My Complete Online Business Tools Setup: How I Run 3 Brands for $30/Month

Grab your coffee. Let me show you the online business tools that actually work—and the expensive ones you don’t need.

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, including Amazon Associates links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This comes at no extra cost to you.

I am currently in the middle of restructuring my whole business, since it wasn’t really my original intention to run as many brands at once. But this article will help you no matter which way I go 🙂

Let’s Be Real About Affiliate Links (And Why I’m Telling You This First)

Look, you just saw the disclosure above—this post has affiliate links. I’m not hiding it.

Here’s the thing though: I’ve turned down partnerships with tools that offered me higher commissions because I don’t actually use them or recommend them. You’ll see me recommend online business tools with lower affiliate payouts (or sometimes no affiliate program at all) because they’re genuinely what I use.

When I started my online business, I was drowning in conflicting advice. Everyone seemed to be pushing the most expensive tools—$89/month here, $149/month there. I kept wondering:

“Is this really necessary? Or is everyone just recommending what pays them the most?”

So here’s my promise: I’m only recommending the best online business tools I personally use across my three brands (HD Brand Blueprint™, Human Design ReDefined™, and TerezaSkranka.com – Projector Revolution) or tools my clients have had success with. Many of these affordable online business tools have generous free tiers that I actually used for months before upgrading.

And yes, I’ll also tell you what NOT to use. (Spoiler: Skip Wix and GoDaddy. More on that later—or maybe in a separate post because I have thoughts.)

Cool? Cool. Let’s dive into my complete online business tools setup.

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The $30/Month Reality Check

I run three complete brands for around $30/month using affordable online business tools.

Not $89/month for one site. Not $267/month for three sites. Thirty dollars total.

And before you think “oh, she must be cutting corners” or “that can’t be professional”—nope. These are fully functional businesses with:

• Professional WordPress websites
• Automated client onboarding
• Payment processing
• Email marketing
• Social media scheduling
• SEO optimization
• Beautiful design

The secret? I’m not using the expensive all-in-one platforms everyone recommends. I’ve built my stack with the best online business tools that work for multi-brand entrepreneurs like me.

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What Everyone Told Me to Use (And What It Would Cost)

When I was starting out, the advice was always the same:

“Just use Kajabi!”

• $89/month minimum
• Limits you to 1 product on the basic plan
• Want to run multiple brands? That’s $89 per site = $267/month

“Squarespace is so easy!”

• $16-$49/month per site
• Limited customization
• Can’t really scale

“Try Shopify!”

• Great for e-commerce, but $39-$399/month
• Overkill if you’re not selling physical products

Don’t get me wrong—these platforms work for some people. But for me, running multiple brands as a solopreneur and mom? That math didn’t math. I needed affordable online business tools that could scale without tripling my costs.

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The Hostinger vs Kajabi Reality (Let’s Do the Math)

Okay, this is where it gets wild. Let me show you the REAL numbers comparing these online business tools:

Kajabi for 3 Websites (4-Year Cost)

• Option 1: 3 × Basic plans at $89/mo each = $267/month
• 4-year total: $12,816
• Option 2: 1 × Growth plan at $149/mo (allows 3 sites)
• 4-year total: $7,152

Plus you STILL don’t get:

• Pinterest scheduling (need separate tool ~$20/mo)
• Advanced automation
• True customization

Real cost with add-ons: ~$8,000-13,000+ for 4 years

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My WordPress Setup for 3 Websites (4-Year Cost)

Hostinger 48-month plan: $192 total for first 4 years ($4/mo)

Add essential online business tools:

• Stackable Pro: $99/year × 4 = $396
• Rank Math Pro: $100/year × 4 = $400
• Canva Pro: $120/year × 4 = $480
• Everything else: FREE tiers

Total for 4 years: ~$1,468

Savings compared to Kajabi: $5,684 to $11,348

That’s not a typo. Thousands of dollars in savings using affordable online business tools—and I get MORE features, not less.

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My Actual Online Business Tools Setup (Tool by Tool)

Alright, let me walk you through exactly what online business tools I use. I’ll tell you what’s free, what’s paid, and when you actually need to upgrade.

🌐 Foundation: Hosting & Domains

Hostinger Premium (what I recommend to clients)

• Cost: $192 for first 4 years ($4/mo), then $13.99/mo
• What you get: Unlimited WordPress sites, free domain first year, 100GB storage
• Why: Most of my clients use this. It’s reliable, fast, and the 48-month deal is unbeatable value for affordable online business tools
• check it out here

Active24 (what I personally use)

• Cost: ~$30 first year (50% off), then ~$60/year (~$5/mo)
• What you get: 3-5 websites per hosting plan
• Why: I started with them for another Czech project and just stuck with them. EU-based, GDPR-friendly
• check it out here

Real talk: Either works. Hostinger is better long-term value. Active24 is great if you’re in Europe.

