# Side hustle tools UK 2026: what you get to start a newsletter, shop or website

> Start a newsletter on beehiiv: it keeps 0% of your paid-subscription revenue, and code HONESTCODES takes 20% off your first three paid months. Want a shop? Shopify is £1 a month for three months. A website? Wix is free to build and 50% off Premium inside 48 hours, Bluehost hosting starts at £1.50 a month, and Elementor plans start at £4 a month.

Last checked: 2026-10-23. Page: https://topreferrals.co.uk/compare/side-hustle-tools-uk-2026

## Key takeaways
- beehiiv: code HONESTCODES takes 20% off your first three months of Lite or Pro, and the link adds a 14-day trial. The Free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers.
- Shopify: 3 days free, then £1 a month for your first 3 months, against £25 a month for Basic after.
- Wix: build free with no card, then 50% off Premium if you upgrade within 48 hours of signing up.
- Bluehost: WordPress hosting from £1.50 a month on a three-year term, with a free domain for year one.
- Elementor, CapCut and Cal.com: plans from £4 a month, a free week of CapCut Pro, and 20% off Cal.com paid plans for a year.

## Compared offers
- **[beehiiv](https://topreferrals.co.uk/referrals/beehiiv)** — you get 20% off for 3 months (20% off for 3 months with the code).
  - Code: `HONESTCODES`
  - Link: https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/beehiiv
- **[Cal.com](https://topreferrals.co.uk/referrals/cal-com)** — you get 20% off for a year (20% off paid plans for 12 months).
  - Link: https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/cal-com
- **[Wix](https://topreferrals.co.uk/referrals/wix)** — you get 50% off in first 48h (Build free, then 50% off Premium within 48h).
  - Link: https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/wix
- **[CapCut](https://topreferrals.co.uk/referrals/capcut)** — you get 7 days of Pro free (A free week of CapCut Pro).
  - Link: https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/capcut
- **[Bluehost](https://topreferrals.co.uk/referrals/bluehost)** — you get Up to 78% off hosting (WordPress hosting from £1.50 a month).
  - Link: https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/bluehost
- **[Elementor](https://topreferrals.co.uk/referrals/elementor)** — you get Plans from £4 a month (Plans from £4 a month, 30-day money-back guarantee).
  - Link: https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/elementor
- **[Shopify](https://topreferrals.co.uk/referrals/shopify)** — you get £1 a month for 3 months (3 days free, then £1 a month for 3 months).
  - Link: https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/shopify

A side hustle starts with one tool and one afternoon. Seven are verified here, each with a free plan, a free trial or a discount for new users. Pick the line that matches what you want to start.

## Start a newsletter: beehiiv

[beehiiv](/referrals/beehiiv) is the newsletter platform that keeps **0% of your paid-subscription revenue**. Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 per payment is the only deduction.

- **The code:** **HONESTCODES** takes **20% off your first three months** of Lite or Pro.
- **The link:** https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/beehiiv adds a **14-day trial** of the paid tools, with no card, and applies the 20% for you.
- **The free start:** the Free plan covers up to **2,500 subscribers** with no time limit.
- **The price after:** for up to 1,000 subscribers, Lite is **$49** and Pro **$95** a month on yearly billing, or $59 and $109 billed monthly.

Lite is the earning tier: paid subscriptions at a 0% take rate, the beehiiv Ad Network and paid recommendations. beehiiv's own comparison shows Substack taking 10% of paid subscriptions. You can export your subscribers at any time.

**Take it if:** you want to write for readers and earn from them directly.

## Start an online shop: Shopify

[Shopify](/referrals/shopify) gives you **3 days free, then £1 a month for your first 3 months**. That is **£3** for the first three months of a store, against £25 a month for Basic paying monthly. After that, Basic is £25 a month, or £19 a month paid yearly. No code is needed: open https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/shopify, enter your email and start.

**Take it if:** you have something to sell and want a working shop this week.

## Start a website: Wix, Bluehost and Elementor

- [Wix](/referrals/wix): build a free site with no card, then take **50% off Premium** if you upgrade within **48 hours** of signing up. UK Premium starts at **£9 a month** billed yearly, with a free domain for a year and a 14-day money-back guarantee on new plans.
- [Bluehost](/referrals/bluehost): **WordPress hosting from £1.50 a month** on a three-year term, up to 78% off, charged in pounds. A free domain for year one, free SSL, the AI builder and a 30-day money-back guarantee come with every plan.
- [Elementor](/referrals/elementor): the drag-and-drop WordPress editor, with plans from **£4 a month billed annually** (Essential is £48 a year). Elementor One is £12 a month in year one against a £16 list price. New annual plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee.

