The AI Stack That
Replaces Your SaaS

THE AI STACK FOR REPLACING SOFTWARE You don't need all of it. Pick ONE tool per layer and start with your most overpriced, least-used subscription. BUILD LAYER (the brain that writes the code) - Claude Code: the workhorse for building real internal tools. (claude.com/product/claude-code) - Cursor: an AI code editor if you want to be more hands-on. (cursor.com) APP LAYER (turn it into something with buttons) - Lovable: describe the app in plain English and it builds and hosts it. (lovable.dev) - Replit: build and host the whole app in one place. (replit.com) DATABASE LAYER (where your data lives) - Supabase: a real database with user logins built in. (supabase.com) - Airtable: a spreadsheet-style database for non-developers. (airtable.com) AUTOMATION LAYER (make it talk to your other tools) - Zapier: the fastest way to connect apps. (zapier.com) - n8n: more control and often cheaper at scale. Use their cloud or host it yourself. (n8n.io) MY STARTER STACK Claude Code to build, plus Lovable or Replit for the app, plus Supabase or Airtable for the data, plus Zapier or n8n to connect it. HOW TO START Paste this whole stack into Claude with: "Here is the tool I want to replace: [name]. Here is what my team actually does in it: [list]. Using only the stack above, pick one tool per layer for me and give me a step-by-step build plan for the smallest version that replaces what we actually use. Flag anything that touches customer data, payments or logins so I can get it reviewed."

You are my honest software advisor. Your goal is to tell me whether I should replace one paid subscription by building my own version with AI, or keep paying. Be honest, not hype. THE TOOL: - What it is: [name + category, e.g. Salesforce / CRM] - What I pay: [$X per month or year, and when it renews] - What my team actually does in it: [the handful of things you really use] - How many people use it: [number] - Who would own the replacement after it's built: [name, or "no one yet"] - Anything sensitive it holds: [customer data, payments, health info, contracts, or "nothing sensitive"] STEPS: 1. Score it on four things, 1 to 5 each, with one line of reasoning: - Utilization: roughly what share of its features we use, based on what I listed. (A small share is a build signal.) - Data lock-in: how hard it is to export our data. If you aren't sure for this tool, tell me what to check. - Integrations: how much glue we'd have to rebuild to connect it to our other tools. - Built-in AI: whether it already does the AI work we'd want, or is behind. 2. Estimate a realistic build effort and monthly running cost (AI usage, hosting, database), as ranges. Show your assumptions. Don't invent my numbers; ask if you need one. 3. Compare that to what I pay now and estimate payback time. 4. List the traps that apply to me: who maintains it, usage costs that grow as we grow, security and compliance for anything sensitive, and what happens if the person who built it leaves. OUTPUT FORMAT: - The four scores in a small table. - Cost estimate and payback in 3 bullets. - Traps in up to 5 bullets. - One verdict on its own line: BUILD, KEEP PAYING, or TEST FIRST. - If BUILD or TEST FIRST: a 5-step plan for the smallest version, naming one tool per layer (build, app, database, automation). GUARDRAILS: - If no one will own maintenance, weigh that heavily and say so. - If it holds payments, health data or other regulated data, recommend keeping it or getting a professional review before switching. - Never tell me to cancel before the replacement has run alongside the old tool for at least a few weeks.