The Tools I Actually Use to Build and Ship Websites

People often ask what I build with. Here's the honest, current answer — the tools I reach for on real client work, and why each one earns its place.

The core stack

• Next.js + React — fast, SEO-friendly, scales from landing pages to apps.
• TypeScript — catches whole classes of bugs before they ship. Non-negotiable on anything I'll maintain.
• Tailwind CSS — fast, consistent styling that's easy to hand over.
• Framer Motion — purposeful animation without the performance cost.

Data & backend

• PostgreSQL — a boring, reliable database, and that's a compliment.
• Prisma — type-safe database access that pairs beautifully with TypeScript.
• Auth.js / Clerk — authentication done properly, so I don't roll my own.

Shipping & infrastructure

• Vercel — deploys on every push, with previews and edge performance built in.
• GitHub Actions — CI to run checks before anything reaches production.
• Sentry & analytics — so I know how a site behaves in the real world.

The meta-point

Tools change. The principles don't: type safety, fast feedback loops, boring reliable infrastructure, and shipping often. I'm happy to learn a new tool when it genuinely makes a project better — and equally happy to ignore the hype when it doesn't.

That judgement — knowing what to use and, just as importantly, what to skip — is most of what experience buys you.