5 Problem-Solving Digital Products to Make Money Online in 2026

In the fourth quarter of 2025, the global digital content market is expected to exceed $36 billion, and everyone is trying to claim their share of this massive opportunity.

But here’s what most people get wrong: they chase trending product types instead of solving real problems.

Before you choose any digital product from this list, start with this question: What problem have you personally faced and solved?

By doing that, your best digital product will come from your own experience. You’ll have authentic expertise, genuine passion, and natural credibility in that space. This approach beats chasing market trends every single time.

I’ve built multiple digital products using this exact philosophy, from TubeDigest (Digesting hours of YouTube Videos in minutes), to ToolerBox (improving marketing workflows), to SimplerLLM (solving complex LLM integration). Each started with a problem I personally encountered and solved.

In this article, I’ll list and explain 5 profitable digital product types you can start selling in 2025. For more ideas, check the full library.

Note: The ideas below aren’t ranked; the best one depends on your skills and goals.

1. AI-Powered Solutions

I put this first because AI is both the biggest trend and one of the most powerful ways to solve real problems. Just look at the giants like Google, Samsung, and OpenAI; every major company is racing to integrate AI and stay ahead. Right now, being “at the top” in tech often comes down to how well you can leverage artificial intelligence.

But you don’t need to be a tech giant to build something valuable. Take Lovable.dev, for example. It started with just two developers passionate about solving coding problems and making app-building accessible for anyone, even those with no technical skills. Today, it’s valued at over $1.8 billion.

The opportunity is wide open. Suppose you can use AI to solve a specific problem, automate decision-making, or deliver insights that are hard to achieve manually. In that case, you can create something people are willing to pay for.

Difficulty Level

🟢 Beginner — Use no-code software like Make.com, N8N, etc, to build AI automations easily without the need to understand any technical concepts.

🔴 Advanced — To build more advanced AI tools, it would require an understanding of AI/ML concepts, API integration, and often custom model training.

Real Examples

• Content generation tools: AI Research Tools, image generators, title generators
• Business intelligence: Report generation for Google Analytics to increase revenue
• Customer service: Chatbots, sentiment analysis, email auto-reply agents

Marketing Strategies

• Free trial approach: Let users experience AI capabilities before committing
• AI demonstration: Show before/after comparisons of AI-enhanced results
• Technical content: Write blog posts that demonstrate how to build demos of your main tool without revealing sensitive details

Tools/Platforms Needed

• AI APIs: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google AI, Hugging Face
• No-Code Platforms: Make.com, N8N, Zapier, etc…
• Development: Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch for custom models
• Data handling: Pandas, NumPy for data processing
• Deployment: Cloud platforms with AI/ML support (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure)

2. SaaS Platforms

Software-as-a-Service applications that solve specific business or personal problems through web-based interfaces. Users pay monthly or annually for access.

Look at ConvertKit (now Kit). Nathan Barry started it in 2013 as a simple email marketing tool for creators. Today, it generates over $44 million annually and serves over 50K customers. The secret? He solved a specific problem he personally faced as a content creator.

The beauty of SaaS is recurring revenue. Once you solve a real problem for businesses, they’ll pay you month after month to keep that problem solved. And with tools like WordPress, Bubble, and no-code platforms, you can build applications without being a coding expert.

Difficulty Level

🟢 Beginner — Use no-code platforms like WordPress to easily build functional SaaS products without coding. I personally did this on this website.

🔴 Advanced — You would have more control over the technicalities of the website, but it would require development skills and ongoing maintenance. I also did this on ToolerBox.

Getting Started

1. Identify a workflow problem: Look for tasks you repeat weekly that waste time
2. Build an MVP: Create the simplest version that solves the core problem
3. Choose your tech stack: Consider no-code options like WordPress
4. Set up billing: Integrate Stripe or PayPal for subscriptions
5. Plan for scale: Design your database and architecture for growth

Real Examples

• ToolerBox.com — Tools for developers, designers, marketers, and content creators
• WordPress SaaS solutions — Learn to build these in the Building SaaS on WordPress course
• Notion: Started as a simple note-taking tool, now valued at $10 billion
• Calendly: A Simple scheduling tool that is soon to hit a $3 billion valuation

Marketing Strategies

• Freemium model: Offer basic features free, charge for premium functionality
• Content SEO: Create helpful guides around your offer’s use case. As you saw above, I pitched my course ;)
• Build the offer: Make sure your offer is solid, giving the user plenty of value and resources to increase conversion.
• Customer success content: Share case studies and user wins

Tools/Platforms Needed

• No-code development: WordPress, Bubble, Glide
• WordPress solutions: LearnDash, MemberPress for SaaS functionality
• Traditional development: React, Node.js, Python/Django (Not necessary)
• Payment processing: Stripe, PayPal for subscriptions
• Hosting: Contabo, Vercel, Digital Ocean, or self-host it yourself and cut costs.

3. Online Courses

Structured learning experiences delivered through video, text, assignments, and community interaction. Modern courses often include live sessions, peer interaction, and practical projects.

Take Ali Abdaal, who built a multi-million dollar course business teaching productivity and content creation. Or look at CodeWithMosh, which has been selling programming courses for the past 10 years. What they have in common is solving specific learning problems they personally experienced.

