The modern indie stack to go from idea to paying customers. Framework, database, hosting, payments, transactional email, and live chat, nothing else.
Next.js
Supabase
Vercel
StripeFrontend, backend, hosting, payments, email, support. Ship it.
The React framework for production. Server-side rendering, API routes, file-based routing, and edge functions. Used by Netflix, TikTok, and half the internet. Ship full-stack apps with one framework.
Simpler, less boilerplate, growing fast
If React feels heavy, SvelteKit compiles away the framework overhead. Simpler syntax, smaller bundles, excellent DX. Growing fast but smaller ecosystem.
Better data loading patterns
Now part of React Router v7. Superior approach to data loading, error boundaries, and progressive enhancement. Great for content-heavy apps.
Free - Free AI code completion. Works in 70+ languages, every major IDE. Copilot altern...
Free AI code completion. Works in 70+ languages, every major IDE. Copilot alternative that costs nothing. Try Codeium →
Free - AI pair programming in your terminal. Git-aware, edits files directly, explains ...
AI pair programming in your terminal. Git-aware, edits files directly, explains changes. CLI purist's Cursor. Try Aider →
Freemium - Sourcegraph's AI coding assistant. Understands your entire codebase, not just th...
Sourcegraph's AI coding assistant. Understands your entire codebase, not just the open file. Enterprise-grade context. Try Cody →
Paid - Anthropic's CLI coding agent. Plans, edits, tests, and commits - all from your t...
Anthropic's CLI coding agent. Plans, edits, tests, and commits - all from your terminal. The agentic future is here. Try Claude Code →
Free - AI-powered snippet manager. Saves, organises, and enriches your code snippets wi...
AI-powered snippet manager. Saves, organises, and enriches your code snippets with context. Never lose that util function again. Try Pieces →
Free - Python's battle-tested web framework. Batteries included, admin panel free. If P...
Python's battle-tested web framework. Batteries included, admin panel free. If Python is your language, this is your framework. Try Django →
Free - Python API framework that's absurdly fast. Auto-generates docs, async by default...
Python API framework that's absurdly fast. Auto-generates docs, async by default, type-safe. The modern Python backend. Try FastAPI →
Free - PHP's crown jewel. Elegant syntax, incredible ecosystem, and yes - PHP in 2026 i...
PHP's crown jewel. Elegant syntax, incredible ecosystem, and yes - PHP in 2026 is actually good. Forge + Vapor seal the deal. Try Laravel →
Free - The OG startup framework. Convention over configuration. Ship an MVP in a weeken...
The OG startup framework. Convention over configuration. Ship an MVP in a weekend, scale it for years. Still cooking. Try Ruby on Rails →
Free - Python micro-framework. Minimal, flexible, no opinions. When Django is too much ...
Python micro-framework. Minimal, flexible, no opinions. When Django is too much and you want to build from scratch. Try Flask →
Free — Microsoft's browser testing framework. Fast, reliable, cross-browser. Cypress ha...
Microsoft's browser testing framework. Fast, reliable, cross-browser. Cypress had its moment — Playwright is the future. Try Playwright →
Free — Vite-powered test runner. Blazing fast, Jest-compatible API, native ESM. If you ...
Vite-powered test runner. Blazing fast, Jest-compatible API, native ESM. If you use Vite, use Vitest. Simple as that. Try Vitest →
Freemium — API testing and development. Collections, environments, mock servers. Every deve...
API testing and development. Collections, environments, mock servers. Every developer has used it, most still do. Try Postman →
Freemium — Monitoring as code. Synthetic checks, API monitoring, Playwright-based browser c...
Monitoring as code. Synthetic checks, API monitoring, Playwright-based browser checks. Know your app is down before users do. Try Checkly →
Freemium — Visual testing for Storybook. Catch UI regressions pixel by pixel. Made by the S...
Visual testing for Storybook. Catch UI regressions pixel by pixel. Made by the Storybook team. Essential for component libraries. Try Chromatic →
Postgres database, authentication, file storage, edge functions, and realtime subscriptions, all in one. The open-source Firebase alternative that gives you real SQL and row-level security.
Best for mobile apps and rapid prototyping
Google's BaaS. NoSQL (Firestore) with offline sync, push notifications, and ML Kit. Better for mobile-first apps. Can get expensive at scale.
MySQL with branching like Git
Serverless MySQL with database branching. Non-blocking schema changes. $0 to start. Best if your team prefers MySQL over Postgres.
