There are many ways to earn extra money from home online. The problem is sifting through all the rubbish out there to find things that actually work. There are so many reasons why making money online from home is attractive. I know for me, my WHY is my boys. I wanted the flexibility to be at home with them as much as I could, and feel in control of my financial future.
I certainly love making money from home, and my online business is growing steadily over time. The thing about building an online business is that it takes time and effort - it most certainly doesn't happen overnight. Starting your own online business comes with a learning curve. For me, my learning included setting up my website, understanding SEO (search engine optimisation - I'd never heard of that!), getting less uncomfortable with social media, and learning all the things I needed to do to get my business out there.
It takes patience and dedication! I see lots of people fail because they are not ready to put in the effort, and they are in a massive hurry to make money fast.
I researched MANY opportunities, and most of them disappointed me. Some even shocked me because they were so obviously scams, and I knew these people had no problem taking other people's money - people like you and me who want to earn an honest living online.
When I did find a legitimate program, I wanted to share it with as many people as I could! I wanted to be able to share things that work, and to give hope to people that whilst there are many things to be avoided, there are some excellent ways to earn extra money from home online.
Not everyone wants to make a full time income from home - sometimes some extra money on the side is what you're looking for. I've put together this page to summarise some different ways to earn extra money from home online so that you don't have to go searching too far. I update this page on a regular basis when I find new sites that I like that are legit, that I feel comfortable recommending.
To go straight to my number one recommendation for making more substantial money online by setting up your own online affiliate marketing website, go here:
I've broken down the page into different categories of ways to earn money online.
If you aren't aware of the programs I've written about, have a look at the review I've written first.
Use your skills as a freelancer
On these types of platforms you can really use your skills and match your expertise to the range of projects on offer. Typically you can earn more on these sites than get paid to type sites. In fact, it's possible to make a reasonable income on these types of sites.
 | Sign up as as a Peep and bid for jobs you can do, and once awarded those jobs, complete the work to a high standard and get paid as agreed with the client. | |
 | An online marketplace where buyers and service providers come together and offer services and bid on services. An excellent way to offer your professional services across a range of disciplines. | |
 | An online marketplace where buyers and freelancers come together and offer services and bid on services. Huge range of tasks available. Requires a membership. | |
 | A global freelancing platform with a broad array of work available for freelancers to complete for employers. Free and paid membership options. | |
 | PeoplePerHour connects clients with expert freelancers who are available to hire by the hour or by project. Free membership. | |
 | SolidGigs is a paid membership service that finds the best freelance jobs available and sends them directly to your email. | |
 | A global freelancing platform where independent professionals and businesses connect remotely. It is perfect for professionals to find tasks that are matched to their skills and experience. |
Get paid to complete small tasks
These sites are dedicated offering small work tasks to complete in exchange for cash.The quality of your work is important for these sites.
 | Varied range of jobs available in Airtasker, from work from home to working in location doing manual tasks | |
 | Varied range of jobs available in Clickworker, with a referral program. | |
 | An Amazon owned platform, you can complete a range of jobs requiring attention to detail. Has a referral program. |
Writing
You can make money writing articles for other people, and there are a range of sites available. The fact is, there are tonnes of blogs and websites that pay people to write content. Depending on how much you want to write, you could apply to a number of sites and write for many simultaneously, earning yourself a part-time or a full time income.
Here are some writing platforms I have reviewed that are worth checking out.
 | Get paid to write articles and content for clients, with SEO in mind. | |
 | Get paid to write content for clients. | |
 | Get paid to write articles for clients. | |
 | Get paid to write articles and content for clients. | |
 | Get paid to write articles for clients. |
Here are some other writing platforms that have good reputations in the market. I am yet to review them, and will be updating the page regularly with my reviews.
- Cracked: http://www.cracked.com
- A List Apart: http://alistapart.com
- Listverse: https://listverse.com/write-get-paid/
- TopTenz: http://www.toptenz.net/sumit-a-top-ten-list
- Matador Network: http://matadornetwork.com/content/contributors-and-job-applicants/
- Uxbooth: http://www.uxbooth.com/contribute/
- FundsForWriters: http://www.fundsforwriters.com/submissions/
Website testing
Make money testing websites and testing new apps that product designers need feedback on before they put their new websites and apps out to market.
I believe this is a much better way to earn over surveys and many of the get paid to sites. I still believe you'd need to sign up to several though in order to make any real money, as the testing can be sporadic.
 | Pays you to test websites for user experience. | |
 | Pays you to test websites for user experience. | |
 | Pays you to test websites for user experience. | |
 | Pays you to test websites for user experience. |
Here are another 2 top testing sites. Reviews coming soon!
- What Users Do - sign up here
- Enroll - sign up here.
