The Vibe Stack: Essential Tools for the Modern AI Developer

In 2020, we had the JAMstack. In 2025, we have the Vibe Stack.

The Vibe Stack isn't just about successful deployment; it's about successful flow. It favors tools that are AI-native, zero-config, and highly iterative.

The Core Four

1. The Editor: Cursor

VS Code is the engine, but Cursor is the car. With integrated Composer and Agent modes, it is the non-negotiable center of the vibe universe.

2. The Framework: Next.js (or Hono)

Next.js remains the king of "battery-included" web apps. Its strict structure helps AI understand exactly where to put files.
Hono is rising for those who want pure speed on the edge.

3. The Styler: Tailwind CSS

Love it or hate it, AI loves Tailwind. It's predictable, token-based, and local to the markup. Writing CSS files is a context-switch that breaks the vibe.

4. The Backend: Supabase

"Backend-as-a-Service" is back. You don't want to spend your weekend configuring Docker containers for Postgres. You want a URL and an API key.

The AI Orchestrators

The Vibe Stack includes a new category: Orchestrators.

v0.dev: For rapid UI prototyping. "Give me a landing page" -> Copy code -> Cursor.
Replit Agent: For when you want to deploy from a tablet.

Why This Stack Wins

This stack minimizes decisions.

No "Where do I put this CSS?" -> Inline.
No "How do I configure Webpack?" -> Next.js handles it.
No "How do I optimize this query?" -> Supabase handles it.

The fewer decisions you make about plumbing, the more brain power you have for product.

Explore these tools and more in our curated Directory.