100 Startup Tools for Building, Operating, and Growing a Company

Ardelia Team · September 27, 2026 · 5 min read

There is no single “best” startup stack. A bootstrapped solo founder may need lightweight tools that reduce context switching, while a growing team may prioritize shared permissions, reporting, and repeatable processes. The useful question is not which app has the longest feature list, but which one removes a real bottleneck without creating another system to maintain.

This list groups 100 widely used tools by the jobs startups commonly need to do: plan work, communicate, build products, reach customers, manage money, and automate operations. Treat it as a research shortlist rather than a mandate. Most companies need only a small fraction of these tools at any one time.

Strategy, planning, and AI work

1. Ardelia: A platform for running a company with AI employees, including executives and teams that can hold standups, debate strategy, and work around the clock.
2. Notion: A flexible workspace for documents, wikis, project databases, and internal knowledge.
3. Coda: A document platform that combines pages, tables, and lightweight app-building blocks.
4. ClickUp: A work-management product with tasks, docs, goals, and dashboards.
5. Asana: Project and goal management for teams that need clear ownership and timelines.
6. Monday.com: A configurable work-management platform built around boards and workflows.
7. Linear: Issue tracking and product planning, particularly popular with software teams.
8. Height: A project-management tool for planning and tracking team work.
9. Fellow: A meeting-management platform for agendas, notes, and action items.
10. Miro: An online whiteboard for workshops, mapping, and collaborative planning.

Communication and collaboration

1. Slack: Channel-based team messaging with integrations for many business tools.
2. Microsoft Teams: Chat, meetings, and collaboration within the Microsoft ecosystem.
3. Google Workspace: Business email, calendars, documents, spreadsheets, storage, and video meetings.
4. Zoom: Video conferencing and webinar software.
5. Loom: Screen and camera recording for async explanations and walkthroughs.
6. Discord: Community-style chat with voice channels and role-based spaces.
7. Figma: Collaborative design and prototyping software.
8. FigJam: Figma’s collaborative whiteboard for brainstorming and workshops.
9. Dropbox: Cloud file storage and sharing.
10. Box: Content management and file collaboration with business-focused controls.

Product, design, and engineering

1. GitHub: Code hosting, version control, reviews, and developer collaboration.
2. GitLab: A DevSecOps platform spanning source control, CI/CD, and planning.
3. Vercel: Deployment and hosting infrastructure for web applications.
4. Netlify: Web deployment, hosting, and development workflows.
5. Cloudflare: Services for performance, security, networking, and developer platforms.
6. Supabase: A backend platform built around Postgres with authentication and storage tools.
7. Firebase: Google’s application-development platform with backend services.
8. Postman: API development, testing, and collaboration.
9. Sentry: Application monitoring and error tracking.
10. Storybook: An environment for building and documenting user-interface components.

Research, writing, and content production

1. ChatGPT: A general-purpose AI assistant for drafting, analysis, ideation, and coding support.
2. Claude: An AI assistant used for writing, analysis, and document-oriented work.
3. Perplexity: An AI-powered answer engine that provides cited web sources.
4. Grammarly: Writing assistance for grammar, clarity, and tone.
5. Hemingway Editor: A writing tool that highlights readability issues.
6. Descript: Audio and video editing with transcript-based workflows.
7. Canva: A design platform for marketing graphics, presentations, and simple video.
8. Adobe Express: A content-creation tool for graphics, video, and social assets.
9. Buffer: Social-media scheduling and publishing.
10. Typefully: A writing and scheduling tool for social posts.

Marketing, SEO, and audience building

1. HubSpot: CRM, marketing, sales, customer-service, and content tools.
2. Semrush: SEO research, keyword analysis, and competitive marketing tools.
3. Ahrefs: SEO software for backlinks, keywords, and site audits.
4. Google Search Console: A free tool for monitoring a site’s Google Search presence.
5. Google Analytics: Website and app measurement.
6. Plausible: A privacy-focused web analytics product.
7. Fathom Analytics: A privacy-focused website analytics platform.
8. Webflow: A visual website-building and content-management platform.
9. Framer: A website builder focused on design and publishing.
10. Unbounce: A landing-page platform with conversion-focused features.

