Marketing tools are expensive. But they don't have to be.
Every week, you see tools charging $50, $100, $500 per month. They promise the world. They deliver frustration.
As a startup founder with limited budget, you need tools that actually work—without draining your bank account.
Here's the truth: you can build a complete marketing stack for $50 per month or less. Maybe even for free.
The Marketing Tool Trap
The tool trap works like this:
- You read that startups need "marketing automation"
- You research and compare tools
- You sign up for a 14-day trial
- You spend those 14 days learning the tool instead of marketing
- The trial ends, you don't upgrade, you move to the next tool
- Repeat forever
Meanwhile, zero marketing actually happens.
The real problem isn't the tools. It's the avoidance behavior that tools enable.
Website & Landing Pages
Carrd
What it does: Simple, one-page websites and landing pages
Why you need it: Fast landing pages without coding. Clean templates, form handling, all in one place.
Free tier: 1 site, basic analytics, limited customization
Paid: $19/year for full features
Best for: Quick landing pages, waitlists, simple product pages
Link: carrd.co
WordPress with Elementor
What it does: Full website builder with visual editing
Why you need it: WordPress is free, Elementor makes it visual. Powerful combination for any type of site.
Free tier: WordPress free, Elementor has free version
Best for: Blogs, marketing sites, full websites
Link: wordpress.org + elementor.com
Canva Websites
What it does: Simple websites created with Canva designs
Why you might need it: If you already use Canva, you can now publish as websites. Perfect for simple portfolios and landing pages.
Free tier: Limited pages and features
Best for: Visual-focused simple sites
Link: canva.com
Email Marketing (All Have Generous Free Tiers)
Mailchimp
What it does: Email marketing with templates, automation, and analytics
Why you need it: The 入门 standard. Templates, automation, audience management—all in one place.
Free tier: 500 contacts, 1,000 emails/month
Paid: $20+/month when you grow
Best for: Most startups building email lists
Link: mailchimp.com
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
What it does: Email marketing, SMS, and CRM combined
Why you might need it: More than email. SMS marketing, chat, and CRM in one platform. Generous free tier.
Free tier: 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts
Best for: Startups wanting email + SMS
Link: brevo.com
MailerLite
What it does: Simple email marketing with automation
Why you might need it: Clean, simple interface. No bloat, just email marketing done well.
Free tier: 1,000 subscribers, unlimited emails
Best for: Startups wanting simplicity
Link: mailerlite.com
ConvertKit
What it does: Email marketing built for creators
Why you might need it: Creator-friendly features. Landing pages, forms, and automations without complexity.
Free tier: 1,000 subscribers, unlimited forms
Best for: Content creators and bloggers
Link: convertkit.com
Analytics & Tracking
Google Analytics
What it does: Website analytics with event tracking
Why you need it: Free from Google. Deep insights into user behavior, events, and conversions.
Free tier: Unlimited events
Best for: Every startup needing analytics
Link: analytics.google.com
PostHog
What it does: Product analytics with session recordings
Why you might need it: See how users interact with your product. Session recordings reveal where they get stuck.
Free tier: 1 million events/month, 15,000 recordings
Best for: Product teams wanting behavioral insights
Link: posthog.com
Plausible Analytics
What it does: Privacy-focused, lightweight web analytics
Why you might need it: Simple, respects privacy, no cookie consent needed. Clean data without complexity.
Free tier: 10,000 visits/month (paid plans from $9/month)
Best for: Privacy-conscious teams
Link: plausible.io
Google Search Console
What it does: Search performance and website indexing
Why you need it: Free from Google. Shows how you rank in search, which queries bring traffic, and indexing issues.
Free tier: Unlimited
Best for: Every startup wanting SEO traffic
Link: search.google.com/search-console
SEO Tools
Ubersuggest
What it does: SEO research and content ideas
Why you might need it: Find keywords, analyze competitors, discover content ideas. Neil Patel's tool is surprisingly capable.
Free tier: 3 searches/day
Best for: SEO research on budget
Link: neilpatel.com/ubersuggest
AnswerThePublic
What it does: Content ideas from search queries
Why you might need it: See what questions people are searching. Great for content planning.
Free tier: 3 searches/day
Best for: Content marketing and blog planning
Link: answerthepublic.com
Google Trends
What it does: Search trend analysis
Why you need it: See what's trending. Understand seasonality and interest over time.
Free tier: Full access
Best for: Content timing and topic research
Link: trends.google.com
Social Media Management
Buffer
What it does: Social media scheduling and analytics
Why you need it: Simple scheduling. Queue posts and maintain consistency without daily posting.
