AI Side Projects for Software Engineers That Make Money: Eight Stacks

If you already ship software, you can sell a workspace, a scanner, or an MCP plug-in without becoming a prompt shop. This is not the same as AI side projects for developers, which covers gateways, generators and cleanup, or selling tools to AI coders, which counts 83 verified add-ons across Claude Code, Cursor and Codex.

Below are eight stacks a software engineer actually ran: a streamed coding workspace, a Search Console MCP, scanners, a multi-agent desktop, a design MCP, and a local spec reviewer. Every number is copied from the stack, with its proof label. The median verified AI business here makes about $300 a month (study).

1. A coding-agent workspace built in public

Stack: AI Coding Agent Workspace Built Live on Stream

BridgeMind is a workspace where coding agents write the app. The founder streams the build and shows revenue on screen. $231,260 annual recurring revenue (shown on the founder’s stream, Sep 2026). Operator-Reported. Hard, 85% automated.

Honest catch: that figure is what the stream showed, not a payment dashboard on this site. Cursor, Claude Code and similar tools already are the workspace. Daily streaming is part of the distribution, not an extra.

2. An MCP that reads Search Console for the agent

Stack: Search Console MCP Server for AI Agents

Advanced GSC plugs an AI agent into Google Search Console without pasting a key. ~$4,890 MRR; $4,735 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Stripe, Oct 25, 2026). Verified. Hard, 85% automated.

Honest catch: Google can change the Search Console API. Agencies will build their own MCP. You sit on other people’s search data. More MCP businesses are in the MCP server guide.

3. Scan the apps other engineers vibe-coded

Stack: Security Scanner for AI-Built (Vibe-Coded) Apps

CheckVibe looks for security holes AI coding agents miss. ~$836 MRR; $714 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Stripe, Oct 26, 2026). Verified. Hard, 85% automated.

A nearby scanner is Security Scanner for Apps Built With AI Coding Tools at $49 verified revenue last 30 days, mostly non-recurring (TrustMRR/Stripe, Oct 29, 2026). Verified. Compare two scanners on Two Scanners for AI-Built Apps.

Honest catch: free scanners exist. The pitch only works if the report is clearer than a weekend script. AI builders still have to fix the finding.

4. Sixteen coding agents in one desktop window

Stack: Run Many AI Coding Helpers Side by Side

SwarmPane runs Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Cursor and more, up to 16 side by side, with attention alerts and step undo. ~$208 MRR; $515 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Stripe, Nov 2, 2026). Verified. Hard, 85% automated.

Honest catch: last-30-days is above MRR, so that month was not only subscriptions. The editors themselves keep adding multi-agent layouts. Hard means you are maintaining a product against tools that change every week.

5. Gemini design help inside the coding chat

Stack: Gemini Design Power Inside Any AI Coding Tool

Design help from Gemini shows up in the same IDE conversation as Claude or another model. ~$266 MRR; $281 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Stripe, Oct 27, 2026). Verified. Hard, 85% automated.

Honest catch: this sits near the directory median. Gemini, Claude and Cursor can ship the same bridge. You depend on each vendor keeping the connector open.

6. A production-readiness scan before go-live

Stack: AI Production Readiness Scanner

FullStackRoadmap audits vibe-coded projects before they go live. ~$20 MRR; $20 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Stripe, Oct 29, 2026). Verified. Hard, 85% automated.

Honest catch: twenty dollars a month is a real checked number, and it is a small one. Checklists are easy to copy. The scanner has to catch something a prompt in Cursor does not.

7. A coding agent that lives on the buyer’s server

Stack: Voice-Controlled AI Coding Agent on Your Own Server

Freeapp is a coding assistant on a private VPS, directed by voice from a phone app. ~$91 MRR; $17 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Stripe, Oct 29, 2026). Verified. Hard, 85% automated.

Honest catch: last-30-days is below MRR, so treat the run-rate as shaky. “On your own server” is ops work. Voice control is a demo until the agent actually lands a commit.

8. Local-model option: review agent specs on your Mac

Stack: Mac Markdown App for AI Agent Specs

DotMD is a Mac app for reading the instruction files coding agents follow. You comment on a line, the agent sends a fix, you accept or reject. The site marks it local plus a hosted model. TrustMRR ~$50 revenue (early). Verified. Local plus a cloud model, Hard, 70% automated.

Honest catch: fifty dollars is a checked early figure, not a living. Markdown viewers are easy to copy. A local loop still needs the agent on the other end. More local packaging is in how to make money with Ollama.

Bottom line

AI side projects for software engineers that make money, on this site, look like a workspace, an MCP, a scanner, or a local spec tool. The payment-checked range here is $20 MRR up to about $4,890 MRR. The $231,260 ARR workspace is operator-reported.

Related: AI side projects for developers, selling tools to AI coders, MCP server business ideas, how to make money with Cursor.

Every stack in this guide, side by side

This guide links 9 stacks. 8 have payment-verified revenue. The typical stack is about 85% automated, so plan on doing the rest yourself. "MRR" means monthly recurring revenue, what subscribers pay each month. Revenue figures come from each stack's source and date; tap a name for the full breakdown.

Stack	Revenue (as reported)	Startup cost	Difficulty	Automated
AI Coding Agent Workspace Built Live on Stream	$231,260 annual recurring revenue (shown on the founder's stream, Sep 2026)	Not disclosed	Hard	85%
Search Console MCP Server for AI Agents	~$4,890 MRR; $4,735 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Stripe, Oct 25, 2026)	Not disclosed	Hard	85%
Security Scanner for AI-Built (Vibe-Coded) Apps	~$836 MRR; $714 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Stripe, Oct 26, 2026)	Not disclosed	Hard	85%
Security Scanner for Apps Built With AI Coding Tools	$49 verified revenue last 30 days, mostly non-recurring (TrustMRR/Stripe, Oct 29, 2026)	Not disclosed	Hard	85%
Run Many AI Coding Helpers Side by Side	~$208 MRR; $515 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Stripe, Nov 2, 2026)	Not disclosed	Hard	85%
Gemini Design Power Inside Any AI Coding Tool	~$266 MRR; $281 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Stripe, Oct 27, 2026)	Not disclosed	Hard	85%
AI Production Readiness Scanner	~$20 MRR; $20 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Stripe, Oct 29, 2026)	Not disclosed	Hard	85%
Voice-Controlled AI Coding Agent on Your Own Server	~$91 MRR; $17 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Stripe, Oct 29, 2026)	Not disclosed	Hard	85%
Mac Markdown App for AI Agent Specs	TrustMRR ~$50 revenue (early)	Not disclosed	Hard	70%