My Tech Stack for Shipping Fast: What I Actually Use in 2026
Author
Navas
Published
January 15, 2026
Category
Development
The exact tools, frameworks, and services I use to build production-ready websites and platforms for clients. No fluff, just what works.
The stack that lets me ship
I've tried a lot of tools over the past few years. Some stuck, most didn't. What I use now isn't about chasing trends - it's about shipping reliable work for clients without babysitting infrastructure.
Here's exactly what I reach for on every project and why.
The core: Next.js + TypeScript
Next.js is the foundation of everything I build. App Router, server components, API routes - it handles frontend, backend, and deployment in one codebase. That matters when you're a solo developer juggling multiple client projects.
TypeScript throughout. Non-negotiable. It catches bugs before they reach production, makes refactoring safe, and means I can come back to a project months later and actually understand what's happening.
For styling, Tailwind CSS. I was sceptical at first - utility classes felt messy. But once you get the muscle memory, you move fast. No context switching between CSS files and components. Everything lives together.
The database layer
I've settled on two options depending on the project:
NeonDB for most client work. Serverless PostgreSQL that just works. Generous free tier, branches for development, and scales automatically. I've used it for Athletic AbhyAn, N2N Autos, and my own portfolio.
Supabase when I need more than a database. Auth, storage, real-time subscriptions - it's a full backend platform. Great for projects where clients might need user accounts or file uploads. The auto-generated TypeScript types from your schema are brilliant.
Both are PostgreSQL under the hood. Proper relational databases, not NoSQL experiments that fall apart when you need complex queries.
Deployment and hosting
Vercel for everything. Push to GitHub, it deploys. Preview URLs for every PR. Global CDN. Environment variables that just work. I don't think about servers anymore, which is exactly the point.
For media storage, Vercel Blob or Cloudflare R2. CDN-backed, simple APIs, reasonable pricing. No more wrestling with S3 bucket policies.
The extras that matter
Resend for transactional emails. Client sign-ups, contact form notifications, the basics. Clean API, good deliverability, React email templates if you want them.
Better Auth or Stack Auth for authentication. I used to build auth from scratch - never again. These handle sessions, OAuth providers, magic links, and edge cases I'd never think to handle myself.
Drizzle ORM for database queries. Type-safe, feels like writing SQL, excellent migrations. Lighter than Prisma with better TypeScript inference.
Why this stack works
Everything connects. NeonDB has an MCP server, so Claude can query my databases directly. Vercel integrates with everything. The whole system is designed to reduce friction between having an idea and shipping it.
More importantly, it's all maintainable. When a client comes back six months later wanting changes, I'm not fighting outdated dependencies or forgotten configurations. The code is readable. The infrastructure is managed. I can focus on the actual work.
That's the stack. Not the trendiest, not the most complex. Just reliable tools that let me ship good work for real clients.