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# The indie creator stack, itemized
- URL: https://vanta-plus.planethemes.com/the-indie-creator-stack-itemized/
- Published: 2026-09-19T09:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-19T09:00:00.000Z
- Description: Forty-one subscriptions later, here are the nine tools that survived and the honest maths behind each one.
- Author: Maya Okafor
- Tags: Creator economy, #Import 2026-10-23 17:46

Every January I list every tool I pay for. This year the list started at forty-one. It ended at nine.

## The nine

1. Publishing and newsletter, in one place.
2. A password manager.
3. Accounting that talks to my bank.
4. Cloud storage with version history.
5. A calendar link people can book.
6. A domain registrar I never think about.
7. One design tool.
8. One notes app.
9. Backups of the backups.

## How I cut the rest

The test was simple: if a tool disappeared tomorrow, would I notice within a week? Most didn't pass. They were solving problems I had once, for a launch that already happened.

✳

Rule of thumb: a tool should save one hour a month for every five dollars it costs.

## What it costs

About 140 dollars a month, down from 610\. The newsletter didn't notice. Neither did readers.