Startup ideas · September 2026

Startup Ideas That Already Make Money

Each of these 127 ideas is backed by a real startup earning at least $1,000 a month, with revenue read straight from its payment provider. We went through all 9,063 startups listed on TrustMRR and kept the ones a small team could build its own version of.

9,063startups checked

1,170earn $1k+ a month

127ideas written up

Showing 127 of 127 ideas

  1. AI Tools · B2B

    AI Sales CRM for Insurance Agencies

    Follows up with insurance leads by phone, text and email using AI, and keeps every contact in a CRM built for agencies. Agents spend less time chasing prospects by hand.

    Who paysIndependent insurance agencies and their sales teams

    Orion AI Solutions Inc.$50k/mo verified
  2. AI Tools · B2B

    Mockup and Quote Builder for Sign Shops

    Drafts design mockups and job bids for sign companies. Shops send quotes faster without spending hours in design software for every request.

    Who paysSign makers and signage installation companies

    Vuely, Inc.$21k/mo verified
  3. AI Tools · B2B

    Live Sermon Translation for Churches

    Translates a church service or Christian event into many languages in real time, billed by the hour. Congregations with members who speak other languages can follow along without hiring interpreters.

    Who paysChurches and organizers of Christian events

    Glossa.live$12k/mo verified
  4. AI Tools · B2B

    SOC 2 and ISO 27001 Compliance Autopilot

    Guides a company through getting certified for security frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Startups buy it because enterprise customers ask for the certificate before they sign.

    Who paysB2B software startups selling to larger companies

    Comp AI$12k/mo verified
  5. AI Tools · B2B

    Sketch-to-Render Tool for Architects

    Turns an architect's sketch or design file into a photorealistic render in the cloud. Firms show clients a finished look without waiting on a rendering specialist.

    Who paysArchitecture studios and freelance architects

    Visualizee.ai$8.2k/mo verified
  6. AI Tools · B2B

    AI Phone Receptionist for Small Businesses

    Answers a company's incoming calls with an AI voice assistant. Businesses stop missing calls when the front desk is busy or closed.

    Who paysSmall and mid-sized businesses in German-speaking markets

    voisa.ai$7.1k/mo verified
  7. AI Tools · B2B

    Patent Drawing Generator for Attorneys

    Takes a patent draft and returns technical drawings ready for filing. Inventors and attorneys skip commissioning a patent illustrator for every application.

    Who paysPatent attorneys and independent inventors

    PatentFig$2.8k/mo verified
  8. AI Tools · B2B

    Sales Platform for Roofing Contractors

    Measures roofs, tracks door-knocking leads and produces insurance-ready estimates. Roofing crews run their sales process from one app.

    Who paysResidential roofing companies

    Rooftops AI$1k/mo verified
  9. AI Tools · B2B

    Government Tender Alerts by Product Code

    Watches a country's public procurement portal and alerts a company the moment a tender matches its product codes or keywords. Suppliers bid on contracts they would otherwise miss.

    Who paysCompanies that sell to government agencies

    Elevum Group$1.7k/mo verified
  10. AI Tools · B2C

    Long Video Repurposing for Small Businesses

    Cuts a long video into posts for every major social platform and publishes them. Small businesses get weeks of content out of one recording.

    Who paysSmall businesses that publish long-form video

    Taja AI$15k/mo verified
  11. AI Tools · B2B + B2C

    Caption and Dubbing Tool for Short-Form Creators

    Adds captions, translations and dubbed audio to TikToks, Reels and Shorts. Creators reach viewers in other languages without re-recording.

    Who paysShort-form video creators growing an international audience

    TranslateMom$4k/mo verified
  12. AI Tools · B2B

    AI Inbox for Social Comments and DMs

    Pulls comments, ad comments and DMs from Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook into one inbox. An AI trained on the brand replies in its voice.

    Who paysBrands and creators with busy social accounts

    Blabla$9k/mo verified
  13. AI Tools · B2C

    Virtual Haircut and Hair Color Preview

    Shows how you would look with a new cut or hair color before you book the salon. People pay to avoid a haircut they regret.

    Who paysPeople planning a big hair change

    Hairly AI$14k/mo verified
  14. AI Tools · B2C

    Food Label Scanner for Ingredient Avoiders

    Scan a food label and see if it has the ingredients you avoid, such as seed oils or added sugar. Shoppers decide in the aisle instead of reading fine print.

    Who paysHealth-conscious grocery shoppers

    Goodie AI$13k/mo verified
  15. AI Tools · B2C

    Handwritten Notes to Quiz Generator

    Photograph your handwritten class notes and get a quiz built from them. Students study by testing themselves on their own material.

    Who paysHigh school and college students

    SnapTest$13k/mo verified
  16. AI Tools · B2C

    Camera-Based Boxing Coach App

    Uses the phone camera to track punches and give live feedback on technique during guided workouts. Boxers train at home with a coach in their pocket.

    Who paysHome boxing and fitness enthusiasts with an iPhone

    Boxer AI$7.2k/mo verified
  17. AI Tools · B2B

    Open-Source API Gateway for LLMs

    Sits between an app and several LLM providers, routing each request through one API. Developers switch models or providers without rewriting their code.

