Not all GTA Online businesses are created equal. Some print money with almost no input; others demand constant supply runs and risky sell missions. This ranked list focuses on return on investment and profit per hour, so you buy the right things in the right order. Want to model your own numbers first? The business profit calculator lets you compare payback time and hourly profit side by side.
The rankings at a glance
Setup cost versus the profit per hour each business earns fully upgraded, straight from the calculator:
| Business | Type | Setup cost | Max profit/hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nightclub | CEO | $1,080,000 | ~$50K/hr |
| Acid Lab | Solo | $750,000 | ~$47K/hr |
| Bunker (Gunrunning) | CEO | $1,165,000 | ~$69K/hr |
| Agency | Other | $2,010,000 | ~$150K/hr |
| Cocaine Lockup | MC | $975,000 | ~$69K/hr |
| Vehicle Cargo (Import/Export) | CEO | $1,500,000 | ~$150K/hr |
The per-hour figures for production businesses (Acid Lab, Bunker, Cocaine) are the passive accrual rate while fully upgraded — your active sell time is extra. Active businesses (Agency, Import/Export) earn from missions you run directly.
S-Tier
The best passive earner in the game. Once you own linked businesses, your club’s warehouse fills with goods automatically — no supply buying required — and a single solo sell can clear a huge stockpile. Pair it with active businesses and it becomes the backbone of an idle income engine. Buy this early.
Cheap to unlock through the First Dose missions and one of the best profit-per-hour active businesses available. The setup cost is low, resupplies are quick, and you can manage it from anywhere. For most players this is the single best value purchase in the game.
A-Tier
A classic for a reason. The Bunker generates stock passively (slowly) and faster when you buy supplies. Its sell missions can be done solo in reasonable amounts, and it feeds the Nightclub. The weapon research it unlocks is a bonus.
The Agency unlocks the Dr. Dre contract and security contracts that pay well on short cooldowns, plus it generates passive safe income. The contracts are some of the most enjoyable, repeatable money in the game.
B-Tier
Strong per-unit value, but it lives in the CEO/MC ecosystem and needs supply management. Excellent once you already own a Nightclub to link it to — and the best of the MC businesses on its own.
The rest of the MC businesses are best thought of as feeders for your Nightclub rather than standalone earners. Their solo numbers, ranked:
| Business | Type | Setup cost | Max profit/hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cocaine Lockup | MC | $975,000 | ~$69K/hr |
| Counterfeit Cash Factory | MC | $845,000 | ~$47K/hr |
| Methamphetamine Lab | MC | $910,000 | ~$50K/hr |
| Weed Farm | MC | $715,000 | ~$42K/hr |
| Document Forgery Office | MC | $650,000 | ~$37K/hr |
Counterfeit Cash and Meth are respectable; Weed and Document Forgery are mediocre alone and worth owning mainly to boost Nightclub production.
C-Tier
Fun, but the source-and-sell loop is time-gated and player-dependent. Treat it as variety, not a core earner.
Suggested buy order
For a new player building toward real income, this order maximizes how fast each purchase pays for itself:
- Acid Lab — cheapest entry into solid active income.
- Nightclub — your passive engine.
- Bunker — links to the club and stands on its own.
- Agency — high-value contracts and passive safe cash.
- Linked feeder businesses (Cocaine, Meth) to max out Nightclub production.
Before committing, check property locations and prices in the property database — the cheapest Nightclub or Bunker is usually the right one, since location barely affects income. For the buildings themselves and the smartest order to buy them, see best properties to buy. And remember the meta shifts with Rockstar’s weekly 2x GTA$ events, so a B-tier business can temporarily jump tiers. The smart move is owning a flexible spread and selling whatever is paying double that week. New to grinding? Start with how to make money fast.