Discover the essential indie hacker tools of 2025 that help you build faster, ship smarter, and stay ahead as a solo founder or small team.
The game has changed for indie founders.
You don't need a full team or expensive infrastructure to ship a product today. You need the right AI-powered tools that save time and eliminate tedious tasks.
Every solo founder or small startup that wants to thrive in today's fierce market must embrace rapid development workflows powered by modern tools.
That's exactly what Built This Week showcases every week — real builders using real tools to ship real products fast.
Here's a list of the best indie hacker tools for 2025 that we've tested, built with, and keep in our core workflows.
What it replaces: Firebase, custom database setups, boilerplate backend code
Supabase offers an open-source alternative with real-time databases, authentication, storage, and edge functions out of the box.
Why we use it: It cuts backend development time massively, so you focus on product features over plumbing.
What it replaces: Manual deployments, complex DevOps pipelines
Vercel lets you deploy frontend and serverless functions in seconds. Zero config, instant rollbacks, and great integration with popular frameworks.
Why we use it: Deployment speed and reliability means we ship updates multiple times per week without stress.
What it replaces: Time-consuming content writing, code generation, and ideation
GPT-4 helps you rapidly generate marketing copy, code snippets, onboarding flows, and customer support responses.
Why we use it: It accelerates launch cycles by hundreds of percent.
What it replaces: Disorganized docs, scattered notes, and Dropbox folders
Notion is your all-in-one workspace for docs, task management, and product specs.
Why we use it: Keeps entire teams aligned with transparency and speed.
What it replaces: Traditional design tools, disconnected prototyping
Figma enables fast collaborative UI design and prototyping directly in the browser, streamlining design handoff.
Why we use it: Iterations happen in hours, not days.
What it replaces: Writing code entirely solo without AI assistance
GitHub Copilot uses AI to suggest whole lines and functions in your code editor as you type.
Why we use it: It cuts coding time drastically while maintaining quality.
What it replaces: Complex spreadsheets and clunky databases
Airtable blends spreadsheets and databases into a simple, low-code backend for MVPs and internal tools.
Why we use it: Rapid iteration and easy integrations accelerate product experiments.
Built This Week isn't theory. Every week Sam and Jordan build live using tools like these. They demo live coding, deployment, and iteration that reflect real indie hacker workflows.
Episodes feature honest assessments of what works, what breaks, and how to adapt on the fly.
If you want to see indie hacker tools in action — not just hype — Built This Week is the show to watch.
You can't build fast without great tools.
The right stack lets you focus on what matters: solving problems, engaging users, and shipping updates weekly.
Our experience on Built This Week shows that founders using these tools launch MVPs in days, not weeks.
Speed wins in the indie hacker game.
Every episode reinforces that transparency and rapid iteration beat endless planning and perfectionism.
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Because if you’re solo, your speed is your edge. Ship something this week.
