awesome-project500， 程序员的副业

 

project500.dev

 

Awesome Project $500+

A curated list of real-world side projects and indie products
that make $500+/month, collected from Hacker News.

Data source:
All projects in this list come from the Hacker News discussion:
👉 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46307973

This repository does not claim authorship of any project.
I simply collected, cleaned, and organized the publicly shared information
into a structured, year-by-year awesome list for easier browsing and inspiration.

Inspired by the classic awesome-xxx lists.

---

2025

• JustFax Online
  One-time payment online fax service consistently grossing over €500/month.
  🔗 https://justfaxonline.com/

• Deadchefssociety
  Monthly ethnic cuisine dinner club collaborating with local restaurants.
  🔗 https://www.deadchefssociety.com/

• IronCalc
  Spreadsheet-like open-source project primarily funded through grants.
  🔗 https://www.ironcalc.com/

• Soundreads
  Audiobook streaming platform focused on public-domain classics.
  🔗 https://soundreads.io/

• Simple Machines Made Simple
  Educational book projects including a successful Kickstarter launch.
  🔗 https://hackylabs.com/

• NotebookLM Web Importer
  Chrome extension for one-click importing webpages into NotebookLM.
  🔗 https://notebooklm-web-importer.com/

• DedupX
  macOS app for fast detection of duplicate and visually similar files.
  🔗 https://maheepk.net/projects/dedupx/

• Clues by Sam
  Daily logic puzzle game monetized via paid puzzle packs.
  🔗 https://cluesbysam.com/

• DbPro
  Modern local-first desktop database client that crossed $1k MRR shortly after launch.
  🔗 https://dbpro.app/

• Videohubapp
  Video organization app for local and network drives with steady monthly sales.
  🔗 https://videohubapp.com/

• Dave Bot
  AI SaaS platform for generating images, videos, music, and 3D assets.
  🔗 https://dave-bot.com/

• Canine
  Kubernetes platform that turns clusters into a Heroku-like PaaS.
  🔗 https://canine.sh/

• OnlineOrNot
  Website, API, and cron-job uptime monitoring service.
  🔗 https://onlineornot.com/

• Logicgat
  Educational platform designed to teach logic gates through hands-on interaction.
  🔗 https://logicgat.es/

• Etsy (Little Lantern Shop)
  Digital sewing pattern business built on Etsy.
  🔗 https://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleLanternShop

• Dreamandcolor
  AI-powered photo-to-coloring-page generator for parents and educators.
  🔗 https://dreamandcolor.com/

• Escape Team
  Mobile escape-room puzzle game with steady iOS and Android revenue.
  🔗 https://www.escape-team.com/

• AliveAI
  AI image and video generator with uncensored content support.
  🔗 https://aliveai.app/

• Humadroid
  AI-assisted SOC 2 & ISO 27001 compliance platform for small teams.
  🔗 https://humadroid.io/

• Hackernewsletter
  Long-running tech newsletter with sponsor-based revenue.
  🔗 https://hackernewsletter.com/

• Fivethreeone
  Weightlifting app based on the 5/3/1 training methodology.
  🔗 https://fivethreeone.app/

• Cadence: Guitar Theory
  Guitar learning app focused on music theory.
  🔗 https://cadenceguitar.com/

• BudgetSheet
  Spreadsheet-based personal finance tool averaging ~$6k MRR.
  🔗 https://www.budgetsheet.com/

• Stationdisplay
  Public transportation departure board system for Switzerland.
  🔗 https://stationdisplay.com/

• Shepherd
  Book discovery platform based on author-curated recommendations.
  🔗 https://shepherd.com/

• Leetarxiv
  Educational Substack translating advanced math papers into code.
  🔗 https://leetarxiv.substack.com/

• Repth
  AI-powered cycling coach originally built during early GPT-3.5 days.
  🔗 https://www.repth.com/

• Mergecal
  Django-based service that merges multiple iCal feeds into one.
  🔗 https://mergecal.org/

• Manabi Reader
  Japanese reading and language-learning app sustaining full-time work.
  🔗 https://reader.manabi.io/

---

2024

• Lightnote
  Interactive music theory course with long-term recurring revenue.
  🔗 https://www.lightnote.co/

• FreeSolitaire
  Minimalist Solitaire PWA earning steady advertising revenue.
  🔗 https://freesolitaire.win/

• Pastmaps
  Historical maps platform with 185k+ georeferenced maps.
  🔗 https://pastmaps.com/

• Lulim Jewelry
  Custom 3D-printed jewelry business built on Etsy and Shopify.

• Aptakube
  Desktop Kubernetes UI that quickly became a full-time business.
  🔗 https://aptakube.com/

• RankPic
  Crowd-powered photo ranking app monetized via subscriptions.
  🔗 https://www.rankpic.info/

• ExploreHere
  Location-based history discovery app with push notifications.
  🔗 https://explorehere.app/

• BlueRetro
  Open-source Bluetooth controller adapter with hardware sales.
  🔗 https://github.com/darthcloud/BlueRetro

• NanaGram
  Photo-to-text monthly print service for grandparents.

