Choosing the Right Tech Stack for Your Startup

Your tech stack decision will impact your startup for years. Choose wrong, and you'll face technical debt, slow development, and scaling issues. Choose right, and you'll ship fast, scale smoothly, and attract top talent.

The Framework for Deciding

Ask these questions:

1. What are we building? (Mobile app, web app, both?)
2. Who's our team? (What skills do we have?)
3. What's our timeline? (6 weeks or 6 months?)
4. What's our budget? (Hosting costs matter)
5. What's our scale target? (1K users or 1M?)

The ATK-Recommended Stack (2025)

For Mobile Apps

React Native
- ✅ One codebase for iOS + Android
- ✅ 80% code reuse
- ✅ Large talent pool
- ✅ Expo makes it even easier
- ❌ Some performance trade-offs

When to use native:
- Games (use Unity/Unreal)
- AR/VR experiences
- Extremely performance-critical apps

For Web Apps

Next.js 15 + TypeScript
- ✅ Server-side rendering (SEO)
- ✅ API routes (no separate backend needed)
- ✅ Image optimization
- ✅ Vercel deployment (one click)
- ✅ Best developer experience

For Backend

Supabase
- ✅ PostgreSQL database
- ✅ Built-in authentication
- ✅ Real-time subscriptions
- ✅ File storage
- ✅ Row-level security
- ✅ Generous free tier

Alternative: Firebase
- Better for real-time apps
- Easier for beginners
- More expensive at scale

For Styling

Tailwind CSS
- ✅ Utility-first
- ✅ Fast development
- ✅ Consistent design
- ✅ Small bundle size
- ✅ Great with Next.js

For Payments

Tap Payments (Saudi-first)
- ✅ Mada support
- ✅ Apple Pay / Google Pay
- ✅ Local support
- ✅ SAR-native

Stripe (International backup)
- ✅ Best developer experience
- ✅ Global coverage
- ❌ More expensive in Saudi

What to Avoid

1. Bleeding Edge Tech
Don't be the first to use a framework in production. Let others find the bugs.

2. Too Many Tools
Every tool adds complexity. Start minimal, add as needed.

3. Over-Engineering
You don't need microservices for 100 users. Start monolithic, split later.

4. Ignoring Hosting Costs
That "free tier" won't last. Calculate costs at 10K, 100K, 1M users.

The Cost Reality

Monthly hosting costs (estimated):

0-1K users:
- Vercel: $0 (free tier)
- Supabase: $0 (free tier)
- Total: $0/month

1K-10K users:
- Vercel: $20
- Supabase: $25
- Total: $45/month

10K-100K users:
- Vercel: $150
- Supabase: $100
- Total: $250/month

100K-1M users:
- Vercel: $500+
- Supabase: $500+
- Total: $1,000+/month

When to Hire vs. DIY

Hire a developer when:
- You have budget ($50K+)
- Timeline is tight (<3 months)
- You need custom features
- You want to focus on business

DIY when:
- You have technical co-founder
- Budget is limited (<$20K)
- Timeline is flexible (6+ months)
- You're building to learn

The ATK Approach

We build with:
- React Native (mobile)
- Next.js (web)
- Supabase (backend)
- Tailwind (styling)
- Vercel (hosting)

This stack lets us:
- Ship MVPs in 6-8 weeks
- Keep hosting costs low
- Scale to 100K+ users
- Maintain code quality

Conclusion

There's no "perfect" stack. But there are stacks that fit your needs, budget, and timeline.

Need help choosing? [Let's talk](https://atkabli.com/contact).

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ATK — Licensed Freelance Product Studio
Building with the right tools for the right job.