Domains: Free first year with hosting, then ~$10-15/year to renew. I have 3 domains, so that’s ~$30-45/year.

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🎨 Design & Page Building Tools

Stackable

• Free version: Basic blocks, totally usable
• Pro version: $99/year (~$8/mo) for up to 10 sites
• When to upgrade: When you want advanced blocks, color schemes or managing multiple sites
• My experience: Used free for 4 months, upgraded when I launched my second brand. This is one of the most flexible online business tools for WordPress page building.
• https://wpstackable.com

Canva Pro

• Free version: Actually works great!
• Pro version: $120/year (~$10/mo)
• The game-changer: Bulk Create feature. I can create 30 social media posts in one sitting instead of designing each individually. This alone saves me hours every week.
• When to upgrade: When you’re spending more than an hour a week designing social posts, or when you need brand kit consistency across multiple brands
• My experience: Started free, upgraded after my first $500 month. The bulk create feature is worth the entire subscription. Canva is honestly one of the best online business tools for non-designers.
• https://www.canva.com/

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🔍 SEO Tools

Rank Math

• Free version: Better than Yoast, honestly
• Pro version: ~$100/year (~$8/mo) for all sites
• Why I recommend Pro: You can set up multiple keywords per article instead of just one. This is HUGE for SEO strategy—you’re not artificially limiting yourself to ranking for only one search term.
• My honest take: If you can afford $8/month, jump straight to Pro. The multi-keyword feature alone changes how you approach content. This is essential for anyone serious about using online business tools to grow their reach.
• My experience: Used free for 6 months (and it was fine!), upgraded when I wanted advanced schema for my Human Design business and realized I was limiting my SEO by only targeting one keyword per post.
• check it out here

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⚙️ Automation Tools

Make.com

• Free tier: 1,000 operations/month + 2 active scenarios (projects)
• Core plan: $9/mo for 10,000 operations + unlimited scenarios
• What I’ve automated: Human Design report delivery (completely hands-off now!)
• What else you can automate: Client onboarding sequences, content repurposing across platforms, email follow-ups, Pinterest scheduling
• My experience: Still on free tier after 12 months! I’ve automated my Human Design chart delivery and have room for one more scenario. Averaging 400-600 operations/month across my main workflow.
• When to upgrade: You hit 1,000 operations OR need more than 2 active scenarios
• check it out here

The 2-scenario limit is actually the bigger constraint than operations for most people. Once you want to automate 3+ different workflows, you’ll need to upgrade.

This is where I save the most money. Kajabi’s automation is basic—linear sequences only. Make.com is one of those online business tools that lets me create complex “if this, then that” workflows that would otherwise require a VA.

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📱 Social Media Management

Metricool

• Free tier: 50 posts/month
• Pro tier: $18-22/mo for unlimited
• Why I use it: Pinterest native scheduler is terrible
• When to upgrade: Managing multiple brands or posting 50+ times/month
• My experience: Free for 6 months, upgraded when managing all 3 brands’ Pinterest. For tools for mom entrepreneurs specifically, this is a game-changer for batch scheduling.
• check it out here

Math check: Posting once daily = 30 posts/month. Twice daily = 60 posts/month. Most coaches don’t need Pro.

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💰 Payment Processing

SureCart

• Cost: $0/month (yes, zero!)
• What you pay: Only payment processor fees (Stripe ~2.9%)
• Why: No monthly fee, unlimited products, works on unlimited sites
• vs Kajabi: Kajabi charges $89/mo AND limits your products
• check it out here

This alone saves me $89-268/month compared to platform-based solutions. It’s one of the best online business tools for keeping costs low while scaling.

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📧 Email Marketing (Optional – Depends on Your Strategy)

MailerLite

• Free tier: Up to 1,000 subscribers
• Growing plan: Starting at $9/mo (1,000-2,500 subscribers)
• What I use it for: Email newsletters, welcome sequences, launches
• Why MailerLite: Clean interface, reliable deliverability, doesn’t break the bank as you grow
• My experience: Started on free tier, upgraded when I hit subscriber limits across my three brands

Real talk about email lists: I don’t do freebies just to get thousands of subscribers who want free stuff forever. My email list is smaller but full of buyers—people who are actually interested in purchasing my offers. Quality over vanity metrics.

Alternative approach: You can technically handle email sequences through Make.com if you’re keeping it simple. I use MailerLite because it’s designed for email and makes my life easier, but it’s not essential on day one when you’re selecting your online business tools.

vs Kajabi: Kajabi includes email, but you’re still paying $89/mo minimum. With MailerLite free tier + my stack, I’m spending less and getting more flexibility.

