Software stack builder

How the picks are chosen

Each role has a set of jobs that people in the role usually need done, such as keeping notes, tracking tasks, sending invoices or storing passwords. For each job, the builder shows the product in first place in the matching ranking. The builder uses the rankings as they stand, so a pick changes when the ranking it comes from changes. Jobs that a role does not usually need are left out, so the stack stays short.

A role only selects which jobs appear, and the same product can top more than one job. A top pick is a starting point rather than a verdict. Check the criteria on the ranking page against what your work needs, because a product that leads one ranking may suit another role less well. A stack for a freelancer and a stack for a remote team can share some products but differ on others, since their jobs differ. The role sets the list of jobs, while the rankings decide which product fills each one.

The free-to-use switch and the rankings behind each pick

With the free-to-use switch on, each pick comes from products that a person can use without paying, such as a free plan, a free version or open source software. A time-limited trial alone does not count, which follows the site's definition of free use. Switch it off to see the top product in each ranking regardless of price. The switch filters the picks and does not change the rankings themselves. The switch is useful when a budget rules out paid products, since it removes the paid picks from the list.

Each pick links to the ranking it came from, where the scores and criteria for every product in that category are listed. The roundup articles linked below cover freelancers, students, small businesses, remote teams and privacy-focused apps. Read a roundup before you build a stack, since a top pick for one job may not fit how your team works. Compare two or three products from a ranking before you commit, because the top pick is only one option in its category. A short list of three or four products is easier to test than a long one.