The secret isn’t having a formal teaching background; it’s having walked the path your students want to walk. When you teach from experience rather than theory, your authenticity becomes your biggest competitive advantage.

Difficulty Level

🟢 Beginner — Start with simple screen recordings and video editing and use platforms like Teachable to handle the technical aspects.

Getting Started

1. Validate your topic: Survey your audience about their learning challenges, and check Reddit and Quora for people talking about their problems to build the curriculum
2. Create a mini-course first: Test with 1–2 hours worth of lessons before building the detailed program
3. Choose your platform: Teachable, Udemy, Skool, or custom WordPress solutions
4. Record your first module: Start with simple screen recording tools like Loom

Note: You can start by publishing your courses on Udemy, as they take care of all the support, payment processing, and some basic marketing.

Real Examples

• Prompt Engineering for Beginners course — teaches how to craft the perfect prompt and interact with LLMs the right way to build custom AI solutions.
• Building APIs for beginners — shows how to build APIs and sell them as custom solutions.
• Courses in any niche on Udemy are making a ton of money annually for top creators.

Marketing Strategies

• Content marketing: Share free mini-lessons on YouTube and social media
• Live workshops: Host free webinars that naturally lead to your paid course
• Student success stories: Showcase success stories and results

Tools/Platforms Needed

• Course platforms: Udemy, Teachable, Skool, LearnDash (WordPress)
• Video recording: Camtasia, Loom, OBS Studio
• Design tools: Canva, Figma for course materials
• Email marketing: ConvertKit, Mailchimp, Beehive, etc..

4. Automation Scripts

Automation is the new gold rush. Every business is looking for ways to eliminate repetitive tasks and reduce human error. Custom automation solutions that handle repetitive tasks, integrate different software systems, or create efficient workflows for specific business processes.

Consider Make.com, which started as a small European company and is now at over $13 billion. They succeeded by making complex automation accessible to non-technical users.

I’m not telling you to build a whole automation platform; the idea here is to benefit from these no-code platforms to solve specific problems with automation. The key is finding those repetitive tasks that businesses do manually and turning them into automated solutions.

Difficulty Level

🟢 Beginner — Use no-code platforms like Make.com, Zapier, or N8N to create automations without coding knowledge.

🟡 Intermediate to Advanced — Requires programming knowledge and understanding of the systems being automated.

Real Examples

• Custom Make.com modules — Specialized automation modules for specific industries
• Social media automation: Scrape and store content ideas, generate scripts from selected ideas, and track engagement with AI insights
• E-commerce workflows: Inventory management, order processing, customer follow-up
• Data processing scripts: Report generation and analytics automation

Marketing Strategies

• Case study approach: Document time and money saved for clients
• Problem-first content: Show the pain point before revealing the solution
• Video demonstrations: Screen recordings of automation in action
• Industry-specific targeting: Focus on specific niches with common automation needs

Tools/Platforms Needed

• No-code automation: Make.com, Zapier, Microsoft Power Automate
• Custom development: Python, Node.js, API integration tools
• Workflow design: Draw.io, Lucidchart for planning processes
• Deployment: Cloud functions, VPS hosting for custom scripts

5. Notion Templates

Notion has revolutionized how people think about productivity, and the template economy around it is exploding. It now represents one of the most accessible entry points for creators.

Take Thomas Frank, who built a six-figure business selling Notion templates and productivity systems. His “Ultimate Brain” template has sold thousands of copies because it solves a real problem: organizing your entire life in one place.

Difficulty Level

🟢 Beginner to Intermediate — Start with simple templates using basic Notion features, then expand as you learn more advanced functions and productivity principles.

Real Examples

• Personal productivity: Goal tracking, habit formation, life management systems (ex, Organized Dashboard)
• Project management: Team workflows, client management, task tracking systems
• Content creation: Editorial calendars, social media planning, video production workflows
• Business operations: CRM systems, financial tracking, and inventory management

Marketing Strategies

• Video demonstrations: Show your templates in action, solving real problems as short-form and long-form content.
• Free Simplified samples: Offer simplified versions of your paid templates to showcase your quality
• Notion community engagement: Participate in Notion forums, Discord servers, and social groups
• Productivity content: Share productivity tips and Notion tutorials to build authority

Tools/Platforms Needed

• Notion workspace: Pro account for advanced features and sharing capabilities
• Template distribution: Gumroad, Notion template marketplaces, your own website
• Video creation: Screen recording tools for setup tutorials and demonstrations
• Community platforms: Discord, Slack for customer support and engagement

Your Next Steps: From Problem to Profit

The digital product landscape offers unlimited opportunities, but success comes from starting with the right foundation: a problem you understand deeply.

The Problem-First Framework

Before choosing any product type from this list:

1. Identify Your Problem: What challenge have you personally faced and overcome?
2. Validate the Market: Do others struggle with this same problem?
3. Choose Your Package: Which digital product format best delivers your solution?
4. Start Small: Build an MVP to test your approach
5. Scale Smart: Expand based on customer feedback and market demand

For more problem-solving digital product ideas, check my full library.