Essential, simple, cost effective startup tools.
As someone who's built multiple startups and watched countless others struggle with the same decisions, I'm consistently amazed by how many founders waste precious runway building infrastructure instead of products. You're not Google. You don't need to build your own authentication system, payment processor, or email server. You need to validate your idea and get to market—fast.
After building RepoBird.ai and several other SaaS products, I've discovered a core set of tools that streamline the process of building from scratch to MVP - while giving you the flexibility to scale. Here's the stack that lets you focus on what matters: building features your customers actually want.
1. OpenTofu: Infrastructure as Code Without the License Anxiety
Core Value: Infrastructure as code! Open-source Terraform fork with zero vendor lock-in and full compatibility
Have you ever done a tutorial for setting up some AWS service manually? It is actual PAIN - you have to manually click through and type in a bunch of settings and configuration one at a time. Now, imagine setting up your entire cloud infastructure with simple blocks of code in a couple files. You can spin it all up in one cli command or tear it down the same way. This is the right way to centralize your infra in the simplest way - AI agents can help out with this if you have no infra experience (just beware of the possible costs incurred - know what your deploying).
If you're using Terraform, you should have switched to OpenTofu yesterday. When HashiCorp changed Terraform's license to BSL (Business Source License) in 2023, they inadvertently created a ticking time bomb for startups. OpenTofu, backed by the Linux Foundation, gives you everything Terraform does—but without the legal uncertainty or potential future licensing costs.
Why it beats the alternatives:
- 100% Terraform compatible - Your existing configs work immediately
- Truly open source (MPL-2.0) - No surprise license changes or fees as you scale
- Community-driven - Features driven by users, not corporate roadmaps
- Zero cost forever - No licensing fees, ever
The killer feature: You can literally swap the Terraform binary for OpenTofu and everything just works. No migration, no rewrites, no drama.
Building infrastructure management from scratch would take months and create massive technical debt. AWS CloudFormation locks you into AWS. Terraform might cost you later. OpenTofu gives you enterprise-grade infrastructure management that remains free as you scale from 1 to 1,000 servers. If your startup doesn't require any special infra you may not need this at all! One example is some simple Nextjs webpage that sufficiently handles any server side logic without needing special AWS services.
2. PurelyMail: Email That Costs $10/Year, Not $10/User/Month
Core Value: Unlimited users and domains for the price of a coffee
Every startup needs email. Most pay $6-12 per user per month for Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. That's $720/year for just 5 email addresses. PurelyMail? $10/year total. Not per user. Total.
Why it beats the alternatives:
- Unlimited email addresses - Create dev@, support@, sales@, noreply@, and 50 more without paying extra
- Unlimited domains - Run email for all your projects and brands from one account
- Zero complexity - Set up in 5 minutes, works with any email client
- Actual privacy - Your data isn't being mined for advertising
The killer feature: The pricing model. While competitors charge per user (forcing you to share accounts or limit access), PurelyMail lets you create proper email addresses for every function, service, and team member.
Yes, you lose the Google Docs integration. But for pure email? You're saving thousands per year that can go toward actual product development.
3. Supabase: The Open-Source Firebase That Uses Real SQL
Core Value: PostgreSQL backend with instant APIs, auth, and real-time—all open source
Firebase seemed revolutionary until you hit its limitations. Supabase gives you Firebase's developer experience with PostgreSQL's power and zero lock-in. This UI is simple, easy to navigate, can run queries or have AI assistant generate them for you. Incredible value for the free plan.
Why it beats the alternatives:
- Real PostgreSQL - Use actual SQL, relations, transactions, and decades of database best practices
- Instant APIs - Every table automatically gets REST and GraphQL endpoints
- Auth included - User management, social logins, and MFA without another service
- Self-hostable - Your data, your servers, your control when you need it
The killer feature: Elegant, simple UI. Auto-generated APIs. Generous free tier.
Building a custom backend would take months. Firebase locks you into Google and NoSQL. AWS requires stitching together a dozen services. Supabase gives you a production-ready backend database in minutes that scales to millions of users.
4. Clerk: Authentication in 5 Minutes, Not 5 Months
Core Value: Modern auth with pre-built UI components and 10,000 free users
Authentication is a tarpit. It seems simple until you're implementing MFA, social logins, organization management, webhooks, and compliance. Clerk handles all of this with literally 5 lines of code. Free tier is working well for me no trial deadline. Has 3rd party signup integrated so users can sign in with google/github quite easily.
