Money from the web without working 24/7? Passive income sources on the Internet worth testing

You don’t have to be an influencer or a developer to have passive income from the internet. Nowadays, there are more options than ever – from selling digital products to affiliation, automation, and investments. In this post, we’ll show you how to earn passively on the internet without the hype, without a million to start, and without the paralyzing risk. Everything is easygoing but precise – with examples, real numbers, and ideas you can implement right away.

Passive Earning Through the Internet – Digital Products That Sell Themselves – E-book, Course or Template?

Let’s start with the most classic model that fits everyone: create something once, sell it endlessly. Sounds simple? That’s how it works. If you have expertise in a specific field – from dietetics to time management to managing a home budget – you can put it on paper (well, into a PDF) and offer it as a e-book, online course, or ready-made template. There are countless opportunities: platforms like WebToLearn, Kurs Zone, Patronite Courses or RefSpace allow you to publish your own products without a company, logistics, or risk.

This is passive earning through the Internet, which works best for systematic people. First you create, then you promote, and later you can sleep peacefully, because sales continue independent of your presence. Importantly: such an e-book doesn’t have to be 300 pages long. Something specific in a niche works better than an encyclopedia for everyone. And sales start faster than you think – just a few recommendations on Insta or TikTok. The stats? Courses priced at 59–99 PLN sell best and have the highest purchase rate on the first click.

Affiliation as Passive Income – How to Recommend and Earn, Even If You Don’t Have a Blog?

Affiliation is one of the oldest yet most universal models of passive income. But it’s not about pasting random links on forums, it’s about conscientious recommending of products you use yourself or truly know. In 2025, affiliate programs are not just Amazon or Allegro – platforms like Empik Partner, Ceneo, or RefSpace have joined in, where you can generate links without a site and start earning right away.

Importantly: you don’t need your own community. It’s enough to know how to describe a product well in a comment, TikTok, or Instagram story. The key is authenticity and fit – you don’t share a washing machine link if you haven’t recorded any material about it before. And yes: affiliation also works as a passive income source – if you create evergreen content (e.g., “best gifts for a 10-year-old”), you can earn from it for months. Average commission? From 3 to even 25%, depending on the category.

Ads That Work for You – Blog, YouTube, and Google AdSense

For many creators, ads constitute the first passive income that yields tangible results. If you have a blog with organic traffic or a YouTube channel, you can grab a share of the profits from ads appearing alongside your content. Google AdSense, Ezoic, Mediavine – are platforms that settle with you for every thousand views or clicks.

You won’t earn right away here, but if you build regular traffic (e.g., 20–30 thousand UU monthly on a blog), you can count on a few hundred PLN passively – without publishing new entries. YouTube? Depending on the niche, the average RPM is 5–15 PLN, but in finance sectors, it can reach up to 60 PLN per 1000 views. It’s worth it if you like creating something once with a chance for regular views from Google or YouTube. And it’s worth combining with other methods to build a solid passive income cushion.

How to earn passively online? Dropshipping on autopilot – a store without inventory and stress

In the past, you had to order goods from AliExpress, juggle shipping, and find a trusted supplier. Today, passive earning online through dropshipping looks entirely different. Thanks to platforms like RefSpace Shopify with Oberlo app, or the Polish RedCart, you can run a store without having inventory or logistics on your side. You focus on product selection, the store’s appearance, and promotion – the rest takes care of itself.

This is a solution for those who want to enter sales but lack resources, start-up cash, or the strength to pack parcels. Importantly, you don’t need to have a business until you exceed the income threshold. The model works great if you have a community or know how to advertise. The average margin in dropshipping is 10–30%, but in some niches, it reaches 50%. If you’re looking for a way to earn passive income without bureaucracy, this is the perfect starting point.

Money from investments? ETFs, crowdfunding, and staking to start

Not everyone feels confident in creating content or sales, which is why for some people, passive earning through the internet will mean investing. ETFs are a great example: you buy once, and from time to time, dividends come in, or the investment’s value increases (depending on whether they are dividend ETFs or accumulating ones). Platforms like XTB, Trading 212, or eToro allow entry without commission, even from 10 PLN. Equity crowdfunding (e.g., Crowdway) allows you to invest in startups and food brands – and partake in their success.

On the other hand, staking is a passive model in the world of cryptocurrencies – for holding a given token, you receive rewards without the need for trading. Of course, each of these options carries risk, but if you’re looking for something that genuinely generates income without your time, it’s worth spending a few evenings on education. Data? The average dividend in distributing ETFs is about 2–4% annually, and with index growth, the profits can be much greater.

Stock photos and mobile apps – easy passive income

If you have a knack for photos, sounds, or graphics, stocks can provide you with stable passive income without client engagement. Upload your works to platforms like Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, or AudioJungle, and you’ll earn a few dollars or euros for each download. Initially, it’s not much – but if you upload 100–200 materials, the scale starts to take effect.

Additionally, there are mobile applications: simple educational apps, quizzes, planners – even if you’re not a programmer, you can commission them cheaply on Fiverr or use ready-made creators. Then monetize through ads or micropayments. It’s also a form of work via the internet without investing a lot of time at later stages, as once the materials are created, they work as long as they’re relevant. Canva serves as a good example – many people sell ready-made CV templates, planners, or presentations through gumroad or Etsy, and these files earn money for months.

Automation is not a trend – it’s the foundation of passive income online

If you’re seriously thinking about how to earn passively online, you need to start getting interested in automation. The truth is, even the best passive model won’t last long if you do everything manually. Tools like Make, Zapier, Notion, MailerLite or even AI in Canva allow you to set processes once and not touch them for weeks. Automated sending of e-books, course access messages, invoices, or payment reminders – all of this can be automated in 1–2 days.

This is truly passive income online, which doesn’t rely on “waiting for a miracle,” but on a well-thought-out structure. Even if you only have one product, one channel, and a small community – you can set everything up so it doesn’t consume your day. Research shows that creators who implemented at least 3 automated processes increased their income by an average of 42% annually. And that’s just the beginning.

RefSpace – if you want to sell other people’s products and get paid for it

RefSpace is a platform that combines affiliation, dropshipping, and own products in one. It sounds unconventional, but it works surprisingly well – especially if you don’t have a budget to start or a knack for technicalities. You can set up your own Space, which is a simple store with other people’s products (provided by brands), upload your own e-book, and then just promote it on your channels. You don’t pay for the platform, don’t stock products, don’t issue invoices.

It’s one of the more interesting ways to earn passive income, because once you set up the store, it keeps running – and you receive a commission from every sale, even if you’re offline. The system tracks clicks, commissions, and orders, and you can see everything in the panel. Thanks to this, RefSpace works excellently, for example, as a link in bio, a banner in the description on YouTube, or a reference in an e-book. No fees, full control, and a passive income source ready to go in 30 minutes.