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🤖 AI Assistants (My Secret Weapons)

Claude + ChatGPT

• Free versions: Incredibly capable
• Pro versions: $20/mo each (I use both)
• What I use them for: Content drafting, editing, brainstorming, problem-solving, learning new tools fast
• When to upgrade: Using them multiple times daily and hitting limits

Real talk: Start free. I upgraded because I use them constantly throughout my day, but the free versions are powerful. These are among the best online business tools for productivity—like having two brilliant assistants on call 24/7.

P.S. I also use the Canva AI features now and then.

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💻 Hardware Reality Check

MacBook Air 2024

But here’s the thing: I am still running my businesses on a 2017 MacBook Air for 7 years. The battery still holds up.

Don’t overspend on hardware when you’re starting. Your current laptop is probably fine. Focus your budget on the essential online business tools first.

(I might write separate posts about budget laptop alternatives under $600 and $999—let me know if you want that!)

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What You Can Start With for $5/Month

Yes, five dollars. That’s what you need to start with affordable online business tools.

Must pay for:

• Hosting with free domain: $4-5/mo

Use free versions of these online business tools:

• WordPress (free forever)
• Stackable free
• Rank Math free
• Make.com free (1,000 operations)
• Metricool free (50 posts)
• SureCart ($0 monthly)
• Claude free
• ChatGPT free
• Canva free

Total: $5/month or $60/year

That’s it. That’s a complete professional setup using the best online business tools available.

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My Journey: $5 → $30 → $70/Month

Let me show you how I would actually scale my spending on online business tools if I knew everything I know now (yeah I did some rash investments too in my early days, I am writing this article so you dont have to)

Months 1-3: Validation Phase ($5/month)

• Just hosting + free domain
• Everything else: free versions of online business tools
• Testing ideas, validating concepts
• No guilt about “needing” expensive tools

Months 4-6: First Upgrades ($25-35/month)

• Starting making sales
• Adding Stackable Pro ($8/mo) – need better page blocks and save time with color settings
• Adding Canva Pro ($10/mo) – brand consistency becomes important
• Still using free Make.com and Metricool

Months 7-12: Optimization ($30-70/month)

• Adding Rank Math Pro (~$8/mo) – SEO becomes priority, since I already know what I stand for and what I wanna do
• Adding Metricool Pro (~$20/mo) – managing 3 brands
• Sometimes pay for AI Pro versions ($40/mo) – using them constantly
• Still on Make.com free tier!

The lesson: Upgrade your online business tools based on need, not FOMO. Not comparison. Not what other people say you “should” have.

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When NOT to Upgrade Your Online Business Tools

Don’t upgrade because:

• ❌ Everyone else has the pro version
• ❌ It looks more “professional”
• ❌ You’re comparing yourself to established businesses
• ❌ You “might need it someday”
• ❌ You’re not making money yet

Seriously. If you’re not profitable, why are you spending money on tools? The best online business tools strategy is smart spending, not maximum spending.

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When TO Upgrade

Upgrade your online business tools when:

• ✅ You hit actual limits (operations, posts, storage)
• ✅ Free version is genuinely holding you back
• ✅ Upgrade will save time that makes you money
• ✅ You’re profitable and reinvesting strategically
• ✅ ROI is clear

I’m still on Make.com’s free tier. Not because I’m cheap, but because 1,000 operations/month is genuinely enough for my current client volume. Being strategic with affordable online business tools means knowing when NOT to upgrade too.

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Why WordPress (and Not Wix or GoDaddy)

Okay, here’s where I’m going to be blunt about online business tools.

Skip Wix. Skip GoDaddy website builder.

Why?

Wix:

• Proprietary platform (your content is locked in)
• Can’t easily migrate if you outgrow it
• Limited customization
• Charges per site
• and its freaking EXPENSIVE! (personal experience, yes, painful one)

GoDaddy:

• Clunky interface
• Limited design options
• Better as domain registrar, not website builder
• Their hosting is… not great
• less adjustability with plugins

WordPress:

• You own everything
• Infinite customization
• Huge community = tons of free plugins
• Easy to migrate
• One hosting plan = unlimited sites
• Skills transfer to other projects

I might do a full post on “Why I Left Wix” or “Platforms to Avoid” later, but that’s the short version. When comparing online business tools, WordPress wins for flexibility and long-term value.

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The Multi-Brand Advantage with These Online Business Tools

Here’s what nobody talks about when recommending online business tools: Most platforms charge PER site.

