apps. It’s a great way to earn free cash and gift cards.
Here are some websites and apps that pay you to play games:
17. Do fun tasks on reward sites
Reward websites will pay you just for doing really easy tasks. You may already do some of these tasks any way.
Reward websites, which are also known as get paid to (GPT) sites, will pay you to do tasks like:
- Taking surveys
- Playing games
- Completing offers
- Browsing the internet
- Shopping online
- Watching videos
These are really easy activities to get paid for, which is why reward sites are a great option.
Here are some reward sites to try:
18. Sell stuff on eBay
Pretty much everyone has heard of eBay, right? It’s a super popular platform. Leverage that popularity and start earning some cash by selling stuff on eBay.
You can sell pretty much anything you could think of on there from clothes to furniture to sports cards! So, consider selling stuff on eBay and make some money right from your laptop.
19. Proofreader
Have a knack for spotting spelling mistakes or typos? If so, then proofreading work could be just the gig for you.
As a proofreader, you get paid to check work like articles and novels for things like typos, spelling mistakes, and grammatical errors. You can do this job right from your laptop and work whenever you want to.
Here’s where you can find proofreading work:
20. ESL Teacher
Make money while helping people to learn English as an English as a second language (ESL) teacher. You can make money teaching English online. You can pick up as much work as you want to and work right from your laptop.
Here’s where you can find work as an ESL teacher:
21. Remote translator
If you know more than one language, then you may be able to make some extra cash working as a remote translator.
Translators get paid to translate the written word from one language into another.
Here’s where you can find work as a translator:
22. Social media manager
Enjoy going on social media? Many of us do. So, why not make money from it? You can as a social media manager.
Social media managers get paid to help companies and individuals manage their social media accounts.
This job can include tasks like responding to comments on social media and uploading posts to platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
Here’s where you can find work as a social media manager:
23. Website tester
Website testers are paid to visit websites and report on their experience. You’re paid to visit websites basically!
You will need to report on things like how easy the site is to navigate and if there are any broken links. This is an easy way to make money from your laptop.
Here’s where you can find work as a website tester:
24. Start a store on Etsy
Consider starting a store on Etsy. You can sell things like handmade items, vintage pieces, antiques, and clothing.
You can also sell digital printables, such as calendars, planner stickers, or journal printouts on there if you don’t want the hassle of selling physical products.
25. Make YouTube videos
You could start your own YouTube channel. When it gets enough views, you’ll be eligible to join the YouTube Partner Program.
With the YouTube Partner program, you get paid for the ads on your videos. You can also make money from YouTube by creating sponsored videos and selling merch.
26. Be a paid expert
Make money sharing your knowledge from your laptop as a paid expert. Paid experts make money answering questions online.
You can get paid to answer everything from medical questions to questions about home repairs.
Here’s where you can find work:
- JustAnswer
- Experts123
- Wonder (Wonder is not currently accepting applications, but check back to see if they accept applications in the future).
27. Sell printables
Although selling physical products can be a good way to make money from your laptop – hence including dropshipping in our list of top 10 ways to make money with a laptop – it can be a hassle.
After all, you have shipping and storing inventory to contend with. That’s why you may want to consider selling printables. There’s no physical shipping or storage required. The start-up costs are next to nothing, so anyone can get started with selling printables.
You can sell printables like:
- Calendars
- Planner stickers
- Journal print outs
- Budgeting binders
- Gift tags
- Greeting cards
You can sell your printables online on sites like:
28. Sell photos
Get paid to sell photos right from your laptop. You don’t need a fancy camera either. You can just use the camera on your phone.
You can sell the photos you take online. Lots of people need stock photos.
Here are some places where you can sell photos online:
29. Sell t-shirts and other merch
Sell t-shirts and other merch online. This is another way to make money from your laptop. Create designs on your laptop, upload them to print-on-demand sites, and then wait for sales to come in.
You can sell a variety of items that feature your designs online, such as t-shirts, phone cases, mugs, scarves, masks, jigsaws, throws, shower curtains, hoodies, and dresses.
Here are some print-on-demand sites where you can sell t-shirts and other merch:
- Merch by Amazon
- Spreadshirt
- Threadless
- RedBubble
- Gear Bubble
- Teespring (Now Spring)
- CafePress
With these sites, you don’t need to print any of these products yourself. Simply upload your designs and when they sell, the print-on-demand company will print and ship the products for you. These sites usually charge a commission.
30. Start a podcast
You could also consider starting a podcast. They’re super popular, so this can be a good way to earn money.
