// STARTUP PLAYBOOK

Best Tech Stack for Startups

Q: What's the best tech stack for a startup with no funding?

For bootstrapped startups, we recommend SvelteKit + Supabase + Cloudflare + Paddle. This combination offers generous free tiers (Supabase: 500MB, Cloudflare: unlimited requests), fast development velocity, and Paddle handles global taxes without needing Stripe Atlas. You can run for months or years without significant infrastructure costs.

Q: Should startups use microservices?

Almost never at the start. Microservices add complexity, slow down development, and require DevOps expertise most startups don't have. Start with a well-structured monolith. Companies like Shopify and Basecamp run billion-dollar businesses on monoliths. Split into services only when you have clear scaling bottlenecks and a team to manage the complexity.

Q: How do I choose between Vercel and Cloudflare for hosting?

Vercel offers better Next.js integration and DX but can get expensive at scale. Cloudflare Pages is essentially free with unlimited requests and faster global edge performance. For cost-conscious startups, Cloudflare is often better. For teams prioritizing DX and willing to pay, Vercel is excellent. Both support SvelteKit well.

Q: Is TypeScript worth learning for my startup?

Yes, absolutely. TypeScript catches bugs early, improves IDE support, and makes refactoring safer. The learning curve is minimal if you know JavaScript. Every major framework (Next.js, SvelteKit, Remix) has excellent TypeScript support. It's especially valuable as your team grows beyond one person.

Q: When should I move off free tiers?

Stay on free tiers until they become a bottleneck for growth or cause reliability issues. For most startups, this means: Supabase at ~500MB or when you need more projects, Cloudflare Workers at 100K+ requests/day, and Auth at 50K+ monthly active users. Don't upgrade preemptively—let actual usage drive decisions.

Q: What's the difference between Stripe and Paddle for startups?

Stripe is more flexible but requires you to handle sales tax, VAT, and compliance yourself. Paddle is a Merchant of Record—they handle all taxes globally and pay you net. For solo founders outside the US, Paddle is often easier. For US-based startups or those needing maximum flexibility, Stripe with a service like TaxJar works well.

Ship fast, spend little, iterate constantly. The complete guide to choosing technologies that won't bankrupt you or slow you down.

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4 Core Stack

10min Read Time

// SECTION 01

THE LEAN STARTUP STACK

Ship fast, spend little, iterate constantly

Top Pick 2026 Lean Startup Stack 2026

Framework

SvelteKit

Full-stack meta-framework with SSR

Why: Smallest bundles, fastest DX, built-in routing and API

Alternatives:

Next.jsRemixNuxt

Backend

Supabase

PostgreSQL + Auth + Realtime + Storage

Why: Generous free tier, instant backend, row-level security

Alternatives:

PocketBaseFirebaseAppwrite

Hosting

Cloudflare

Edge deployment + CDN + Workers

Why: Free tier handles millions of requests, global edge network

Alternatives:

VercelNetlifyRailway

Payments

Paddle

Merchant of record + subscriptions

Why: Handles global taxes, no Stripe Atlas needed for non-US founders

Alternatives:

Lemon SqueezyStripeGumroad

Build This Stack Now

Lean Startup Stack 2026

npx create-stacksfinder@latest --seed SF1-eyJ2IjoxLCJ0Ijoic2FhcyIsInMiOiJtdnAiLCJocCI6WyJzcGVlZCIsImNvc3QiXSwiZSI6ImphdmFzY3JpcHQiLCJzZWwiOnsiZnJhbWV3b3JrIjoibmV4dGpzIiwib3JtIjoiZHJpenpsZSIsImRhdGFiYXNlIjoic3VwYWJhc2UiLCJhdXRoIjoiYmV0dGVyLWF1dGgiLCJwYXltZW50cyI6InN0cmlwZSJ9fQ --ref guide-startups-2026

Optional Add-ons

Extend your stack as needed

Resend Transactional emails When: User onboarding, notifications

Upstash Serverless Redis + Kafka When: Rate limiting, queues, caching

Cloudflare R2 Object storage When: User uploads, file hosting (free egress)

Plausible Privacy-first analytics When: GDPR-compliant user tracking

// SECTION 02

STARTUP TECHNOLOGY PRIORITIES

What matters most when you're building from zero

critical

Speed to Market

Ship your MVP in weeks, not months. Every day without users is wasted learning. Your stack should accelerate, not slow down iteration.