Freemium - In-memory data store that's fast beyond reason. Caching, sessions, queues, pub/s...
In-memory data store that's fast beyond reason. Caching, sessions, queues, pub/sub - the Swiss army knife of backend infra. Try Redis →
Free - TypeScript ORM that feels like writing SQL. Lightweight, fast, zero overhead. Pr...
TypeScript ORM that feels like writing SQL. Lightweight, fast, zero overhead. Prisma got too heavy, Drizzle kept it lean. Try Drizzle ORM →
Free - Type-safe database toolkit for Node.js. Schema-first, auto-generated client, mig...
Type-safe database toolkit for Node.js. Schema-first, auto-generated client, migrations. The default ORM for good reason. Try Prisma →
Freemium - Serverless document database with built-in auth and GraphQL. Zero ops, scales au...
Serverless document database with built-in auth and GraphQL. Zero ops, scales automatically. Niche but powerful. Try Fauna →
Free - Graph-relational database that's actually developer-friendly. EdgeQL is what SQL...
Graph-relational database that's actually developer-friendly. EdgeQL is what SQL wishes it was. Niche but brilliant. Try EdgeDB →
Freemium - Passwordless auth done right. Magic links, OTPs, OAuth, biometrics. Clean SDKs, ...
Passwordless auth done right. Magic links, OTPs, OAuth, biometrics. Clean SDKs, generous free tier. Clerk competitor. Try Stytch →
Free - Open-source passkey authentication. WebAuthn-first, FIDO2 compliant. The passwor...
Open-source passkey authentication. WebAuthn-first, FIDO2 compliant. The password is dead, Hanko is the funeral director. Try Hanko →
Freemium - Enterprise SSO and directory sync. When your SaaS lands that first enterprise cu...
Enterprise SSO and directory sync. When your SaaS lands that first enterprise customer and they need SAML/SCIM. Try WorkOS →
Freemium - Auth and user management with feature flags baked in. Australian-made, developer...
Auth and user management with feature flags baked in. Australian-made, developer-friendly, and growing fast. Try Kinde →
Free - Google's auth service. Dead simple setup, tons of providers, free tier handles m...
Google's auth service. Dead simple setup, tons of providers, free tier handles most startups. The easy button. Try Firebase Auth →
Push to Git, see it live in seconds. Automatic preview deployments for every PR, edge functions in 30+ regions, and built-in analytics. The deploy experience that spoils you for everything else.
Full backend hosting, not just frontends
If you need persistent servers, cron jobs, or Docker containers. $5 free credit/month. Better for non-Next.js backends and background workers.
Containers at the edge
Run Docker containers in 30+ regions. Great for non-serverless architectures, WebSocket servers, and apps that need persistent connections.
Freemium - Edge-first hosting from the Deno team. Deploy TypeScript globally in seconds. Ze...
Edge-first hosting from the Deno team. Deploy TypeScript globally in seconds. Zero config, built-in KV store. Try Deno Deploy →
Free - Open-source, self-hosted Vercel/Netlify alternative. Full PaaS on your own serve...
Open-source, self-hosted Vercel/Netlify alternative. Full PaaS on your own server. Pay for the VPS, skip the markup. Try Coolify →
Freemium - Deploy anything, anywhere. Serverless, containers, static sites. Like Railway bu...
Deploy anything, anywhere. Serverless, containers, static sites. Like Railway but with a slicker UI and generous free tier. Try Zeabur →
Free - Framework for building serverless apps on AWS. Makes AWS not terrible. Seriously...
Framework for building serverless apps on AWS. Makes AWS not terrible. Seriously, it's a miracle. Try SST →
Freemium - Serverless platform with global edge deployment. Git push to deploy. Free tier i...
Serverless platform with global edge deployment. Git push to deploy. Free tier includes always-on instances. Railway competitor. Try Koyeb →
The payments infrastructure behind the internet. Subscriptions, one-time payments, invoicing, tax calculation, and fraud prevention. Developer experience is unmatched.
Merchant of record, handles tax globally
They handle sales tax, VAT, and compliance in every country. Higher fees (5% + 50¢) but you never think about tax. Popular with indie hackers.
Same MoR model, more enterprise-ready
Like Lemon Squeezy but for bigger SaaS companies. Handles tax, billing, and subscription management. Recently acquired ProfitWell.
