Make money while you sleep: 25 side hustles to earn passive income

Making money while you sleep sounds like a scam — until it’s not. 

From clipping videos to investing in dividends, passive income is the smartest kind of hustle: you do the setup once, then wake up to notifications that the bag’s secured. 

But that’s not to say passive income falls into your lap: groundwork is still needed to get things running smoothly in the background, and all passive income requires some investment of time to get the ball rolling (or keep it going). 

Still, it’s a hack to make money while you sleep, vacation, or take a sick day. And it’s never been easier to find a passive income stream that works for you.

This guide breaks down 25 realistic side hustles people are actually using to make money around the clock, without selling out or wasting time. 

Wait, can you really make money while you sleep?

Yes, but it’s not magic – and passive doesn’t mean do nothing and get rich, the way some people may mistakenly think. 

Making money while you sleep just means setting something up once that can keep generating income without you constantly showing up. Think of it like planting seeds: put in a few hours (or days) upfront, then let the internet, automation, and algorithms do the rest. 

Hear me out: you can film a TikTok once and it keeps racking up views (and cash). You might launch a digital product, a paid community, or a set of UGC clips and keep earning while you’re doing other things, or are literally asleep. 

Passive income works when your output scales, and the right tech and platforms (hey, that’s us) help you distribute and monetize it 24/7.

It’s not a shortcut, no. But it’s a smarter route to increasing your income. 

And once you’ve got one or two streams going? You’ll get why people say it’s addictive. 

Passive income gives you breathing room, options, and a nice little dopamine hit every time a payment hits your account.

Sign me up. 

Make money while you sleep with these passive income earners

1. Clipping 

Clipping is a quick and beginner-friendly way to start earning passive income with zero audience needed. 

You take short-form videos or content from brands, music artists, or creators listed on Whop’s content rewards, and repost them on platforms like X, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. 

The magic happens because you get paid per 1,000 views your clips rack up, so as soon as one video catches fire, your earnings continue growing without any extra work. 

Clipping leverages trending content and algorithms, so it works day and night, meaning you can earn while you’re offline or even asleep. You upload your content as soon as it’s posted, and we start counting your views. You’ll automatically be paid out into your Whop account per 1K views reached. 

Heaps of people (like AJ Banks) have turned clipping into a full-time income source by just repeating the process. He even bought a Tesla. 

• Get started: Phone, internet connection, Whop account
• Upfront cost: $0
• Earning potential: $100 to $20,000+/month

2. UGC (User-generated content)

User-generated content (UGC) is one of the easiest ways to earn passive income by creating authentic ads for brands. 

Instead of building a huge following yourself, you make videos or photos showcasing a product, which brands then use in their marketing. These assets often get reused repeatedly, generating ongoing income for creators. Many brands also offer retainers, which means recurring payments for ongoing content creation. 

Because you’re paid for content they use, your time commitment can be limited, making it semi-passive once relationships are built. 

UGC is ideal if you like creating but don’t want to be constantly active on social media.

• Get started: Phone, basic lighting, portfolio of sample work
• Upfront cost: $0–$100 (optional lighting or mic upgrades)
• Earning potential: $300 to $5,000/month

3. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is a passive side hustle that pays you commissions when people buy products through your links. 

The key is to create evergreen content that drives consistent traffic over time (think blog posts, YouTube tutorials, Pinterest pins, banger X threads). 

Unlike a one-time post, these pieces keep generating clicks and sales months or even years later. 

Some affiliate programs also pay recurring commissions for subscriptions or memberships, making it a reliable source of residual income. 

The initial effort is all about content creation and SEO, but once you rank or get enough views, the income stream essentially runs itself.

• Get started: Sign up for affiliate programs, create a content channel
• Upfront cost: $0–$100 (optional for hosting or tools)
• Earning potential: $100 to $10,000+/month

4. Online courses

This one can be such a big earner if you do it right, guys. 

Basically, if you have a skill or knowledge people want, packaging it into an online course is one of the best ways to earn passive income. 

