Cheapest Tech Stack for Solopreneurs: How I Built Notoinsights for Just $4/Month

If you’re a solopreneur, the tech decisions you make can literally be the difference between shipping fast… or never launching at all.

When I started building Notoinsights, I had two goals:

Keep it lean (in both money and code)
Build with tools I'm comfortable with (You don't need the most efficient, perfect solution)

I wanted to prove that you could build a full-fledged, privacy-first analytics tool for indie hackers—without breaking the bank.

Here's the full breakdown of my stack 👇

🧱 Frontend: Next.js + Vercel = Speed + Simplicity

Notoinsights' landing page and frontend dashboard are built entirely with Next.js. Why?

Built-in routing and SSR/ISR
Great developer experience
Perfect fit for dashboards and apps
And simply, I was experienced in it!

I host it on Vercel, which gives me:

Free hosting on the Hobby tier
Git-based CI/CD (just push to deploy)
Blazing fast performance via their global CDN

💰 Cost: $0/month
Honestly, for solo projects, Vercel is unbeatable.

⚙️ Backend: Express.js + DigitalOcean for Full Control

For my API and tracking backend, I went with Express.js—a minimalist Node.js framework that’s fast to set up and easy to customize.

I host it on a DigitalOcean Droplet (~$4/month) with a super simple setup:

Git import for deploying code
pm2 to keep the server alive and restart on crash
Firewall rules to lock it down

💰 Cost: ~$4/month
Depending on the size of the droplet you need, but prices start at $4/month. Scale up if you need!

💡 Bonus I believe DigitalOcean gives $200, 60-Day upon registration, so that just means 2 months of free backend hosting!

🗃️ Database: MongoDB Atlas (Free Tier FTW)

All visitor data—pageviews, sessions, referrers—are stored in MongoDB Atlas.

Free tier (shared cluster) is more than enough for early-stage apps
No setup pain
Easy integration with Mongoose or native Mongo driver

I use non-SQL databases because it's simply faster and more flexible. Things change a lot in my development, and I find it easier to work with non-SQL!

💰 Cost: $0/month
The free tier is pretty generous, and you can scale up once you get more users!

🌐 Domains & DNS: Cloudflare for Speed + Free SSL

I manage all domains and DNS settings through Cloudflare. It's fast, reliable, and ridiculously easy to use.

Instant DNS changes
Free SSL/TLS
Performance & security out of the box

💰 Cost: Depends on your domain...
My personal opinion is that domains are not the most important thing in the world, spending $5000 on that prime .com domain probably isn't worth it 99% of the time.

💡 Why This Stack Works for Me (And Might Work for You Too)

I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel—I just need things to be fast, reliable, and low-maintenance.

Here’s the breakdown:

Frontend: Next.js
Frontend Hosting: Vercel
Backend: Express.js
Backend Hosting: DigitalOcean Droplet (~$4/month)
Database: MongoDB Atlas (Free Tier)
Domain & DNS: Cloudflare

Total cost to run everything? ~$4/month 💸

That leaves more room for what really matters: building features, engaging users, and growing Notoinsights.

✨ Final Thoughts

A lot of people overcomplicate things early. But building lean doesn’t mean building small—it means building smart.

If you’re building a SaaS or solo project, this stack gives you a super solid foundation without locking you into expensive platforms or overengineered solutions.

Let me know on Twitter if you’re using something similar—or if you have questions about setting this stack up for your own product!