Why I'm Running My Creator Business On Free Tools Only
And why you should too
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Short answer: Smart creators should know when to keep it simple
It's weird, but it's true: I haven't spent a single dollar on business tools while building my content creation empire.
At least, not on the essential tools. Of course, I've spent a buck here and there for some guides or complementary tools. But I don't actually use any of them anymore.
My core has always been free tools.
And no, this isn't some odd flex about being frugal or cheap – it's about being wise with resources and about a testament to the amazing range of free tools available nowadays.
If you want to spend money, I think it’s wiser to invest in courses* or resources, rather than tools, especially for beginners.
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The Tools
I love reading about tool stacks from other creators. I enjoy trying new tools. I rarely keep them, though.
For many reasons, some of which are:
Drowning in subscription fees (because most tools are no one-time purchase anymore
Overload. You don't need a tool for everything
Familiarity. Yeah, I am getting old. I love the stuff I am used to.
Paid tools in 2024: they're sexy as hell. The features! The automation! The pretty dashboards!
But costs add up freaking quickly. 10 bucks per month here, 5 bucks there, another 50 for email marketing, you can get lost easily.
So here's my free stack.
The Backbone of My Business
After years of trial and error (and trust me, there was plenty of error), I've boiled everything down to three essential pieces:
A Home Base for Content
This is where your work lives and breathes. For me, it's Medium. And yes, it's technically not free if you want to be in the partner program. But that's optional.
On Medium, I've built a following of 13K+, and it's where much of my traffic has come from over the years.
Some of my creator friends are killing it on Twitter, LinkedIn, or wherever else instead, but I've never had much success on these platforms.
The platform doesn't matter as much as your consistency on it. Pick one, master it, and then maybe experiment with others as satellite channels.
The Email Engine
Email is still king, and anyone who tells you differently is probably trying to sell you something. Or they're comparing it with other content formats.
But here's my “hack” – instead of paying for one expensive solution, I have used a combination of free tiers from different providers:
Substack handles my main newsletter (2K+ subscribers)
Gumroad's built-in email tools manage my product launches and courses
EmailOctopus's free tier handles my automation sequences
Yes, it's a bit more complex to manage, but I'm saving hundreds monthly.
Plus, it forced me to think about my email strategy instead of relying on fancy automation.
Recently, I even stopped using EmailOctopus as my need for automations declined. I mainly use Substack and Gumroad now. Of course, you can use other free tiers for automations like MailerLite.
The Money Maker
Gumroad is my digital storefront.
They handle everything – product hosting, payment processing, and even decent email automation.
Sure, they take 10% of sales, but for my needs (and earnings) that's completely fine.
Complementary tools
We covered my main platforms:
Medium for content (free for writers)
Substack for community building
Gumroad for products and sales
Now let’s look at the support cast. Although one of these is truly indispensable for my content management. And that is the first one coming up:
Notion for organizing everything (their free plan is ridiculous). Can't live without Notion
Canva's free tier for basic graphics. It's really all I need for simple design needs
WordPress.org for my backup blog. It's free if you know your way around a little techy stuff. Only a domain and web hosting cost me a little ($60 per year) but that's optional.
X in the past, now mostly Substack Notes for quick posts and link sharing
Occasionally Google Docs for drafts and collaboration
Optional Extras:
As mentioned before, I do pay for a domain name and hosting ($60/year), but that's a luxury, not a necessity.
My WordPress blog mainly serves as a backup and SEO experiment – not essential to the core business.
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The Truth About Scaling
“But what about when you scale?”
I hear this all the time.
Here's the honest truth: I'm doing fine, and I still haven't hit the ceiling with free tools.
Will I eventually need to upgrade something? Maybe. I don't know.
When my email list hits 50K, or when Gumroad's fees exceed what I'd pay elsewhere, I might.
But here's the key: I'll make those decisions based on real numbers and actual needs, not on what some guru told me I “should” be using. Or “You should spend money to make money”.
Beyond the Tools
In any case, the tools don't matter nearly as much as:
Consistently creating content
Building relationships with your audience
Understanding your business numbers
Delivering value before asking for the sale
Creators with all the premium tools can fail just as easily, and others with nothing but a free Medium account build great businesses.
The Bottom Line
I'm not against paying for tools, by any means.
When they genuinely solve a problem or save you significant time, go for it.
But in 2024 and 2025, with the amazing free tools available, you don't need to spend money to make money – at least not on software.
You can invest in learning, in your skills, in ETFs. Hell, invest in a good coffee machine. But don't fall into the trap of thinking you require premium tools to build a creator business.
Because sometimes, free isn't just cheaper – it's better.
*this is an affiliate or SparkLoop* partner link. I’ll get a commission if you decide to sign up.
For now, I cannot afford any paid stuff. I agree, free stuff is excellent! Just need a lot more work.