Cooking, design, fitness, marketing, productivity hacks, or even AI prompt crafting, there’s literally a market for a course on anything. 

So, how is it passive? Glad you asked:

Record your lessons once, upload them to platforms like Whop, market on socials with scheduled posts, get that f*cking sales link in your bio, and get paid every time someone enrolls. 

Okay, yes, the initial work can be intense (planning, filming, editing), but after launching? You only need minimal maintenance, like answering questions or updating content. 

With the right marketing, courses can generate thousands of dollars monthly while you focus on other projects or simply relax. 

• Get started: Webcam or smartphone for recording, online course platform
• Upfront cost: $0–$200 (depending on tools and hosting)
• Earning potential: $200 to $20,000+/month

5. Online communities

Paid communities are becoming big earners. People are sick of being bombarded with useless sh*t on social media, so niche, focused groups with exclusive content or discussions? They’re hot right now.  

You can build a membership or community hub on Whop, which makes it super easy to manage payments and access, add value through different apps, and reach the right people on the Dashboard. 

Once you create the space and initial content, your role becomes more of a community facilitator. Members pay recurring fees, so you get steady, predictable income. 

Plus, automations for onboarding and content delivery make the workload manageable. This model works best if you’re passionate about your niche and can keep members engaged, but it’s a scalable, long-term passive income strategy once set up.

• Get started: Whop account, social media to market, value to bring
• Upfront cost: Free to low (Whop is free to start)
• Earning potential: $500 to $10,000+/month

6. Build apps or license SaaS

If you know your way around code (or if you’ve been playing with no-code tools), building a simple app or SaaS can be a huge earner. 

You could build neat AI helpers, scheduling widgets, meditation apps, or Chrome extensions to keep freelancers on track (just for a few examples). All you have to do is build it once, market it right, and people keep paying to use it. 

BTW: Whop’s App Store makes it easy to upload and start earning in days. Thanks to AI and low-code platforms, you don’t need to be a full developer to get started. The upfront hustle is real, but once it’s live, you’re earning while you sleep.

Keen to build apps for Whop sellers? Check out our dev docs. 

• Get started: Some coding skills or AI tools, Whop account
• Upfront cost: $0–$500 (hosting, APIs)
• Earning potential: $500 to $20,000+/month

7. Pocket investing

A “set it and forget it” type of passive income stream. 

Apps like Acorns or Stash let you invest spare change or small amounts automatically by rounding up purchases.

Over time, compounding interest and dividends do their thing while you focus on other stuff. 

It’s slow and steady, but that’s the point – grow your cash without stressing daily. 

Definitely not a get-rich-quick, but solid for building wealth over time.

• Get started: Pocket investing app, bank account
• Upfront cost: Usually $0+ (sometimes a small initial deposit)
• Earning potential: $10 to $1,000+/month (long haul)

8. Sell digital products

Create once, sell forever. Gotta love it. 

Digital products are pretty varied: ebooks, Notion templates, design packs, spreadsheets, tutorials, masterclass videos, templates, you get the idea. All of these products offer flexible ways to earn while you chill. 

Put your files up on Whop, Etsy, and Gumroad (tip: we charge the lowest % on sales), and if you nail the marketing, sales keep coming without extra effort. 

• Get started: Canva, Notion, Google Docs, or design tools
• Upfront cost: $0–$50
• Earning potential: $100 to $10,000+/month

9. Day trading

Day trading isn’t gonna be chill or passive for everyone, but lots of traders build strategies and custom bots that can handle the busy work for them – this is really common with Forex.

You need solid know-how and a high tolerance for risk, but once your system’s set, it can bring in cash without requiring you to be glued to the screen. 

Heads up: profits are not guaranteed, and losing money is real.

• Get started: Trading platform, laptop, tools or bots
• Upfront cost: $500+
• Earning potential: $0 to $10,000+/month

10. Blogging

Blogging is a classic way to earn money while you sleep. 

Once you get the hang of writing helpful, valuable, or entertaining posts that rank on Google? 

You can bring in consistent traffic day after day. Add affiliate links, ads, or sponsored content to monetize your posts and turn visits into dollars. 

