Make.com (Integromat)
Visual automation builder — our default for most workflow connections.
Why we use it — Forgiving UI, great for non-developers on the client side, deep operator library, fair pricing at low–mid volume.
The tools we actually use.
No 'best of 2026' listicle. These are the platforms we wire into client systems every week — and the trade-offs we've learned the hard way.
Make.com consultant
n8n
Self-hostable automation platform. Used when data sovereignty, custom code, or unlimited operations matter.
Why we use it — Open source, runs on your infrastructure, no per-operation billing, full JavaScript escape hatch when a node falls short.
Zapier
Use it when the integration only exists in Zapier or the client is already standardized on it.
Why we use it — Largest catalog of one-click integrations. Higher cost per task at volume — we migrate clients to Make or n8n when run rates climb.
Supabase
Postgres + auth + storage + edge functions as the backend for custom internal tools.
Why we use it — RLS-first security, real Postgres (not a knockoff), great DX, scales from prototype to production.
Lovable + TanStack Start
Front-end framework for client web apps, dashboards, and the marketing sites we ship.
Why we use it — Type-safe routing, server functions, SSR, deploys cleanly to the edge. We use it for our own site.
OpenAI / Anthropic / Lovable AI Gateway
LLM calls inside workflows for classification, summarization, and routing.
Why we use it — Model-agnostic — we pick the cheapest model that hits the accuracy bar for the task. Most work is done with cheap models, not the headline ones.
Twilio
SMS and voice for reminders, two-way booking confirmations, and review-request flows.
Why we use it — Mature platform, reliable deliverability, well-priced at SMB volume. Most no-show fixes start here.
Stripe
Payments, deposits, subscriptions, and the rare invoicing flow.
Why we use it — Best-in-class API, instant-onboarding for small business clients, the deposit flows that fix no-shows live here.
Airtable / Google Sheets / Notion
Lightweight data stores when a full Postgres backend is overkill.
Why we use it — Clients can read and edit the data themselves — that's a huge unlock. We graduate to Supabase when concurrency or relations matter.
PostHog / GA4
Product analytics and marketing analytics — separate jobs.
Why we use it — GA4 for marketing attribution, PostHog for product event funnels and session replay when we ship an app.
next step
Want one of these wired into your business?
Book a free 20-min review. We'll tell you which tool fits your problem — and whether you need a consultant at all.