Kajabi: $89 per site = $267 for 3 brands (and remember that is the bare minimum!)
Squarespace: $16-49 per site = $48-147 for 3 brands
Shopify: $39+ per site = $117+ for 3 brands

My WordPress setup using affordable online business tools: Same hosting plan. Same tool licenses.

• Hostinger: 25+ sites (depending on which tier you choose), one price
• Stackable Pro: Up to 10 sites, $99/year
• Rank Math Pro: All sites, ~$100/year with the Pro Plan
• Make.com: 2 projects with one free account
• Metricool: up to 5 brands, one account
• SureCart: All sites, $0/month

Costs barely increase when you add brands. That’s the WordPress superpower nobody tells you about when talking about the best online business tools.

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Essential Tools for Mom Entrepreneurs: My Honest Take

As a mom running multiple businesses, I need online business tools that respect my time and energy. I can’t waste hours figuring out complicated platforms or dealing with tools that don’t talk to each other.

The online business tools I’ve chosen work because:

• They’re intuitive (I don’t have time for steep learning curves)
• They integrate seamlessly (everything talks to everything)
• They scale without requiring constant attention
• They’re affordable (I’m not burning money before making money)

For other tools for mom entrepreneurs out there: You don’t need the most expensive stack. You need the smartest stack. One that lets you work in focused bursts, automate the repetitive stuff, and actually have time with your kids.

That’s what these affordable online business tools give me—efficiency without overwhelm.

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FAQ About These Online Business Tools

What About Kajabi’s “All-in-One” Promise?

Look, Kajabi markets itself as “everything you need in one place.”

But here’s what “all-in-one” actually means compared to modular online business tools:

• You’re locked into their ecosystem
• You pay whether you use features or not
• Product limits even on expensive plans
• Can’t customize beyond their templates
• Migration is painful if you outgrow it

And it still doesn’t include:

• Pinterest scheduling (need separate tool)
• Advanced automation (basic only)
• True design flexibility
• Your data portability

My “modular” approach with the best online business tools gives me:

• Best tool for each job (not one mediocre tool for everything)
• Freedom to switch if something better comes along
• Control over my data
• Lower costs
• More features

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Ready to Build Your Online Business Tools Stack?

Here’s what I recommend:

Starting out? → Grab hosting (Hostinger 48-month deal), use everything else free → Total: $5/month for first 4 years using affordable online business tools

Making sales? → Add Stackable Pro ($8/mo) and Canva Pro ($10/mo) → Total: ~$25-35/month with these essential online business tools

Scaling multiple brands? → Add Rank Math Pro (~$8/mo), consider Metricool Pro (~$20/mo) if needed → Total: ~$50-70/month (still way less than Kajabi)

Want all the details?
Check out my complete [Resources page – comming soon] where I list every online business tool with pricing, my experience, and affiliate links.

Want the setup checklist?
Download my [Multi-Brand Setup Guide] to get started with these online business tools – coming soon, no e-mail required.

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Final Thoughts: Start Small, Scale Smart

Two years ago, I was told I needed to spend hundreds per month on online business tools before making my first sale.

That’s bullshit.

You don’t need Kajabi. You don’t need every pro version on day one. You don’t need to match what established businesses are using for their online business tools.

You need:

• A $5/month hosting plan
• Free online business tools that actually work
• The willingness to learn
• Permission to start lean

I built three brands spending $5/month for the first three months using affordable online business tools. Then $30/month. Now $30-70/month depending on whether I’m paying for AI tools that month.

Could I afford more? Sure. But why pay for what I don’t need? The best online business tools are the ones that serve your actual needs, not your ego.

Start with $5. Upgrade when it makes you money. Build smart, not expensive.

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P.S. – About Those AI Tools

Quick note on Claude and ChatGPT since I mentioned them as part of my online business tools:

I genuinely used both free versions for months before upgrading. They’re that good. Don’t feel pressure to pay for Pro unless you’re using them multiple times daily and actually hitting limits.

They’re not magic solutions, but they ARE incredible efficiency boosters. I think of them as having two brilliant assistants on call 24/7 for brainstorming, editing, and problem-solving. Definitely among the best online business tools for productivity.

Start free. See how you use them. Upgrade strategically.

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What questions do you have about these online business tools? Drop a comment—I actually read and respond to all of them.

And if you found this helpful, bookmark my [Resources page] for the complete tool list with all the links to these online business tools.

This post contains affiliate links for online business tools I genuinely use. I earn a commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you. I only recommend the best online business tools I actually use or my clients have success with—even if other tools would pay me more. When I started my business, I was tired of conflicting advice from people pushing expensive tools, so I’m committed to showing you affordable online business tools that actually work.

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Last updated: 14.10.2025

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