    Who paysEngineering teams shipping LLM features

    LLM Gateway$79k/mo verified
  18. AI Tools · B2C

    Token Bill Reducer for AI Coding Agents

    Runs in the menu bar and trims what gets sent to Claude Code and Codex by removing prompt bloat and compressing documents. Heavy users pay less for the same work.

    Who paysDevelopers with large AI coding assistant bills

    Headroom$1.3k/mo verified
  19. AI Tools · B2B

    Text-to-Animation for Game Characters

    Generates character animation that drops into a game engine, from a text prompt or a reference video. Indie studios skip booking a motion-capture session.

    Who paysIndie game developers and small game studios

    NOCAPMOCAP$2.2k/mo verified
  20. SaaS · B2C

    Coding Interview Practice Platform

    Gives job seekers coding and system design problems to practice before technical interviews. People pay because a better interview can mean a better offer.

    Who paysSoftware engineers preparing for technical job interviews

    Hack2hire$46k/mo verified
  21. SaaS · B2B

    Booking and Payments Software for Therapists

    Lets therapists and psychologists take bookings, sell session packages and collect payments in one place. Clients get their own portal, and the practice can put its own brand on it.

    Who paysTherapists, psychologists and small service businesses

    Calendesk$22k/mo verified
  22. SaaS · B2B

    Employee-Attributed Google Review Collector

    Hands each staff member a QR code that customers scan to leave a Google review. Every review is credited to an employee, so managers can run team challenges to get more of them.

    Who paysLocal businesses with customer-facing staff

    MyFrank$10k/mo verified
  23. SaaS · B2B

    Multi-Channel Listing and Order Manager

    Manages product listings, orders and inventory across Etsy, Amazon, TikTok and Shopify from one dashboard. Sellers pay to stop repeating the same updates on every store.

    Who paysOnline sellers running shops on several marketplaces

    DodgePrint$7.3k/mo verified
  24. SaaS · B2B

    Employee Recognition Bot for Slack

    Runs peer recognition and rewards inside Slack and Microsoft Teams, where the team already talks. Companies buy it to make thanking coworkers a daily habit.

    Who paysHR and team leads at companies using Slack or Teams

    Karma$6.1k/mo verified
  25. SaaS · B2B

    Compliance Software for Adult Day Care

    Helps adult day care centers and waiver agencies keep documentation ready for audits and get claims paid faster. Staff spend less time on paperwork.

    Who paysAdult day care centers and HCBS waiver agencies

    One Care Portal$5k/mo verified
  26. SaaS · B2B

    Business Software for Pet Sitters

    Organizes bookings, clients and visits for pet sitters and dog walkers who were running everything from spreadsheets and text threads.

    Who paysSolo and small-team pet sitters and dog walkers

    Scritches$5.1k/mo verified
  27. SaaS · B2B + B2C

    AI-Built Site to WordPress Converter

    Converts sites built with Lovable, Cursor, v0 or Replit into production WordPress sites that keep the original design.

    Who paysFreelancers and founders who built sites with AI tools

  28. SaaS · B2B

    Referral Program Add-On for SaaS

    Adds a referral and affiliate program to an existing SaaS product without building one in-house. Founders use it to get customers bringing in new customers.

    Who paysSaaS founders who want referral or affiliate growth

    Refgrow$2.4k/mo verified
  29. SaaS · B2B

    All-in-One Software for Repair Shops

    Handles repair tickets, quotes, invoices, stock, point of sale and online booking for phone, computer, appliance and bike repair shops. Customers get automatic updates on their repair.

    Who paysIndependent repair shop owners

    MON ATELIER$2.3k/mo verified
  30. SaaS · B2B

    Cloud Takeoff and Estimating for Contractors

    Contractors upload construction plans, measure quantities on screen and build estimates in the browser. It replaces printed plans and manual takeoff work.

    Who paysConstruction contractors who bid on projects

    Bedrock Estimating$1.9k/mo verified
  31. SaaS · B2B

    Lead Follow-Up CRM for Gyms

    Sends gym staff a push notification seconds after a new lead comes in, so nobody gets called back days later. It also tracks trial bookings through the sales process.

    Who paysGym owners and their front-desk sales staff

    ONPUSH$1.1k/mo verified
  32. Marketing and Sales · B2B

    AI Agent That Runs Paid Ad Campaigns

    Manages ad accounts across Google, Meta and LinkedIn from one place. Founders and small marketing teams pay so they can run campaigns without hiring a media buyer.

    Who paysFounders, marketers and agencies running paid ads

    Adspirer$55k/mo verified
  33. Marketing and Sales · B2B

    AI Visibility Tracker for Brands

    Tracks how a brand shows up in answers from AI chatbots and AI search. Marketing teams pay to see where they appear and what to change so they get mentioned more.

    Who paysBrands, agencies and publishers

    Peekaboo$44k/mo verified
  34. Marketing and Sales · B2B

    Facebook Group Lead Finder for Service Businesses

    Watches Facebook groups for posts where people ask for a service and puts the business in front of them. Owners pay for warm leads who already said they need help.

    Who paysLocal and online service businesses

    Groups Watcher$24k/mo verified
  35. Marketing and Sales · B2B

    Finds reporters and editors looking for sources, then drafts the replies. SEO teams pay because each accepted pitch can turn into a link from a news or editorial site.

