You know what to build. Now you need the tools to ship it. Framework, database, hosting, payments - everything to go from code to customers. Nothing extra.
Next.js
Supabase
Vercel
Stripe
Resend
Cursor
One framework, one backend, one host. Simple.
We picked one tool for each job. Here's why - and what we passed on.
Full-stack React with server components, API routes, and the best DX. Deploy anywhere, scale effortlessly.
Works perfectly with Vercel
Great, but smaller ecosystem
Remix has excellent data loading patterns and is truly full-stack, but fewer tutorials, components, and deployment options compared to Next.js. Pick if you value web standards purity.
Lovely DX, smaller talent pool
Svelte is genuinely delightful to write and produces smaller bundles. But hiring Svelte devs is harder, and the component ecosystem is 10x smaller than React's.
Vue is great, React has more jobs
Nuxt 3 is excellent and Vue's composition API is clean. But if you ever hire or get hired, React dominates the job market 3:1.
Postgres + auth + realtime + storage in one. Open source, generous free tier, and you own your data.
First-class Next.js support
Vendor lock-in, proprietary
Firebase is fast to start but uses a proprietary NoSQL database. Migrating away is painful. Google's pricing can spike unexpectedly. Pick if you're all-in on Google Cloud.
No built-in auth or realtime
Excellent MySQL with branching, but you'll need separate services for auth (Clerk, Auth0) and realtime (Pusher). More pieces to manage. Pick for MySQL-specific needs.
NoSQL adds complexity
Document databases feel flexible at first but make relationships and joins painful later. Most apps have relational data. Pick only if you truly have unstructured data.
Push to deploy. Preview URLs. Edge functions. The best Next.js hosting, made by the same team.
Made by the Next.js team
Next.js support lags behind
Netlify is solid for static sites and has great forms/identity features. But their Next.js runtime is a wrapper around Vercel's, so new features arrive late. Pick for non-Next projects.
Overkill for frontend hosting
Railway is excellent for long-running backends, databases, and Docker containers. For static/serverless frontends, it's more complex than needed. Pick for backend-heavy apps.
Complex setup, AWS learning curve
If you're already deep in AWS, Amplify integrates well. Otherwise, the IAM permissions, CLI setup, and configuration overhead isn't worth it for most projects.
The gold standard. Subscriptions, one-time, invoicing - all with the best docs and developer experience.
Official Next.js examples
Handles tax, but higher fees
Paddle is a "merchant of record" - they handle all tax compliance for you. Great for avoiding VAT headaches, but fees are 5%+ and you lose some control over the checkout experience.
Simpler, but limited customization
LemonSqueezy is Gumroad-meets-Stripe - very easy to set up digital products. But limited webhook events, less flexible checkout, and smaller feature set. Pick for simple digital sales.
Clunky UX, poor DX
PayPal has massive brand recognition and some users prefer it. But the developer experience is years behind, the dashboard is confusing, and checkout flows feel dated.
Modern email API built for developers. React Email support, great deliverability, simple pricing.
Built for React developers
Bloated, confusing pricing
SendGrid (now Twilio) has too many products, confusing tiers, and a dashboard that feels like enterprise software. The API works but the DX isn't enjoyable.
Dated dashboard, clunky API
Mailgun is reliable and has good deliverability, but the interface feels like 2015. Documentation is harder to navigate than Resend's clean approach.
Cheap but painful setup
SES is incredibly cheap at scale ($0.10/1K emails) but requires IAM setup, sandbox mode approval, and manual bounce handling. Only worth it for high-volume senders who know AWS.
The best AI coding experience. Built on VS Code, understands your entire codebase, and has Claude + GPT built in. Use alongside ChatGPT or Claude for brainstorming and planning.
Built on VS Code, feels familiar
Good, but Cursor's UX is better
Copilot was first and works well, but Cursor's chat, codebase understanding, and multi-model support make it the better overall experience. Copilot feels like an add-on; Cursor feels native.
Promising but newer
Windsurf (by Codeium) has some nice ideas around "Flows" for multi-file edits. But it's newer, less battle-tested, and the ecosystem is smaller. Worth watching.
Powerful but terminal-based
CLI-based AI coding tools are powerful for certain workflows, but most developers prefer the visual integration of a full editor. Great as a complement, not a replacement.
Copy, paste, ship. No decision fatigue.
Next.js
npx create-next-app@latest my-app --typescript --tailwind --app
Supabase
npm install @supabase/supabase-js @supabase/ssr
Stripe
npm install stripe @stripe/stripe-js
Resend
npm install resend
Vercel
npx vercel # or git push if connected
Need more details? Read the full setup guide →
Spoiler: You can start for free. Here's how it scales.
* Stripe fees are per transaction, not included in total. Estimates based on typical usage patterns.
Follow a workflow to get from tools to results.
Stop researching. Start shipping.