The work upfront involves writing quality content and learning some SEO tricks, but once your blog gains traction, it earns on autopilot. Patience and consistency are key, but the rewards make it worth sticking with if you already love to write. 

• Get started: Buy a domain or set up hosting with a blogging platform
• Upfront cost: $50–$150/year
• Earning potential: $200 to $10,000+/month

11. Amazon FBA

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) lets you sell products without dealing with shipping or customer service. 

The active part is finding products and sending your inventory to Amazon’s warehouses, but once you do that? They handle the rest. 

The biggest challenge is sourcing good products and marketing them well. Once your listings take off, sales keep rolling in with minimal daily work. 

Amazon’s massive customer base gives your products a huge boost, and with some optimization, your income can grow without needing you to be hands-on every day.

Jas dropped out of college to pursue Amazon FBA and was earning 6-figures by the age of 21. Oh, and she teaches others to do it too, over on her Exclusive Hustlers whop. 

• Get started: Source products, create an Amazon seller account
• Upfront cost: $500+ (inventory and fees)
• Earning potential: $500 to $50,000+/month

12. Dropshipping

Dropshipping just means selling products without holding inventory. 

When a customer buys, your supplier ships directly to them. Your role is marketing and managing customers. 

With automation tools, once set up, your store can run mostly on its own. 

The hard part is finding winning products and driving traffic with ads or SEO. But with social commerce like TikTok Shop? Finding customers has literally never been easier. Just choose trending products and let rip.

It’s a good option for beginners who want low startup costs, but you’ll need to hustle on marketing to succeed.

• Get started: Create a Shopify or WooCommerce store, find reliable suppliers
• Upfront cost: $100–$500 (website and ads)
• Earning potential: $300 to $30,000+/month

13. Print-on-demand

Design graphics or slogans and upload them to products like t-shirts, mugs, or phone cases. 

Print-on-demand services print and ship each order for you, so you don’t handle inventory or shipping. 

After uploading designs, you earn royalties from sales with little ongoing effort. It’s ideal if you’re creative but don’t want a physical store. 

Your success depends on making designs that catch people's eyes and marketing your store/products well on social media. Good for designers or meme lords alike.

• Get started: Design tools (like Canva), POD platforms like Printful or Teespring
• Upfront cost: $0–$100
• Earning potential: $100 to $10,000+/month

14. Sell PLR (Private Label Rights) content

PLR products are pre-made ebooks, templates, or even complete courses that you can legally rebrand and sell as your own. 

You’re not starting from scratch, you just add your name, tweak the visuals or text, and list it for sale on platforms like Whop. 

It’s not totally passive (you still need to market), but it lets you launch digital products way faster. And after launch, it’s the same passive deal as any other digital product. 

Some sellers bundle their PLR with courses, communities, or other digital and info products to maximise income and build a personal brand. Just make sure you’re buying quality content and giving it your own flavor so it doesn’t feel generic.

• Get started: Buy PLR packages, use a selling platform like Whop or Gumroad
• Upfront cost: $50–$300
• Earning potential: $100 to $5,000+/month

15. Sell stock photos and videos

If you’ve got a good eye and a decent camera (or just any smartphone), you can shoot content that people pay to license. 

Stock sites like Shutterstock, Unsplash, Adobe Stock, and Pexels let you upload your work and earn royalties each time someone downloads it. 

The grind is building up a big library of searchable, high-quality assets. But hey, maybe you already have that. Once they’re live, your photos or footage can earn money passively for years. 

It’s awesome for photographers, videographers, or hobbyists who already shoot regularly and want to turn their files into income.

• Get started: Camera or smartphone, stock site account
• Upfront cost: $0–$500 (gear if needed)
• Earning potential: $50 to $5,000+/month

16. Rent a parking space

Have an unused driveway, garage, or private lot in a busy area? Rent it out. 

This is seriously one of the most set-it-and-forget-it passive income options out there, especially if you live in a metro area.

