Stack
A founder productivity stack for 2026
Eight tools for the eight jobs a small startup has to cover, chosen for startup offers and free plans that fit a small team. Each pick quotes the offer, its conditions and the price once it ends.
Updated Oct 4, 2026 · 8 tools · How we pick
A small startup has the same jobs to cover as a larger company: docs, tasks, email, calendar, passwords, a CRM, meeting notes and automation. What it lacks is budget and time to manage software. This stack fills each job with one tool, preferring those with a startup offer on record or a free plan that a small team can use, and each pick says which it is.
Four of the eight have a startup offer: Notion, Linear, Attio and Granola. Notion Calendar is free with no paid tier, and Linear, Attio and Spark Mail have free plans a few people can work on. The other two, 1Password and Zapier, have no startup offer on record. They are here because 1Password's flat-rate team pack suits a company of up to 10, and because other tools in the stack list Zapier among their integrations.
Startup offers come with conditions, and they end. They set limits on headcount, funding or partner affiliation, and they discount a paid plan for a fixed period of months or a year or two. Each pick gives the regular price so you can see what the tool costs afterwards. The picks run from the jobs you need on day one to those that matter once you are selling. Offers and prices are the vendors' own, read on the date shown on each tool's page.
The shortlist
- 1NotionFor docs and the company wikiFree plan · from $10/mo
- 2LinearFor issues and projectsFree plan · from $10/mo
- 3Spark MailFor emailFree plan · from $8.25/mo
- 4Notion CalendarFor calendar and schedulingFree
- 51PasswordFor passwordsFree trial · from $3.99/mo
- 6AttioFor CRMFree plan · from $35/mo
- 7GranolaFor meeting notesFree plan · from $14/mo
- 8ZapierFor automationFree plan · from $19.99/mo
The picks in detail
- 01
Notion
For docs and the company wikiWorkspace for docs, wikis, databases and projects with built-in AINotion keeps documents, a wiki and databases side by side, so specs, meeting records and trackers live in one workspace. There is a startup offer on record: startups under 100 employees that are not yet paying customers can apply for 1, 3 or 6 months of the Business plan free, depending on partner affiliation and company details. Business includes Notion Agent, AI Meeting Notes, SAML SSO and private teamspaces.
Worth knowing: The Free plan is built for one person, with blocks limited once a second member joins, and when the offer ends Plus is $10 and Business $20 per member a month, billed yearly.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $10 per member / month, billed yearly
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- 02
Linear
For issues and projectsIssue tracking and product planning for software teamsLinear is built for software teams: work is tracked as issues, planned into cycles and grouped into projects. The Free plan has no member limit, so the whole founding team can use it, with 2 teams and 250 issues. Startups with fewer than 50 employees that are not yet paying and belong to a Linear partner program can get up to 6 months of the Business plan free. Otherwise Basic is $10 per user a month billed yearly, with unlimited issues.
Worth knowing: The Free plan stops at 250 issues and 2 teams, the startup offer requires membership of a Linear partner program, and private teams and guests need Business at $16 per user a month.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $10 per user / month, billed yearly
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- 03
Spark Mail
For emailEmail client with a unified smart inbox, AI tools and team featuresSpark Mail's free plan gives each person a unified Smart Inbox across unlimited email accounts, with snooze, send later, follow-up reminders and a built-in calendar, on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. It has a path up as the team grows: Plus, at $8.25 per user a month billed annually, adds team collaboration such as shared threads and private comments, and Pro, at $16.58, adds shared inboxes for addresses such as support@. No startup offer is on record.
Worth knowing: Shared inboxes, read statuses and the HubSpot integration are limited to Pro and Enterprise, and there is no web or Linux version.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $8.25 per user / month, billed annually ($99 / year)
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- 04
Notion Calendar
For calendar and schedulingFree calendar app that connects to Notion databasesNotion Calendar is free to use and has no paid tier of its own, so it costs nothing however many people use it. It shows Google Calendar, Apple iCloud and Microsoft Outlook calendars in one view, and its scheduling links let investors, customers or candidates book time with you. It displays several time zones at once, and dated items from the team's Notion databases appear next to meetings.
Worth knowing: The mobile apps show only 1 to 3 day views and cannot edit most events, and Focus time and out-of-office events need a Google Workspace account.
- Price
- Free
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- 05
1Password
For passwordsPassword manager for individuals, families and businesses1Password's Teams Starter Pack is priced for a company at this stage: a flat $24.95 a month, billed annually, covers 10 members, with up to 10 more seats at $4.99 each a month. It includes password sharing, role-based permissions and developer tools, and shared vaults give the team one place for company logins. No startup offer is on record; there is a 14-day free trial on any plan.
Worth knowing: There is no free plan, single sign-on needs Business at $8.99 per user, and with six people or fewer Bitwarden Teams at $4 per user a month billed annually costs less than the flat pack.