If you bring in a large number of listeners, then you can increase your chances of having them donate to you or support your podcast.
As a podcaster, you can make money through sponsors and advertisers. To make money from your podcast, you’ll need to deliver quality content on a consistent basis.
31. Be a micro-tasker
Micro-taskers get paid for completing small tasks, such as annotating photos, moderating content, editing and transcribing audio content, and searching and categorizing data.
You can find micro-task jobs at MTurk and Clickworker.
32. Build a membership site
You could make money by starting a membership site. You will need to build up an audience somewhere, like on social media, for example, that will want to join your membership site.
Then, you need to offer resources on your membership site, such as printables, eBooks, guides, or other content on the topic of your choosing, such as affiliate marketing for example.
Once you have built up an audience and have content to share, you will need to start your membership site. It can be useful to use a platform like Patreon or Ko-fi as a platform for your paid membership.
33. Take part in mock trials
Lawyers want to practice for real trials, so they often participate in mock trials online. This is where you can come in and make some money.
You can get paid to be a mock juror. This is a job you can do at home. All you’ll need is your laptop and internet access of course.
You can find work as a mock juror on Online Verdict and eJury.
34. Search engine evaluator
You can actually get paid to use search engines like Google and Bing by working as a search engine evaluator.
Search engine evaluators get paid to make sure that the correct results are generated by a search engine’s algorithm when they enter a specific word or phrase.
Here’s where you can find work as a search engine evaluator:
35. Game tester
Game testers are paid to test out video games on consoles, PCs, and mobile devices, so you may be able to test out games from your laptop and make money doing so.
Because game developers want to make sure that their games provide users with a good experience, they hire game testers to play the game in its entirety, or to a certain level, and then provide feedback on their experience.
So, this is a fun way to earn some money from home.
Here’s where you can find work as a video game tester:
36. Customer service agent
Customer service agents or representatives as they’re also known, help customers with any questions or issues that they may have.
This job can involve tasks, like handling complaints, processing orders, and answering questions from customers.
Here’s where you can find work as a customer service agent:
37. Sell apps
You could also sell an app. You can build it yourself if you have the skills to, or you can hire someone to develop your app for you. Then you can sell it in the App Store and/or the Google Play store. You’ll earn money each time someone purchases your app.
Or, rather than listing a paid app, you can instead put your app up for free but include ads or premium features that users have to pay for, which can upgrade their app experience. Then, once a user has downloaded your app for free, you can make money from the ads, or when they pay for those premium features.
38. Build websites
If you’re knowledgeable about web design, then you may be able to make some extra cash as a web designer. You could build websites for businesses and individuals. You can work freelance as a web designer and do this job right from your laptop.
39. Coaching and consulting
You can make money with coaching and consulting. Consultants and coaches can charge for their expertise. If you’re knowledgeable and experienced in a particular field, then you could consider offering consulting and coaching services.
You can provide services with one-on-one or group online coaching or offer a consulting service to businesses or individuals.
You will need to have your own website to advertise your services. You could also consider setting up a Facebook group for your community.
If you are able to help a client with an issue through your coaching or consulting, then that can be a really valuable skill.
Consider what accomplishments and qualifications you have achieved and then consider whether you could help others to do the same.
Maybe you have built a successful website. In that case, you could coach people on how to do that.
Or, perhaps you have worked in HR for years? Then, in that case, you could consult on that.
Maybe you have successfully traveled the country in a van? If so, then you could coach people about van living and how to make money from a van.
There are a variety of industries where you can provide coaching and consulting, like management, HR, IT, digital marketing, and finance.
40. Sell plugins
If you have the right skills, then you could make money creating and selling WordPress plugins. There are lots of plugins available on WordPress.
While some of them are free, others require users to pay for them. So, you could make money creating plugins and selling them on WordPress.
41. Sell spreadsheet templates
If you are skilled with Excel, then you could make money selling spreadsheet templates.
Spreadsheets can be used for various purposes, such as wedding planning, bookkeeping, budgeting, workout tracking, and financial forecasting.
While many people require spreadsheets, they may have difficulty with creating a spreadsheet that meets their needs. That’s why many people use templates.
Templates are ready-made spreadsheets. Once a person purchases your spreadsheet template, all they need to do is add data.
So, you could make money from your laptop by making and selling spreadsheet templates.
42. Medical Coder
As a medical coder, you get paid to translate physicians’ reports into medical codes. You can do this job from home right from your laptop.
Here’s where you can find work:
43. Transcriptionist
If you’re good at typing, then consider working as a transcriptionist. As a transcriptionist, you’re paid to listen to audio and then type out, or “transcribe” what you hear. You then deliver the transcription document to the client.
