22 ways to make money online in Canada

From side hustles to full-time gigs, learn how to make money online in Canada.

Yorkie dog using laptop. Make money online in Canada.

Are you looking to earn some extra cash or maybe even contemplating a career change? There are many ways to make money online in Canada, and while some will only help you get a little extra pocket money, others have the potential to be quite lucrative.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to make money online in Canada and what you need to do to get started.

1. Fill out surveys

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Online surveys are often the first port of call for Canadians looking for ways to earn money online. There are a host of sites and apps in Canada where you can earn cash or points by completing online surveys and questionnaires—popular options include Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, Opinion Outpost, Ipsos iSay and Branded Surveys.

The best part is that it’s easy to get started and earn straight away. If the site pays cash, you can withdraw funds to your bank account once you’ve earned a specified minimum. If the site pays in points, they’re usually redeemable for gift cards and other rewards.

2. Sell your possessions

Red and white gaming controllers

If you’ve got some unused items lying around the house that you no longer need, make some extra cash by selling them on an online marketplace. Sporting equipment, jewelry, games consoles, furniture, board games, books—the list of stuff you can sell online is just about endless.

Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, eBay and Craigslist are just some of your options, and it’s easy to post listings via mobile apps or online.

3. Sell your car

Car facing the sunset

That’s right—you don’t have to visit a dealership in person and worry about haggling with a sleazy salesman to sell your car. These days, online dealers like Clutch and Canada Drives make it easy to sell vehicles online. All you have to do is provide your vehicle details online to get an offer to buy your car, and if you’re happy with the price, you can drive it to a nearby drop-off location to complete the sale.

Alternatively, you can list your car for sale on classifieds sites like AutoTrader, Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace. Selling privately may help you get a better price for your car, but it’s less convenient and you’ll need to deal with lowballers.

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4. Sell handmade items

Hands doing pottery

If you’re a crafty person, you can put your skills to work to help you make money online. Sites like Etsy make it easy to sell handmade items like jewelry, home decor, personalized gifts and clothes online. Alternatively, you can try connecting with buyers on other platforms like Instagram and Facebook Marketplace.

5. Sell custom items using print-on-demand websites

Star Wars mugs with quotes I love you and I know

Print-on-demand websites like RedBubble, Printful and Printify allow you to get your own custom artwork on clothing, cushions, tote bags, mugs and more. You create your product designs and upload them to your own store or an online marketplace. When a buyer purchases one of your items, the print-on-demand service will then take care of printing and shipping it to them.

6. Dropshipping

Mini shopping cart and laptop

Selling print-on-demand items is a form of dropshipping. With this approach, you set up an online store to sell your products—you could sell clothing, pet supplies, home decor, baby products or just about anything—but you don’t hold any inventory or ship products. That side of the business is taken care of by the manufacturer, who ships items directly to buyers.

7. Affiliate marketing

SEO and UX wrapped in a heart on a chalkboard

Affiliate marketing involves promoting another company’s products or services in return for a commission. Essentially, you use your own website to direct customers to the company’s website or marketplace product listings, where they will hopefully make a purchase. You might be paid every time a customer clicks on the link to the provider’s website, or you may only be paid if they make a purchase.

8. Make YouTube videos

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Got a special skill or insight that others might be interested in learning or hearing about? You might be surprised by what people are willing to watch on YouTube. You could film yourself tackling competitive eating challenges like BeardMeatsFood, playing Minecraft like Unspeakable, share fitness tips, show people how to do common DIY jobs around the house or just about anything else you can imagine.

If your videos get enough views, you can earn money from advertising revenue, sell merch to your subscribers and monetize your channel in a handful of other ways.

9. Become a social media influencer

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If your social media game is strong, why not use your skills to earn income as an “influencer”? Influencer marketing is where you build a large following among a niche audience, which could be anything from beauty and self-care to improving your golf game, until brands want to pay you to promote their products. From Instagram and TikTok to YouTube, Twitch and a host of other platforms, there are many different ways to engage with your audience.

10. Work as a freelancer

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Want to work from home and be your own boss? Sites like Upwork, Fiverr and Freelancer let you make money online in Canada by helping you connect with people and companies who need professional services.

You can freelance full-time or as a side hustle to earn some extra cash. There’s work out there for writers, graphic designers, translators, voiceover artists, web designers, programmers, SEO specialists, bookkeepers and a range of other professionals, so search for work opportunities based on your skill set.

