Best Tools for Running an Online Business in 2026

I've paid for a lot of tools over the past two years. Some were worth every penny. Some were expensive mistakes. Here's the current stack I use to run my digital product business in 2026 — what each tool does, what it costs, and whether I think it's worth it.

My Evaluation Criteria

Before I list anything: I evaluate tools by asking two questions.

1. Does this save me more time than it takes to manage?
2. Does this directly generate or protect revenue?

If a tool doesn't do at least one of those things clearly, it doesn't belong in the stack.

The Core: Business Platform (MadeThis)

Everything else in my stack supports the core, and the core is MadeThis. It's where my store lives, where payments are processed, where files are delivered, where my products are listed, and where the AI co-founder helps me with positioning and strategy.

Before MadeThis, I was using Gumroad for sales, a separate page builder for the storefront, ConvertKit for email, and a few other tools duct-taped together. Monthly cost: ~$140. Management overhead: significant.

MadeThis consolidated most of that into one platform. The AI inside it has genuinely improved my product descriptions, pricing decisions, and launch strategies in ways no tool I used previously could.

If you're building a digital product business from scratch, this is the first tool I'd get. Everything else is secondary.

Cost: See /madethis-pricing for current tiers.

Writing and Research

Claude (Anthropic): My primary writing tool. I use it to draft blog posts, write product descriptions, brainstorm positioning angles, and work through business decisions. The output quality is consistently better for long-form content than alternatives I've tested.

Perplexity: For research before writing. I use it to gather data, find statistics, and quickly understand a topic. It's a research engine, not a writing tool — the combination of Perplexity for research + Claude for writing is my most efficient workflow.

Notion: My entire workspace. Content calendar, research notes, business planning, financial tracking. If it matters to my business, it probably lives in a Notion page.

Email Marketing

ConvertKit (Kit): I've tried a few email platforms and stayed with ConvertKit for its creator-friendly automation features. The ability to tag subscribers by behavior (what they bought, what they clicked) and trigger sequences accordingly has meaningfully improved conversion rates.

The free tier covers up to 1,000 subscribers, which is plenty to start.

Design

Canva: For social media graphics, product mockup images, and marketing materials. I'm not a designer — Canva makes me look like I am. The Pro tier is worth it for the extra templates and brand kit features.

Figma: For more complex design work. I use it for product landing page wireframes and the occasional detailed graphic. Has a solid free tier.

Analytics and SEO

Google Search Console: Free. Tells me which search queries drive traffic to my site, which pages are ranking, and what's declining. I check this weekly.

Ahrefs (Lite): For keyword research and competitor analysis. Expensive, but I use it to find content opportunities before writing. The insight on what competitors rank for has shaped my entire content strategy.

Google Analytics 4: For traffic analysis. Free. I use it to track which blog posts are driving product page visits and which channels are converting.

Productivity

Obsidian: For capturing ideas, taking notes, and building my knowledge base. Markdown-based, stores everything locally, syncs across devices. Free.

Sunsama: Daily planning tool. I use it to plan my 45-minute daily work sessions. Keeps me from spending my limited focused time on low-leverage tasks.

What I've Cut (And Why)

Zapier: Useful, but I was paying for automation I could handle with native integrations. Cut it and haven't missed it.

Multiple social media scheduling tools: Simplified to one. Then simplified to less-social-media-more-SEO. Scheduling tools are only useful if social is a core part of your strategy.

Courses on courses: I used to buy a lot of online courses about running an online business. The ROI was poor compared to just doing the work.

The Stack That Matters Most

If I had to keep only five things:

1. MadeThis (platform + AI)
2. Claude (writing)
3. ConvertKit (email)
4. Notion (workspace)
5. Google Search Console (SEO feedback)

Everything else is nice-to-have. Those five tools run a real business.

Ready to start building? The best first move is getting your store and products set up on a platform that can actually support your growth. Start your online business with MadeThis and get the core infrastructure in place today.