    Who paysSEO agencies, founders and in-house SEO teams

    Backlinker AI$22k/mo verified
  36. Marketing and Sales · B2B

    Auto-Apply Tool for Upwork Freelancers

    Writes and sends proposals to new Upwork jobs on the freelancer's behalf. Freelancers pay to win more contracts without spending hours on applications every day.

    Who paysFreelancers and small agencies selling on Upwork

    Lancer.app$21k/mo verified
  37. Marketing and Sales · B2B

    LinkedIn Comment-to-DM Lead Magnet Automation

    Sends a direct message with the promised resource to everyone who comments on a LinkedIn post. Creators and B2B sellers pay to turn post engagement into leads without replying by hand.

    Who paysB2B founders and consultants posting on LinkedIn

    LeadShark$21k/mo verified
  38. Marketing and Sales · B2B

    Google Maps Ranking Tool for Local Businesses

    Keeps business listings updated and tracks where the business ranks on Google Maps. Owners pay because showing up in local map results brings walk-ins and calls.

    Who paysSmall and medium local businesses

    Local SEO Bot$12k/mo verified
  39. Marketing and Sales · B2B

    App Store Keyword and Rank Tracker

    Gives app makers keyword research, rank tracking and competitor analysis for the app stores. Developers subscribe to get found in store search without paying for installs.

    Who paysMobile app developers and app marketing teams

    Sonar - ASO tool$4.5k/mo verified
  40. Marketing and Sales · B2B

    WhatsApp Agent That Books Ad Leads

    Messages people who filled out a Meta ad form on WhatsApp, qualifies them and books an appointment. Advertisers pay so leads get a reply before they go cold.

    Who paysBusinesses that generate leads with Meta Ads

    Formlyy$3.7k/mo verified
  41. Marketing and Sales · B2B

    Bulk Ad Creative Uploader for Meta Ads

    Uploads hundreds of ad creatives to Meta in one go and adds AI copywriting on top. Media buyers pay to skip a slow manual workflow the native tools handle poorly.

    Who paysMeta Ads media buyers, agencies and consultants

    Apogee$3.4k/mo verified
  42. Marketing and Sales · B2B + B2C

    Email Signature Manager for Teams

    Creates branded email signatures and keeps them consistent across a team. Companies pay so every outgoing email looks the same without each person building their own.

    Who paysTeams and individual professionals who send business email

    SyncSignature$2.4k/mo verified
  43. Marketing and Sales · B2B

    Onboarding and Sales Bot for Paid Discords

    Greets each new member of a paid Discord community and guides them from the moment they join. Community owners pay so new members get walked through the server instead of figuring it out alone.

    Who paysOwners of paid Discord communities

    SalesGenie$1.5k/mo verified
  44. Marketing and Sales · B2B

    Cold Email to Newly Registered Businesses

    Pulls newly registered businesses each day, verifies their contacts and emails them automatically. Sellers pay to reach new companies before competitors do.

    Who paysB2B sellers whose customers are brand-new businesses

    dayonelead$1.2k/mo verified
  45. Marketing and Sales · B2B

    Google Docs to CMS Publisher

    Publishes a Google Doc straight to WordPress, Contentful and other CMSs with formatting intact. Content teams pay to stop fixing broken layouts after every paste.

    Who paysDigital publishers and content marketing agencies

    Docswrite$1k/mo verified
  46. Creators and Social Media · B2B + B2C

    Cross-Posting Tool for Social Media

    Publishes one piece of content to several social platforms at the same time from a single dashboard. Creators pay to stop uploading the same post over and over.

    Who paysCreators and small brands posting on many platforms

    POST BRIDGE$50k/mo verified
  47. Creators and Social Media · B2C

    Builds a customizable link page for a creator's profile and adds links from Instagram posts automatically. Click tracking shows which links the audience actually uses.

    Who paysInstagram creators and personal brands

    Liinks$32k/mo verified
  48. Creators and Social Media · B2B

    Social Media Manager for Self-Published Authors

    Handles social media posting for indie authors so they can promote their books without learning marketing. Authors pay to keep a steady presence while they write.

    Who paysSelf-publishing authors

    Marky$26k/mo verified
  49. Creators and Social Media · B2C

    Voice Notes to Social Posts App

    Turns a spoken voice recording into social media posts and video scripts. Busy creators pay because talking through an idea is faster than writing it.

    Who paysCreators, entrepreneurs and experts who post regularly

    Draft AI$24k/mo verified
  50. Creators and Social Media · B2C

    Text Prompt to Short Video Generator

    Creates short videos from a text prompt. People running faceless channels pay to publish daily without filming or editing.

    Who paysFaceless TikTok and YouTube Shorts channel owners

    StoryShort$21k/mo verified
  51. Creators and Social Media · B2C

    AI Book Writing Platform for Authors

    Guides an author from idea to finished book, starting from scratch or from an existing draft. Writers pay to finish and publish in far less time.

    Who paysFirst-time and self-publishing authors

    AIWriteBook$13k/mo verified
  52. Creators and Social Media · B2B

    Comment Moderation Tool for Social Accounts

    Filters spam and toxic comments across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and other networks, and helps reply to the rest. Brands pay to protect their pages without someone watching comments all day.

