Why I Built ToolStacked
I built ToolStacked because choosing software has become unnecessarily difficult. Small-business owners face thousands of AI and SaaS products with overlapping features, pricing that changes constantly, affiliate-heavy recommendations, and directories that create more research instead of less.
ToolStacked is meant to narrow that process, not widen it. The goal is to:
- identify tools worth considering
- explain who they are actually for
- compare realistic alternatives
- evaluate pricing and business fit
- help someone assemble a practical software stack
Listing every piece of software on the internet has never been the point.
Who runs ToolStacked
CJ Myers
Founder, ToolStacked
I built ToolStacked after seeing firsthand how difficult it had become to sort through overlapping AI and SaaS tools and work out which products were genuinely useful for a business. I use AI and SaaS products while building ToolStacked and other digital projects, which gives the site a practical small-business perspective rather than a "list every tool" approach.
How ToolStacked evaluates tools
Every tool is scored with the same framework, weighted like this:
- Features22%
- Pricing20%
- Fit20%
- Ease of Use16%
- Evidence12%
- Completeness10%
Affiliate relationships never determine ToolStacked Scores.
See the full methodology →How this differs from large directories: ToolStacked vs G2 · ToolStacked vs Capterra
How ToolStacked makes money
ToolStacked is free for visitors to use.
Some links to software providers are affiliate links, and ToolStacked may earn a commission when someone purchases through one of them. Software companies can also promote their products through ToolStacked, and paid placements are always disclosed.
Commercial relationships never buy a higher ToolStacked Score, a ranking, or an editorial recommendation.
What ToolStacked is not
ToolStacked is not trying to become the largest software directory. The goal is a smaller, more useful decision layer for business software.
- Not every tool gets listed.
- Paid relationships do not purchase a higher score.
- A large catalog is not the primary success metric.
- Recommendations should explain why a tool fits — not just rank it.