Look for:

SvelteKitSupabaseVercel/Cloudflare

critical

Cash Conservation

Startups die from running out of money. Free tiers and usage-based pricing let you validate before spending. Avoid enterprise tools until you need them.

Look for:

Free tiersUsage-based pricingNo seat licenses

high

Operational Simplicity

You don't have a DevOps team. Choose managed services that handle scaling, backups, and security so you can focus on building product.

Look for:

Managed databasesServerlessPlatform-as-a-Service

high

Pivot-Ready Architecture

Your first idea probably won't work. Build loosely coupled systems that can adapt when you discover what customers actually want.

Look for:

Modular codeAPI-first designStandard patterns

medium

Hiring Pool

When you need to hire, mainstream technologies have larger talent pools. Avoid niche stacks unless they provide significant advantages.

Look for:

TypeScriptReact/SveltePostgreSQL

// SECTION 03

STACK OPTIONS BY BUDGET

Different approaches for different stages

Bootstrapper's Dream

SvelteKit + PocketBase + Cloudflare

Monthly Cost: $0-5/mo

Pros

Absolutely minimal cost
Self-hostable backend
Fast iteration

Cons

Less ecosystem
Manual scaling
Single-server limits

Best for: Solo founders validating ideas with near-zero budget

Funded Startup Stack

Next.js + Vercel + Supabase + Stripe

Monthly Cost: $50-200/mo

Pros

Proven at scale
Huge ecosystem
Easy hiring

Cons

Higher costs
Vercel lock-in risk
More complexity

Best for: Seed-funded startups prioritizing speed and ecosystem

Enterprise-Ready Startup

Remix + AWS + Auth0 + Stripe

Monthly Cost: $200-1000/mo

Pros

Enterprise features
SOC 2 path
Maximum control

Cons

Slowest to ship
Needs DevOps skills
Overkill for MVP

Best for: B2B startups selling to enterprises from day one

// SECTION 04

FREE TIER SURVIVAL GUIDE

Run your startup for $0/month until you need to scale

Category Service Free Limit Paid Trigger

Database

Supabase

500MB + 2 projects

~10K users or 500MB data

Hosting

Cloudflare Pages

Unlimited requests

Workers limits (100K/day free)

Auth

Supabase Auth

50K monthly active users

Enterprise SSO needs

Resend

3,000 emails/month

~500 active users

Analytics

Plausible

Self-host free

Cloud starts at $9/mo

Storage

Cloudflare R2

10GB + free egress

10GB+ storage

Pro tip: With this stack, most startups can operate for 6-12 months without paying for infrastructure. Use that runway to find product-market fit.

// SECTION 05

STARTUP STACK MISTAKES

Expensive lessons you can avoid

Premature Optimization

Building for millions of users before you have 10. Microservices, Kubernetes, and complex architectures kill startups.

Start with a monolith. Split when you have real scaling problems.

Resume-Driven Development

Choosing technologies because they look good on a resume, not because they solve your problem.

Boring technology is often the right choice. PostgreSQL beats most databases.

Not-Invented-Here Syndrome

Building auth, payments, and email from scratch instead of using proven services.

Buy everything that's not your core differentiator. Focus on what makes you unique.

Ignoring Developer Experience

Choosing 'powerful' tools that slow down development. Every friction point compounds.

DX matters. Fast feedback loops mean faster iteration and more experiments.

Vendor Lock-in Paranoia

Avoiding managed services because you might need to switch someday. You probably won't.

Accept reasonable lock-in for huge productivity gains. Migrate later if needed.

// REAL WORLD

STARTUP STACK SUCCESS STORIES

Companies that shipped fast and scaled

Dub.co

Next.js + Vercel + PlanetScale + Upstash

100K users, $1M ARR in 18 months

Lesson: Simple stack, relentless shipping

Cal.com

Next.js + Prisma + Vercel

Open source to $30M funding

Lesson: TypeScript + monorepo scales well

Resend

Next.js + Planetscale + Vercel

$3M seed, 10K customers in year one

Lesson: Developer experience as differentiator

// FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Common questions about startup tech stacks

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best tech stack for a startup with no funding?

Should startups use microservices?

How do I choose between Vercel and Cloudflare for hosting?

Is TypeScript worth learning for my startup?

When should I move off free tiers?

What's the difference between Stripe and Paddle for startups?

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