**Take them if:** you want a site of your own. Wix is the fastest start, while Bluehost and Elementor suit a WordPress site you will grow.

## Make it look good and get booked

- [CapCut](/referrals/capcut): a free video editor, with **7 days of Pro free** when you subscribe through our link. UK Pro is £21.99 a month, Standard £10.99, yearly £99.99.
- [Cal.com](/referrals/cal-com): a booking page for your calendar, free for individuals, with **20% off Teams or Organizations for 12 months** through https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/cal-com.

## How to choose your first tool

1. **What are you selling?** Words (a newsletter), products (a shop), or yourself (a website or booking page).
2. **Start free where you can.** beehiiv and Wix have free plans, and Shopify has a 3-day trial.
3. **Check the price after the offer.** Every intro price ends, so note what the plan costs in month four.
4. **Check the currency.** beehiiv and Cal.com price in US dollars. Shopify, Wix, Bluehost and Elementor price in pounds for UK customers.
5. **Use the guarantee.** Wix, Bluehost and Elementor all publish money-back windows on new plans.

## Our verdict

**Newsletter: beehiiv with code HONESTCODES. Shop: Shopify at £1 a month. Website: Wix to build, Bluehost or Elementor for WordPress.** Start free, claim the offer, and pay only when it is earning.

More to explore: the [best AI tools](/compare/best-ai-tools-uk-2026), the [beehiiv verdict](/compare/is-beehiiv-worth-it), and the [best developer referral codes](/compare/best-developer-referral-codes-2026).

## Side by side

|  | beehiiv | Shopify | Wix | Bluehost | Elementor |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Start a | Newsletter | Online shop | Website | WordPress site | WordPress site |
| What you get | 20% off 3 months with HONESTCODES, plus a 14-day trial | 3 days free, then £1 a month for 3 months | Free site, then 50% off Premium within 48 hours | Hosting from £1.50 a month, up to 78% off | Plans from £4 a month, billed annually |
| Free way in or safety net | Free plan up to 2,500 subscribers, 14-day trial | 3-day free trial | Free plan, no card; 14-day money-back on new Premium plans | 30-day money-back guarantee | 30-day money-back guarantee on new annual plans |
| Price after | Lite from $49 a month, Pro from $95, on yearly billing | Basic £25 a month, or £19 paid yearly | Premium from £9 a month, billed yearly | Renewal shown beside the offer, One Site £6.78 a month | Elementor One renews at £192 a year |
| Code or link | Code HONESTCODES or link | Link, no code | Link, no code | Link, no code | Link, no code |

## FAQ

### What is the best tool to start a newsletter in the UK?
beehiiv is the one we verify: the Free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers, and Lite from $49 and Pro from $95 a month (yearly billing, up to 1,000 subscribers) add paid subscriptions at a 0% take rate. Promo code HONESTCODES takes 20% off your first three paid months, and the link adds a 14-day trial with the 20% applied for you.

### How much does beehiiv keep from paid subscriptions?
Nothing: beehiiv takes 0% of subscription revenue, and Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 per payment is the only deduction. beehiiv's own comparison shows Substack taking 10%.

### How can I start an online shop cheaply?
Through our link Shopify gives you 3 days free, then £1 a month for your first 3 months, so the first three months cost £3 in total. After that Basic is £25 a month, or £19 a month paid yearly.

### Can I build a website for free?
Yes. Wix's Free plan includes hosting, the drag-and-drop editor and thousands of templates on a wixsite.com address, with no card needed. Upgrade to Premium within 48 hours of signing up for 50% off the first month or year. UK Premium starts at £9 a month billed yearly, with a free domain for a year and a 14-day money-back guarantee on new plans.

### What does WordPress hosting cost?
Bluehost's UK partner page shows WordPress hosting from £1.50 a month on a three-year term, up to 78% off, in pounds. A free domain for year one, free SSL and a 30-day money-back guarantee come with every plan. The price then renews at the rate shown beside the offer.

### Do I need a discount code for these?
Only beehiiv has a code to type, HONESTCODES, and the beehiiv link applies it for you. Shopify, Wix, Bluehost, Elementor, CapCut and Cal.com carry their offers on the link, so there is nothing to enter.