builder tools
Best tools for side projects
Launch your side project faster with these no-BS tools for builders.
Quick recommendation
Launch your side project faster with these no-BS tools for builders.
The Side Project Launch Stack
1. Vercel — Free Hosting for Frontend Apps
Use for: deploying Next.js, React, or static sites in 30 seconds. Connect your GitHub repo and Vercel automatically deploys on every push with preview URLs for each branch. Free tier includes 100GB bandwidth — enough for thousands of users.
2. Supabase — Free Database, Auth & Storage
Use for: PostgreSQL database, user authentication (email, Google, GitHub), file storage, and real-time subscriptions. The free tier handles 500MB database and 50,000 monthly active users. Open source, so you can self-host if you outgrow the free tier.
3. Namecheap — Domain Names from $6/year
Use for: registering your project's domain. Namecheap consistently offers the best value with free WHOIS privacy included. Use their Bulk Domain Search to find available .com and .io domains for your project name.
4. Umami — Privacy-First Analytics
Use for: tracking page views, referrers, and user behavior without cookies or GDPR headaches. Umami is open source, self-hostable on Railway for free, and gives you all the data you need without the complexity of Google Analytics.
5. Carrd — Landing Page in an Hour
Use for: building a pre-launch landing page to validate your idea before coding. Carrd's $19/year Pro plan supports custom domains, email forms, and payment links. Ship a landing page today, validate demand, then build the full product.
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Free Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vercel | Hosting | Free / $20/mo | Yes |
| Supabase | Database + Auth | Free / $25/mo | Yes |
| Namecheap | Domains | $6/year | N/A |
| Umami | Analytics | Free (self-host) | Yes |
| Carrd | Landing pages | $19/year | Free plan |
How to choose for side project builders
Ship in a weekend
Your goal is to launch, not to build the perfect stack. Use the default choices (Vercel + Supabase + GitHub). Spend your limited time on the product, not on infrastructure decisions that don't matter at launch.
Validate before building
Use Carrd to create a landing page describing your idea. Share it on Twitter/Reddit. If 50 people sign up for the waitlist, build the MVP. If not, iterate on the idea or move on — you saved weeks of development.
Own your stack
Buy your domain from Namecheap, not your hosting provider. Use Supabase (PostgreSQL) not a proprietary database. If your side project takes off, you can migrate anywhere. Don't get locked into a platform you can't leave.