In 2025, solo founders aren’t just surviving—they’re dominating with lean, AI-powered stacks that replace entire teams. Based on real-world shares from Indie Hackers, X threads, and reports like Nucamp’s Solo AI Tech Entrepreneur Bootcamp, the “exact” toolkit boils down to 12 battle-tested tools. These handle everything from ideation to scaling, often under $200/month total. No fluff: just what 6- and 7-figure solopreneurs like Alex Finn (Creator Buddy, $300K ARR) and Marc Lou (ShipFast, $65K/month) swear by.

I’ve grouped them by workflow stage, with pricing, why they win, and quick-start tips. This stack lets you ship MVPs in days, automate 85% of ops, and focus on revenue—not busywork.

1. Ideation & Research: Uncover Pains Fast

• Perplexity or Grok ($0–$20/month): AI search that pulls fresh data from X/Reddit/blogs. Why? Validates ideas in hours (e.g., “top freelance pains 2025”). Tip: Prompt: “Rank Reddit complaints by upvotes.”
• Claude 3.5 ($20/month): Reasoning engine for feasibility analysis. Why? Turns raw pains into solutions (e.g., “Build MVP outline”). Tip: Use for prompt chaining on technical viability.

2. Building & Prototyping: Vibe Code to MVP

• Cursor ($20/month): AI code editor (built on Claude/GPT). Why? 3x faster coding for non-devs—solo founders like Nozz ($253K/month) use it for full apps. Tip: “Vibe code” your backend in natural language. [post:20] [post:22]
• v0.dev or Replit Agent ($0–$25/month): UI/UX generator and full-stack browser dev. Why? Instant prototypes—no code needed. Replit’s Ghostwriter handles deployment. Tip: Prompt: “Build a lead-gen dashboard.”
• Supabase ($0–$25/month): Backend-as-a-service (auth, DB, storage). Why? Firebase alternative with AI-friendly APIs—powers 70% of solo SaaS. Tip: Integrate with Cursor for real-time features. [post:15] [post:24]

3. Automation & Ops: Run 24/7 Without You

• Zapier or Make.com ($20–$50/month): No-code workflows connecting apps (e.g., leads → CRM → email). Why? Automates 70% of admin—saves 20+ hours/week. Tip: Chain with Grok for smart triggers. [post:25]
• CrewAI or n8n ($0–$30/month): Multi-agent orchestration. Why? Builds “AI teams” for tasks like support/sales—key for scaling solo. Tip: Start with 3 agents: research, content, outreach.
• Notion AI ($10/month): Planning and knowledge base. Why? Organizes everything from roadmaps to analytics. Tip: Embed Grok queries for dynamic updates. [post:22]

4. Design & Content: Create Pro Assets in Minutes

• Canva Magic Design or Midjourney ($15–$30/month): AI graphics/videos. Why? Branded carousels/emails without designers—solo founders crank 30 pieces/week. Tip: Prompt: “UGC-style ad for AI tool.”
• ElevenLabs or HeyGen ($20/month): Voice/video generation. Why? Personalized demos/sales videos—boosts conversions 2x. Tip: Clone your voice for outreach.

5. Sales & Monetization: Close and Collect Effortlessly

• Stripe or Lemon Squeezy ($0 + 2–5% fees): Payments with global compliance. Why? Handles subs/upsells—integrates with everything. Tip: Add AI pricing optimizer via Zapier. [post:15] [post:24]
• Gumroad ($0 + 10% fees): Digital product sales. Why? Zero-setup for courses/tools—perfect for first revenue. Tip: Bundle with AI-generated bonuses.

6. Growth & Marketing: Acquire Without Ads Budget

• Typefully or Beehiiv ($15–$30/month): Social/email scheduling. Why? Viral threads/newsletters—organic growth for solos. Tip: AI-generate 5 posts/week. [post:15]
• X/TikTok + Kit ($0–$50/month): Distribution and campaigns. Why? Free virality—post AI content for 10x reach. Tip: Use Grok for thread outlines. [post:20] [post:22] [post:25]

Quick-Start Roadmap: Build Your Stack in a Weekend

1. Day 1: Ideate with Perplexity/Claude → Validate pain.
2. Day 2: Prototype in Cursor/v0 + Supabase.
3. Day 3: Automate ops with Zapier/CrewAI → Launch on Gumroad/Stripe.
4. Ongoing: Content via Canva/ElevenLabs → Grow on X/Beehiiv.

Total cost: $100–$200/month. ROI? Founders report 20–40% efficiency gains, hitting $10K MRR in 60 days.This is the stack crushing it in 2025—no excuses, just execution.