    Who paysBrands and social media managers

    FeedGuardians$8.9k/mo verified
  53. Creators and Social Media · B2C

    Desktop Streaming to Instagram Live

    Lets streamers go live on Instagram from OBS and other streaming software on their computer. They pay to run Instagram streams with the same setup they use everywhere else.

    Who paysStreamers and creators who broadcast on Instagram

    RTMP.IN$6.2k/mo verified
  54. Creators and Social Media · B2C

    Automatic Subtitle Generator for Videos

    Transcribes the audio of an uploaded video and generates captions. Video makers pay so they never type subtitles by hand.

    Who paysVideo creators who publish captioned content

    AutoSubtitles$3.2k/mo verified
  55. Creators and Social Media · B2B

    TikTok Influencer Search for Brands

    Searches a large database of TikTok creators by niche and location and shows real engagement data. Brands pay to pick influencers who actually move sales.

    Who paysE-commerce brands running TikTok influencer campaigns

    Tokfluence$2.3k/mo verified
  56. Creators and Social Media · B2B + B2C

    AI Video Dubbing into Other Languages

    Dubs a video into other languages with AI voices. Creators and companies pay to reach viewers who don't speak the original language without hiring voice actors.

    Who paysCreators and businesses with video audiences abroad

    EasyDubbing$1.1k/mo verified
  57. Creators and Social Media · B2C

    Tweet Screenshot Generator

    Paste a tweet URL and get a clean, formatted image of the post in seconds. Creators pay to share tweets as polished images without cropping screenshots by hand.

    Who paysCreators who repurpose X posts on other platforms

    TwitterShots$1.1k/mo verified
  58. Mobile Apps · B2C

    Breakup Recovery App

    Helps people get over a breakup and stay out of contact with their ex. Users pay for daily support during a hard stretch.

    Who paysPeople going through a recent breakup

    No Contact$21k/mo verified
  59. Mobile Apps · B2C

    Photo-Based Calorie Tracker

    Estimates calories and macros from a photo of a meal. Busy people keep tracking because logging takes seconds instead of typing every ingredient.

    Who paysBusy people trying to watch what they eat

    TrackAI$20k/mo verified
  60. Mobile Apps · B2C

    Selfie Color Analysis App

    Reads a selfie and tells users which seasonal color palette suits them for clothes, makeup and accessories.

    Who paysPeople who want help choosing clothes and makeup colors

    Glamour$10k/mo verified
  61. Mobile Apps · B2C

    Audio Narrator for Party Games

    Narrates Werewolf games with audio so every player at the table can play and nobody has to sit out as the host.

    Who paysFriend groups who play social deduction games

    Werewolf : Undercover$7.7k/mo verified
  62. Mobile Apps · B2C

    Collectible Card Portfolio Tracker

    Shows the live value of every Pokémon card and sealed item in a collection. Collectors watch their collection like a stock portfolio.

    Who paysPokémon card collectors and resellers

    PokeItem$7.6k/mo verified
  63. Mobile Apps · B2C

    Shot Tracer for Golf Videos

    Draws a TV-style ball flight line on golf swing videos shot with a phone. Golfers use it to share and review their shots.

    Who paysAmateur golfers who film their swings

    FairwayFX$4.8k/mo verified
  64. Mobile Apps · B2C

    Development Guide for First-Time Moms

    Walks first-time moms through their child's first six years with a development map, an AI parenting assistant, sleep sounds and a community.

    Who paysFirst-time mothers with babies and young kids

    Willo App$3.7k/mo verified
  65. Mobile Apps · B2C

    Quit Tracker for Nicotine Pouches

    Tracks nicotine pouch use on iOS and Android and helps people cut down until they quit.

    Who paysNicotine pouch users who want to quit

    Quit Nicotine Pouches App$3.5k/mo verified
  66. Mobile Apps · B2C

    Fear of Flying Companion App

    Calms nervous flyers during a flight and works offline. A turbulence forecast shows what to expect along their route before they board.

    Who paysAnxious air travelers

    Steady - Fear of Flying$3.1k/mo verified
  67. Mobile Apps · B2C

    Social Video to Recipe Converter

    Turns cooking videos from Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube into organized recipes users can cook from. It also imports from images or voice and translates recipes.

    Who paysHome cooks who save recipes from social media

    Citron App$1.4k/mo verified
  68. Education · B2C

    AI Conversation Tutor for Language Learners

    Gives learners a tutor to hold real spoken conversations with, picking up vocabulary as they go. Progress is tracked across each skill, so people can see where their speaking improves.

    Who paysAdult language learners who want to speak with confidence

    Verbi$18k/mo verified
  69. Education · B2C

    Gamified App for Underserved Languages

    Teaches Central Asian languages that the big learning apps ignore, using short Duolingo-style lessons. Learners of these languages have few other apps to choose from.

    Who paysLearners of Central Asian languages the big apps skip

    Speak Silq$15k/mo verified
  70. Education · B2C

    Practice Simulator for Game-Based Hiring Tests

    Recreates the HireVue game-based assessments so candidates can rehearse all 11 cognitive, spatial and personality games before the real one. Strategy guides come with the practice rounds.

    Who paysJob candidates facing a HireVue game assessment

    Game Assessment Prep$7k/mo verified
  71. Education · B2C

    Playbook Designer With Auto-Generated Player Quizzes

    Coaches draw offensive football plays, and the tool turns the playbook into quizzes for their players. Teams learn the plays before gameday without extra meeting time.

