P An editorial guide, kept up to date by Jake McEwen

The honest reference for solo SaaS founders picking tools, prices, and stacks

Decision frameworks, comparisons, and calculators synthesized from public documentation, pricing pages, and changelogs — not vibes. No paid placements, no fabricated ratings, no algorithmic listicle slop.

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Start here

Pick your path

Three honest places to begin. Whichever you pick, the next step is one click away.

Path 1
Choose your AI coding stack
Six layers, two recommended tools per layer, with a setup order that works for solo founders shipping in weeks — not months.
  • The solo founder tech stack
  • Best AI tools for solo SaaS
  • Best vibe coding tools
Start with the stack guide
Path 2
Compare the tools head-to-head
When you’ve narrowed it down to two or three, the answer is in a handful of specific differences. We surface them.
  • Cursor vs Lovable vs Claude
  • Lemon Squeezy vs Stripe
  • Supabase vs Neon
Open the flagship comparison
Path 3
Build your first SaaS
A six-step framework from data model to deployment, with prompt templates for each stage. Plus 20+ vertical-specific build guides.
  • How to build a SaaS with Claude
  • Complete guide to launching a SaaS
  • 0 to $1K MRR playbook
Open the build framework
Featured guides

Most-read this month

If you read four things on this site, read these.

Roundup · 14 min read
Best AI tools for solo SaaS founders (2026)
A complete stack guide from idea to first dollar — covering app builders, code editors, backends, payments, analytics, and audience tools.
Last reviewed May 2026
Pillar guide · 17 min read
The complete guide to launching a SaaS as a solo founder
A six-month timeline from validation to post-launch sustaining — with goals, tactics, and exit criteria for each phase.
Last reviewed May 2026
Playbook · 12 min read
The solo founder pricing playbook
Three default assumptions that lead solo founders to underprice, plus the five pricing patterns that actually work and an audit checklist.
Last reviewed May 2026
Calculator · interactive
SaaS pricing calculator
Customers needed at each price tier to hit your MRR target, plus LTV at every price point. Live calculations, no signup required.
Updated May 2026
Topical hubs

Four big topical hubs

If you have a broad topic in mind, start at the hub. Each indexes its category in depth, with section overviews and the right starting links.

Hub · 24 build guides
Build with Claude
The pillar six-step framework plus 24 vertical-specific guides — CRM, invoicing, booking, AI chatbots, knowledge base, and more.
Hub · 8 calculators
Free SaaS calculators
Pricing, runway, LTV:CAC, churn, CAC payback, valuation, payment-processor fees, and AI token cost. Live math, no signup.
Hub · 23 comparisons
Tool comparisons
Side-by-side decision guides grouped by stack layer — AI build tools, auth, payments, backend, deploy, email, frontend.
Hub · 18 reviews
Tool reviews
Individual tool reviews grouped by category — AI builders, auth, email, background jobs, observability, boilerplates, analytics.
Recommended stack

The solo founder stack we recommend

A curated shortlist for solo founders, synthesized from public documentation, pricing, and changelogs. Last reviewed May 2026.

Lovable App Builder

The fastest way to scaffold a full-stack SaaS app from a plain-English prompt. Generates React + Supabase projects with auth, database, and deployment in minutes. Best-in-class for getting from zero to running.

Starting price
$25/mo
Free tier
Yes (limited)
Best for
Initial scaffold
Read more
Review
Try Lovable →
Affiliate link — no extra cost to you. Disclosure.
Cursor AI Code Editor

The IDE built around AI. Codebase-aware chat, inline editing with natural language, and multi-file edits that understand your entire project. The go-to once you have code to iterate on.

Starting price
$20/mo
Free tier
Yes (2 weeks)
Best for
Iteration & editing
Read more
Review
Try Cursor free →
Supabase Backend

Postgres, auth, storage, edge functions, and real-time — all in one platform with a generous free tier. The most AI-friendly backend stack: Claude knows it deeply, generated code is reliable.

Starting price
Free
Paid from
$25/mo
Best for
DB + auth
Read more
Pricing
Start free →
Lemon Squeezy Payments

Merchant of Record payments for SaaS. Handles VAT, sales tax, and compliance in 100+ countries so you don’t register as a business in every jurisdiction. Built-in affiliates and license keys.

Transaction fee
5% + $0.50
MoR
Yes — global
Best for
Global sales
Read more
vs Stripe
Get started →
Vercel Deployment

Zero-config deployment for Next.js and React apps. Connects to GitHub and auto-deploys on every push. Free tier handles most early-stage SaaS traffic. Preview URLs per branch.

Starting price
Free
Paid from
$20/mo
Best for
Next.js / React
Read more
Pricing
Deploy free →
Affiliate link — no extra cost to you. Disclosure.
Beehiiv Newsletter

The newsletter platform built for growth. Built-in ad network, referral system (Boosts), and zero platform fees on paid subscriptions. The best value newsletter infrastructure for solo founders.

Starting price
Free
Scale plan
$49/mo
Best for
Audience building
Read more
vs Substack
Start your newsletter →
Affiliate link — no extra cost to you. Disclosure.
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Looking for a specific guide? Browse the full library → · 141 articles, organized by category.