This is the shortlist – the tools this site actually reaches for across AI, development, cloud, Linux, security, and hosting. It's a living list; we only add things we've used and would use again.
Affiliate note: some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, VelsTech may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. See the Affiliate Disclosure.
🤖 AI
Ollama
Run local LLMs on your own hardware. Free, open source, the easiest way to go local.
LM Studio
A friendly GUI for local models – download GGUF files, chat, and compare on macOS/Windows/Linux.
💻 Development
VS Code
Our editor of choice – fast, extensible, and free. Works for every language on this site.
GitHub Copilot
AI pair-programming that's actually worth it once you're writing code daily.
☁️ Cloud & GPU
RunPod / Vast.ai
Rent GPUs by the hour when a model is too big for your own card.
Amazon Business
Buying gear for work or a side project? Amazon Business gives GST invoicing and volume pricing – and a qualifying registration through this link helps support VelsTech (we may earn a bounty).
Cloudflare
Free CDN, DNS, and edge workers – this site runs on it. Generous free tier.
GitHub Pages
Free static hosting – where this site's files live, served fast everywhere.
🐧 Linux
Ubuntu LTS
Our default recommendation – stable, huge community, most guides (including ours) assume it.
Arch Linux
Rolling-release and terminal-first. For when you want to understand everything.
Fedora
Modern defaults, newer packages than Ubuntu, and a great KDE/GNOME experience.
🔐 Security & Privacy
NordVPN
Fast, reliable VPN with a strong privacy stance – and their affiliate program (cash-per-sale) also covers NordPass and NordLocker.
Bitwarden
Our #1 password manager pick – open source, cheap, syncs everywhere. Why you need one.
Proton Pass
A solid privacy-first alternative with a free tier and built-in aliases.
Tailscale
Private, zero-config VPN for reaching your home server from anywhere. Made self-hosting practical.
🌐 Hosting
Hostinger
Fast, budget web hosting with a solid free-plan-free entry price – great for a first website or a personal VPS.
Hetzner
The best price-to-performance VPS we know of – a serious home for self-hosted services.
DigitalOcean
Simple, well-documented droplets with a huge tutorial library. Great for learning.
🛠️ Productivity
Kit (ConvertKit)
The email platform built for creators and newsletter writers – this site's VelsTech Weekly runs on the same idea.
Brevo
All-in-one email marketing with a generous free tier – what VelsTech uses to send the newsletter.
Syncthing
Peer-to-peer file sync that replaces cloud folders – your files, your servers.
Obsidian
Plain-text notes that stay yours. The closest thing to a second brain that respects you.
Got a tool you think belongs here? Email us. If you want to suggest a tool for inclusion, we're happy to evaluate it.
📬 VelsTech Weekly
Five useful things I found this week – AI, hardware, Linux, tools, and the deal of the week. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. Subscribers also get the free Linux command cheat sheet.