I recently audited a founder's tool stack. They were spending $247 per month across 14 different SaaS subscriptions. After consolidation, they were down to 7 tools and $89 per month. Same functionality. Less complexity. And they saved over $1,800 a year without giving up a single feature they actually used.
This isn't unusual. Most founders I work with are paying for tool overlap they don't even realise exists. Two tools doing the same job. Enterprise plans for startup-stage needs. Premium tiers for features they've never opened. The money adds up quietly, month after month, until someone actually looks at the bill.
Here's how to run your own audit and cut the waste.
Why your stack is bloated
The average early-stage founder uses 12-15 SaaS tools. But when you map out what each tool actually does, most founders only need 6-8. The rest is redundancy, legacy decisions, and tools adopted during a free trial that quietly converted to paid.
It happens for predictable reasons:
- Tools adopted at different stages. You signed up for Trello when it was just you. Then the team grew and you added Linear. Now you're paying for both, and half the tasks are in each.
- Feature creep from multiple tools. Your project management tool now has docs. Your docs tool now has project management. But you're still paying for both separately.
- Specialist tools for generic needs. You're paying $49/month for a dedicated landing page builder when your hosting platform (Vercel, Netlify) can serve static pages for free.
- Forgotten subscriptions. That A/B testing tool you tried for two weeks? Still billing you $29/month.
Not sure what you're spending? Use our calculator to add up your current stack cost in 2 minutes.
The consolidation framework
This is the exact process I use when doing spend rescues for founders. It takes about an hour and typically saves 30-60% on SaaS spend.
Step 1: Audit everything
Pull up your bank statement or subscription management tool. List every SaaS tool you're paying for, along with:
- Monthly cost
- What you use it for (be specific -- not "project management" but "tracking 3 active projects and 2 client boards")
- Last time you actually logged in
- How many team members use it
Most founders discover 2-3 tools they're paying for but haven't touched in weeks.
Step 2: Identify overlap
Group your tools by function. You'll typically see overlap in these categories:
- Writing and docs: Google Docs + Notion + Confluence
- Project management: Trello + Linear + Asana
- Communication: Slack + Discord + Microsoft Teams
- Analytics: Google Analytics + Mixpanel + PostHog
- Email: Mailchimp + ConvertKit + Beehiiv
If you have more than one tool in any category, you have overlap. One of them needs to go.
Step 3: Find multi-purpose replacements
This is where the real savings happen. Modern tools are getting broader. A single tool can often replace 2-3 specialised ones:
- Notion replaces Trello + Google Docs + Confluence. One tool for docs, wikis, project boards, and databases. Free for personal use, $8/user/month for teams.
- Supabase replaces Firebase + Auth0 + a standalone database. You get PostgreSQL, authentication, real-time subscriptions, and storage in one platform. Free tier is generous.
- PostHog replaces Google Analytics + Mixpanel + Hotjar. Product analytics, session recordings, feature flags, and A/B testing. Free up to 1 million events.
- Resend replaces SendGrid + a separate email template builder. Developer-first transactional email with React-based templates. Free up to 3,000 emails/month.
Step 4: Migrate strategically
Don't rip everything out at once. Migrate one tool at a time, starting with the easiest wins -- the tools with the least data to move and the smallest teams using them. Give each migration a week to settle before starting the next.
Before and after: a real stack consolidation
Here's what an actual consolidation looked like for a SaaS founder I worked with:
| Function | Before | After | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Docs & PM | Notion + Trello ($18/mo) | Notion ($8/mo) | $10/mo |
| Database & Auth | Firebase + Auth0 ($74/mo) | Supabase ($25/mo) | $49/mo |
| Analytics | Mixpanel + Hotjar ($65/mo) | PostHog (free) | $65/mo |
| Email marketing | Mailchimp ($30/mo) | Beehiiv (free) | $30/mo |
| Transactional email | SendGrid ($20/mo) | Resend (free) | $20/mo |
| Landing pages | Carrd ($19/mo) | Vercel (free) | $19/mo |
| Hosting | Heroku ($21/mo) | Vercel (free) | $21/mo |
| Total | $247/mo | $33/mo | $214/mo saved |
That's $2,568 per year back in their pocket. And their stack is simpler, faster, and easier to manage. Fewer logins, fewer dashboards, fewer things to break.
The tools that consolidate best
Not every tool is built for consolidation. Some are specialists, and that's fine -- you need Stripe for payments, there's no getting around that. But here are the tools I see replacing multiple others most often:
- Notion -- docs, project management, wikis, light CRM, databases
- Supabase -- database, auth, storage, real-time, edge functions
- Vercel -- hosting, serverless functions, edge middleware, analytics
- PostHog -- product analytics, session replay, feature flags, experiments
- Beehiiv -- newsletter, subscriber management, referrals, monetisation
These five tools can replace 10-12 separate subscriptions for most early-stage SaaS founders.
When not to consolidate
Consolidation isn't always the right call. Keep your specialist tools if:
- You've outgrown the generalist. If you're doing complex project management with 20 people, Linear or Jira is worth keeping over Notion boards.
- The migration cost exceeds the savings. If moving your database would take 2 weeks of engineering time and only saves $15/month, it's not worth it yet.
- Compliance requires it. Some industries need specific tools for audit trails, data residency, or certifications. Don't consolidate away compliance.
Get help with your consolidation
If you'd rather not do this yourself, there are a few ways I can help:
- Calculate your current spend -- quick, free, and often eye-opening.
- Get a spend rescue -- I audit your stack and deliver a consolidation plan with exact tools, migration steps, and projected savings.
- Want me to do it for you? -- Full-service stack consolidation. I handle the audit, the tool selection, the migration, and the setup.
Either way, stop paying for tools you don't need. That money is better spent on your product, your marketing, or frankly, on yourself. You've earned it.