Recommendations
Recommendations are topic pages that group several alternatives for the same need — for example, “Payment Processors” compares Stripe, Paddle, and Lemon Squeezy in one place.
Mental model: one library card = one topic. Each topic lists multiple options (tools, books, platforms, courses). You compare them on the topic page — you do not browse one card per tool.
Where to find them
Open the library and scroll to the Recommendations section. Topics are grouped into six themes:
| Theme | Library anchor | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| AI | library#rec-ai | Models, agents, app builders, vector DBs |
| Software | library#rec-software | Docs, CMS, charts, testing, API layer, mobile, maps, 3D, i18n |
| Infra | library#rec-infra | Hosting, auth, payments, databases, monitoring, CI/CD |
| Design | library#rec-design | UI libraries, fonts, prototyping, accessibility |
| Learning | library#rec-learning | Courses, roadmaps, internships, interview prep |
| Business | library#rec-business | CRM, invoicing, legal tools, business books |
Click a theme chip to jump to that group, then open any card to see the full topic page at stealthis.dev/r/<slug>.
How to use a topic page
Each recommendation page includes:
- Alternatives list — each option with description, pros/cons, and a Best for line
- Visit / Demo links — external URLs when available
- Comparison table — same attributes across all options (columns vary by topic)
- Highlighted pick — options marked with ★ when one is a strong default for most people
Use Best for and the comparison table to narrow down — then follow the external link to sign up or learn more.
Search tips
Library search indexes alternative names inside topics. Searching “Stripe” surfaces the Payment Processors topic; searching “roadmap” finds Developer Roadmaps.
Recommendations vs collections
| Recommendations | Collections | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Compare external tools and resources | Copy-paste UI snippets and demos |
| Has code snippets | No | Yes |
| Open in Lab | No | Often |
| URL pattern | /r/<slug> | /library?collection=<id> |
See Collections and Choose Your Path for goal-based navigation.
MCP and code integration
Recommendations are not included in the MCP server catalog. They are reference pages for humans choosing between services — not copy-paste code bundles.
Contributing
To add or edit recommendation topics, see the full authoring spec in the repo: ROADMAP_RECOMMENDATION.md.
For the general resource schema (including type: recommendation), see Resource Format.