11. Work as a virtual assistant

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In the same vein as becoming a freelancer, working remotely as a virtual assistant allows you to make money online in Canada. It’s free to offer your services on sites like Upwork, and you can get paid to help clients with jobs like office admin, social media management, responding to emails, scheduling appointments and much more.

12. Start a podcast

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Sports, true crime, children’s stories, money management tips, parenting, you name it—browse Spotify or Apple Podcasts and you’ll find podcasts covering just about every topic under the sun. So, if you have a special passion in life or specialist knowledge you’d like to share, why not start your own podcast?

13. Rent out your home

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Airbnb is one of those sites that needs no introduction, providing a way to make money online in Canada by renting out a space to guests looking for somewhere to stay. It’s free to list your space on Airbnb, allowing you to earn extra cash using an asset you already own.

Alternatively, you could rent out your home (or a part of your home) for use as a private event space or for film and photo shoots using sites like Tagvenue, Giggster and Peerspace.

14. Rent out your parking space

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In major cities like Toronto and Vancouver, parking is at a premium. So, if you live in a popular area close to the city centre and you have a parking space you don’t use, you can earn a little extra income by renting it out on sites like clicknpark, Parkify and SpotHero. It’s quick and easy to do, requiring minimal time or effort on your part.

15. Become an online tutor

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Maybe you’re a mathematics or English teacher looking for some extra income? Perhaps you’re an experienced guitarist who wants to go down the teaching route? Whatever the case may be, you can make money online by offering your services as a tutor. Whether on sites like Upwork and Fiverr or on specific tutoring platforms, offering your expert services provides a flexible way to earn extra income.

16. Become a dog walker or pet sitter

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Turn your love of animals into a way to earn extra income by becoming a part-time or full-time dog walker. Sites and apps like Pawshake and Rover make it easy for you to advertise your walking services to dog owners in your area. You can also offer your services as a pet sitter, either in the pet owner’s home or by hosting pets in your own home.

17. Shop on cash back websites

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Cash back apps and websites like Rakuten, Swagbucks and Great Canadian Rebates offer a simple way to get more money in your bank account. By doing your regular shopping through these platforms at partner retailers, you can earn a certain percentage cash back on all your purchases.

18. Sell domain names

Kid superhero with binoculars

The concept behind “flipping” domain names is to buy a domain name at a low price and sell it for a much higher price. The trick is, of course, to be able to recognize domains that will be highly sought-after and that you could potentially sell for a profit.

19. Enter competitions

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Have you ever heard of “compers”? These serial competition participants devote a whole lot of time to entering competitions online, and some of them have a surprising amount of success. It’s free to do and can take up as much or as little time as you want.

20. Work as a remote customer service rep

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Put your people skills into action by working as a remote customer service rep. You might be surprised by the number of companies that offer jobs for personable people who can answer calls and manage online chats—all from home. You might also be able to increase your chance of getting work if you’re bilingual.

Companies advertise jobs directly on sites like Indeed. Or, you could look for work on freelancer sites like Upwork or specialist platforms like We Work Remotely.

21. Sell your photos

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If you’re a keen photographer and you’d like to potentially consider photography as an alternative career, you might be able to make money online by selling your images to stock photo services. Sites like Dreamstime, iStock, 500px, Shutterstock and Alamy are just some of the popular stock image platforms where you might like to try your luck.

22. Invest

Woman on laptop at beach

Last but not least, it’s also possible to make money online by investing. The rise of online stock brokers and trading apps means that it’s easier than ever before to trade stocks and ETFs on Canadian and US markets as well as exchanges around the world. Compare online stock brokers to find the best investing platform for your needs.

What are the best ways to make money online?

There’s no single, one-size-fits-all best way to make money online. The best option for you depends on the skills and tools at your disposal.

For example, renting out a spare room on Airbnb can be a reasonably simple way to supplement your income. Or, if you have the skills needed to work as a freelancer, whether as a copywriter, a web designer or anything else, you could turn your online money-making adventure into a full-time gig.

But if you don’t have anything to sell or rent, and if you don’t have any special skills or expertise, perhaps the easiest way to make money online is to complete online surveys. While it won’t make you rich, anyone can do it and there are multiple platforms available where you can earn a little extra cash.

Frequently asked questions

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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Leanne Escobal as part of our fact-checking process.
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Writer

Tim Falk is a freelance writer for Finder. Over the course of his 15-year writing career, he has reported on a wide range of personal finance topics. Whether you're investing in stocks and ETFs, comparing savings accounts or choosing a credit card, Tim wants to make it easier for you to understand. When he’s not staring at his computer, you can usually find him exploring the great outdoors. See full bio

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