The average indie hacker we audit is spending $191/mo on AI and SaaS tools. The most efficient ones — the ones actually profitable — are running lean stacks under $100/mo with zero overlap. Here's exactly what they're using and why.
This isn't a sponsored list. These are the tools that consistently show up in high-health, low-waste stacks across hundreds of builder audits.
Five tools. That's it. Everything else is either overlap or dead weight.
When we audit stacks that are over $150/mo, these are the tools that almost always get flagged and removed:
"No tool stays in the stack unless it's used at least 3 times a week or directly attributable to revenue." — common pattern among profitable indie hackers
This single rule eliminates most stack bloat. The tools you pay for but rarely touch — Midjourney, a second AI assistant, a design tool you opened twice — those are what separate a $200/mo stack from a $70/mo one.
The fastest way to find your waste is to map every AI and SaaS subscription against these two questions: "Did I use this in the last 14 days?" and "Does another tool in my stack do the same thing?" If the answer to either is no/yes respectively, you have a cut candidate.
Hektiq does this automatically — it detects overlap pairs, flags inactive tools, and shows your stack health score with specific recommendations for what to cut or replace.
Free calculator — see your overlap conflicts, monthly waste, and health score instantly. No signup required.
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