Sales, customer support, and customer insight

1. Pipedrive: A sales CRM organized around pipelines and activities.
2. Close: A CRM designed for sales teams, with calling and email features.
3. Attio: A customizable CRM for managing customer and company data.
4. Intercom: Customer messaging, support, and help-center software.
5. Zendesk: Customer-service software for tickets, help centers, and support operations.
6. Help Scout: Shared inboxes, knowledge bases, and customer support tools.
7. Customer.io: A platform for behavior-based messaging and lifecycle campaigns.
8. Mailchimp: Email marketing and audience-management tools.
9. Loops: Email software aimed at SaaS lifecycle messaging.
10. Hotjar: Product-experience insights, including heatmaps and session recordings.

Payments, finance, and administration

1. Stripe: Payment processing and financial infrastructure for internet businesses.
2. PayPal: Online payments and business payment services.
3. Wise: International money transfers and multi-currency business accounts in supported regions.
4. Mercury: Banking services for startups and businesses through partner banks.
5. QuickBooks: Accounting software for bookkeeping, invoicing, and reporting.
6. Xero: Cloud accounting software for small businesses.
7. Ramp: Corporate spend management, cards, and expense workflows.
8. Brex: Spend management and financial software for businesses.
9. Deel: Global hiring, payroll, and contractor-management services.
10. Gusto: Payroll, benefits, and HR administration for supported locations.

Automation, data, and internal operations

1. Zapier: No-code automation between thousands of connected apps.
2. Make: A visual automation platform for connecting apps and data flows.
3. n8n: A workflow-automation platform with self-hosting options.
4. Airtable: A relational database-style workspace for operational tracking.
5. Retool: A platform for building internal business applications.
6. Bubble: A no-code platform for building web applications.
7. Glide: A no-code tool for making apps from data sources.
8. Metabase: Business intelligence and data visualization software.
9. Mixpanel: Product analytics for understanding user behavior.
10. Amplitude: Digital analytics for product and customer behavior.

Security, legal, and reliability

1. 1Password: Password management for individuals and teams.
2. Bitwarden: An open-source-oriented password manager with business plans.
3. Okta: Identity and access management for workforce and customer applications.
4. Vanta: Compliance automation and security-program management.
5. Drata: Security compliance automation and monitoring.
6. DocuSign: Electronic signatures and agreement workflows.
7. PandaDoc: Proposal, quote, and document-signing workflows.
8. Ironclad: Contract lifecycle management.
9. Better Uptime: Uptime monitoring and incident-management tools.
10. UptimeRobot: Website, server, and service monitoring.

Finding the tools worth keeping

1. Tally: Form building for surveys, applications, and internal requests.
2. Typeform: Conversational forms and surveys.
3. Calendly: Scheduling automation for meetings.
4. Cal.com: Scheduling infrastructure with open-source roots.
5. Riverside: Remote recording for podcasts and video interviews.
6. Wistia: Video hosting and marketing analytics.
7. Beehiiv: Newsletter publishing and audience tools.
8. Substack: Publishing tools for newsletters and subscriptions.
9. Product Hunt: A platform where makers share and discover new products.
10. G2: A software-review marketplace that can help with initial vendor research.

A lean stack is usually more valuable than a long list. Before adding a tool, define the recurring job, the owner, the source of truth, and the condition under which the tool can be removed.

As a startup changes, its tools should change too. Review the stack periodically for duplicate data, unused subscriptions, weak handoffs, and processes that could be simplified. The goal is not to assemble 100 tools. It is to create a small, dependable operating system that gives a founder and team more time for customers, product decisions, and focused work.