Welcome to the TheBreakdown.xyz resources section. This is a curated list of the tools that we use to run TheBreakdown and help people become better every single day.
We have personally tested and used every recommendation on this page. Everything mentioned here is or has been crucial to building, growing, and expanding our business and helping you.
We thought that this would help those of you who are trying to break into the online business or YouTube scene. These are tools, products, and services that we use ourselves on a daily basis. We swear by them, and we will keep this page updated as we keep learning and upgrading.
Disclosure: Please be aware that some of the links that are below are affiliate links, and at zero additional cost to you, we will earn some commission if you choose to purchase using that link. Please know that we have worked with and use all of the companies and products that are mentioned below. They are not listed on this page because we earn a small commission but because we actually enjoy and use these products on a regular basis. Please do not purchase any of the below products unless you feel that you need them and would benefit from them.
Our Top Picks
These are products that we always find ourselves using and coming back to. They are, in our opinions, must-haves for online business and YouTube. We love using them, and we know that you'll have the same experience with them should you decide to use them also.
Bluehost: Every website we own is hosted with Bluehost. We swear by them, and we won't host websites with anyone else. They have the best support in the industry via phone and chat with easy to understand and useful tutorials. Their uptime is also industry leading with our sites only going down once in the past four years. Bluehost also offers things such as free domains, free SSL, easy to set up and use email accounts, and their one-click WordPress installation makes installing WordPress extremely easy no matter what all for just $3.95/month! Nevertheless, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND using Bluehost for your blog or website. Click here to get a special discount of their regular price.
WordPress: This is the #1 blogging platform available. It is 100% free and completely customizable. There is nothing that you cannot customize with WordPress, but that being said, it is very easy to use. It is the PERFECT BLOGGING PLATFORM for both technical experts and those who are not so technically inclined. If you want to start blogging, WordPress is the best place to go in our opinion, and it is incredible for other kinds of sites as well such as business pages for restaurants, hair salons, and more. WordPress is incredibly versatile. Download WordPress completely free here by clicking here.
Our FREE YouTube Growth eBook: This is TheBreakdown's very own FREE eBook on growing your YouTube channel. It will give you tons of in-depth information on taking your channel to the next level and gaining an audience on YouTube. Also, did I mention it was completely free? Well, it is. Downloading the eBook will also grant you access to our Breakdown YouTube Facebook group that has hundreds of creators helping each other out sharing growth tips and looking to collaborate on videos. Check out our FREE eBook on growing your YouTube channel.
GameServers: At our hearts, we are gamers, and because of that, we have to put GameServers on this list. Whether you are looking to host a Minecraft server, TeamSpeak server, TF2 server, or really any other kind of GameServer, this is the place to go. They have incredible uptime, DDOS protection, and their prices are some of the best in the industry. If you're looking to play with your friends or earn some extra money on the side from hosting a server, GameServers is the place to do it! Start your game server here!
Blogging
- WordPress: This is the number one blogging platform on the internet, and if you want to start your own blog this is where you need to go. All of our blogs and some of the static websites are hosted on WordPress. It is an amazing service.
- Themeforest: If you need a new WordPress theme, this is where you need to go. They have a ton of free and premium WordPress themes, and they are the place you need to go no matter what kind of theme you are looking for.
- Grammarly: Grammarly is a must have if you want to start blogging. It proofreads your articles as you write them, and it not only checks your spelling but your overall grammar ensuring that every article is easy to read and coherent.
Hosting & Domains
- Bluehost: When you talk about the best hosting company that exists, Bluehost has to be in the running for number one. They have amazing 24-hour support with unlimited domains, bandwidth, and server space. Additionally, they have an easy to use one-click WordPress install that will make setting up your blog extremely easy.
- Name.com: While Bluehost is amazing for hosting and you do get a free domain when you buy your hosting account, we buy all of our additional domains through Name.com. Name offers amazing deals on all of their domains, and they have one of the widest selections of TDLs on the web.
Video Production
- The Blue Snowball: If you want an amazing microphone at an affordable price, this is what you want to go with. We use Blue Snowballs when we need to record something on the go. They are great for traveling, and we love them. Blue makes amazing microphones, and the Snowball is their cheapest and one of their best.
- Canon EOS Rebel T5i: If you are looking for an amazing production quality camera that won't break the bank, this is the camera for you. It will allow you to have great quality on YouTube with a very affordable price. It is one of the best DSLRs out there, and if you are serious about YouTube and the quality of content you produce, it is a must-have. The T5i is also a few generations old which keeps the price down also!
- Rode VideoMic Go: If you've taken the first step and bought a DSLR, the second step is to buy a high-quality microphone to use in conjunction with your camera. We recommend getting a Rode VideoMic Go shotgun mic for your DSLR because it is literally as easy as point and shoot to record audio. Plus, the quality is amazing, and it is very compact and easy to carry. We use the Rode VideoMic Go!
- Screenflow (for Mac): If you want to record screencast or video games on a Mac, Screenflow is a must have. It is not only a screen capturing software, but also the best video editor for screen captures that exist. This is because that is Screenflow primary and main purpose, recording screen captures and making them the best they can possibly be.
