The "best tools for small business" lists are lying to solopreneurs

I've spent the last 16 months reviewing software for one-person businesses, and the thing that struck me most is how badly the existing review sites serve solopreneurs.

Every "best CRM" list pushes HubSpot. Every "best project management tool" leads with Asana or Monday. The reviews assume you've got a team of ten and a procurement budget — which is convenient, because the affiliate payouts on enterprise plans are much bigger than on free tiers.

A few things I've noticed running Get Stack Smart:

The free tier is genuinely enough for most solopreneurs in year one. Notion free, Cal.com free, Stripe (pay as you go), Carrd at $19/year. You can run a real business on under $50/month in software if you ignore the upsells.

"Per seat" pricing is a trap when you're the only seat. A lot of tools price the single-user plan punitively to push you toward team tiers. Always check if there's a "solo" or "starter" plan hidden below the headline pricing.

The biggest mistake I see is buying tools for the business you want, not the one you have. Solopreneurs don't need a CRM with pipeline forecasting. They need a way to remember to follow up on Thursday.

Curious what other solo folks here think, what's the most over-engineered tool you've paid for and ditched?