I was tired of buying wooden stakes for propping up tomatoes that only last a couple seasons. I tried bamboo stakes, they are zero cost because I have bamboo in my yard, but generally only last a year, because they rot below ground.
I've found the perfect solution I think. Iron rebar, the kind used for reinforcing concrete. I buy 10-foot lengths, and make a diagonal cut across at the 5-foot length to make 2 stakes 5 feet long. These are a little more expensive than wood stakes but never need replacement. I have some that are 3/8ths inch diameter, but most are 1/2 inch, either works fine. The diagonal cut leaves a rough point on each stake, making it easier to drive. You can cut with a hacksaw, but if you have a reciprocating saw with a metal-cutting blade, or a drill equipped with a cutoff wheel made for steel, the job is easier.
To hammer them in, I took an 18-inch section of 1-inch diameter threaded iron water pipe, and put a threaded cap on one end. I slip that over the top end of the stake, bang it up and down, it safely drives the stake without slipping.
If I need to pull a stake out, I use a 12-inch adjustable spanner (what we call a Crescent wrench). I __DON'T__ use the normal business end of the wrench, instead I drop the loop at the other end over the rebar. That gives me enough leverage to easily pull them out of the ground.