Free tier: 3 social accounts, 10 scheduled posts
Paid: From $5/month
Best for: Consistent social presence
Link: buffer.com
TweetDeck
What it does: Twitter management with real-time streams
Why you might need it: If Twitter is your platform, TweetDeck is essential. Multiple columns, real-time streams.
Free tier: Full features
Best for: Twitter-focused marketing
Link: tweetdeck.twitter.com
Crowdfire
What it does: Social media scheduling and content discovery
Why you might need it: Find content to share, schedule posts, track mentions. Good free tier.
Free tier: 10 social accounts, scheduled posts
Best for: Multi-platform social management
Link: crowdfire.com
Canva
What it does: Graphic design for social media
Why you need it: Professional graphics without a designer. Templates for every platform.
Free tier: Millions of templates, 100GB storage
Paid: From $13/month
Best for: Visual content creation
Link: canva.com
Lead Capture & Forms
YouForm
What it does: Free form builder with powerful features
Why you might need it: Typeform alternative that's actually free. Logic, integrations, and beautiful forms.
Free tier: Unlimited forms, 500 submissions/month
Best for: Beautiful forms without cost
Link: youform.io
Tally Forms
What it does: Free form builder with no limits
Why you might need it: Powerful forms completely free. Logic, calculations, and integrations.
Free tier: Unlimited forms, 50 submissions/month
Best for: Budget-conscious startups
Link: tally.so
Google Forms
What it does: Simple form building connected to Google Sheets
Why you need it: Completely free, instant data in Sheets. Perfect for surveys and simple forms.
Free tier: Unlimited
Best for: Simple data collection
Link: forms.google.com
Content & Blog
Substack
What it does: Newsletter publishing with built-in audience
Why you might need it: Write and publish newsletters. Built-in audience discovery and free tier.
Free tier: Unlimited subscribers, paid subscription option
Best for: Newsletter-focused content
Link: substack.com
Ghost
What it does: Publishing platform with membership and newsletter
Why you might need it: Professional publishing platform. Built-in newsletter and memberships.
Free tier: Fully functional, host yourself
Best for: Content-focused startups
Link: ghost.org
CRM (Completely Free)
HubSpot CRM
What it does: Free CRM with contact management
Why you might need it: Unlimited contacts, deal pipelines, and email tracking. Surprisingly capable free tier.
Free tier: Unlimited contacts, basic features
Best for: Full CRM functionality at no cost
Link: hubspot.com
Streak
What it does: CRM inside Gmail
Why you might need it: Track deals, manage relationships—all from Gmail. Perfect for sales-focused teams.
Free tier: 2 pipelines, 200 emails tracked
Best for: Gmail users needing CRM
Link: streak.com
Customer Support (Free Options)
Tawk.to
What it does: Free live chat for websites
Why you might need it: Completely free live chat. Embed on your site and start chatting with visitors.
Free tier: Unlimited chats, unlimited agents
Best for: Live customer support
Link: tawk.to
Chatbase
What it does: AI chatbot trained on your data
Why you might need it: Create AI chatbots from your content. Free tier available for small usage.
Free tier: 200 messages/month
Best for: AI-powered customer support
Link: chatbase.co
The Startup Marketing Stack by Budget
| Budget | Tools | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | Carrd, Google Forms, Mailchimp, Google Analytics, HubSpot CRM, Tawk.to | Complete marketing stack |
$20/month | Everything above + Carrd Pro + Buffer Pro | Professional features unlocked |
$50/month | Everything above + ConvertKit Premium + PostHog | Advanced automation and analytics |
Tools to Avoid (For Now)
1. Expensive Marketing Automation
HubSpot Marketing Hub or Marketo are powerful but complex. Start simple.
2. Attribution Tools
Understanding which channel works is valuable, but not at the startup stage. Track manually first.
3. Social Listening Tools
Monitoring brand mentions sounds valuable, but talk to customers directly instead.
4. Enterprise A/B Testing
Optimize conversion rates only after you have traffic to test.
The Right Order
Build your marketing stack in this order:
- Landing page - Carrd (free)
- Email capture - Mailchimp free
- Analytics - Google Analytics (free)
- Forms - YouForm or Google Forms (free)
- CRM - HubSpot CRM (free)
- Live chat - Tawk.to (free)
- Social scheduling - Buffer free
- Newsletter - ConvertKit free
- SEO - Google Search Console + Ubersuggest (free)
Everything else can wait.
The Real Secret
The best marketing tool is not a tool at all.
It's your willingness to:
- Talk to customers directly
- Get feedback on your product
- Iterate based on what you learn
- Show up consistently
Tools help. But no tool replaces the work.
Need Help Building Your Marketing Stack?
At Startupbricks, we help startups build marketing infrastructure that works. Whether you need:
- A marketing tool strategy
- Landing page development
- Email marketing setup
- Analytics implementation
Let's talk. We help founders market better.