- Price
- $3.99 per month, billed annually ($2.99 in year one for new customers)
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- 06
Attio
For CRMCRM with a customizable data model, workflows and AI agentsAttio is a CRM that fills records in from email and calendar activity, with a data model you can extend as the business changes. The Free plan covers up to 3 seats, 3 objects and 50,000 records, enough for founders running the first sales conversations themselves. Its startup program is for VC-backed startups incorporated less than 10 years ago, with up to 10 seats: they can apply within 90 days of creating a workspace for 80% off annual Pro in the first year and 30% off the second.
Worth knowing: Free is capped at 3 seats and Plus at 10, sequences and call recording need Pro, and there is no desktop app: Attio runs in the browser, with mobile apps for iOS and Android.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $35 per user / month, billed annually ($44 billed monthly)
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- 07
Granola
For meeting notesAI notepad that transcribes meetings from device audio, no botGranola transcribes calls from your own device's audio, so no recording bot joins an investor or customer call. You type rough notes and it expands them into a full write-up using the transcript. Its startup program gives accepted companies 12 months of the Business plan at no cost; it is open to startups with fewer than 30 employees that have raised a pre-seed or seed round. Business is where the Notion and Attio integrations start, which ties it to the docs and CRM picks above.
Worth knowing: Outside the startup program, the free Basic plan shows only the last 30 days of notes and Business is $14 per user a month, billed monthly, and there is no web app or browser extension.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $14 per user / month, billed monthly
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- 08
Zapier
For automationWorkflow automation across 9,000+ apps, with AI agentsZapier is the automation tool the rest of this stack points to: Attio and Granola both list it among their integrations, and Zapier's own list of more than 9,000 apps includes Notion, Slack, Gmail and Google Calendar. The Free plan gives one user 100 tasks a month on two-step Zaps, enough to wire up a few handoffs between tools. Professional starts at $19.99 a month billed annually for 750 tasks. No startup offer is on record.
Worth knowing: Free and Professional cover a single user, so sharing Zaps with colleagues means the Team plan at $69 a month billed annually, and Granola's Zapier integration starts on its Business plan.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $19.99 / month, billed annually, for 750 tasks ($29.99 billed monthly)
- Runs on
- Web, Browser extension
How to choose
Check which startup offers you qualify for
The conditions differ. Notion asks for under 100 employees and no existing paid plan. Linear asks for fewer than 50 employees and membership of a partner program. Granola asks for fewer than 30 employees and a pre-seed or seed round, and Attio for VC backing, up to 10 seats and an application within 90 days of creating a workspace. A bootstrapped company will not meet Attio's or Granola's terms, but both have free plans.
Know what each tool costs when the offer ends
Notion Business is $20 per member a month and Linear Business $16 per user a month, both billed yearly. Granola Business is $14 per user a month, billed monthly. Attio Pro is $79 per user a month billed annually once its discounts end; Attio Plus, at $35, is capped at 10 seats. Decide before the offer runs out whether to stay on the paid plan or step down to a cheaper one.
Swap a pick if your company works differently
Linear is built for software teams. If you are not building software, ClickUp's Free Forever plan has unlimited tasks and members, and ClickUp takes applications for a startup credit. If marketing matters as much as sales, HubSpot's free tools cover 2 users and 1,000 contacts, and its startup program gives up to 90% off Professional and Enterprise products. For a shared support@ inbox, Missive's Starter plan is $14 per user a month billed yearly, for up to 5 users.
Decide how much automation you need
Zapier's Free plan covers 100 tasks a month for one user. If the team needs to share automations, Zapier's Team plan is $69 a month billed annually, while Make's $9 plan includes teams and roles. Technical teams can self-host n8n's free Community Edition, and n8n's Start-up Plan takes 50% off its Business plan for companies with fewer than 20 employees.
Common questions
Which of these tools have startup discounts?
Four of them. Notion offers 1, 3 or 6 months of its Business plan free, Linear up to 6 months of Business free, Granola 12 months of Business free, and Attio 80% off annual Pro in the first year and 30% off the second. Each has conditions on headcount, funding or partner affiliation.
Is there a free CRM for a startup?
Three CRMs in our directory have free plans. Attio's covers up to 3 seats, 3 objects and 50,000 records. HubSpot's free tools cover up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts, with deal pipelines and a meeting link. Zoho CRM's Free edition covers up to 3 users and 5,000 records.
Is Linear free for startups?
Linear's Free plan has unlimited members, 2 teams and 250 issues. Startups with fewer than 50 employees that are not yet paying and belong to a Linear partner program can get up to 6 months of the Business plan free. Otherwise Basic is $10 and Business $16 per user a month, billed yearly.
What does this stack cost without the startup offers?
On free plans, Notion Calendar, Spark Mail, Linear, Attio for up to 3 seats, Granola Basic and Zapier's Free plan cost nothing. The first paid steps are Notion Plus at $10 per member a month billed yearly, Linear Basic at $10 per user a month billed yearly, and 1Password's Teams Starter Pack at $24.95 a month billed annually for 10 members.
Which password manager should a small team use?
1Password's Teams Starter Pack covers 10 members for a flat $24.95 a month billed annually, with role-based permissions. Bitwarden Teams is $4 per user a month billed annually, which costs less for six people or fewer. Neither has a startup offer on record.
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