Stack recipe · ~$60–100/mo (free tiers cover two of the five seats)
The Solo Marketer's AI Stack: One Person, Full Output
If you're the entire marketing department, the question isn't which AI tool is best — it's which five tools cover the whole job without babysitting. This stack is arranged by job-to-be-done, with the boring-but-load-bearing choices made for you.
- 1
ChatGPT or Claude (free/[$20])
Strategy & drafting brain
Briefs, positioning, first drafts, repurposing. The single highest-leverage seat — pay for this one before anything else.
- 2
Canva (free tier)
Visuals
AI image edits, brand kit, social sizes. The free tier genuinely covers a solo operation.
- 3
Buffer (free tier)
Social scheduling
Three channels free. Queue a week in one sitting from the drafts your writing seat produced.
- 4
GetResponse or Mailchimp
Email & landing pages
AI subject lines and send-time optimisation. Choose by which free tier fits your list size today.
- 5
SE Ranking (entry plan)
SEO & reporting
Rank tracking, audits and AI content scoring at SMB pricing — the proof your stack is working.
Read before you build
- The trap to avoid: paying for five 'AI marketing assistants' that all do the same drafting job. One brain seat, four specialist seats.
- Swap guidance and current free-tier limits live on our tool pages — this recipe is updated monthly.
Tool-by-tool detail
Every tool in this stack is reviewed in depth — free-tier truth, real user complaints and all — in our tool guides.