My Starter Toolkit
The tools and services behind The Passive Circle
The tools and services I use, have used, or have researched while building this website, organized by what you actually need. I build it alongside a regular full-time job.
- I USECurrently part of my stack or workflow.
- I’VE USEDUsed personally before, but not currently part of my main stack.
- RESEARCHEDIncluded based on research and provider information, not personal testing.
Hosting options for different audiences
Hosting is where I am spending most of my time right now, so it comes first. These providers are grouped by where your readers are. They are not ranked, and the split is about audience, server location, payment options, BDIX, support and pricing, not about one group being better.
Bangladesh hosting
May be relevant for Bangladesh-focused websites, especially when local support, payment options or Bangladesh server locations matter. BDIX does not automatically make a site faster.
ExonHost
I started The Passive Circle on its Starter plan and used it before moving to Hostinger.
Visit ExonHost →XeonBD
Operating since 2005, with a data center in Bangladesh and locations in the USA and Germany.
See XeonBD →RoyelHost
Lists shared, VPS, dedicated and BDIX hosting plans.
Explore RoyelHost →HostSeba
Lists shared and reseller hosting, plus domain registration.
Visit HostSeba →Alpha Net
Serving Bangladesh since 2001, with Linux (cPanel) and ASP.NET Windows hosting.
See Alpha Net →International hosting
May be relevant for international audiences, depending on server locations, infrastructure, pricing and support. The Passive Circle moved from ExonHost to Hostinger as its audience became more international.
Hostinger
Currently hosts The Passive Circle, which moved here from ExonHost.
Get Hostinger →SiteGround
Managed WordPress-oriented hosting with data centers in several regions.
Explore SiteGround →Bluehost
US-based provider with WordPress-focused plans.
See Bluehost →Whichever provider you consider, read recent independent reviews, the refund policy and the renewal price before paying.
The basics for building your website
These are the core building blocks a website needs to get up and running.
Namecheap
Where I currently register the domain for The Passive Circle, with registration and DNS managed separately from my hosting.
What to check: renewal price, DNS control, transfer policy and domain privacy.
Get a Domain →WordPress
The platform behind The Passive Circle.
Other platforms exist and may suit other projects.
Useful for: Building and managing content-based websites.
Get WordPress →Blocksy
The WordPress theme currently used on The Passive Circle.
Its developer describes it as lightweight and built for the block editor.
Useful for: WordPress sites built with the block editor.
Get Blocksy →Keep your website fast and optimized
Tools for caching and image optimization.
LiteSpeed Cache
Caching and optimization plugin used on The Passive Circle.
Server-level features need a host that runs LiteSpeed.
Useful for: WordPress sites on LiteSpeed hosting.
Get LiteSpeed Cache →Imagify
Image compression plugin used to keep file sizes down.
Useful for: Sites with many images.
Get Imagify →Research keywords and measure results
Keyword research, on-page SEO and Google data. No tool here guarantees rankings or traffic.
Rank Math SEO
SEO plugin used on The Passive Circle.
Useful for: On-page SEO settings, schema and sitemaps.
Get Rank Math →
Ubersuggest
Keyword research tool I use in my workflow.
Useful for: Finding keyword ideas and checking basic site issues.
Try Ubersuggest →
LowFruits
Keyword research tool I use to look for lower-competition keywords.
Useful for: Checking competition before writing a page.
Try LowFruits →Site Kit by Google
Official Google plugin for Search Console and Analytics data in WordPress.
Useful for: Seeing Google data inside the dashboard.
Get Site Kit →Keep your website safe
Security and login protection.
SecuPress
Security plugin used on The Passive Circle.
Useful for: Security checks and hardening options.
Get SecuPress →Two Factor
Two-factor login plugin used for added account security.
Useful for: Adding a second step to WordPress logins.
Get Two Factor →Forms, email delivery and email marketing
How visitors contact the site and how its emails are sent.
Fluent Forms
Form builder plugin used on The Passive Circle.
Useful for: Contact forms and simple data collection.
Get Fluent Forms →WP Mail SMTP
Sends WordPress emails through an SMTP or mail service.
Useful for: Making sure form and notification emails reach the inbox.
Get WP Mail SMTP →
Systeme.io
Tool for email, landing pages, funnels and automation.
I have used it for landing pages and email. A WordPress website does not need it.
Useful for: Email lists and simple funnels, with or without WordPress.
Try Systeme.io →Tools for day-to-day site management
Links, custom code and navigation.
Pretty Links
Link management plugin used on The Passive Circle.
Useful for: Managing outbound links in one place.
Get Pretty Links →Code Snippets
Adds small pieces of custom code without editing theme files.
Useful for: Customizations that should survive theme updates.
Get Code Snippets →Max Mega Menu
Menu plugin used on The Passive Circle.
Useful for: Sites with larger navigation menus.
Get Max Mega Menu →Legal and compliance tools
Cookie consent, privacy and legal pages.
Complianz
Cookie consent and privacy plugin used on The Passive Circle.
Useful for: Cookie consent with GDPR and CCPA options. Check your own legal requirements.
Get Complianz →How I choose tools
I don’t add a tool just because it exists. A good tool solves a real problem. Each item here is something I currently use, something I have used before, or something I researched because it may suit a specific situation. The label on each card tells you which.
You don’t need everything on this page.
Start with what your website actually needs. Add tools when a real problem appears.