What are the side businesses that make money through technology? What are the Internet projects that rely on technology to make money: Part I

What are the side businesses that make money through technology? A complete guide to Internet projects that make money through technology (2026 practical version). Today,Online earning alliance(en. wangzhuan. org. cn) brings “What are the sidelines that make money by technology? What are the Internet projects that make money by technology”. I hope it is helpful to everyone.

1、 Introduction: What is “making money through technology”?

Make money through technologyThe core logic is:You use professional skills (programming, design, data, AI tools) to help others solve problems, and are charged based on time/project/effect.

The essential difference between “moving bricks and brushing quantity”:

The 3 major trends of “making money with technology” in 2026:

1. AI tools lower the threshold(Can do automation even without programming skills)
2. Enterprise digitalization acceleration(Small and medium-sized enterprises are willing to pay for technology)
3. Normalization of remote work(The domestic outsourcing market is booming)

2、 Detailed explanation of 15 projects that make money through technology

[Programming and Development Category]

Project 1: Outsourcing development (the most stable way to make money from technology)

💡 definition:You help companies/individuals develop websites APP、 Mini programs and management systems are charged by project.📋 Common outsourcing needs:

• Enterprise official website (50000 to 200000 yuan/piece)
• WeChat Mini Program (100000-100000/piece)
• E-commerce system (100000-500000 yuan/set)
• Management backend (OA, CRM, ERP, 50000 to 300000 yuan/set)
• Crawler/data collection (50-100000/time)

👥 Suitable for:

• Proficient in programming (Python, Java, PHP, frontend)
• Have complete project experience (don’t just write demos)
• Can communicate with customers (understand requirements+quote+delivery)

💰 Income range:

🎓 Learning cycle:

• Can program but haven’t completed a complete project yet3-6 months (to supplement “full stack capability”)
• Can’t program1-2 years (it is recommended to learn Python or front-end first)

🌐 Order taking platform:

💡 Real case analysis:

Case: Xiao B (full stack engineer, monthly income of 80000 to 120000 yuan)

• background28 years old, 5 years of full stack experience (front-end+back-end+database)
• Order receiving channel:Electric Duck Community+referrals from old customers
• Project Structure:Simultaneously work on 2 projects per month (one for 100000 and one for 50000)
• Working mode:Remote work, 6-8 hours per day
• Monthly income:150000 x 80% (tax deduction+platform commission)=120 thousand
• Key success factors:

1. High delivery quality(Customer willing to refer)
2. Understand the requirements(Not just ‘writing code’, but helping clients solve business problems)
3. Establish a personal brand(There is a complete collection of works on Electric Duck)

⚠️ Risk points:

1. requirement change(If the customer changes their requirements midway, they will need to pay extra or delay)
2. Collection risk (Personal orders are prone to being delayed in payment)
3. Fast technological updates(Keep learning, otherwise you will be eliminated)

🛡️ Avoiding pitfalls guide:

1. sign a contract(Specify the scope of requirements, delivery standards, and payment milestones)
2. Staged collection(3-4-3 mode: 30% signing, 40% mid-term, 30% delivery)
3. Using third-party platforms(Zhu Bajie and Upwork have fund custody, not afraid of running away)

Project 2: SaaS product development (the highest ceiling technology for making money)

💡 definition:You develop oneSoftware as a Service (SaaS)Product, users subscribe and pay monthly/annually, you earnpassive income.📋 Common SaaS directions:

• Enterprise Services：CRM、 Project management, customer service system, HR system
• vertical industry: Catering management, gym system, clinic management system
• personal toolsResume creation, invoice management, schedule planning
• AI toolsAI writing, AI painting, AI video editing

👥 Suitable for:

• Capable of full stack development (front-end+back-end+operation and maintenance)
• Have product thinking (not just ‘writing code’, understanding user needs)
• Can continue to operate (SaaS is not a one-time solution, it needs to be continuously iterated)

💰 Revenue model:

Monthly income=number of paying users x unit price (monthly fee)

🎓 Development cycle:

• MVP (Minimum Feasible Product)3-6 months
• Achieve breakeven6-12 months (with over 100 users)
• Stable profitability1-2 years (with over 500 users)

💡 Real case analysis:

Case: “Resume Expert” (AI resume optimization SaaS, monthly income of over 200000 yuan)

• founder:Former HR of a major company, proficient in Python and front-end development
• Product features:AI automatically optimizes resumes+one click generation of multiple versions+HR perspective rating
• price:39 yuan/month, 199 yuan/year
• Number of users:3500+paying users
• Monthly income:3500 x average unit price of 60 yuan per customer=210,000 yuan
• costServer+AI interface fee ≈ 20000 yuan/month
• Net profit: 190000 yuan/month
• Key success factors:

1. Just needed pain points(Job seekers willing to pay for ‘interview invitation’)
2. AI reduces marginal costs(Serving 3500 people and 500 people, with similar costs)
3. Word of mouth communication(Users will recommend friends after receiving the offer)