'Get paid to' sites
Get paid to sites are those that offer multiple different ways to earn cash online, by doing simple tasks such as surveys, games, apps, offers and other tasks.
 | Make money doing surveys, play games, and do small online tasks. Has a referral program. | |
 | Earn money by completing surveys, downloading apps, watching videos, doing offers and completing tasks. | |
 | Make money with a variety of tasks such as offers, surveys, videos and games. Has a referral program. | |
 | Make money with a variety of tasks such as search and win, offers, surveys, videos and games. Has a referral program. | |
 | Make money doing surveys, watching videos and completing offers. Has a referral program. | |
 | Make money doing surveys, watching videos, doing tasks, shopping and completing offers. Has a referral program. | |
 | Make money doing surveys, watching videos, playing games, and completing tasks and offers. Has a referral program. | |
 | Make money doing surveys, watching videos, doing tasks, completing offers, and participating in raffles and contests. Has a referral program. | |
 | Make money by doing surveys and offers. Has a referral program. | |
 | Earn cash through cashback from purchases, answer surveys, watch videos, complete offers, search the web and play games. Has a referral program. | |
 | Make money doing surveys, watching videos and completing offers. Has a referral program. |
Surveys
Surveys are probably my least favourite way to make money online, as it's very difficult to make much more than pocket money. Typically in order to make much money at all, you need to sign up to multiple survey platforms and complete fairly detailed demographic surveys about yourself before being eligible to complete paid surveys. Then, the surveys can be few and far between, which is why you need to sign up to multiple platforms.
You certainly can make some extra pocket money though, if you don't mind how long it takes.
 | Make money immediately doing short survey questions. | |
 | Make money doing surveys. | |
 | Make money doing surveys. | |
 | Make money doing surveys. | |
 | Make money doing surveys. | |
 | Make money immediately doing surveys, get paid to browse, cash back and offers. | |
 | Make money doing surveys and referring others. | |
 | Make money doing surveys and by downloading the SavvyConnect app. | |
 | Make money doing surveys. |
Cash back sites
Cash back sites are just that - they give you cash back for making purchases.
 | Cash back site with a referral program | |
 | In-store and online cash back site with an excellent referral program. | |
 | Cash back site with a referral program. |
My top recommendation
My top recommendation for a way to make REAL income online, is Wealthy Affiliate. Wealthy Affiliate will teach you step by step how to choose an area you are interested in, build a website based on your chosen interest, attract visitors to your website, and then earn revenue from your website.
Imagine having your very own profit generating websites, built by you? Well you can, and it is easier than you might think. However, it is not a way to make fast money online, and you need to think of it as a longer term business.
Read my comprehensive review of Wealthy Affiliate here.
Go straight to the platform and sign up for an account here:
If you have any other platforms that make you money, please share them here, and I'll be happy to review them add them to my list if I feel they are legitimate ways to make money online. As always, if you have any questions or want to share your thoughts, please do so. I always respond to my readers.
Thanks for making a review on how to make extra money from home online, these various ways listed in this post is awesome but I’ll rather prefer wealthy affiliate. Wealthy affiliate is my no 1 recommendation for making money online for free and gives you training on how to setup your own website for free which is totally awesome.
Hi Seun,
I must concur with you! And thank you very much for taking the time to share your thoughts. All the very best to you.
Cheers
Melissa
Well I tried the survey sites for a few months but I didn’t seem to earn that much money from them – I kept on being screened out halfway through each one (more often than not).
I now feel I need to look for something more professional – and your recommendation seems to fit the bill. What level do you need to be at to take on their education?
Hi Chris,
Your experience with surveys will be familiar to many I think. Wealthy Affiliate is a much better way. The training is suitable for beginners just starting out, and it also goes into the more advanced training for more experienced folks. So really, the training is suitable for everyone.
Thanks for stopping Chris and all the best to you.
Cheers
Melissa
Hi Admin! When it comes to the choice of staying at home to earn money online, I can relate to that. I a Mom of three kids, and needed to be around them most often. However, the challenge like you rightly said, is being able to get the right stay at home job.The sites you listed are quite interesting, of all, I love upwork and fiverr, although one has to be highly skilled to compete favourable in those two platforms. Thanks for your informative article.
Hi Gracen,
It’s a juggle isn’t it trying to balance work and home! And finding the right stay at home opportunity can be a challenge. I wish you all the very best.
Cheers
Melissa
Thank you for this great post, I find it really helpful and nice. Am always thrilled by posts that talks about making money from home and you have really provided great insight into that, I have tried registering on upwork a few times but my request was rejected, do you know how I can go about it?
Hi Clement,
I’m not sure why your registration with Upwork would have been denied. I did find this though which might be helpful:
https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/214180797-Application-to-Join-Upwork-Declined
I hope you get the answers you’re looking for and I wish you all the best.
Cheers
Melissa
This post will really help lots of people, detailed from your experience with online businesses. The key component of success online is patience!I have worked on Fiverr and Freelance before I found passion is blogging instead of writing for gigs. I took surveys in some of these websites, they work! If anyone will have a seminar on how to make money online, the person should bookmark this post.
Hi Autofreak,
Thanks for your comment, I appreciate that. Blogging sure is great, that’s one of the reasons I enjoy Wealthy Affiliate so much 🙂
Wishing you all the very best.
Cheers
Melissa
Hello there!
