Getting freedom by making money online is a dream for many people.
But is it actually possible to make this dream come true when you live in the UK or is it just an unrealistic dream?
Let me just reveal right away that it definitely is possible – but honestly, 90% of the offers you find are not worth it or outright scams.
I have, therefore, put together a list of the best ways to make money online in the UK – all the methods are REAL ways to make money from home (or anywhere) and you can find options no matter your goals, time, and budget.
I will also go over how you make sure you choose the right option for YOU!
How are the opportunities to make money online from the UK?
If you live in the UK, the opportunities for making money online are actually very good.
The great thing about making money online is that you can do it from anywhere. So that also means that even when you are traveling, you can keep earning – so it does not limit you to having to be in the UK all the time.
The advantage of living in the UK is that most platforms that offer real ways to make money online are in English and the best training platforms to teach you the skills are also in English.
This means you have access to the best of the best information and opportunities when you live in the UK and you, therefore, have plenty of options to choose from.
There are quite a few different ways to realistically make money online – you just need to steer clear of the online money making scams as there, unfortunately, are many of these.
But the list later in this article will show you 100% real and legit methods so the most important thing is to then find the best option for YOU.
How to find the best option for YOU?
As mentioned, there are quite a lot of different ways you can make money from home in the UK.
The great thing is that there are methods that are realistic no matter your background and previous skills – you just need to find the right option for you.
So before getting to the list of the best ways to earn online in the UK, let’s first go over 4 important aspects to consider to find the best option for you so you go into it with the right expectations and have the greatest chance of succeeding.
Consideration #1 – Your interests
It would be a dream to be able to make money doing something you actually enjoy and find interesting, right?
Well, that is actually possible online. There are many different ways to make money so it is possible to find one that fits your interests no matter what your background is.
If you love video, this is, for example, one option, if you have a certain topic you are very interested in you can turn this into an income, if you love writing this can be made into an income, and even if you do not know what you are passionate about yet, it is still possible to create an income online.
So even though there are many scam offers online, there are also many legit ways to earn from the UK. So there is not necessarily one method that is the absolute best as it depends on you.
The list later will show you the details about several methods so you can easily see what fits you the best.
Consideration #2 – Your budget
Before starting to create an online income, it is important to also know what you can expect in terms of costs.
The costs of starting an online business are extremely low compared to starting other types of businesses which means it is possible to get started for more or less anyone.
But you also need to be realistic so your budget fits with your ambitions.
There are free ways to make money online in the UK. But you need to be aware that the free methods will rarely be a way to make a full-time income.
So if you are going for a full-time income, you need to be willing to invest at least a small amount. As mentioned, it can be done very cheaply but there are also more expensive methods.
It all depends on your preferences but you need to make sure your goals fit with your budget.
On the list below, I will show both free methods and methods that cost money and for various budgets. I will indicate how big a budget you need to get started but also the income potential so you can easily find the right option for you.
Consideration #3 – Time frame
When it comes to making money online, a very important aspect is to go into it with the right expectations. That is especially important in terms of how quickly you expect to earn.
There are many scam programs that claim you can start making thousands of pounds right away.
Do NOT believe any program that claims you will become rich overnight.
This is just NOT how making money online really works.
Yes, there are methods where you can start earning right away. But they will usually give limited earning options.
If you just want a bit of side cash, these methods are the best (I will also include these on the list below). But if your goal is to build a long-term sustainable income online you can live from, then it will take some time.
It is impossible to say exactly how long as it depends on your chosen method and your effort.
But you just need to be aware that to make real money online in the UK is definitely possible but it will not happen without effort and a bit of time to learn the skills and build up your business.
Consideration #4 – Your ambitions
This last point is closely connected to the others above as it all needs to fit together for you to succeed.
I sometimes hear people say they want to make £10,000 per month and they are willing to work 3 hours per week and not invest anything. And sometimes then even want this to happen within a month and if not they want to give up.
This is just not realistic. The ambitions need to fit everything else.
It is like any other business – it takes some time and effort to build it up. But online it can, however, be done extremely cheap and it can give extreme freedom.
But that it is online does NOT mean it will just happen automatically and overnight.
So to succeed, you just need to make sure your goals and ambitions fit together with your time frame and budget.
With that out of the way, let’s now get to the best way to get started.
7 REAL ways to make money online in the UK
Below you can find 7 legit and REALISTIC ways to start making money online from the UK.
I know it is not as long as some of the lists you can find online but instead of trying to make it as long as possible, I have focused on only listing the best methods that you can easily get started with.
It is not as such in a prioritized order the methods are in as the best method for you depends on the points explained earlier.
So take that into consideration when going over the list so you can find the ideal solution for you no matter your interests, budget, time frame, and goals.
The budget needed to get started and the income potential are marked with 1-5 pound signs (1 being the lowest).
Overview of methods
Method #1 – Affiliate marketing
Budget to get started: ££
Income potential: £££££
Top recommended way to get started: Wealthy Affiliate
Quick overview:
Affiliate marketing is, in my experience, one of the most ideal ways to start an online business if your goal is to create a full-time income online but want to get started for a fairly low cost.
In short, affiliate marketing is a way where you can promote other people’s products or services and earn commissions this way. So you do not have to create your own products or anything like this which makes it ideal for beginners as well as more experienced.