Here’s where you can find work:
44. Graphic designer
As a graphic designer, you can get paid to create a range of illustrations and designs, like flyers, logos, and original images for clients.
Here’s where you can find work:
45. Voiceover artist
If you’ve got the voice for it, then you could consider working as a voiceover artist. Voiceover artists get paid to provide the narration for different types of media, such as audiobooks, YouTube videos, and tutorials.
Here’s where you can find work:
46. Sell books and textbooks
You could make money from your laptop by selling your old books and textbooks. If you have any old books lying around that you no longer need, then sell them.
You could even purchase books from used bookstores and then resell them online for a profit.
Here are some sites to check out if you want to sell books:
47. Sell crafts on Amazon Handmade
If you want a creative way to make money from your laptop, then you may want to consider selling crafts on Amazon Handmade. Amazon Handmade is a website where artisans can sell their handcrafted items online.
The program is open to artisans who make items in the following categories:
- Accessories
- Artwork
- Baby, Beauty & Personal Care
- Clothing, Shoes & Handbags
- Home
- Outdoor & Home Care
- Jewelry & Watches
- Kitchen & Dining
- Pet Supplies
- Sporting Goods
- Stationery & Party Supplies
You can list your products on Amazon Handmade for free. You only have to pay a fee when your items sell.
However, Amazon does waive the fee that’s normally associated with its Professional Selling Plan.
You do have to apply to join the Amazon Handmade program, and then wait for approval, which can take a while.
Once you’ve been approved for the program though, you can leverage Amazon’s large customer base to make money from home.
48. Write people’s resumes for them
You can get paid to write people’s resumes for them. People who are looking for a new job want to make sure that they have a good resume so that they get hired. This is where you can come in and make some money.
You can get paid to write people’s resumes for them. Yes, people actually hire people to write their resumes for them, and you can do this job right from home.
Here’s where you can find resume writing work:
49. Write slogans
Another way that you can make money from your laptop is by writing slogans for companies. Yes, you can get paid to write slogans for companies. This is a creative way to earn money. You can find slogan writing jobs on Freelancer and Fiverr.
50. Write or illustrate greeting cards
If you are looking for an artistic way to make money, then consider writing or illustrating greeting cards.
Places that pay you to write or illustrate greeting cards include Blue Mountain Arts and NobleWorksCards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few commonly asked questions and their answers to get you ready to become an online entrepreneur using your laptop.
Can I really make money with my laptop?
Absolutely! Your laptop opens doors to various online opportunities for earning extra income.
Do I need special skills to make money online?
Not necessarily. Many gigs and freelancing opportunities cater to different skill levels, from beginners to experts.
What are some popular ways to make money with a laptop?
Freelancing, online surveys, content creation, and remote work are popular avenues. Explore what suits your skills and interests.
Can I make money quickly, or does it take time?
Some methods offer quick returns, while others may take time to build. It depends on the method you choose.
Is it safe to make money online?
Yes, but it’s crucial to use reputable platforms and be cautious of scams. Research and choose trusted sources.
How much money can I realistically make with a laptop?
Earnings vary based on effort, skill, and the method chosen. Some people make a side income, while others turn it into a full-time job. There are high school and college students who use their laptops to do online gigs to make anywhere from $100 to $500 a week, and then there are entrepreneurs who have a laptop or computer based business that make hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even beginners could earn $50 to $100 right away with methods like paid surveys.
Are there age restrictions for online earning?
Many opportunities have no age restrictions, making them accessible to various age groups.
Do I need to invest money to start making money online?
Not necessarily. Many methods require minimal or no investment. It depends on the specific avenue you choose.
Can I combine multiple methods to maximize earnings?
Absolutely! Many people diversify their online income streams by combining different methods for a more robust financial portfolio.
How do I get started making money with my laptop?
Start by identifying your skills and interests. Then, explore suitable methods, sign up on reputable platforms, and take the first step toward online earning.
Laptop Loot: Final Thoughts!
Working from your laptop means you can stay home, avoid the commute, and work in your jammies if you want to. So, it’s no surprise that so many people want to know how to make money with a laptop.
As you can see from our list, there are so many great options to suit everyone, whether you’re looking for something simple, like taking surveys or doing tasks on reward sites, or something more complex, like self-publishing books on Kindle or working as a proofreader.
The best thing about making money from your laptop is that you can work when it suits you. You can make money on the side of your regular job, pick up some extra cash at the weekends, or even make working from your laptop your full-time job.
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