Airtable
workflows opsCloud database and collaboration platform with AI
$20/month
Try free →Our Actual Stack
Full transparency on every AI tool we pay for. What it's used for, the real monthly cost, and why we keep paying for it. Updated quarterly.
Need implementation help for specific tools? Browse tool setup resources or read our detailed tool comparisons. For monthly benchmarks, use the AI tool cost database.
Pricing snapshot verified against vendor public pricing pages on February 28, 2026. Totals represent baseline entry plans and can change with usage or annual billing choices.
Why transparency matters
Most affiliate sites hide their real relationships with tools. Not here. This page shows exactly what we use and pay for. If we're recommending a tool, you'll know if we actually use it.
Start here: my top tools
High-usage picks from my active stackAnything
internal toolsAI app builder for sites, internal tools, and lightweight products from prompts
$20/month
Try free →AWS SageMaker
data researchComprehensive AWS ML service for model development
Free tier available
Try free →Bubble
workflows opsNo-code web app builder for complex applications
$32/month
Try free →Canva Pro
content creationDesign anything with AI-powered tools
$12.99/month
Try free →
Implementation Guide
Want to implement these tools yourself?
I documented exactly how I connect these tools into automated workflows. The Automation Playbook includes 7 battle-tested workflows, 50 prompt templates, and step-by-step setup guides for the tools in this stack.
Get The Playbook — €19.99
PDF + Notion templates included
| Tool | What I use it for | Entry Plan Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airtable Cloud database and collaboration platform with AI | workflows ops | $20/month | Try free → |
| Anything AI app builder for sites, internal tools, and lightweight products from prompts | internal tools | $20/month | Try free → |
| AWS SageMaker Comprehensive AWS ML service for model development | data research | Free tier | Try free → |
| Bubble No-code web app builder for complex applications | workflows ops | $32/month | Try free → |
| Canva Pro Design anything with AI-powered tools | content creation | $12.99/month | Try free → |
| ChatGPT OpenAI's conversational AI for content creation and Q&A | content creation | $20/month | Try free → |
| Claude Anthropic's advanced AI assistant for complex tasks | writing copy | $20/month | Try free → |
| Codeium Free AI code completion and chat | coding | $15/month | Try free → |
| Cursor The AI-first code editor | workflows ops | $20/month | Try free → |
| ElevenLabs Ultra-realistic AI text-to-speech and voice cloning | content creation | $5/month | Try free → |
| Grammarly AI-powered writing assistant for grammar and clarity | content creation | $12/month | Try free → |
| Granola AI notepad that enhances your meeting notes automatically | productivity | $14/month | Try free → |
| HubSpot CRM and inbound marketing platform with AI features | marketing | $15/month | Try free → |
| Make.com Connect any app to any app without code | workflow automation | $10/month | Try free → |
| n8n Free and open workflow automation tool | workflows ops | Free tier | Try free → |
| Notion Connected workspace for wiki, docs, and projects with AI | productivity | $10/month | Try free → |
| Perplexity Pro AI search engine that cites sources | data research | $20/month | Try free → |
| Microsoft Power BI Self-service BI with AI-powered insights | data research | $14/month | Try free → |
| Reclaim.ai Smart calendar to optimize schedules and habits | productivity | $8/month | Try free → |
| Retool Low-code platform for internal tools and dashboards | workflows ops | $10/month | Try free → |
| Semrush Comprehensive SEO, PPC, and social media marketing suite | marketing | $139.95/month | See pricing → |
| Stable Diffusion Open-source text-to-image model with full control | content creation | Free tier | Try free → |
| Baseline Entry Plan Total | $417.94 | ||
Our tool selection philosophy
We only pay for tools that earn their keep. Every tool in this stack either saves significant time or enables something we couldn't do otherwise. If a tool isn't delivering value, we cancel it.
Free tiers first. We always start with free tiers to validate that a tool actually solves the problem. Only after we're confident it's valuable do we upgrade to paid plans.
Recurring subscriptions add up fast. At $417.94/month, this stack is intentionally lean. Every tool justifies its cost through concrete productivity gains. For more on cutting tool waste, see our guide on how to cut AI tool spend.
Stack changelog
Q1 2026 Initial stack setup for StackBuilt launch
Updated quarterly. Last pricing verification: February 28, 2026