Recommended tools

Affiliate disclosure: affiliate links on this page are Coming soon. Right now each card links only to the tool's official pricing page, and HOBZ Media earns nothing from it. When affiliate links are added, they'll be labeled, and HOBZ Media may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That never changes what we say about a tool. We note below whether we've used each one ourselves. Prices and plans change; always check the official pricing page.

These are tools that match what our guides teach. Each one has a free plan or trial, so you can test it before you pay.

Kit Email marketing

Good for: Creators and small businesses starting an email newsletter.

Free option: Free plan up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited forms, landing pages and broadcasts (per Kit's help center, Oct 2026).

Limitations to know: Email sequences and visual automations need a paid plan.

Our experience: We haven't run a list on Kit yet. This summary is based on Kit's official plan pages. It's the tool our Email List Starter Kit walks through.

Coming soon Kit affiliate link Official pricing page

Shopify Online store

Good for: Selling physical or digital products with a full storefront, checkout, and inventory.

Free option: Free trial (length varies by promotion; check the site).

Limitations to know: Monthly plan plus transaction/app costs; apps add up.

Our experience: We haven't used Shopify for our own store; this page itself is a simple static site.

Coming soon Shopify affiliate link Official pricing page

Semrush SEO research

Good for: Keyword research, competitor research, and site audits for blogs and businesses.

Free option: Free account with limited daily searches; paid trial available.

Limitations to know: Paid plans are expensive for beginners; free tools (Google Search Console) cover the basics.

Our experience: Not yet used by us. Summary based on official pages.

Coming soon Semrush affiliate link Official pricing page

HubSpot CRM

Good for: Tracking leads, clients, and deals in one place.

Free option: Free CRM tools.

Limitations to know: Paid hubs get costly as you add seats and features.

Our experience: Not yet used by us. Summary based on official pages.

Coming soon HubSpot affiliate link Official pricing page

Restream Live streaming

Good for: Streaming one live show to several platforms at once (YouTube, Facebook, X, and more).

Free option: Free plan with limited destinations and Restream branding.

Limitations to know: Removing branding and adding more channels requires a paid plan.

Our experience: We use Restream for our own live shows (Lourdes & Chris Show / We The People of Illinois streams).

Coming soon Restream affiliate link Official pricing page

vidIQ YouTube research

Good for: Finding video topics and keywords and checking channel stats.

Free option: Free plan with limited features.

Limitations to know: Many research features are paid; suggestions are estimates, not guarantees of views.

Our experience: We signed up in September 2026 and are testing it on our own channel.

Coming soon vidIQ affiliate link Official pricing page

WP Engine WordPress hosting

Good for: Managed WordPress hosting for business sites that need speed, backups, and support.

Free option: No free plan; check current trial or money-back terms.

Limitations to know: Pricier than shared hosting.

Our experience: Not yet used by us. Summary based on official pages.

Coming soon WP Engine affiliate link Official pricing page

Kinsta WordPress hosting

Good for: Managed WordPress hosting with a developer-friendly dashboard.

Free option: No free WordPress plan; static-site hosting has a free tier.

Limitations to know: Premium pricing; plan limits are based on visits and storage.

Our experience: Not yet used by us. Summary based on official pages.

Coming soon Kinsta affiliate link Official pricing page

Webflow Website builder

Good for: Designers and businesses who want visual control over a custom site.

Free option: Free Starter plan on a webflow.io address.

Limitations to know: Steeper learning curve; custom domain needs a paid site plan.

Our experience: Not yet used by us. Summary based on official pages.

Coming soon Webflow affiliate link Official pricing page

GetResponse Email marketing

Good for: Email marketing with automation, landing pages, and webinars in one tool.

Free option: Free trial; check the official pricing page for current free-plan availability.

Limitations to know: Automation features are on higher tiers.

Our experience: Not yet used by us. Summary based on official pages.

Coming soon GetResponse affiliate link Official pricing page

Last reviewed October 16, 2026. Company names are trademarks of their owners and are used for identification only.