    Who paysFootball coaches who run an offense

    Play Designer Pro$5.2k/mo verified
  72. Education · B2C

    Instant Essay Checker for English Exam Takers

    Scores an IELTS essay in a couple of minutes and returns a detailed report on weak areas. Test takers pay to practice more often than a human tutor could mark.

    Who paysIELTS candidates preparing for the writing section

    WRITING9$5.1k/mo verified
  73. Education · B2C

    Flashcard-Gated App Blocker for Students

    Locks distracting apps until the user answers a flashcard correctly. Every urge to scroll turns into a short study session.

    Who paysStudents who lose study time to their phone

    Study Guard$3.4k/mo verified
  74. Education · B2B

    Branded Course Platform for Training Companies

    Training businesses and HR teams build, deliver and track branded courses without code. Live classes run through Zoom, with progress and grade reports for each learner.

    Who paysTraining companies and HR teams running internal courses

    Yeira LMS$1.8k/mo verified
  75. Education · B2C

    Citizenship Interview Prep App for Immigrants

    Prepares immigrants for the French naturalization interview and civic exam with structured revision courses. Applicants study on phone or web before a test that decides their citizenship.

    Who paysImmigrants applying for French citizenship

    Francopass$1.6k/mo verified
  76. Education · B2C

    Step-by-Step Clock Reading Game for Kids

    Turns learning to read an analog clock into a playful adventure broken into small steps. Parents pay for one skill their child can practice alone.

    Who paysParents of young children learning to tell time

    I Can Tell Time$1.4k/mo verified
  77. Education · B2C

    Gamified Memorization App for Religious Texts

    Helps Muslims memorize the Quran with game mechanics that bring them back daily to learn and review. Regular review keeps memorized passages from fading.

    Who paysMuslims working to memorize the Quran

    Mathani$1.8k/mo verified
  78. Health and Fitness · B2C

    Training App for Track and Field Athletes

    Builds personalized training for track and field athletes and helps them correct their form. Athletes use it to chase new personal records.

    Who paysTrack and field athletes chasing personal records

    3AK Track & Field$13k/mo verified
  79. Health and Fitness · B2C

    Wearable-Connected Coach for Endurance Athletes

    Pulls data from Strava, Garmin, WHOOP and similar apps, then sends coaching based on it without being asked. Endurance athletes get guidance between workouts instead of raw charts.

    Who paysRunners, cyclists and triathletes who already use wearables

    athletedata.health$7k/mo verified
  80. Health and Fitness · B2C

    Symptom and Food Log for Gut Conditions

    Records bowel movements, food, symptoms, meds, labs and flare notes in one gut health app. People with IBS, IBD, Crohn's or colitis keep a single record of their flares.

    Who paysPeople living with IBS, IBD, Crohn's or colitis

    FlareCare$4.4k/mo verified
  81. Health and Fitness · B2B

    Management Software for Private Health Clinics

    Runs the day-to-day management of a private health clinic from one piece of software. Clinic staff handle their daily operations in a single system.

    Who paysOwners of private health clinics

    PROCLINICA$4.4k/mo verified
  82. Health and Fitness · B2C

    Pregnancy-Safe Skincare Product Checker

    Checks real skincare and beauty products against a large product database and shows a clear risk rating for pregnancy. Expecting and breastfeeding mothers use it before buying or applying anything.

    Who paysPregnant and breastfeeding mothers

  83. Health and Fitness · B2C

    Collectible Creature Game for Daily Walking

    Rewards hitting a daily step goal by hatching collectible creatures and building streaks. Walking feels like progress in a game, so users keep going.

    Who paysCasual walkers who need motivation to move daily

    Steps & Beasts$3k/mo verified
  84. Health and Fitness · B2C

    Companion Tracker for GLP-1 Medication Users

    Lets people on GLP-1 medications like Mounjaro or Ozempic log their shots and track their progress in one app. It gives a new weekly routine one place to live.

    Who paysPeople taking GLP-1 weight loss medications

    GlowAgain$2k/mo verified
  85. Health and Fitness · B2C

    Workout Organizer for Saved Social Videos

    Imports workout videos saved from Instagram and TikTok and organizes them into routines users can track. Saved clips stop getting lost in a bookmarks folder.

    Who paysGym-goers who save workouts from social media

    FitSaver$1k/mo verified
  86. Health and Fitness · B2C

    Stats and Social App for Skiers

    Tracks skiing and snowboarding stats, shows snow forecasts and helps riders find companions for the mountain. One app replaces several tools on a ski trip.

    Who paysSkiers and snowboarders who ride every season

  87. Developer Tools · B2B

    Modern API for Legacy Accounting Software

    Wraps QuickBooks Desktop and Enterprise in a developer-friendly API. Software companies pay so they can sync with customers who still run the desktop versions.

    Who paysSaaS teams integrating with QuickBooks Desktop users

    Conductor$40k/mo verified
  88. Developer Tools · B2B

    Over-the-Air Updates for Hybrid Mobile Apps

    Pushes updates to Capacitor apps directly to users without a new app store submission. Teams ship fixes the same day instead of waiting on review.

