● Stack matrix
What 'stack' means in plain language
Stack = the tools that build, host and run your site. Wrong stack = expensive maintenance. Right stack = cheap and fast.
2026 default: simple site → Astro + Cloudflare Pages + Markdown. Apps with login → Next.js 15+ on Vercel. Shop → Shopify. GSC mandatory for Google; TikTok optional for visibility.
● 2026 defaults
Stack philosophy — when each tool wins
S-01
Simple site
Astro 5 + Cloudflare Pages + Markdown. Plumber, lawyer, cafe.
S-02
App with login
Next.js 15+ on Vercel. Tickets, SaaS, dashboards.
S-03
Shop
Shopify first. Custom cart only when revenue justifies dev cost.
S-04
TikTok vs GSC
GSC first — free Google traffic. TikTok when you can film real work weekly.
S-05
Yandex
Add Metrica + Webmaster if RU/UA/BY clients matter. Skip for PL-only Google.
● Stack matrix
What 'stack' means in plain language
Stack = the tools that build, host and run your site. Wrong stack = expensive maintenance. Right stack = cheap and fast.
| Tool | Category | In plain words | Use when | AI | Tech level | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astro | Site builder (code) | Fast static pages. Like a brochure site, but you own the code. | Plumber, lawyer, cafe — simple service sites | Excellent — simple file structure, AI rarely breaks builds | Beginner | Free |
| Next.js | Site builder (code) | Full app framework. For sites that behave like software. | Tickets, SaaS, dashboards, auth flows | Very good — huge docs corpus, but AI may over-engineer simple sites | Intermediate | Low |
| Cloudflare Pages | Where it lives online | Free hosting for static/Astro sites. Fast worldwide. | Default for simple business sites | — | Beginner | Free |
| Vercel | Where it lives online | Hosting made for Next.js. Preview links on every change. | Next.js apps, SaaS, ticketing | — | Intermediate | Low |
| Markdown files | How you edit text | Text files you edit in Cursor or GitHub. No admin panel needed. | Small sites, one editor, low maintenance | — | Beginner | Free |
| Shopify | Shop platform | Ready-made online shop. Products, cart, payments built in. | Selling physical or digital products without coding a cart | — | Beginner | Medium |
| Supabase | Storing data | Online database + login. Like a spreadsheet with superpowers. | Tickets, bookings, user accounts | — | Intermediate | Low |
| Streamlit | Site builder (code) | Quick internal dashboards in Python. Not for public marketing sites. | Internal reports, data tools for your team | — | Intermediate | Low |
| Stripe | Taking money | Card payments for custom apps. Needs developer setup. | SaaS subscriptions, custom ticket sales | — | Advanced | Low |
| n8n | Bots & scripts | Connect apps with visual workflows. Email → sheet → Telegram. | Form → CRM → notification chains | — | Intermediate | Low |
| Google Analytics 4 | Who visits & what they do | Free Google stats: visits, pages, where people come from. | Default free analytics when you need funnels and Google Ads link | — | Beginner | Free |
| Plausible | Who visits & what they do | Simple privacy-friendly stats. One script, clean dashboard. | Beginner who wants numbers without GA4 complexity | — | Beginner | Low |
| Umami | Who visits & what they do | Open-source analytics you can self-host. Like Plausible, DIY. | Privacy-first sites with someone who can host a small server | — | Intermediate | Free |
| Yandex Metrica | Who visits & what they do | Yandex version of analytics. Essential for RU/UA/BY audience. | Russian-language site or CIS clients | — | Beginner | Free |
| Microsoft Clarity | Who visits & what they do | Free heatmaps and session recordings. See where people rage-click. | Debugging confusing forms and layouts after launch | — | Beginner | Free |
| PostHog | Who visits & what they do | Analytics + feature flags + session replay for product apps. | SaaS and apps where you track user journeys | — | Intermediate | Low |
| Google Ads | Paid traffic | Pay Google to show your site when people search your service. | High-intent local search after site + GSC work | — | Beginner | Medium |
| Meta Ads | Paid traffic | Facebook and Instagram ads. Good for visual services and retargeting. | Salon, renovation, food — anything photogenic | — | Beginner | Medium |
| TikTok Ads | Paid traffic | Paid reach on TikTok. Only after organic TikTok shows traction. | Young audience, visual trades, viral-friendly offers | — | Beginner | Medium |
| Yandex Direct | Paid traffic | Yandex paid search. Google Ads equivalent for RU/UA/BY. | CIS market with Yandex search share | — | Beginner | Medium |
| TikTok Business | Social & local presence | Business account on TikTok with analytics and website link in bio. | Trades, food, beauty — show real work in 15–30 sec clips | — | Beginner | Free |
| Social & local presence | Photo portfolio + Stories + Reels. Reuse TikTok clips here. | Visual brands, local services, cross-post from TikTok | — | Beginner | Free | |
| Google Business Profile | Social & local presence | Your pin on Google Maps with phone, hours, reviews. Free leads. | Any local business with address or service area | — | Beginner | Free |
| Google Search Console | Search indexing tools | Free Google tool: is your site indexed, what queries bring clicks. | Every public site that should appear in Google | — | Beginner | Free |
| Bing Webmaster | Search indexing tools | Same idea as GSC but for Bing. Import from GSC in one click. | Extra search visibility with 10 minutes setup | — | Beginner | Free |
| Yandex Webmaster | Search indexing tools | Yandex indexing tool. GSC equivalent for Yandex search. | Russian/Cyrillic sites and CIS audience | — | Beginner | Free |
| Remix | Framework pick 2026 | Web framework focused on forms and fast data loading. App sites. | Form-heavy apps, dashboards with lots of server data | Good — smaller community than Next.js, AI may hallucinate APIs | Intermediate | Low |
| SvelteKit | Framework pick 2026 | Fast, lightweight sites and apps. Less boilerplate than React stacks. | Performance-sensitive apps when team knows Svelte | Moderate — growing AI support, fewer Stack Overflow answers | Intermediate | Low |
| Nuxt | Framework pick 2026 | Vue-based framework. Strong for content sites and EU agencies. | Vue team, multilingual content, marketing sites | Good for Vue users — AI knows Vue 3 well, Nuxt 4 less than Next | Intermediate | Low |