My Tech Stack in 2026: What I Actually Use in Production

Over the years, I’ve tested dozens of tools, frameworks, and services. In 2026, my stack is not about “trendy technologies” — it’s a practical setup that helps me launch projects fast, scale them reliably, and avoid unnecessary complexity.

In this article, I’ll break down what I really use in production and why.

Frontend: Next.js + TypeScript

Core Stack

• Next.js (App Router)

• TypeScript

• React Server Components

• Tailwind CSS

• shadcn/ui

Why This Setup

Next.js combined with TypeScript provides:

• Built-in SSR for SEO

• High performance

• Scalable architecture

• Strong i18n support

• Solid developer experience

App Router and RSC reduce client-side load and move more logic to the server.

Tailwind + shadcn help me build consistent UI fast without reinventing design systems.

Backend: NestJS + REST + JWT

Core Stack

• NestJS

• REST API

• JWT (Access + Refresh)

• Zod / class-validator

• Swagger

Why Not GraphQL

In 2026, REST is still the most practical choice for most projects:

• Easier caching

• Simpler debugging

• Better tooling

• Lower complexity

NestJS gives me structure, dependency injection, and long-term maintainability.

JWT with refresh tokens provides secure stateless authentication.

Databases: MongoDB + PostgreSQL

MongoDB — For Content

Used for:

• Blogs

• Game and mod data

• Multilingual content

• Large datasets

• Complex aggregations

Its schema flexibility and aggregation pipelines are ideal for content-heavy platforms.

PostgreSQL — For Business Logic

Used for:

• Payments

• Subscriptions

• Users

• Billing

• Financial records

Relational structure is essential for critical business data.

Storage and CDN: Cloudflare R2

Stack

• Cloudflare R2

• Image Resizing

• Workers

Why I use it:

• No egress fees

• Affordable storage

• Built-in CDN

• On-the-fly image optimization

For media-heavy platforms, this is a major advantage.

Infrastructure and Deployment

Servers

• AWS EC2 / Lightsail

• Docker

• Docker Compose

• Nginx

CI/CD

• GitHub Actions

• Automated deployments

• Environment secrets

My goal: one-click deployment.

Commit → Build → Test → Production.

No manual steps.

SEO and Analytics

Tools

• Google Analytics 4

• Google Search Console

• Cloudflare Analytics

• Ahrefs / Serpstat

Approach

SEO is part of system design, not an afterthought:

• Server-side rendering

• Schema.org markup

• XML sitemaps

• Clean URLs

• Performance optimization

• Lazy loading

Fast websites rank better.

Content and Editors

Writing Tools

• Custom Tiptap editor

• Markdown

A custom editor gives full control over:

• HTML output

• SEO structure

• Media uploads

• Localization

Security

Stack

• Cloudflare WAF

• Rate limiting

• reCAPTCHA

• JWT rotation

• CORS policies

Security is built in from day one.

Developer Tools

Daily Stack

• VS Code

• ESLint

• Prettier

• Commitlint

• Postman

Automation beats discipline.

Principles for Choosing Technology

In 2026, I evaluate tools using five criteria:

1. Stability

2. Scalability

3. Control

4. Community

5. Cost

If a tool fails any of these, I don’t use it.

Final Stack Summary (2026)

Frontend

Next.js + TypeScript + Tailwind + shadcn

Backend

NestJS + REST + JWT

Databases

MongoDB + PostgreSQL

Infrastructure

Docker + Nginx + AWS

Media

Cloudflare R2

SEO

SSR + Schema + GA4

Conclusion

My 2026 stack is not about hype.

It’s about:

• Fast execution

• Reliability

• Ownership

• Scalability

• Profitability

I don’t chase trends. I build systems that last.