    Who paysMobile teams building with Capacitor

    Capgo$31k/mo verified
  89. Developer Tools · B2B

    Chart Image API for Emails and Reports

    Generates static or animated chart images from a URL call, ready to drop into emails, PDFs and chatbots. Developers skip building their own chart rendering for places that cannot run JavaScript.

    Who paysDevelopers sending charts in emails, PDFs or chatbots

    Image-Charts$6.7k/mo verified
  90. Developer Tools · B2B

    SSL Certificate Expiry Monitor

    Watches public and internal certificates and alerts the team when one is about to expire or auto-renewal fails. One missed renewal can take a site down, so the fee is cheap insurance.

    Who paysOps teams managing many domains and certificates

    TrackSSL$5.4k/mo verified
  91. Developer Tools · B2C

    Offline Git-Friendly API Client

    Sends and organizes API requests on the desktop without a cloud account, storing collections in Git. Developers pay for a fast tool that keeps their data local.

    Who paysDevelopers who test APIs and prefer local tools

    Yaak$5.3k/mo verified
  92. Developer Tools · B2B

    Unified Social Media Posting API

    Posts, schedules and manages content on X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Threads and Pinterest through one endpoint. Builders avoid maintaining seven separate integrations.

    Who paysDevelopers building scheduling or content automation tools

    PostPeer$4k/mo verified
  93. Developer Tools · B2B

    Android Phone as an SMS Gateway

    Turns an Android phone into an SMS gateway so apps can send texts through code. Small teams send messages without signing up for a carrier-grade SMS provider.

    Who paysSmall app teams that need to send SMS

    textbee$3.5k/mo verified
  94. Developer Tools · B2B

    Privacy-Focused PDF Generation API

    Creates PDFs on demand through an API that scales with volume and keeps privacy in mind. Developers stop running and patching their own PDF rendering servers.

    Who paysDevelopers generating invoices, reports or documents as PDFs

    PDFBolt$2.4k/mo verified
  95. Developer Tools · B2B

    In-App Feature Request Board for iOS

    Adds a feedback board inside an iOS app where users suggest and vote on features. Developers see which requests matter before they build.

    Who paysIndie iOS developers and small app studios

    WishKit$1.2k/mo verified
  96. Developer Tools · B2B + B2C

    Directory of Open Source Software Alternatives

    Lists open source alternatives to popular paid software so people can find a replacement quickly. Visitors arrive already looking to switch, which makes the directory useful to the projects listed.

    Who paysOpen source makers and people replacing paid software

    OpenAlternative$6.6k/mo verified
  97. Productivity and Analytics · B2B

    Revenue-First Website Analytics for Founders

    Ties website traffic to revenue so founders see which visits turn into paying customers. Founders pay because pageview counts alone don't tell them where money comes from.

    Who paysStartup founders running their own marketing

    DataFast$31k/mo verified
  98. Productivity and Analytics · B2B

    Sold Listings Price API for Resellers

    Returns recent completed eBay sales for a keyword, with prices, conditions and dates. Resellers and analysts pay to price items from real sales data instead of guessing.

    Who payseBay resellers and pricing analysts

    SoldComps$17k/mo verified
  99. Productivity and Analytics · B2C

    Collection and Inventory Tracker App

    Lets people catalog collectibles or household and work inventory on their phone. Collectors pay to know what they own and find items without digging through boxes or spreadsheets.

    Who paysHobby collectors and people tracking home inventory

  100. Productivity and Analytics · B2B

    Ready-Made Looker Studio Report Templates

    Sells report templates that plug into Looker Studio. Marketers and analysts pay to skip building dashboards from a blank canvas.

    Who paysMarketers and analysts who report in Looker Studio

    Data Bloo$6k/mo verified
  101. Productivity and Analytics · B2C

    Average Speed Camera Alert App

    Monitors a driver's average speed through road sections with toll cameras and warns them before they go over the limit. Runs in the background, and drivers pay to avoid fines.

    Who paysDrivers on highways with average-speed cameras

    TollTracker$4.7k/mo verified
  102. Productivity and Analytics · B2B

    Slack App for Instant Video Calls

    Starts a Google Meet call from inside Slack with one command. Teams on Google Workspace pay so they can jump from a chat thread into a call without switching tools.

    Who paysTeams using Slack together with Google Workspace

    Meet For Slack$4.3k/mo verified
  103. Productivity and Analytics · B2B + B2C

    Trivia Night Builder for Event Hosts

    Builds a presentable trivia game from ready-made questions or your own. Hosts pay to skip the hours of writing questions and making slides before each event.

    Who paysEvent hosts and team-building organizers

    Trivia Flow$2.3k/mo verified
  104. Productivity and Analytics · B2C

    Gives you an upload link that drops files straight into your Google Drive. Uploaders don't need a Google login, and you never share Drive access, which is handy for collecting assignments.

    Who paysTeachers and anyone collecting files from others

    SendToDrive$1.5k/mo verified
  105. Productivity and Analytics · B2B

    Mobile Safety Audits for Field Contractors

    Replaces paper safety checklists with mobile inspections that work offline and produce audit-ready records. Oil and gas contractors pay to pass audits without chasing spreadsheets.