A great thing about affiliate marketing is that you can work with a topic you are passionate about and start earning this way. And if you live in the UK, you are lucky since all the best affiliate marketing platforms and the best training to get started are in English.
Method #2 – Video marketing
Budget to get started: ££
Income potential: £££££
Top recommended way to get started: Video Marketing Insider
Quick overview:
If you like video, this can be a great source of income online as more and more people consume video every day. And if you live in the UK and can create videos in English, you have a huge audience so it has a huge potential.
There are many ways video can be used to generate an income. It can be to, for example, combine it with affiliate marketing, it can be solely by having a YouTube channel, it can be used to promote a local business, or you can start selling your services to other people, and more.
Video marketing might sound technical but it is actually something anyone can learn. And you can even create an income without ever appearing on camera yourself if you prefer not to.
Method #3 – Amazon FBA business
Budget to get started: ££££
Income potential: £££££
Top recommended way to get started: Amazing Selling Machine
Quick overview:
As you probably know, Amazon is a giant when it comes to selling physical products online. And there are A LOT of money to be made by selling through Amazon – and it is actually easier than you would think if you learn to do it through what is called Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon).
In short, it is a business model where you learn to find products that people want to buy on Amazon but that does not have too much competition. You then outsource the creation of these products and have them shipped to Amazon that will take care of the storing and shipping.
It might sound complicated but there are some great courses created by people that have years of experience that teaches everything step-by-step. Again, it is an advantage that you live in the UK as the best courses are in English. But once your business is up and running, you can run it from anywhere.
Method #4 – Learn paid traffic
Budget to get started: £££
Income potential: £££££
Top recommended way to get started: Paid Traffic Training
Quick overview:
One of the biggest challenges for any business that has an online presence is to get enough quality traffic that can be converted into sales.
If you learn to master paid traffic, you will be able to send traffic on-demand to any business you want to run yourself, or you can sell your services to other businesses. People are willing to pay a lot if you know what you are doing – not only in the UK but since it is online you would be able to sell your services worldwide if you want to.
It can be a fast way to see results if learn to master it, as paid traffic can give instant results once you know how to use it properly. But it is not for everyone.
It does take some analytical skills or at least interest in learning to analyze data and optimizing based on this. And it does take some budget to test before you crack the code to make it work. If you have this interest and budget, there are some great courses in English that can teach you all the details.
Method #5 – Become a transcriptionist
Budget to get started: £
Income potential: £££
Top recommended way to get started: Learn how to become a transcriptionist
Quick overview:
If you like writing, it is possible to start making money online from home in the UK by becoming a transcriptionist. In fact, there are quite a lot of companies that are looking for natural English-speaking people to help them with transcribing.
In theory, you can get started with this for free if you find people that want to hire you without experience. But if you have no previous experience, it might be worth investing a bit in taking a short course to become a professional transcriptionist as this will make it easier to get jobs and you will also be able to get a higher rate per hour.
It can be a great and easy way to make money online if you like writing and it is potentially possible to make a full-time income like this with practice. But it does not have the same income potential as the other methods mentioned above – however, you will be able to start generating income faster.
Method #6 – Paid surveys
Budget to get started: No budget needed
Income potential: £
Top recommended way to get started: See the best paid survey sites in the UK
Quick overview:
If you have heard about making money online, you have likely also heard that it is possible to make money by taking paid surveys.
There are many misconceptions about paid surveys and often you will see people are either too overly positive or too overly negative. The reality is that it is possible to make money online by taking surveys in the UK. But it will only be possible for you to make a bit of side income like this.
If that is what you want, paid surveys are the best option as you can start earning right away and there is no cost to get started at all. But you have to do it with the right expectations and know it will NOT give you a high hourly rate and you will not be able to create anything close to a full-time income.
If your goal is to make a full-time income online, you need to use some of the other methods on this list instead.
Method #7 – Become an online freelancer
Budget to get started: No budget needed
Income potential: ££
Top recommended way to get started: Fiverr
Quick overview:
There are many online freelance portals you can join for free and then sell your services. This can be many different kinds of services like writing articles, photo editing, designing, voice-over, programming, legal consultancy, flyer distribution, and much more.
Almost no matter your skills, you can find jobs you can do on freelance portals. And natural English speakers from the UK are in high demand for certain jobs.
However, you need to be aware that it is not as easy to get started as it sounds. There is A LOT of competition on these platforms so it can take some patience to get any jobs. Also, it takes time before you start building up a positive reputation and get consistent jobs.
So it can be a free way to get started but with the effort, you need to put in, in relation to the potential income you can get out, there might be other methods on this list that are better to focus on depending on your goals and skills.
Final thoughts
No doubt there are plenty of legit and real ways to make money online in the UK.
Some methods take a bit longer to get started with but they usually also have a bigger return once you get it going.
Other methods make it possible for you to start earning right away.
But in general, you just need to make sure what your goals are when it comes to creating an online income. It is easy to just start making a bit of side cash – you can do this already today.
However, if you want to build a full-time income, this is definitely also possible and it is something you can learn no matter your background and previous experience.
The most important thing is to go into it with the right expectations and be willing to make the effort required to achieve your goals – and make sure your goals are aligned with your budget and the time you are willing to put in. If that is the case, you can definitely succeed online.
I hope this article and list has helped you find the best option for YOU. If you have any comments, questions, or have any experiences with making money online in the UK yourself, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.
