If you’re on the hunt for free side hustle tools to level up your side gig, you’ve come to the right post.

Whether you’re thinking about starting a side hustle, in the process of doing it, or are already running a business on the side, you know how important it is to have the right tools and resources under your belt. When you’re building a profitable side business, you know that time is of the essence, and it’s all about working smarter and not harder.

But at the same time, for a lot of side hustles, budgets are tight and choosing which tools to invest in often comes down to cost. But the good news is that there are some side hustle tools that offer the best of both worlds: efficiency and savings.

And when I say “savings,” what I really mean is, “free.”

(Because let’s be honest…who doesn’t love free stuff?!)

So, without further ado, let’s get into four free side hustle tools and resources that I’ve become absolutely obsessed with (and hope you will, too!).

1. Fontshare

If ever you’ve been on the hunt for free fonts to use in your brand, you’ve probably come across Google Fonts and Adobe Fonts. While those are two great resources, there’s a third, lesser-known one you need to add to your list expeditiously: Fontshare.

Fontshare is a small (but mighty!) library of free quality fonts that includes more than the often overused and overdone fonts you see across the internet (sorry, Monsterrat). I actually stumbled on this resource a few months ago and ended up using one of the fonts in the visual identity I designed for Belonging First, and the client absolutely loved it. One of the things I love most about this library is that it includes a list of recommendations for how to pair the fonts, which is an added bonus if you’re DIY’ing your brand or aren’t that well-versed in typography.

2. Dupe Photos

This is a new royalty-free stock library that’s quickly picking up traction online. (If you’re active on Instagram, you may have already heard the girls talking about it!)  Unlike popular stock libraries like Unsplash and Pexels, Dupe is all about curating images that have a clear Instagram and Pinterest aesthetic and don’t feel so “stock-photo-ish.”

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that the user experience on Dupe’s website has room for improvement (for example, the search bar that doesn’t travel down the page with you, ugh!). But that aside, this is definitely a resource that’s been in heavy rotation for me over the past few weeks.

As an added bonus, if you’re a photographer and want to get some more exposure, you can make a Dupe account and upload your photos for other creatives to use.

3. KaboomPics

This is another royalty-free stock library you’ll want to bookmark, especially if your brand’s visual identity embraces a more luxe or minimalist vibe. Now, I will warn you, Kaboompics‘ basic search is kind of wonky, but the search-by-colour and by-palette tools are pretty nifty and not something I’ve seen in other stock libraries.

4. Headline Studio

Before I delve into why this is one of my favourite free side hustle tools, a quick disclaimer: Headline Studio isn’t 100% free. The platform’s basic plan is free and includes 10 credits a month, but anything more than that has to be paid for on a sliding scale. (Two hundred monthly credits, for example, would cost $15/month.) That said, I’ve been using Headline Studio for a few months now and have found the basic plan to be more than enough for what I need, so I still think the tool is worth a try!

Okay — so what the heck is it?!

Headline Studio helps improve your headlines for your blogs, social media, email and ads to boost your SEO (search engine optimization) and overall engagement. The tool uses data and AI to give you suggestions on better word choices, sentiment and overall structure, as well as tips to increase your click-through rates and search engine performance. Give it a try and let me know in the comments what you think!

Oh — one last thing…

If you have some flexibility in your side hustle budget, consider these five must-have small business tools. Although they do have a price tag attached, they’re fairly budget-friendly and unlikely to break the bank. Best of luck!