    Who paysOil and gas contractors with field crews

    BasinCheck$1.3k/mo verified
  106. Productivity and Analytics · B2C

    Two-Way Sync Across Calendar Accounts

    Keeps Google, Outlook, iCloud and iCal calendars in sync both ways, with changes showing up in seconds. People with several accounts pay to stop double-booking themselves.

    Who paysProfessionals juggling work and personal calendars

    syncdate.app$1.1k/mo verified
  107. E-commerce and Finance · B2B

    Winning Product Research for Online Stores

    Collects product insights, competitor ad creatives and market analysis in one subscription. Store owners pay to pick products to sell with data on what is already working.

    Who paysDropshippers and new e-commerce store owners

    Dropkiller$60k/mo verified
  108. E-commerce and Finance · B2B

    WhatsApp Sales Automation for Online Stores

    Automates customer messages, marketing campaigns and sales follow-ups over WhatsApp for e-commerce shops. Stores pay to answer and sell to buyers in the chat app they already use.

    Who paysE-commerce brands selling to WhatsApp-heavy markets

    Pushouse$26k/mo verified
  109. E-commerce and Finance · B2B

    Mobile Quotes and Invoices for Tradespeople

    Lets builders and renovation tradespeople create quotes, invoices and reduced-VAT certificates from their phone. They pay to handle paperwork quickly between jobs.

    Who paysConstruction tradespeople and small building firms

    Khosmos$22k/mo verified
  110. E-commerce and Finance · B2C

    Sales and Purchase Tracker for Resellers

    Records every item a reseller buys and sells so they know their real profit. Resellers pay to replace messy spreadsheets with one running record.

    Who paysResellers who flip goods online

    ControlResell$22k/mo verified
  111. E-commerce and Finance · B2C

    Storefront and Checkout Inside Discord

    Puts a store, checkout and automated delivery directly inside a Discord server. Members buy without leaving the chat, so server owners earn from the audience they already have.

    Who paysDiscord community owners who sell access or goods

    Cosmo$20k/mo verified
  112. E-commerce and Finance · B2B

    Bulk Product Importer for Shopify

    Adds thousands of products to a Shopify store in minutes. Merchants with large catalogs pay to avoid entering listings by hand one at a time.

    Who paysShopify merchants with large product catalogs

    Catalister$4k/mo verified
  113. E-commerce and Finance · B2B

    E-Invoicing API for Spanish Businesses

    Gives Spanish companies an API to issue B2B invoices from their own software. Developers pay so they don't have to build local invoicing rules themselves.

    Who paysSpanish businesses and their software developers

    BeeL.$1.7k/mo verified
  114. E-commerce and Finance · B2C

    Zero-Commission Store for Digital Products

    Helps small businesses sell downloads, memberships and courses without paying a cut on each sale. Sellers pay a subscription and keep all the revenue from their products.

    Who paysMicrobrands and small businesses selling digital goods

    Marketsy.ai$1.2k/mo verified
  115. E-commerce and Finance · B2C

    Automatic Personal Budget Tracker

    Connects to your bank accounts, sorts transactions into categories and tracks recurring subscriptions. Individuals and founders pay to see where their money goes without logging expenses by hand.

    Who paysIndividuals and founders tired of manual budgeting

    Pluma$1.4k/mo verified
  116. E-commerce and Finance · B2C

    Bank Data Connector for AI Assistants

    Links your bank and investment accounts to the AI assistant you already use, such as Claude. People pay so they can ask questions about their own finances in chat.

    Who paysPeople who use AI assistants daily

    openbudget.sh$1.2k/mo verified
  117. Niche Industries · B2C

    Deal Analyzer for Property Investors

    Pulls property search, deal math and an AI valuation into one result. Investors learn in minutes whether a listing is worth chasing and what to do next.

    Who paysIndividual real estate investors screening properties to buy

    Leverage$29k/mo verified
  118. Niche Industries · B2B

    Async Video Screening Interviews

    Swaps first-round phone screens for recorded video answers. Candidates reply on their own time without making an account, and hiring teams get AI scorecards to review.

    Who paysRecruiters and hiring teams running first-round screens

    Hirevire$14k/mo verified
  119. Niche Industries · B2C

    Job Search Tracker for Applicants

    Keeps a job seeker's applications organized in one place during a job hunt. Users pay monthly for a Pro plan with advanced features.

    Who paysJob seekers juggling many applications at once

    Eztrackr Inc.$4k/mo verified
  120. Niche Industries · B2B

    CRM Built for Travel Agents

    Gives travel agents and agencies a CRM made for their trade. Agents keep client records and sales in a tool built around how they sell trips.

    Who paysIndependent travel agents and small travel agencies

    JourneyFuse$7.2k/mo verified
  121. Niche Industries · B2B

    AI Helpdesk That Answers Tickets

    Reads incoming support tickets and chats, then replies using the company's own knowledge base. Small support teams answer more requests without hiring.

    Who paysOnline businesses with a small support team

    Ticketdesk AI$2.2k/mo verified
  122. Niche Industries · B2C

    3D Garment Mockup App

    Places a t-shirt or clothing design onto a 3D garment so sellers can show it before printing. Runs as a mobile app on iOS and Android.

    Who paysClothing brand owners and print-on-demand sellers

    ThreadCam$8.3k/mo verified
  123. Niche Industries · B2B

    Location Matching for Vending Operators

    Connects vending machine operators with property owners who have space to spare. Operators find busy spots, and owners earn income from floor space they already have.