- XSplit (for PC): XSplit is a great PC video recorder. It lets us easily record tutorials, gaming videos, and other PC based content quickly and with a few clicks of a button. It also allows for super simple streaming letting us go live anytime we want with ease. If you are needed a PC recording software XSplit is the way to go! We have been using it for years.
- Adobe Premiere Pro CC: Adobe Premiere is our editing program of choice. Our entire team edits on it, and it's simple saving systems lets one editor pick up where another left off without any issues. It gives us the versatility we need without breaking the bank at just $19.99/month, and that subscription lets use Premiere on two different editing stations!
Graphic Design And Image Editing
- Photoshop CC: If you want to do anything that deals with graphics and image editing, Photoshop is a must-have. It is the best editing software around, and now with the new Creative Cloud option, you can get Photoshop for just $9.99/month.
- Unsplash: Unsplash is our favorite stock image/royalty free image website when we're looking for content to post on social media, websites, and videos! On Unsplash.com you can find an array of stock photos completely free. The best part: crediting isn't required. While we highly recommend crediting the creator, Unsplash does not require you to link to the creator or share any of their social media links!
- StockSnap.io: StockSnap.io is another fantastic place to find high-quality free stock images for your website, video, social media, or any other use. StopSnap.io provides users with beautiful free stock photos completely free from copyright restrictions. From setup photos to weddings, StockSnap.io has something for ever use.
Business Planning And Productivity
- Quip: Quip has completely replaced our use for Evernote and other note taking applications. With it's built-in collaboration in real-time, Quip is the ultimate management tool for notes, spreadsheets, and other important documents that you use frequently. The best part of Quip is the unbelievable value the services provides for free. Need more space? No worries. You can upgrade your Quip plan for an affordable price any time!
- ToDoist: Out of the huge list of todo list applications available today, ToDoist has always been our favorite. ToDoist has the best device integration and interface of any todo list application out there, and the service is completely free to use with some premium upgrades. If you're looking to replace your current todo list application with the best of the best, you have to check out ToDoist!
Email Subscriptions And Marketing
- MailerLite: Forget the days of MailChimp and AWebber. It's time for a modern email marketing service. That's where MailerLite comes in. With prices that fit the service, incredible delivery rates, and an intuitive user interface, MailerLite is here to save the day from bad email list managers.
Advertising
- Google AdSense: Google’s free website tracking and analytical tool, AdSense allows you to monetize your blog with very little work. Google will purchase ads for you, and all you have to do is add their ads to your site and sit back and watch the money roll in.
- Facebook Advertising: If you want to get extremely target ads that, if done right, can almost guarantee a click-through, Facebook is the place for you. The ad targeting that Facebook offers is almost scary, and they allow you to target exactly who you want to come to your website or business.
- Google AdWords: If you want to begin advertising on Google, you can select keywords and locations, and you pay each time someone clicks on your advertisement or views your advertisement. The choice is completely up to you. AdWords advertising is a great way to start advertising your business.
Stats And Analytics
- Google Analytics: This is Google’s free website tracking and analytical tool. A must-have for anyone with any type of website who cares about everything from where traffic is coming from to the exact match keywords that are bringing people to your site.
- Jetpack For WordPress: While Jetpack has a ton of features other than its stat tracking abilities, that is what we primarily use it for. It allows us to have quick and easy stats on the go without going to Google to look at the in-depth stats that Google Analytics provides.
- SocialBlade: If you want to know how many views and subscribers you have gotten any day on YouTube over the past month, SocialBlade is the place for you. This is the best way to keep up-to-date on view numbers, subscriber numbers, and trends as social blade breaks all down for you in an easy to understand manor.
Outsourcing/ Getting Help From Others
- UpWork: UpWork is one of our favorite places to look for designers, editors, and freelancers in general. On UpWork, you can post your job listing for web design, video editing, graphic and logo design, copywriting, and almost any other job you could think of!
- 99 Designs: This is a unique website that you can use if you need a logo design or any other kind of graphic art. It’s ran in a contest format. You submit the description of what you want, and designers will compete against each other to win money. Whoever has the best design, in your opinion, gets the money.
Other Stuff
*While this may be a site about online business, there are other things that we love that are not related to online business. Below are all of the companies and products that we have deals with, but they do not directly pertain to online business or YouTube.
- GameServers: At our hearts, we are gamers, and because of that, we have to put GameServers on this list. Whether you are looking to host a Minecraft server, TeamSpeak server, TF2 server, or really any other kind of GameServer, this is the place to go. They have incredible uptime, DDOS protection, and their prices are some of the best in the industry. If you're looking to play with your friends or earn some extra money on the side from hosting a server, GameServers is the place to do it! Start your game server here!
- Amazon Prime: We are kind of spoiled with Amazon Prime. We are so spoiled in fact that if we cannot get something using Prime, we may not get it all. We love the ability to get items two days after you buy because we do not like to wait. The faster we can get it the better. Click here to get a 30 free trial of Amazon Prime.
- Netflix: When it comes to entertainment, we don't watch cable TV. As a matter of fact, we are soon to not have cable TV at all. It just is not needed when you have Netflix. It literally has millions of movies and TV shows that you can watch as much as you want. If it wasn't for Netflix, we would never watch any TV shows or movies. Click here for a free month of Netflix Instant Streaming.