Free - Africa's Stripe. Clean API, solid dashboard, handles local payment methods. Buil...
Africa's Stripe. Clean API, solid dashboard, handles local payment methods. Building for African markets? Non-negotiable. Try Paystack →
Free - Pan-African payments gateway. Supports 150+ currencies. Less polished than Payst...
Pan-African payments gateway. Supports 150+ currencies. Less polished than Paystack but broader reach across the continent. Try Flutterwave →
Free - Payments for physical and online businesses. Hardware + software + banking. The ...
Payments for physical and online businesses. Hardware + software + banking. The all-in-one play for retail. Try Square →
Free - India's payment infrastructure. UPI, cards, wallets, subscriptions. If you're bu...
India's payment infrastructure. UPI, cards, wallets, subscriptions. If you're building for the Indian market, it's this or bust. Try Razorpay →
Free - Monetisation for open-source and digital creators. Subscriptions, sponsorships, ...
Monetisation for open-source and digital creators. Subscriptions, sponsorships, digital products. GitHub Sponsors alternative. Try Polar →
Beautiful transactional emails with React components. Password resets, welcome emails, and notifications that actually look good. Built by the creator of react-email.
Highest deliverability in the industry
Laser-focused on transactional email. No marketing email allowed, which keeps their IP reputation pristine. $15/mo for 10K emails.
Scale to millions of emails
Twilio's email service. Free tier (100/day). Better for high-volume senders. Less developer-friendly than Resend but battle-tested at scale.
Freemium - Email marketing + CRM + SMS in one. Formerly Sendinblue. Generous free tier, sol...
Email marketing + CRM + SMS in one. Formerly Sendinblue. Generous free tier, solid automation. The budget-friendly Mailchimp. Try Brevo →
Paid - Email sending at scale for almost nothing. $0.10 per 1,000 emails. No UI to spea...
Email sending at scale for almost nothing. $0.10 per 1,000 emails. No UI to speak of, but the price can't be beat. Try Amazon SES →
Freemium - Email API + marketing platform. Collaborative template editor is the standout fe...
Email API + marketing platform. Collaborative template editor is the standout feature. Good middle ground between Resend and Mailchimp. Try Mailjet →
Freemium - Email testing sandbox. Catch all emails in dev before they reach real inboxes. T...
Email testing sandbox. Catch all emails in dev before they reach real inboxes. Then switch to production sending. Smart workflow. Try Mailtrap →
Live chat widget, shared inbox, knowledge base, and chatbot, in a beautifully designed package. The Intercom alternative that won't bankrupt your startup.
The gold standard, if you can afford it
The most powerful customer messaging platform. AI chatbot, product tours, and customer data platform. $74/mo minimum. Worth it post-PMF.
Completely free live chat
100% free forever. Live chat, ticketing, and a knowledge base. No catch. Slightly less polished than Crisp but you can't beat the price.
Freemium - Help desk that scales from solo founder to 100-person team. Ticketing, knowledge...
Help desk that scales from solo founder to 100-person team. Ticketing, knowledge base, AI chatbot. Zendesk but friendlier. Try Freshdesk →
Paid - Shared inbox for teams. Email, SMS, social - all in one place. Like if Gmail and...
Shared inbox for teams. Email, SMS, social - all in one place. Like if Gmail and Zendesk had a baby. Pricey but powerful. Try Front →
Freemium - Live chat + AI chatbot for small businesses. Easy setup, decent AI responses, fr...
Live chat + AI chatbot for small businesses. Easy setup, decent AI responses, free tier. Tawk.to with better AI. Try Tidio →
Freemium - Customer support built for technical teams. API-first, thread-based, Slack-like ...
Customer support built for technical teams. API-first, thread-based, Slack-like UX. For when Zendesk feels too corporate. Try Plain →
Freemium - In-app bug reporting and feedback. Users screenshot issues, you get full context...
In-app bug reporting and feedback. Users screenshot issues, you get full context. Support meets product feedback. Try Gleap →
From zero to deployed SaaS with auth, payments, and email
Next.js
Supabase
Stripe
Vercel
Resend
Scaffold the Next.js project
Set up Supabase for database and auth
Build login and signup pages
Add Stripe subscription billing
Set up transactional email with Resend
Deploy to Vercel
Every tool pre-configured, setup order mapped out, integrations documented. Skip weeks of research.
Pick the stack, write the code, launch the thing.
