You do not need a Fortune 500 tooling budget to ship samples, docs sites, and demos. In 2026, free tiers and open-source tools cover local development, backends, observability, and collaboration. Here are ten worth installing this week.
When you are ready to get paid for those skills, explore DevRel jobs—including remote and advocate roles.
1. Zed (editor)
GPU-accelerated editor with snappy UX and solid collaboration features. A strong VS Code alternative when you want speed for large sample repos and pair sessions.
2. Supabase (backend)
Postgres, auth, storage, and edge functions with a usable free tier. Excellent for demo apps that need real users, not only static pages.
3. Vercel / Netlify / Cloudflare Pages
Ship Next.js or static docs frontends globally. Pair with serverless functions for light API demos—watch cold starts and secret management.
4. Bruno or Hoppscotch (API clients)
Git-friendly or browser-fast clients for hitting your product APIs in workshops. Keep collections next to the sample repo.
5. Excalidraw
Default whiteboard for integration diagrams and onboarding maps. Export to PR descriptions and talk slides.
6. GitHub Desktop or a visual Git client
Still valuable for complex rebases and teaching contributors. Use CLI for muscle memory; use GUI when history gets thorny.
7. Obsidian
Local Markdown notes for talk research, incident learnings, and interview prep. Your second brain should not be locked in a SaaS silo.
8. Sentry (developer tier)
Exception tracking for sample apps and docs tools. Demo apps still throw normal software errors—catch them before the workshop.
9. Warp (terminal)
Modern terminal UX with blocks and AI-assisted commands. Handy when juggling Docker, CLIs, and live-demo scripts.
10. DBeaver
Universal DB client for Postgres-backed demos and analytics stores. Community edition covers most side projects.
How to assemble a free DevRel side-project stack
- Editor + terminal for daily drive
- Supabase (or Postgres) for data + auth in samples
- Hosted frontend for the UI / docs
- Analytics (see our DevRel analytics guide) even on a budget
- Sentry for “unknown unknowns” in demos
Ship something small, measure it, write it up. That loop beats collecting unused accounts.
FAQ
Are free tiers enough for production demos?
For workshops, portfolios, and early programs, yes. For scale, you will graduate—but starting free teaches cost awareness early.
What should I learn first as a new advocate?
Solid product fluency plus one distribution muscle (writing, speaking, or community). Tools change; developer empathy compounds.
Where can I find jobs that use this stack?
Most modern platform teams use some mix of these. Filter on devreljobs.com/jobs and study how to ramp in 90 days once you land an offer.
