The Writing Stack I Use After Testing 15+ Tools

Key takeaways

• Obsidian handles all notes, research, and drafts in local markdown files with no cloud dependency.
• Notion is useful for content calendars and shared project tracking but not for writing. Its collaboration and database features are what earn it a place in the stack.
• Claude Pro's longer context window is what makes it worth paying for over free tiers, specifically for reading and summarizing long research documents.
• Google Docs was cut for fighting formatting. Evernote was cut for bloat and lost trust after pricing changes. Roam Research was cut for high cost and lock-in.

I write a lot. Research, drafts, edits, publishing. Over time I've tried dozens of tools and settled on a small set that actually sticks.

This is what I use.

The Core Stack

Obsidian (Free / $50 one-time for Sync)

My second brain. All notes, research, drafts, and reference material live here.

Why it works:

• Local markdown files. I own my data.
• Backlinks make research connections visible.
• Works offline.
• Plugin ecosystem is ridiculous.

What I actually use it for:

• Long-form research and note-taking
• Draft storage before publishing
• Personal knowledge base

I don't pay for Sync. I use Git instead.

Get Obsidian (free)

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Notion (Free tier is enough)

I use this for collaboration and structured data, not for writing.

Why it works:

• Good for tables and databases
• Sharing with others is easy
• API is solid for automation

What I actually use it for:

• Content calendars
• Shared project tracking
• Quick collaboration docs

Get Notion (free tier)

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Grammarly (Free / Premium ~$12/month)

Catches the dumb mistakes. I use the free tier.

Why it works:

• Browser extension catches errors everywhere
• Tone suggestions are occasionally useful
• Works in most text fields

What I actually use it for:

• Final pass before publishing
• Email cleanup
• Quick grammar checks

The premium features aren't worth it for my use case.

Get Grammarly (free tier)

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Claude / ChatGPT (Paid tiers)

AI assistants for research, summarization, and rubber-ducking.

Why it works:

• Good for "explain this concept" queries
• Summarizing long documents
• Brainstorming when stuck

What I actually use it for:

• Research assistance
• Outlining
• Fact-checking claims before publishing

I pay for Claude Pro. The longer context window is worth it for research. For a complete rundown of AI writing tools, check out the best AI writing assistants in 2026.

Claude | ChatGPT

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The Publishing Stack

Next.js + MDX

This site runs on Next.js with MDX for blog posts.

Why it works:

• Markdown is portable
• Full control over design
• Fast builds

Vercel (Free tier)

Hosting. Push to Git, it deploys. No config.

Vercel (free tier)

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What I Stopped Using

• Google Docs: Too slow, formatting fights you.
• Evernote: Bloated, lost trust after pricing changes.
• Bear: Great but Apple-only.
• Roam Research: Too expensive, too much lock-in.

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Summary

Keep it simple. Use what works. Ignore the rest.

For a comprehensive look at note-taking apps with AI features, see the best AI note-taking apps in 2026.