    Who paysVending machine operators looking for new placements

    VendPlacer$2.5k/mo verified
  124. Niche Industries · B2B

    Branded Community App Builder

    Lets creators and businesses launch their own community app with courses, live calls and payments built in. Members join the owner's app instead of a shared social network.

    Who paysCourse creators and coaches running paid communities

    Tribe Social$28k/mo verified
  125. Niche Industries · B2C

    No-Code Discord Bot Builder

    Helps server owners build and deploy their own Discord bots without writing code. People who run communities get custom bots without hiring a developer.

    Who paysDiscord server owners and community moderators

    VibeBot.gg$1.8k/mo verified
  126. Niche Industries · B2B

    Age Verification for Online Shops

    Checks a buyer's age at checkout for webshops selling tobacco and alcohol. Shops stay compliant with age laws without building the check themselves.

    Who paysOnline stores selling tobacco or alcohol

    VERIFYID$2.9k/mo verified
  127. Niche Industries · B2B

    Scheduled Backups for a Niche SaaS Tool

    Copies all the data a company keeps in Podio on a regular schedule. If records get deleted or lost, the team restores them from a web dashboard.

    Who paysBusinesses that run core operations inside Podio

    Cloud Backup for Podio$2.4k/mo verified

None of these fit what you know? The free startup idea generator builds ideas from your skills and background.

The data

Which Startup Categories Actually Make Money

Mobile Apps has the best odds in this data: 21% of its 454 startups earn $1,000 a month or more. Social Media (20%) and Health & Fitness (16%) follow. Across every category, the figure is 13%.

Artificial Intelligence is the most crowded category by far, with 2,035 startups, and 15% of them clear $1,000. Productivity has the lowest share at 5.0%, even though it is the third-largest category on the list with 585 startups.

Share of startups earning revenue by category, TrustMRR, September 2026
CategoryStartupsEarning anythingEarning $1k+/moMedian MRR of earners
Mobile Apps45476%21%$277
Social Media16054%20%$625
Health & Fitness32063%16%$181
Marketing49147%16%$367
Education38451%15%$210
Artificial Intelligence2,03552%15%$283
Content Creation41147%14%$225
SaaS85845%12%$227
E-commerce17837%12%$260
Analytics23344%12%$149
Marketplace10321%9.7%$691
Entertainment12845%9.4%$207
Fintech23946%8.4%$100
Recruiting & HR11641%7.8%$173
Design Tools20842%7.2%$128
Developer Tools53032%6.8%$109
Utilities19140%5.2%$105
Productivity58542%5.0%$64

Categories with at least 100 startups, sorted by the share earning $1,000+ a month. Source: TrustMRR, September 2026. More in the indie startup revenue report.

Next step

How to Use an Idea That Already Exists

A startup with paying customers answers the hardest question for you: people spend money on this problem. Your job is to find the buyers that startup serves poorly.

  1. 01Open the startup behind the idea and read who it sells to and what it charges.
  2. 02Pick a group it serves badly: a smaller company size, one industry, another country or language, or a lower price.
  3. 03Talk to five people in that group about how they handle the problem today before you write any code.

Scoutr does the desk research for your version in a few minutes: who already sells to that buyer, what they charge, and what people complain about.

Method

Where the Numbers Come From

TrustMRR is a public directory where founders connect their payment provider, so the revenue it shows comes from real transactions. We took a snapshot of all 9,063 listings on September 21, 2026. Monthly recurring revenue (MRR) is the figure shown on each card.

For the ideas, we kept startups earning $1,000 a month or more, dropped anonymous listings and anything above about $300,000 a month, and left out gambling, trading signals, adult content, and tools built to spam or track people. Each idea is described in our own words and links to the startup's TrustMRR page. scoutr is not affiliated with TrustMRR.

FAQ

Common Questions

What are good startup ideas for 2026?

Ideas where someone already pays for a version of the product. Every idea on this page has a live startup earning at least $1,000 a month from it, so the demand is proven and the open question is whether you can serve a group of buyers better. By category, the best odds in the September 2026 data were in Mobile Apps (21% of startups earn $1,000+ a month), Social Media (20%), and Health & Fitness (16%).

Is it okay to start a business with an idea that already exists?

Yes, and it is usually safer than an idea nobody has tried. A competitor with paying customers proves people spend money on the problem. Build your own product and brand, then pick a buyer the existing startup serves poorly: a smaller company size, one industry, another country or language, or a cheaper price point.

Which startup ideas make the most money?

Across the 9,063 startups in this snapshot, 286 earn $10,000 or more a month. Among startups that earn anything, the highest median monthly revenue was in Marketplace ($691) and Social Media ($625). Most startups earn far less: only 13% of all listed startups reach $1,000 a month.

Where does the revenue data come from?

From TrustMRR, a public directory where founders connect their payment provider so the revenue shown is read from real transactions rather than typed in. Each idea links to the startup's TrustMRR page. scoutr is not affiliated with TrustMRR.

How often is this list updated?

The numbers on this page are a snapshot from September 2026. Monthly revenue changes every week, so the startup behind an idea may earn more or less by the time you read this. The ideas themselves change slowly, and we refresh the snapshot periodically.