Tools we recommend

Stripe AtlasWe use this

Best for C-corps

Incorporates a Delaware C-corp and handles your EIN, stock issuance, and a business bank account in one flow. It's what we incorporated Tundra with.

ZenBusiness

Best for most LLCs

Fast, low-cost LLC formation, with registered agent service available as an add-on. Good fit for service businesses, trades, and online sellers.

LegalZoom

Best for licensed or regulated businesses

Business formation for LLCs, corporations, and non-profits, with access to attorneys when a question needs a real answer.

Mercury

Online business banking built for startups. Strong software integrations and a clean dashboard.

Brex

Best for funded startups

Corporate cards and cash management aimed at funded and venture-backed startups. Best once you have investor money in the bank.

RhoWe use this

Business banking with corporate cards and built-in accounts payable automation. This is what we bank with at Tundra.

Ramp

Cards + spend management

Corporate cards, bill pay, and spend management, with a business account option. Strong if you want to track and control card spend from day one.

BookJonasWe use this

Best for new companies

Free bookkeeping built for brand-new companies with simple operations. Connect your accounts and close your books in about 15 minutes. The easiest place to start, before you outgrow it and move to QuickBooks or Xero.

QuickBooks

Most common

The most widely used small-business bookkeeping software. Most accountants already know it, which makes handoff easy.

Xero

Clean, modern bookkeeping software and a popular QuickBooks alternative. Strong for working alongside your accountant.

Google WorkspaceWe use this

Professional email at your own domain, plus Drive, Docs, Calendar, and Meet. Set this up early and run every other signup through it.

Microsoft 365

Alternative to Google

Professional email at your domain plus Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams. The main alternative to Google Workspace, and the better fit if your team lives in Office.

Tiko MailWe use this

Cuts email admin time

An AI email assistant that plugs into both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 and takes the busywork off your inbox, saving most people five or more hours a week on email admin. It sorts, drafts replies in your voice, and tracks what's waiting on a response, with customization options built for small businesses. It's what we use at Tundra.

NamecheapWe use this

Domain registration with free WHOIS privacy and straightforward pricing. It's where we register Tundra's domains.

Squarespace

No-code site builder

Polished website templates you can launch without code. Good for a clean marketing site or portfolio.

Wix

No-code site builder

Drag-and-drop website builder with a wide template range. Quick way to get a basic site live.

VercelWe use this

For custom sites

Hosting for custom-built sites and apps. This is where we host the custom sites we build at Tundra.

Stable

Virtual business address with a real street address, mail scanning, and forwarding.

Anytime MailboxWe use this

Virtual mailbox with locations in all 50 states. Mail scanning and forwarding included. It's what we use at Tundra.

Shopify

Best for online

All-in-one e-commerce: online store, checkout, payments, and a POS that keeps in-person sales synced.

Square

Best for in-person

Card readers, POS terminals, and inventory management built for in-person sales.

Gusto

Full-service payroll, tax filing, benefits, and HR for small teams.

Justworks

A PEO that bundles payroll, compliance, and access to better-priced health benefits than a small team could get alone.

Rippling

Payroll and benefits with IT and device management bundled in, for when you start handing out laptops.

Apply for your federal EIN directly from the source. It takes about 15 minutes. Never pay a third party just for an EIN.

Apply for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Most small non-profits can use the shorter Form 1023-EZ.

Discern

Automated state registration and ongoing compliance tracking, including sales tax and foreign-entity filings.

Free federal tool that tells you which licenses and permits you need based on your state and industry.

EmbrokerWe use this

Best for startups

Business insurance built for startups and tech companies: general liability, professional liability (E&O), D&O, and cyber, in one online application. It's what we use at Tundra.

Vouch

Best for funded startups

Business insurance built for startups and high-growth companies: general liability, professional liability (E&O), D&O, and cyber, underwritten for tech risk. A strong alternative to Embroker for venture-backed teams.

Next Insurance

Business insurance tailored by industry, with a quote in minutes. Now part of ERGO.

Hiscox

Small business insurance for professionals and service providers, including errors and omissions coverage.

SlackWe use this

Optional

Team messaging organized in channels, with integrations for most tools you'll use. We run on it at Tundra.

BoldSignWe use this

Send contracts and get them signed online, with reusable templates, automatic reminders, and a full audit trail. There's a clean API too if you ever want signing built into your own app. It's what we use at Tundra.

DocuSign

Most established

The most established e-signature service, and the name most clients already recognize. More than most small businesses need, and no free tier, but a safe default if you want the industry standard.

Google CloudWe use this

Cloud hosting, databases, and infrastructure for software that needs to scale. Startup credits are available through the Google for Startups Cloud Program. We build on it at Tundra.

Amazon Web Services

Most common

The most widely used cloud platform, with the broadest set of services. The default a lot of teams reach for, though it has a steeper learning curve than the alternatives.

ClaudeWe use this

Best for coding

Best for coding and building for the web, and strong at writing and working through long documents. It's what we use at Tundra. Fewer consumer extras like voice mode than ChatGPT.

ChatGPT

Best all-rounder

The strongest all-rounder for general use, with image generation, voice mode, and the widest set of integrations. A safe default if you want one tool that does a bit of everything.

Gemini

Best with Google

Best if you already live in Google: it plugs into Gmail, Docs, and the rest of Workspace. Its image generation (Nano Banana) is excellent, and it handles long context well.

HubSpot

Best for most

The most popular all-in-one CRM for small business: contacts, deals, email, and marketing in one place, with a genuinely useful free tier. The easiest CRM to start with.

Zoho CRM

Best value

Affordable CRM that scales from a free tier up to full sales automation. A strong budget alternative to HubSpot, especially if you already use other Zoho apps.

Klaviyo

Best for ecommerce

Email and SMS marketing automation, best for ecommerce. Ties customer data to campaigns and automated flows so you can win repeat business. More marketing engine than classic CRM.

SimpleClosureWe use this

For shutting down

Winds a business down the right way: dissolution filings, final tax forms, and creditor and state notices in one flow. We used it to close a prior venture, and it's far less painful than tracking every filing yourself.