Apps like Spacer or JustPark let you list the space and handle the transactions. Customers include workers, tourists, students, and shoppers needing a weekend spot. Demand is usually way higher in cities, so be aware of that. 

Once someone books it, you literally just let them park and cash in without lifting a finger.

• Get started: Parking space, listing app
• Upfront cost: $0
• Earning potential: $50 to $500+/month

17. Rent a room

Similarly, if you’ve got a spare bedroom (or some kind of converted space, like a granny flat), you can turn it into recurring income by listing it on Airbnb or for long-term tenants. 

You’ll need to clean and furnish it upfront, but once things are rolling, it mostly runs itself – you’ll just receive inquiries for bookings passively, which you can accept or deny as you please.

Great photos and a solid listing description go a long way. Just set your terms, block off your calendar when needed, and let your space do the earning.

• Get started: Airbnb or local rental platform, furnished room
• Upfront cost: Varies (furnishing + listing prep)
• Earning potential: $500 to $3,000+/month

18. Start a vending machine business

It’s old school, but it works. Actually, I’m lowkey considering this one.

How does it work? Buy a vending machine, fill it with snacks, toys, or drinks, and place it in a high-traffic spot (offices, gyms, schools). 

Once stocked, it runs on its own. You just collect the cash and restock when needed. 

Some people scale by running multiple machines with the same product types to keep things simple. It’s more passive than you’d think, especially if you get a great location from the start.

• Get started: Buy machine, find placement
• Upfront cost: $1,000+
• Earning potential: $200 to $2,000+/month per machine

19. Start a YouTube channel

Create content once and let it work for you forever with a YouTube channel.

The best way to do this is to focus on evergreen videos (how-tos, reviews, commentary, tutorials). These can keep bringing in views and revenue from ads, affiliate links, or sponsorships long after you hit publish. 

The real money comes when your videos start gaining traction on autopilot. If you hit a niche and stay consistent, it scales fast. Even small channels with loyal audiences can bring in decent money monthly.

Obviously, there’s an active element here (hello, are we seeing the pattern), but these are passive streams that keep coming long after upload. 

Monetize a Youtube channel with Whop, without waiting for the YouTube Partner Program

• Get started: YouTube account, camera or phone
• Upfront cost: $0–$500
• Earning potential: $100 to $50,000+/month

20. TikTok Creator Program

If you’re already posting on TikTok, the Creator Fund (or Creativity Program) lets you earn based on video performance. 

It's not massive money upfront, but videos that blow up can keep making money long after they post. 

Combine it with affiliate links or product shoutouts, and you can build a solid income stream. 

• Get started: TikTok account, consistent content
• Upfront cost: $0
• Earning potential: $50 to $10,000+/month

21. Open a high-yield savings account

This one’s as hands-off as it gets. 

A high-yield savings account pays you interest on your balance, which is often, like, 10–15x more than regular banks. 

You won’t get rich off high-yield savings, but it’s literally free money for letting your savings sit somewhere smarter. 

Perfect for emergency funds or cash you don’t need day-to-day. And yes, the interest adds up.

• Get started: Online bank or credit union
• Upfront cost: $0
• Earning potential: $5 to $500+/month (depending on balance)

22. Start a podcast

Podcast episodes are another evergreen earner: once published, they can keep pulling in listeners for years. 

You monetize podcasts through sponsorships, ads, affiliate mentions, or even paid subscriptions. 

Obviously, the upfront lift is recording and editing, but it’s a low-cost format with serious payoff if you build an audience. Especially good if you’re already posting elsewhere and want to repurpose content.

• Get started: Mic, editing software, podcast host
• Upfront cost: $50–$300
• Earning potential: $100 to $10,000+/month

23. Rent your car out

If your car spends more time parked than driven, it could be making you money. 

Check out apps and platforms like Turo and DriveShare that let you list your vehicle for short-term rentals. You can set your availability and rates, and they handle the tricky sh*t like insurance and screening. 

Some people even build fleets this way, crazy. It’s flexible, easy to manage, and brings in more money from your car than you’d make selling it.