First of all, I have to say that this is the most complete article about online income I’ve ever seen! So many interesting and different ways to earn money online!
At the moment, I am a member of Wealthy Affiliate and I work at my website, so I recommend it as well. Besides that, I really need to check some of your reviews here. I’m always happy to discover and learn about new programs, opportunities and methods to make income online, so I thank you for your quality content from the bottom of my heart!
There is no greater thing than being financial independent, spend time with family and do what you love. I believe every single human being deserves this and I’m am sure lots of people will thank you!
Great content! Thanks again!
Hi Anna,
Thanks for your kind words, I really appreciate them! Financial independence and work life balance are so important, and I agree 100% that every human being deserves this. It was the reason for me to research the best ways to make money online and share with them people.
Thank you Anna and I wish you all the very best.
Cheers
Melissa
It is a highly engaging post. I read it from beginning to end without tilting my eye. I am familiar with many of the programs written here. I have tried several but nothing so far tastes better than the wealthy affiliate.
My nerve was wrecking and my mind was numbing with surveys making money but I read people have made money. I thank them from my heart.
Ebate seems to be a good one although I have never tried.
It is a great post and can benefit many.
I always think I wish I could have an opportunity like Wealthy Affiliate when my child was growing up. I am happy you are with your kids and making money officing from home.
Hi Anasuya,
I wish I’d found Wealthy Affiliate much earlier than I did, then I would have had even more time to spend with my family. It is honestly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made 🙂
Thanks Anasuya and I wish you all the very best.
Cheers
Melissa
I have been earning online for many years and I am still earning online and the journey has been really interesting although not easy but I have enjoyed it so far. I have gained more ways to earn online from what I read in your article and I am glad I read it. I will really appreciate more of this information
Hello Linus,
I agree it is not easy! But it can be very enjoyable and rewarding along the way 🙂
I’m glad my post has been helpful to you, and I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Many thanks and I wish you all the best.
Cheers
Melissa
I absolutely love what I read in this insightful article because it is full of great information. This is fascinating and interesting to me. I love your highlighted points in making money from home, have once try doing survey before I joined wealthy affiliate program. Wealthy affiliate is a life changer, it’s second to none in affiliates industry. You earn money as you learn in WA. Thanks for the review. Regards
Hi Whitedove1,
So glad you found Wealthy Affiliate also 🙂 It truly is a life changer.
I wish you all the very best and I thank you stopping by and commenting.
Cheers
Melissa
I wish I had found this website ages ago, I have done so many surveys…wasting my time and got nothing. Now I’m into building my own websites and trying to make money by affiliate marketing. So far I have made nothing monetary but I still try to be hopeful.
You have a lot of “top recommendations” which one do you rely on for your financial gain?
Hi Amanda,
Whilst there are several ways to make money online, my top recommendation is via affiliate marketing. The platform I use, that I’ve been a part of since 2017, is Wealthy Affiliate. It has all of the tools and support required to run a successful business. It even includes web hosting, and up to 50 websites (25 of your own domains, and 25 siterubix websites). I can’t recommend it highly enough.
You can try it out for free (including 10 lessons and 2 siterubix websites) here:
https://www.wealthyaffiliate.com/a_aid/071e8ef2/campaign/wcfhfree
All the best Amanda. Cheers,
Melissa
This is a great list of all possible ways to make money online – I actually had no idea there were so many options! I signed up for an MLM, not altogether online, though some people do run it online only, and I do mine largely online, but it can be challenging when the income is all sales based. I think I need to look elsewhere.
Hi Josie,
Thanks. I add to the list when I find new possibilities that I’ve researched and are legit so please stop by again!
There’s nothing stopping you from having a few different income streams on the go at once 🙂
All the very best.
Cheers
Melissa
Earn extra money from home online Best ways is Wealthy affiliate. Because, Everyone can take free training from here and make money. I am very happy to be member of Wealthy Affiliate. I work at my website. Here anyone can open up to 50 free websites. So it’s a great advantage for everyone. Thank you so much for sharing the article.
Hi waded,
I hope you’re doing well at Wealthy Affiliate. It certainly provides great opportunity for anybody for takes it.
All the best to you.
Cheers
Melissa
Good afternoon Melissa,
Reading your post and looking at the different options I agree with you. Surveys take a lot of time and the payment is poor.
Webtesting sounds quite interesting but it does not seem big money can be made doing that.
In my eyes, the best way is to do Affiliate Marketing on your own website. Wealthy Affiliate is the right place where you can learn how to do that.
Regards, Taetske
Hi Taetske,
I have to do agree with you. Affiliate marketing provides an awesome opportunity, and Wealthy Affiliate is a great platform to teach people how to do that, whilst also providing the hosting infrastructure and support for sites.
All the best to you Taetske.
Cheers
Melissa
is wealthy affiliate available for kenyans?
Hi Victor,
Yes Wealthy Affiliate is available globally. However, the free membership is not available in a few countries, and that includes Kenya. So if you do want to join Wealthy Affiliate, you’ll need to go straight to a paid membership.
I hope that is helpful.
Cheers
Melissa