Freelance dev stack
Code, show, get paid without a product stack.
- Selection
- 5 tools
- Target budget
- $37 per month
- Profile
- Optimization business stage
Which tool does what?
Code and repo
GitHub
Free, client-friendly, enough to version and ship.Deployment
Vercel
The best speed-to-complexity ratio for frontends and small apps.
WorkspaceNotion
Scope, specs, and tracking without a heavy PM tool.
AIChatGPT
One general AI subscription is enough in most cases.
PaymentStripe
Simple for invoices and international payments.
Why these tools together?
Code cleanly. Show progress fast. Keep a trace. Get paid without stacking subscriptions.
A good fit if…
Freelance developers shipping websites, apps, MVPs, or client projects without a full product team.
Look elsewhere if…
If you work with QA, advanced staging, complex monitoring, or several critical environments.
Show work in progress
The client needs to see a real preview, not a screenshot or zip. That is Vercel's role.
Keep decision history
The risk in dev projects is not missing PM software, it is losing context across emails, calls, and tickets.
Separate code, specs, and payment
GitHub holds code, Notion holds context, Stripe handles payment. Mixing roles makes the project messy.
What should you budget?
- ChatGPT$20
- Notion$11
- StripeUsage-based
The target budget is the recommended starting envelope. The list price adds up each core tool's first paid plan, excluding 1 tool without a fixed price. Optional tools are not included.
Included / often free
0€GitHub, Vercel, and Notion can often cover versioning, preview, and client context on free plans depending on volume.
Target budget
≈ 32€/monthThe target holds when the base stays simple: hosting, preview, documentation, and payment.
Do not pay too early
Jira / CRM / AI x2Wait for real repeated volume before adding heavy PM tooling, a full CRM, multiple AI copilots, or paid automations.
What to watch out for
Overpaying for AI and hosting before there is real client volume.
Overweight product stack
Jira, Linear, or a full CRM add ritual if you ship alone.
Keep a light system while the project fits code, preview, decisions, and payment.
Project tool for two clients
A team tool quickly becomes one more tracking layer.
Use Notion for client context before adding a full PM layer.
CRM before sales flow
A full pipeline is not useful if opportunities are still rare.
Delay CRM while sales follow-up fits in a page or spreadsheet.
Several AI copilots
ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, and Cursor can cover the same need.
Keep one main copilot, add an AI IDE only if code work is weekly.
Automations too early
Automating a task that is not repeated yet creates more maintenance than gain.
Pay for automation when the flow is stable and frequent.
You run several projects in parallel
This is when you add statuses and views in Notion, not necessarily Linear.
The client asks for weekly tracking
A shared status page is enough while no one works full-time on the client side.
Frequently asked questions
Is this stack enough to ship a client website?
Yes, if the core need is coding, sharing a preview, documenting decisions, and getting paid. It becomes too light when you need advanced QA, complex staging, or several developers.
Should you add Linear or Jira?
Not by default. Solo, Notion is often enough for context, decisions, and client tracking. Linear or Jira become useful when several people prioritize and ship at the same time.
When should you pay for an AI coding tool?
When you ship code weekly and the tool truly reduces debugging, refactoring, or generation time. Otherwise, a well-configured general copilot is enough.
