Cluster: tools and workflow

The stack we'd use to start a web agency tomorrow.

Every list of 'best tools for agencies' is bloated. This is the short list: 12 tools across prospecting, cold email, design, dev, hosting, and analytics, with a free option for every one.

Article original en anglais. Traduction complete prochainement.

Prospecting

Prospea (this site): finds local SMBs without websites, enriches verified emails, generates personalized site previews. 20 leads/month free.

Apollo / Clay: alternatives, better for B2B SaaS than local SMB.

Google Maps + a spreadsheet: free, slow, works.

Cold email

Instantly / Smartlead: cold-email sending platforms with inbox warmup. $30-$100/mo.

Lemlist: a bit pricier but stronger personalization features.

Plain Gmail with a tiny tracker (Mailtrack, free): fine for the first 50 sends/week.

Design

Figma: the standard, free for solo. Use it for both wireframes and full mockups.

Penpot: open-source alternative if you avoid SaaS.

Build / dev

Framer / Webflow: visual builders, fastest path to client-editable sites. $20-$40/mo per site.

Next.js + Tailwind: code path, lower long-term cost, higher ceiling.

WordPress + a clean theme: still 40% of the SMB market for a reason.

Hosting and ops

Vercel / Netlify: free for small sites, scales painlessly.

Cloudflare Pages: free tier is generous, great DX.

Analytics and proof

Plausible / Simple Analytics: privacy-friendly, $9-$19/mo per site, easy to share with clients.

Google Search Console + Lighthouse: free, every client should have it.

Free utilities (ours)

Website Health Check: score any site in 10 seconds.

Email Verifier: check any address (MX, disposable, catch-all).

Subject-line Scorer: grade cold-email subjects.

ICP Canvas: 8-box ideal-customer-profile template.

No-Website Finder: 10 real local prospects in seconds.

Niche Picker: which niche fits your skills.

Cold Email Template Library: 24+ vetted templates.

Outils gratuits utilises dans ce cluster

Questions frequentes

  • What's the absolute minimum stack for a one-person agency?

    Gmail (cold email), Figma (mockups), Framer or Webflow (build), Vercel (host), Plausible (analytics), Prospea (prospecting). Everything else is optional for the first 6 months.

  • How much does the stack cost monthly?

    Bare minimum: $0-$30/mo (free tiers everywhere). Comfortable: $80-$150/mo (paid Framer/Webflow + cold email tool + analytics). Anything more is premature.

Prospea automatise la prospection.

Commencer gratuitement