⚠️ Risk points:

1. long development cycle(6-12 months with zero income)
2. market competitionThe SaaS market is already very competitive
3. Technical maintenance(Server crashes, attacked, data loss)

🛡️ Avoiding pitfalls guide:

1. First, perform MVP validation(Don’t start with a ‘full version’, first create a ‘usable version’ to test the requirements)
2. Find segmented tracks(Don’t do ‘generic CRM’, do ‘gym specific CRM’)
3. Using mature technology stack(Don’t use the latest and coolest language, use stable and reliable)

Project 3: WordPress/Shopify plugin development (earning passive income)

💡 definition:You develop oneWordPress pluginorShopify AppPut it on the official market, users pay to download, you earnContinuous income.📋 Common plugin directions:

• SEO optimization（Yoast SE0、Rank Math）
• E-commerce Enhancement(WooCommerce extension)
• Page Builder（Elementor、Divi）
• safety protection(Firewall, anti spam comments)
• AI integration(AI content generation, AI customer service)

👥 Suitable for:

• Proficient in PHP (WordPress) or Node.js (Shopify)
• Can understand official documentation (API calls)
• Be patient in making “small yet beautiful” tools (don’t think about making “the next Yoast”)

💰 Income range:

🎓 Development cycle:

• Simple plugin(Single function): 1-4 weeks
• Complex plugins(Multi module): 2-6 months

💡 Real case analysis:

Case: “SEO Auto Link” (WordPress internal link optimization plugin, monthly income of over 30000 yuan)

• DeveloperIndependent developer, proficient in PHP+SEO
• Core functions:Automatically analyze articles and recommend internal chain anchor text
• price:Free version (limited to 100 articles)+199 yuan/year (unlimited)
• Number of users:100000+free users, 1200+paying users
• Monthly income:1200 × 199 yuan ≈240000 yuan/year=20000 yuan/month
• costAlmost 0 (automatically sold after the plugin is launched)
• Net profit: 20000 yuan/month(Pure passive income)

⚠️ Risk points:

1. market saturation(There are over 50000 plugins in the WordPress plugin market)
2. Technical maintenance(After WordPress update, plugins may become invalid)
3. Refund risk(Users who are not satisfied with the plugin will receive a refund)

🛡️ Avoiding pitfalls guide:

1. Find segmented requirements(Don’t make a “universal SE0 plugin”, make a “SE0 plugin for foreign trade websites”)
2. Provide excellent support(Quickly responding to user questions can significantly increase the positive review rate)
3. continuously updated(1-2 versions released per month, fixing bugs and adding new features)

Design Creativity Category

Project 4: UI/UX Design (the least “technical” but most profitable design project)

💡 definition:You help companies/products withInterface Design (UI) and User Experience Optimization (UX)Charge by project/hour.📋 Common design requirements:

• APP interface design (Android/iOS)
• Website UI design (official website, e-commerce, SaaS backend)
• Applet design (WeChat/Alipay/Tiktok)
• Brand VI design (logo, color scheme, font)
• Design System Document

👥 Suitable for:

• Capable of designing tools (Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD)
• Having aesthetic ability (not just ‘knowing how to draw’ is enough)
• Can understand product logic (design serves functionality, not pure aesthetics)

💰 Income range:

🎓 Learning cycle:

• Can design software but have not worked on commercial projects3-6 months (supplemented with “design specifications” and “product thinking”)
• Not able to design6-12 months (recommended to learn Figma and visit the Design Better website)

🌐 Order taking platform:

💡 Real case analysis:

Case: Xiao C (UI designer, monthly income of 50000 to 80000 yuan)

• background26 years old, 3 years of UI design experience
• Order receiving channel:Tezan platform+long-term cooperation with old customers
• Project Structure:Simultaneously work on 3 projects per month (one costing 30000 and two costing 15000)
• Working mode:Remote, 6-8 hours per day
• Monthly income:60000 x 90% (deducting platform commission+taxes) ≈54 thousand
• Key success factors:

1. Portfolio major(With over 20000 followers on Dribbble)
2. Understand the product(Not just ‘drawing’, but helping customers increase conversion rates)
3. fast delivery(Customers provide modification suggestions, and a new version will be released within 24 hours)

⚠️ Risk points:

1. subjective aesthetics(Customers may say ‘not good-looking’ and need to make repeated changes)
2. Copyright risk(Unauthorized font/image used, claimed)
3. requirement change(If the customer changes the design direction midway, they will need to pay extra or delay)

🛡️ Avoiding pitfalls guide:

1. Sign the design contract(Indicate the maximum number of modifications and copyright ownership)
2. Use genuine resources(Use Source font and Unsplash image)
3. Collect deposit(Contract fee of 30% to avoid ‘freelancing’)

Continued text in《What are the side businesses that make money through technology? What are the Internet projects that rely on technology to make money: Part II》.