Indie maker stack
You need to build, launch, and measure alone. The trap: paying for two site builders and two general-purpose AI subscriptions doing the same job.
- Selection
- 13 7 optional
- Target budget
- $130 per month
- Profile
- Structuring business stage
Which tool does what?
Site (fast conversion)Core
Framer
Faster than Webflow to publish and iterate on a landing page; duplicates Webflow, pick one or the other.The default choice for a landing page that needs to convert fast.
Site (structured CMS)ReassessWebflow
Only earns its place over Framer if content needs deep structuring; otherwise Framer does the same job faster.Only add if the site needs a real CMS (blog, structured content).Prompt-to-MVPCore
Lovable
Generates a first app version from a prompt; complements Cursor rather than duplicating it — one gets you started, the other builds seriously.To get started fast without writing code.Serious developmentIf needed
Cursor
Useful once the product outgrows what Lovable can generate and needs maintainable code over time.Takes over once you actually need to write and maintain code.HostingCore
Vercel
Deploys the site or app in a few commands, with a generous free tier to get started.Keep it in the core: simple, fast deployment.
BackendIf neededSupabase
Provides database, authentication, and API in one managed backend, without having to build it all yourself.Useful once the product needs a real database and auth.
PaymentsCoreStripe
Market standard for collecting a subscription or one-time payment without building your own payment infrastructure.Keep it in the core as soon as there's a paid plan.Product analyticsIf needed
PostHog
Measures funnels, retention, and real product usage; answers a different question than Plausible, not a duplicate.To understand in-product behavior, not site traffic.Traffic analyticsIf needed
Plausible Analytics
Simple and privacy-respecting for tracking traffic; start here if the current question is just "where do visitors come from".For marketing-site traffic, not in-app behavior.
Product cockpitIf neededNotion
Centralizes roadmap, notes, and product decisions in one place instead of scattered across tools.Useful once the roadmap outgrows memory alone.
General-purpose AIIf neededChatGPT
Enough for most uses (writing, brainstorming); overlaps Claude, one subscription is usually enough.The default choice for general-purpose AI use.Long-document analysisReassess
Claude
Only earns its place over ChatGPT for long-document analysis, not as a default parallel subscription.Only add for a specific use ChatGPT handles poorly.Web researchIf needed
Perplexity
Useful for competitive research or sourced factual lookups, a different use from general-purpose AI.Distinct from ChatGPT/Claude: a web-grounded search engine, not a general-purpose assistant.
Why these tools together?
Webflow and Framer overlap for the site: Framer is faster for a landing page that needs to convert, Webflow earns its place if the site needs a real CMS behind it (blog, structured content). The two together make no sense for a solo. Lovable and Cursor aren't redundant: Lovable generates a first app version from a prompt, useful for an MVP without writing code; Cursor takes over once you actually need to write and maintain code — one is for getting started fast, the other for building seriously. PostHog and Plausible answer two different questions: Plausible measures marketing-site traffic (simple, privacy-respecting), PostHog measures in-product behavior (funnels, retention, session replay). Start with whichever answers your actual current question rather than both at once. ChatGPT and Claude, on the other hand, genuinely overlap for general-purpose use — pick one as your main tool. Perplexity keeps its own place: it's a web-grounded search engine, not a direct competitor to the other two.
A good fit if…
The maker of a product, SaaS, directory, newsletter, tool, or digital service, building and shipping alone without a technical team.
Look elsewhere if…
The need is one-off and requires no recurring process, reporting, or client/team coordination.
Build
The system should reduce back-and-forth and make the next action visible.
landing
Data should support decisions, not decorate dashboards.
payments
Each tool needs a clear role: capture, produce, approve, measure, or collect payment.
analytics
The stack must remain maintainable by a small team or solo operator.
What should you budget?
- Webflow$14
- StripeUsage-based
- Supabaseoptional$25
- Notionoptional$11
- ChatGPToptional$20
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.
What to watch out for
Paying for both Webflow and Framer, or ChatGPT and Claude in parallel, when neither serves a genuinely distinct use.
Automating a bad process
Useful automation comes after a clear flow. Otherwise it only speeds up disorder.
Confusing tool and system
The system is the working rule. The tool only makes it easier to apply.
The same operations repeat weekly
That is the right moment to document, automate, and measure instead of handling everything manually.
Decisions depend on several people
Statuses, ownership, and approvals need to be visible without adding meetings.
Questions to ask yourself
Who owns each step?
If ownership is blurry, no tool will save the workflow.
What should be automated now?
Automate only what is stable, frequent, and attention-heavy.
Does reporting trigger a decision?
A dashboard that changes no action should be simplified or removed.