• UnlistedJobs
  Job scraping platform sourcing roles directly from company websites.
  🔗 https://www.unlistedjobs.com/

• Sink It for Reddit
  Browser extension improving Reddit usability across designs.
  🔗 https://gosinkit.com/

• Heliographe
  Photography software for Apple platforms with App Store revenue.
  🔗 https://heliographe.net/

• Archive (Poker)
  Live Texas Hold’em poker as a consistent income source.

• FoxEV
  Open-source EV drivetrain conversion tools with paid consulting.
  🔗 https://foxev.io/batteries

• SmoothTrack
  Head-tracking app for flight and simulation games.
  🔗 https://smoothtrack.app/

• Leetcodewizard
  Invisible interview-assistance Electron app generating ~$15k/month.
  🔗 https://leetcodewizard.io/

• The Greatest Books
  Massive book-ranking website monetized via ads and memberships.
  🔗 https://thegreatestbooks.org/

• PinkPigeon
  Lightweight CMS built as an alternative to WordPress and Wix.
  🔗 https://pinkpigeon.co.uk/

• Audiala
  Audioguide app for historical and touristic locations.
  🔗 https://audiala.com/

• Cophone
  Cloud-based Android smartphone accessible through a browser.
  🔗 https://cophone.io/

• Studio Zenkai (Airbnb)
  Remote-operated Airbnb cabin business with smart automation.
  🔗 https://studiozenkai.com/

• Check
  iOS app for sending physical checks via a modern payment flow.
  🔗 https://check.supply/

• Mockoon
  Open-source API mocking tool with sustainable monetization.
  🔗 https://mockoon.com/

• ScrapeNinja
  Web scraping API with proxy and rendering infrastructure.
  🔗 https://scrapeninja.net/

---

2023

• Label.live
  Live labeling platform that scaled from $500/month to four-figure daily revenue.
  🔗 https://label.live/

• OnlineOrNot
  Website uptime monitoring with APIs, cron jobs, and status pages.
  🔗 https://onlineornot.com/

• ScreenPrices
  Monitor comparison and price tracking website.
  🔗 https://www.screenprices.info/

• Refined GitHub
  Browser extension improving GitHub’s interface and workflow.
  🔗 https://github.com/refined-github/refined-github

• Fundedlist
  Lead generation service tracking newly funded companies.
  🔗 https://www.fundedlist.com/

• ScreenMemory
  macOS screen memory utility.
  🔗 https://screenmemory.app/

• T3X
  Programming and computer science books generating sales revenue.
  🔗 http://t3x.org/

• Web to App
  Service converting websites into mobile applications.
  🔗 https://webtoapp.design/

• ChatGPT Writer
  Freemium ChatGPT browser extension that reached ~$7k MRR.
  🔗 https://chatgptwriter.ai/

• Stratospheric
  Ebook and platform about deploying Spring Boot apps on AWS.
  🔗 https://stratospheric.dev/

• Blackslate
  Technology journal covering open source, AI, and cloud topics.
  🔗 https://www.blackslate.io/articles

---

2022

• KTool
  Service that forwards web articles, newsletters, and RSS feeds directly to Kindle.
  🔗 https://ktool.io/

• MessageDuck
  SMS-based data marketing platform built to address gaps in existing solutions.
  🔗 https://www.messageduck.com/

• OnlineOrNot
  Hosted status pages with built-in uptime monitoring.
  🔗 https://onlineornot.com/

• Junior to Senior
  Book and newsletter helping software engineers grow from junior to senior roles, averaging $500+/month in sales.
  🔗 https://www.holloway.com/b/junior-to-senior

• Velomapa
  Cycling-focused website in Poland featuring routes, races, and community content.
  🔗 https://velomapa.pl/

• Checkvisaslots
  Chrome extension and platform helping visa applicants track and share slot availability.
  🔗 https://checkvisaslots.com/

• Gaintrain
  Meal planning app designed to help users optimize muscle gain.
  🔗 https://gaintrainapp.com/

• Vlad Studio
  Long-running digital art and wallpaper subscription business generating ~$500/month.
  🔗 https://vlad.studio/

• Undisclosed Tool
  A long-running web tool that generated ~$5k/month before being shut down after 8 years.

• Mailsac
  Disposable email service for QA and development teams, running for over a decade.
  🔗 https://mailsac.com/

• Pepchecker
  API and dashboard for monitoring politically exposed persons and sanctions.
  🔗 https://pepchecker.com/

• MesoSim
  Advanced options trading backtesting platform for SPX, BTC, and ETH derivatives.
  🔗 https://portal.deltaray.io/

• Sleeve
  macOS “Now Playing” desktop accessory app averaging around $700/month.
  🔗 https://replay.software/sleeve

• Validbot
  Automated website configuration testing and monitoring platform.
  🔗 https://www.validbot.com/

• Inveester
  Stock portfolio tracking mobile app focused on dividends and passive income.
  🔗 https://www.inveester.com/

• Breeze Order Manager
  Batch PayPal order printing tool running for over 7 years.
  🔗 http://breeze.humbersoft.ca/

• Deltaoutpost
  Private Ethereum node hosting service generating ~$2k MRR.
  🔗 https://deltaoutpost.io/

   

  from  https://github.com/MichaelYuhe/awesome-project500