• Get started: Turo or car-sharing app
• Upfront cost: $0 (if you already own the car)
• Earning potential: $200 to $2,000+/month

24. Invest in real estate

Buying rental property is one of the most proven passive income plays; you just need the capital. 

But if you’ve got it, it’s sort of a no-brainer. Rent checks hit your account each month, and the property itself (if chosen well) appreciates over time. 

You’ll need upfront capital, and being a landlord can take more effort and cash than renters like to think, but with the help of a property manager and solid tenants, it’s close to hands-off. 

Bonus: Real estate often beats inflation.

• Get started: Mortgage approval, investment property
• Upfront cost: $10,000+ (down payment)
• Earning potential: $500 to $10,000+/month

25. Dividend stocks

Divi-what now? Dividend-paying stocks reward shareholders with regular payouts, usually quarterly. 

It’s a passive form of investing that doesn’t ask you to do much except choose well-performing stocks and shares with proven and successful track records. 

That means you invest once and get paid on a schedule, without needing to sell anything. It’s not flashy, but over time, those payments stack. 

Combine it with a dividend reinvestment plan or DRIP (lol, love that) and you’ll build serious wealth. Just make sure you’re investing in stable, proven companies.

• Get started: Brokerage account
• Upfront cost: $500+
• Earning potential: $10 to $5,000+/month

Why passive income is never entirely passive

I’m gonna keep it 100 with you: no income is 100% hands-off. 

Even the chillest passive stream takes some kind of setup: time, energy, sometimes cash. 

But what makes passive income powerful is leverage. You do the work once (list a product, write a blog, or build a tool), and it keeps earning without needing you to show up again and again. 

That’s the difference. Passive income decouples your time from your earnings.

Instead of trading hours for dollars, you build assets that work on your behalf. That’s how people scale side hustles without burning out, and why it’s worth the initial grind.

Start earning passive income while you sleep with Whop

There’s no shortage of ways to make money while you sleep, tbh.

But the best ones are the ones you can actually start. While real estate investing has enormous earning potential, for example, do you have the capital to invest? Unlikely.

That brings me to digital hustles. I’m referring to things like clipping videos, coding apps, flipping PLR, building communities, or leveraging affiliate marketing. 

These things require no cash to get started, allow you to start earning fast (like, same day fast in some cases), and get you introduced to the world of internet money. 

Lemme’ tell ya, that’s a world you want to be living in. 

Whop gives you instant access to marketplaces, tools, and platforms that support side hustlers. 

You don’t need an audience, fancy equipment, or any kind of full-blown business plan. 

You just need a bit of hustler’s ambition. Our platform and the internet do the heavy lifting. 

Sign up for Whop today, explore our leaderboards, and start learning the art of digital side hustles.

FAQs

What is passive income?

Passive income is money earned with minimal ongoing effort. It usually requires some kind of upfront work—like creating content, buying assets, or building a product—but can earn consistently without you actively working on it every day.

What’s the best way to make money while you sleep?

The best way depends on your strengths. If you're creative, UGC or digital products could be your lane. Into tech? Try apps or SaaS. Want something super low-lift? Rent out stuff you already own or use Whop Content Rewards. The bottom line? The best way is to make money online.

Can I really make money overnight?

Yes, but it depends on the system. 

A YouTube video could go viral at 3 a.m. 

An app subscription could renew while you’re offline. 

A customer can buy your course 3 months after launch because they’ve just seen your Reel.

With the proper setup, income can come in 24/7, even while you’re asleep.

Can I make passive income while working a full-time job?

Heck yeah. In fact, that’s how most people start. The goal is to build something in your off-hours that continues to earn, so you’re not solely dependent on a paycheck.

How much money can I earn from passive income streams?

It ranges. Some streams earn $50/month, others bring in $10K+. Earnings always depend on your effort, niche, platform, and how well you optimize or scale your business over time.

What is the easiest way to start making passive income?

Clipping through Whop is one of the lowest-barrier ways. 

No audience, no equipment, no upfront spend, just a phone and a few minutes. 

From there, explore what aligns with your skills and interests.