SiteGround — Rock-solid web hosting with hard-to-find features at a reasonable price.

I chose SiteGround over other web hosts because:

• Automatic WordPress updates with timing I can tweak!
• Unmetered traffic/bandwidth, so no penalties for success
• Free SSL that I can set and forget
• Daily automatic backups

I love SiteGround’s GrowBig plan because:

• Unlimited websites for building free-range side projects!
• Free email accounts for those side projects
• On-demand backups for times I feel extra-protective
• Staging, so I can tinker without breaking the live website

Fathom Analytics — Simple website analytics that are easy to read and maintain website visitors’ privacy.

I chose Fathom over Google Analytics because:

• It’s so danged simple — omg, it’s literally one page! (see their pic, and no, those aren’t my stats 😁)
• Free uptime monitoring for up to 50 sites
• Privacy for my website visitors — it doesn’t collect or display individualized data

Fathom is worth paying for because:

• All of the above, plus…
• It’s adamantly GDPR-compliant
• Lightweight WordPress plugin
• Stats page is shareable — public or with a password

Psst! If you want to switch from Google Analytics, you can import your UA and/or GA4 data for free 👍🏽

Marketing Magic by Menekse — AI-driven all-in-one marketing app: strategy, content ideation, transcription, content creation.

I chose Marketing Magic over ChatGPT because:

• Privacy! My prompts and results do NOT become part of ChatGPT’s general knowledge pool
• AI use is pay-as-you-go, usually less than $1/mo
• I could cancel my $20/mo ChatGPT Plus subscription (and I did)

I love Marketing Magic because:

• It asks me questions instead of me prompting it
• It’s built by a marketer who uses it for her own work
• It creates detailed marketing-focused checklists
• It’s like hiring myself, so my passion projects get time, too

LanguageTool — AI-powered “writing assistant” that goes way beyond the usual spelling and grammar checks to serve as your personal line & copy editors.

I chose LanguageTool over Grammarly because:

• Suggestions are on the page instead of lost in a sidebar!
• Works in other apps, not just the browser window
• Hardcore editorial suggestions for style + sentence structure
• Clearer explanations with its suggestions
• Picky Mode can be pickier than I am (and I’m really picky)

LanguageTool is worth paying for because:

• Unlimited paraphrasing by AI!
• More/Deeper checks for word choice, grammar, and punctuation
• Rescues me from overused words, wordiness, and comma drama

Psst! I also use ProWritingAid, which may seem an unnecessary redundancy, but here’s the difference: LanguageTool is right there on the page the entire time I’m writing. All its features are instantly available without even clicking a menu. Immediacy isn’t everything, but for this, it’s a very valuable thing.

ProWritingAid — A writing coach + a kind English teacher + ruthless editor disguised as a spelling and grammar checker.

I use ProWritingAid along with LanguageTool because:

• Category scores game-ify the editing process!
• It grammar and style checks differently but/and just as deeply
• As a standalone app, it can (and does) include way more features
• Summary Report displays what I did well before what needs work 😊 #validation
• Fine-tune how strictly it scores and what it looks for by selecting a writing genre (Creative, Business, Academic, etc.) and document type (Romance, Case Study, Abstract)

ProWritingAid is worth paying for because:

• All of the above, plus…
• Even deeper analysis and reporting!
• Secure plagiarism checks that include offline documents
• Unlimited everything: document storage, document length, rephrasing

Psst! Two writing tools may seem like wearing suspenders and a belt. But ProWritingAid supports me with an essential task — it’s what I lean on and trust as my fresh set of eyes for that final pass before pressing Publish or delivering content to a client.

Wave — Online invoicing, payments, bookkeeping, and bank account with no monthly fee.

I chose Wave over all others because:

• My account funds are FDIC-insured, unlike PayPal!
• Free business checking account at a real bank
• Free invoicing and accounting (unlike FreshBooks)
• Credit card processing fees less than PayPal’s

Other things I love about Wave:

• Free instant transfers to Wave checking account!
• Instant transfer fee to other accounts less than PayPal’s
• Free direct deposit to other accounts
• Free ATM withdrawals

Psst! Are you multi-passionate or have multiple businesses? You can create multiple “bins” for your income within Wave. For example, I separated client billing from my other writing income.

Motion.ai — AI-driven task scheduling and project management tailored to your priorities and availability.

I chose Motion over all others because:

• It automagically rearranges my to-do list if something changes! #whew 😅
• It honors my boundaries around me time, client time, and weekends
• It syncs appointments, meetings, and tasks with my Google Calendar
• It gatekeepers meetings to maximize focus time — limits when and how many; won’t book new meetings around high-priority deadlines

Motion is worth paying for because:

• All of the above, plus…
• Its AI has more realistic expectations than I do!
• Free built-in booking app for meetings — no need to pay for Acuity, Calendly, etc.

Flown — Virtual co-working via Zoom and your browser for silent company while you work.

I chose Flown because:

• Microphone is rarely required, and video never is!
• Co-working sessions of varying length and format
• Kind + supportive facilitators and co-workers — of all genders and colors
• Itinerary and guidelines clearly stated (and followed) for each session

Flown is worth paying for because:

• All of the above, plus…
• Session formats that are a fab fit for folks with social anxiety (like me)!
• A 24/7 session you can drop in and out of at anytime
• Available on demand: Soundless recordings of creatives creating, aka Portholes

Psst! I have 3 other co-working platforms to explore, but I so love Flown that I have zero motivation to continue that research. #happycamper

The Coworking Cove — Long quiet co-working sessions with a gentle, trauma-informed facilitator

I ❤️ Mai-Kee’s Coworking Cove because:

• Video, mic, and interaction aren’t expected or required
• Lonnnng coworking sessions: 90 minutes and 3 hours(!)
• Super-clear boundaries, schedule, and itinerary
• I feel safe there

Coworking Cove is worth paying for because:

• Worth repeating: facilitated 3-hour sessions
• Mai-kee honors the limitations of the shy and socially anxious (like me!)
• I feel safe there

Psst! The Cove has 4 work sessions each month, and they’re worth waiting for. If you’re looking for a full calendar of shorter, daily virtual coworking sessions, check out Flown.

Publer — Social media scheduling with the best features at a better price.

I chose Publer over others because:

• Text formatting in LinkedIn posts — a rare find!
• Tag yourself in your LinkedIn post signature (unlike CoSchedule)
• Link in Bio grid for Instagram (unlike Hootsuite)
• Wide featureset for all platforms (unlike Later)

I pay for Publer’s Professional plan because:

• Schedule unlimited number of posts!
• Schedule follow-up comments
• Eternal post history
• Add collaborators and platforms for a few more bucks each, no need to level up to a bigger plan (unlike everybody)