For solo operators & small teams
The right SaaS stack
for your kind of business.
Generic "best of" lists don't care if you're a freelance writer, a solo consultant, or a two-person law firm. We do. Every stack here is picked for one vertical — with real pricing at scale, honest tradeoffs, and no pay-to-play rankings.
8 stacks · 6 tool reviews · updated monthly
Flagship stacks
The verticals we cover deepest
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Tier 1 stack
4 toolsAI Coach & Prompt Consultant Tech Stack
The tool stack for independent AI consultants and prompt engineers — a young vertical, with most content still being written by people who don't actually do the work. Here's the real stack.
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Tier 1 stack
3 toolsIndie Law Firm Tech Stack
The tool stack for solo attorneys and 2–3 lawyer shops — with real practice-management recommendations, compliance-aware picks, and the digital-fax reality nobody else talks about.
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Tier 1 stack
1 toolsFreelance Writer Tech Stack
The 8 tools a full-time freelance writer actually needs — what to pay for on day one, what to add at $5k/mo, and what to skip despite what other lists say.
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Tier 1 stack
4 toolsSolo Consultant Tech Stack
The 9 tools an independent management or strategy consultant actually needs — what's worth the money, what you can skip, and how the stack evolves as billing rates climb.
Recent reviews
Hands-on tool reviews
- $19.95/user/mo (Business)
1Password Business
by AgileBits
The password manager we recommend to almost every solo operator and small team — here's what works, what doesn't, and when to pick something else.
password manager Pick - Free for one event type
Calendly
by Calendly
The scheduling tool everyone uses — sometimes because it's the best, sometimes because it's what clients expect. Here's when to pick it and when to skip.
scheduling Pick - Free up to 10
ConvertKit
by Kit
The creator-focused email marketing tool that's eaten Mailchimp's lunch with writers, newsletter operators, and course sellers. Here's when it's the right pick.
email marketing Pick - Free up to 500 contacts
Mailchimp
by Intuit Mailchimp
The default email marketing tool for small business — but the pricing cliff at 2,500 contacts is brutal, and for some verticals you should skip it from day one.
email marketing - Free for personal
Notion
by Notion Labs
The all-purpose workspace that most solo operators eventually run their whole business in. Honest about what it's great at and what it isn't.
productivity project management Pick - $35/mo Simple Start (US); promotional discounts common
QuickBooks Online
by Intuit
The accounting software your accountant almost certainly uses — but is it right for you? Here's who should pick QBO and who should start somewhere simpler.
accounting
Why we're different
Recommendations based on fit, not commission.
If a free tool beats a paid one for your vertical, we'll say so. Our Mailchimp alternatives page recommends five tools we earn zero from. That's the point.
30+
days minimum testing per tool
$0
accepted for placement or ranking
100%
of commission relationships disclosed