Why it beats the alternatives:
- 10,000 free monthly active users - Most startups never pay
- "Free" Tier - Up to 10,000 MAUs and 100 active organizations free.
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Pre-built React components - Drop in
<SignIn/>and you're done - B2B ready - Organizations, roles, and invites built-in
The killer feature: The pre-built UI components. While Auth0 and Cognito give you APIs, Clerk gives you production-ready React components that look good out of the box.
Custom auth would take months and create security vulnerabilities. Auth0 gets expensive fast. AWS Cognito requires deep AWS knowledge. Clerk gets you to market with enterprise-grade auth before lunch.
5. Stripe: Payments That Actually Work
Core Value: Developer-first payments with APIs for everything
Everyone knows Stripe, but not everyone appreciates why it's revolutionary. It's not about accepting payments—PayPal did that 20 years ago. It's about programmatic control over every aspect of the payment flow.
Why it beats the alternatives:
- APIs for everything - Subscriptions, invoices, taxes, payouts—all programmable
- Global by default - 135+ currencies and local payment methods built-in
- Testing paradise - Comprehensive test mode with fake card numbers for every scenario
- Compliance handled - PCI, SCA, tax calculation—Stripe manages the complexity
The killer feature: The subscription API. Managing recurring billing yourself is a nightmare of edge cases. Stripe handles prorations, trials, upgrades, downgrades, pauses, and tax calculation automatically.
PayPal is user-hostile for subscriptions. Square is built for retail. Building payment processing yourself is literally illegal without proper licenses. Stripe lets you accept money from anywhere, in any way, with a few API calls.
6. Next.js + Vercel: The Full-Stack Framework That Actually Ships
Core Value: Frontend, backend, and deployment in one seamless package
In a nutshell: Nextjs provides a powerful way to build fast, scalable, SEO-friendly web applications with a seamless developer experience. Using Vercel with Next.js is recommended because it offers seamless deployment, maximized performance, and unique full-stack capabilities that are directly optimized for the framework. Vercel is created by the team behind Next.js and serves as its default hosting solution with advanced infrastructure benefits.
Why it beats the alternatives:
- Full-stack in one repo - Frontend, backend APIs, in one codebase
- Automatic everything - SSL, CDN, scaling, previews—all handled by Vercel
- Git-based deployment - Push to main, site is live globally in 30 seconds
- Built-in optimization - Image optimization, code splitting, caching—all automatic
The killer feature: API routes. Write your backend endpoints in the same repo as your frontend. No CORS issues, no separate deployment, no coordination headaches.
Plain React requires assembling a build pipeline. Rails/Laravel weren't built for modern frontends. AWS requires DevOps expertise. Next.js + Vercel gets you from idea to production URL in under an hour.
The only gripe I have with vercel is the need for (at least) Pro plan (20$) per seat per month. A startup would need a paid (Pro or Enterprise) tier on Vercel because the free Hobby plan is strictly for personal, non-commercial use—and commercial activity such as selling products or services is not permitted under Hobby.
PS: Code in Typescript - not Javascript.
The Hidden Cost of "Building It Yourself"
Every tool above could be built in-house. Also, you could be the next president of the United States. But just because you could doesn't mean you should. Don't be a stuck up do everything from scratch dev - you'll never get your core product out there. Once your in the big leagues, you can think about stripping out dependencies - until then use the frameworks out there for the sake of time savings.
Start Shipping, Stop Building Infrastructure
The startups that win aren't the ones with the most elegant infrastructure. They're the ones that reach product-market fit before running out of money. Every hour you spend building an authentication system is an hour not spent talking to customers or building features they'll pay for.
These six tools eliminate 90% of infrastructure complexity while maintaining the flexibility to scale. They're production-tested by thousands of companies, documented extensively, and supported by thriving communities.
Your startup's success won't come from having built your own email server or authentication system. It'll come from solving a real problem for real customers. These tools let you focus on exactly that.
Stop reinventing wheels. Start shipping products.
What tools have transformed your startup development? What infrastructure decisions do you wish you'd made differently? Share your stack in the comments.
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