AI stack for indie SaaS builders (2026)
The era of needing a 5-person team to ship a SaaS is over. AI coding tools handle the bulk of the build, marketing tools handle the launch, and AI support handles inbound. We picked the stack a solo dev would use to ship paying customers in 4 weeks.
The stack, tool by tool
Each pick has been hand-checked for fit with the indie SaaS builders use case. Click any tool for our full review.
- 1AI CodingCursor
The AI-first code editor.
AI-first code editor that wins on multi-file refactors and repo understanding. The $20/mo replaces a junior engineer for prototyping.
- 2AI WritingClaude
Anthropic's long-context AI for serious writing and reasoning.
For longer context tasks Cursor's inline model can't handle — architecture sketches, README writing, customer email drafting.
- 3AI Codingv0 by Vercel
Generate React UI from a prompt — Vercel's design-to-code AI.
Generate React UI from a prompt. Skip the design-to-code translation entirely for landing pages and admin panels.
- 4AI MarketingBuffer
Social scheduling with AI assist for captions and ideation.
Schedule build-in-public posts on X + LinkedIn. Cheap, reliable, doesn't need a marketing team.
- 5AI BusinessIntercom Fin
AI customer-support agent that resolves real tickets autonomously.
AI customer support that resolves 50%+ of tickets autonomously. Skip until you have 10+ customers, but know it's there.
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Frequently asked questions
Cursor vs Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot for the main coding tool?
Cursor for IDE-style work and multi-file refactors. Claude Code for terminal-driven agentic builds. Copilot if you want the cheapest option ($10/mo) and only want autocomplete. Most pros pick Cursor + Copilot.
Should I skip Intercom Fin until I have customers?
Yes. Add it when ticket volume hits 5/week. Below that, you should be replying personally — early support conversations are gold for product feedback.