Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we have personally used and genuinely believe in. This is how we keep GetNicheIQ free.

Domain and hosting

Where your site lives — the foundation of everything.

Namecheap We use this

Where we bought the GetNicheIQ.com domain. Clean interface, competitive pricing, and none of the aggressive upsells you get from GoDaddy. The go-to registrar for micro site builders.

~$12/yr for a .com Visit Namecheap →
Netlify We use this

Free hosting with unlimited bandwidth, drag-and-drop deployment, and automatic SSL certificates. GetNicheIQ.com runs on Netlify's free tier. No server configuration needed — just drag your folder and you're live.

Free to start · Pro $19/mo Visit Netlify →
Cloudflare Pages Free

A strong alternative to Netlify with truly unlimited bandwidth on the free tier. Also provides a free CDN that speeds up your site globally — a bonus for AdSense performance and Google rankings.

Free · Pro $20/mo Visit Cloudflare →

AI building and writing

The tools that do the heavy lifting on content and code.

Claude (Anthropic) We use this

The AI that built GetNicheIQ — every page, every article, every line of code. Claude Pro ($20/mo) is the single highest-value tool investment for a micro site builder. Also powers the niche validator on this site via the API.

Free tier available · Pro $20/mo Try Claude →
Anthropic API We use this

The API that powers the live niche validator on this site. Pay-as-you-go pricing means you only pay when visitors actually use your tool. New accounts get $5 in free credits — enough for hundreds of test validations.

Pay as you go · ~$0.01 per validation Get API Key →
ChatGPT Freemium

Strong for ideation, content outlines, and keyword brainstorming. The free tier is genuinely useful. Works well as a second opinion alongside Claude — draft with one, critique with the other.

Free tier · Plus $20/mo Try ChatGPT →
Perplexity AI Free

AI-powered research with cited sources. Invaluable for fact-checking articles before publishing and understanding the current state of any niche. Saves hours of manual research per article.

Free tier · Pro $20/mo Try Perplexity →

SEO and keyword research

Finding the right keywords before you write a single word.

Google Keyword Planner Free

The most important free tool for micro site builders. Gives you real CPC data straight from Google — essential for niche validation. Free with any Google Ads account, no spending required.

Free Open Keyword Planner →
Google Search Console Free

Tells you exactly which search queries bring visitors to your site, which pages are indexed, and what technical issues affect rankings. Install it on day one — there is no good reason not to.

Free Open Search Console →
Google Analytics 4 Free

Free traffic intelligence — where visitors come from, what they read, how long they stay. Essential for understanding which content is working and where to focus your writing efforts.

Free Open Analytics →
Answer The Public Freemium

Maps every question, preposition, and comparison query related to your niche keyword. The fastest way to find long-tail article ideas your audience is actively searching for. Free tier allows a few searches per day.

Free (limited) · Pro $9/mo Try Answer The Public →
SEMrush Paid

The industry standard for competitive keyword research. See exactly which keywords your competitors rank for and where your gaps are. Worth subscribing for one month once your site is earning $200+/month.

From $130/mo Try SEMrush →
Ahrefs Paid

Best-in-class for backlink analysis and keyword difficulty scoring. Like SEMrush, most effective when used for a focused monthly audit once your site has content and rankings to analyze.

From $99/mo Try Ahrefs →

Design and images

Making your site look professional without a design background.

Canva Freemium

Blog post images, social sharing cards, and simple infographics — all on the free tier. Canva's AI image generation creates custom visuals for articles without any design skill required.

Free · Pro $15/mo Try Canva →
Unsplash Free

High quality stock photos completely free with no attribution required. Thousands of professional images covering every topic. The first place to look when you need a blog post header image.

Free Browse Unsplash →
Squoosh Free

Free browser-based image compression by Google. Reduces image file sizes by 60–80% with no visible quality loss. Faster images mean better AdSense performance and higher Google rankings. Use before every upload.

Free Open Squoosh →

Forms and contact

Getting visitor messages to your inbox without a backend.

Web3Forms We use this

Powers the contact form on GetNicheIQ.com. Free forever, no monthly fees, sends form submissions directly to your Gmail. Zero server setup required — just an access key pasted into your HTML.

Free Try Web3Forms →

Not sure if your niche idea will make money?

Validate it before you build. Free, instant, and brutally honest.

Validate your niche →