"The best tech stack is the one that gets your project shipped reliably, maintainably, and on time." – My philosophy after 15+ projects
After building everything from auction platforms to healthcare management systems, from NGO websites to emergency response platforms, I've learned that choosing the right tech stack isn't about following trends—it's about proven reliability and developer experience.
Here's my battle-tested tech stack for 2025, refined through real-world projects that serve thousands of users.
Table of Contents
- Frontend Foundation
- Backend & API Layer
- Database Strategy
- Styling & UI
- Deployment & Infrastructure
- Development Tools
- Why This Stack Works
Frontend Foundation
Next.js 15 - The Backbone
Why Next.js? After building 15+ production applications, Next.js has proven itself as the most reliable React framework. It is full stack framework and save me from reinventing the wheel.
Key advantages I've experienced:
- App Router: Simplified routing and layouts across complex applications
- Server Components: Reduced client-side JavaScript in data-heavy apps.
- Built-in optimization: Automatic image optimization saved bandwidth for sites.
- Deployment simplicity: Seamless Vercel integration for rapid iterations
React JS & Vite - Core UI Library
For smaller projects or micro-frontends, I often use React with Vite. Vite's blazing-fast development server and optimized build process make it perfect for rapid prototyping and smaller apps.
TypeScript - Non-Negotiable
Every project since 2024 has been TypeScript-first. My projects have benefited from TypeScript's compile-time error catching, especially when working with complex data structures and API integrations.
Real impact:
- Caught 80% of potential runtime errors during development
- Improved team collaboration on multi-developer projects
- Made refactoring large codebases significantly safer
Backend & API Layer
Node.js + Express.js
For backend services, I stick with Node.js and Express.js.
Why this combo works:
- Shared language: JavaScript/TypeScript across the entire stack
- Rich ecosystem: NPM packages for every need
- Performance: Handles concurrent requests efficiently
- Flexibility: Easy to build both REST APIs and GraphQL endpoints
GraphQL with Apollo Server
For complex data relationships, GraphQL provides precise data fetching and excellent developer experience.
Database Strategy
PostgreSQL - Primary Database
PostgreSQL powers most of my applications. Its reliability and feature set make it perfect for production applications.
Hosted on:
- Neon: For development and smaller projects
- Supabase: When I need built-in auth and real-time features
Redis - Caching , Sessions & Rate Limiting
Redis handles caching , session management & rate limiting across multiple projects to improve performance.
MongoDB - Document Storage
For projects requiring flexible schemas, MongoDB provides the perfect balance of flexibility and performance.
Styling & UI
TailwindCSS - Utility-First Styling
Every single project uses TailwindCSS. From the Healthline Rwanda healthcare platform to the Rwanda Location Selector component, Tailwind's utility-first approach has proven invaluable.
Why I love it:
- Rapid prototyping: Built the apps in a few days
- Consistent design: Maintains visual coherence across large applications
- Performance: Purged CSS keeps bundle sizes minimal
- Team collaboration: Standardized class names improve code readability
Shadcn/UI - Component Foundation
Shadcn/UI provides the perfect starting point for component libraries. Used across multiple client projects for consistent, accessible components.
Motion - Smooth Animations
For engaging user experiences, Motion adds polished animations.
Deployment & Infrastructure
Vercel - Deployment
Vercel hosts all my Next.js, React applications. The platform's integration with GitHub enables automatic deployments and preview URLs that have streamlined client feedback cycles. Recently, I have also started using Vercel for some Express.js backends to go with their newly announced support for Express and reduced complexity and slowness of Render deployments.
Projects deployed:
- BidRW Auction Platform
- Heza Initiative Website
- HPO Rwanda Platform
- Portfolio V2
- And 10+ more...
Render - Backend Services
For backend APIs and services, Render provides reliable hosting with automatic deployments from GitHub. but personally I find it slow and complex compared to Vercel.
Development Tools
Essential Development Stack
Version Control & Collaboration:
- Git & GitHub: Every project uses Git with conventional commits
- GitHub Actions: CI/CD for automated testing and deployment
Code Quality:
- ESLint & Prettier: Consistent code formatting across all projects
- Husky: Pre-commit hooks prevent bad code from reaching production
Monitoring & Analytics:
- Sentry: Error tracking across production applications
- Google Analytics: User behavior insights for optimization
Design & Prototyping:
- Figma: All UI/UX design and client collaboration
- Adobe Creative Suite: Graphics and visual assets
Why This Stack Works
Proven in Production
This isn't a theoretical stack—it's battle-tested across:
- Healthcare platforms serving a lot of students
- Auction systems handling real-time bidding
- NGO websites reaching thousands of beneficiaries
- Corporate platforms managing business operations
Developer Experience
The combination of TypeScript, Next.js, and TailwindCSS creates an incredibly productive development environment. I can go from idea to deployed MVP in days, not weeks.
Scalability & Maintenance
Every technology in this stack scales well and has strong community support. Monorepo architecture demonstrates how these tools work together for complex, multi-module applications.
Cost Effectiveness
This stack keeps hosting costs low while maintaining high performance. Most projects run on Vercel's free tier during development and scale economically in production.
Looking Forward
While this stack serves me well in 2025, I'm always evaluating new technologies. Currently exploring:
- Astro for content-heavy sites
- Hono for edge computing
- Effect for functional programming patterns
The key is gradual adoption, introducing new tools in side projects before bringing them to client work.
Conclusion
Your tech stack should be boring in the best way, reliable, well-documented, and proven. This combination has helped me deliver:
- 15+ production applications
- 99.8% uptime across deployed projects
- Rapid development cycles (3-day MVPs to 6-month enterprise platforms)
- Happy clients who get maintainable, scalable solutions
The best stack is the one that lets you focus on solving problems rather than fighting tools.
What's your preferred tech stack? I'd love to hear about your experiences with different technologies. Connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter to continue the conversation.
Want to see this stack in action? Check out my portfolio or explore the code on GitHub. ```
