The Indie Hacker Tech Stack (2026)
Your tech stack should maximize development speed and minimize operational headaches. In 2026, the indie stack looks very different from enterprise. Here is what actually works for solo developers.
The Golden Stack
Frontend: React (Next.js for web, React Native + Expo for mobile)
Why: Largest ecosystem, best AI tool support, shared knowledge between web and mobile. TypeScript for type safety.
Backend: Supabase
Why: Postgres database, authentication, storage, edge functions, real-time subscriptions. One platform replaces Firebase, Auth0, AWS S3, and a custom API server. Generous free tier. Scales to enterprise.
Hosting: Vercel
Why: Git push to deploy. Automatic preview deployments. Edge network. Free tier handles most indie apps. Pairs perfectly with Next.js.
Payments: Stripe
Why: Best developer experience, best documentation, handles subscriptions, invoicing, and global payments. RevenueCat for mobile in-app purchases.
Email: Resend
Why: Simple API, React email templates, good free tier. Loops for marketing automation.
Analytics: PostHog
Why: Product analytics, session recordings, feature flags. Self-hostable. Generous free tier.
AI: Gemini API or Claude API
Why: Add AI features to any app. Gemini has generous free tier and built-in search grounding. Claude excels at text analysis and generation.
What This Costs
Month 1-3 (building and launching): 0-20 dollars total. Supabase free tier, Vercel free tier, Resend free tier.
Month 4-12 (growing): 50-100 dollars. Supabase Pro (25), Vercel Pro (20), domain (12/year), miscellaneous APIs.
At 10K MRR: 200-400 dollars in infrastructure. Your margins are 95%+.
Stacks to Avoid
Microservices: You are one person. You do not need Kubernetes.
Self-hosted everything: Your time is worth more than 5 dollars per month in hosting savings.
Bleeding edge frameworks: Stability matters more than hype. Choose boring technology that works.
Multiple languages: Stick to TypeScript everywhere. One language for frontend, backend, mobile, and infrastructure.
The AI Coding Tool Layer
On top of your tech stack, your AI coding tools are critical:
- Cursor for daily development
- Claude Code for complex refactoring and architecture decisions
- v0 by Vercel for generating UI components
- GenerateIdeas.app for master prompts that bootstrap entire projects
This stack will take you from zero to 10K MRR without a single architectural migration.
Start building with the right stack. Get a master prompt for your tech stack →
Related: see the complete guide to building an app with AI.