Best Open-Source SaaS Starter Kits (2026)

Building a SaaS from scratch means weeks on auth, payments, email, admin dashboards — before writing a single line of product code. SaaS starter kits give you all of that out of the box.

Here are the best open-source (and affordable) SaaS boilerplates in 2026.

Quick Comparison

Kit	Framework	Auth	Payments	Price
Wasp OpenSaaS	Wasp (React + Node)	Built-in (email, Google, GitHub)	Stripe + Lemon Squeezy	Free (MIT)
Supastarter	Next.js or Nuxt	Supabase Auth	Stripe + Lemon Squeezy	$299 one-time
SaaSfly	Next.js	NextAuth	Stripe	Free (MIT)
Shipfast	Next.js	NextAuth	Stripe + Lemon Squeezy	$199 one-time
Makerkit	Next.js or Remix	Supabase Auth	Stripe + Lemon Squeezy	$299/yr
next-saas-starter	Next.js	Custom (Lucia-based)	Stripe	Free (MIT)
Saas UI	Next.js + Chakra	Supabase/Clerk	Stripe	$299 one-time

Free & Open-Source

Wasp OpenSaaS

The most complete free SaaS starter kit. Built on the Wasp framework.

Included:

• Auth (email/password, Google, GitHub SSO)
• Stripe integration (subscriptions + one-time payments)
• Lemon Squeezy integration (alternative)
• Admin dashboard with analytics
• Blog with Astro
• Email sending (SendGrid, SMTP, etc.)
• Background jobs (cron + async)
• SEO optimization
• Landing page
• OpenAI API integration example
• File uploads (S3)
• End-to-end type safety

Strengths:

• Completely free and open-source (MIT)
• Most features of any free starter kit
• Active development and community
• One-command deployment to Fly.io
• Well-documented with tutorial videos

Weaknesses:

• Requires learning Wasp's DSL
• React only (no Vue/Svelte)
• Wasp is newer — smaller ecosystem than Next.js
• Can't deploy to Vercel (not serverless-compatible)

Best for: Solo founders who want maximum features at zero cost and are okay with the Wasp framework.

SaaSfly

A clean, modern Next.js SaaS template with essential features.

Included:

• NextAuth authentication
• Stripe subscriptions
• Internationalization (i18n)
• MDX blog
• Landing page components
• Admin dashboard (basic)
• Email with React Email + Resend

Strengths:

• Free and open-source
• Standard Next.js — no framework lock-in
• Clean, well-organized codebase
• Good starting point for customization

Weaknesses:

• Fewer features than OpenSaaS
• Less actively maintained
• Basic admin dashboard
• No background jobs or file uploads

Best for: Developers who want a clean Next.js foundation to build on.

next-saas-starter (by leerob / Vercel)

A minimal SaaS starter by Lee Robinson (VP of DX at Vercel).

Included:

• Custom auth (sessions + cookies)
• Stripe subscriptions
• Dashboard with RBAC
• PostgreSQL with Drizzle ORM
• Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui

Strengths:

• Minimal and clean — easy to understand
• Vercel-optimized (best Vercel deployment)
• Modern stack (App Router, Server Actions, Drizzle)
• Written by a Next.js core team member

Weaknesses:

• Very minimal — no email, no blog, no admin dashboard
• Custom auth (no social login out of the box)
• More of a reference than a complete starter

Best for: Developers who want a clean, minimal starting point and will build everything else themselves.

Paid Starter Kits

Shipfast ($199)

Shipfast is one of the most popular paid SaaS templates, created by Marc Lou (indie hacker).

Included:

• NextAuth (magic link, Google, email/password)
• Stripe + Lemon Squeezy payments
• MongoDB or Supabase database
• Mailgun email
• SEO optimization
• Blog
• Landing page components
• ChatGPT integration example
• Custom domain support
• Documentation site

Strengths:

• Well-documented with video tutorials
• Active Discord community (10K+ members)
• Built by someone who's shipped 20+ products with it
• Regular updates
• "Ship in 5 minutes" philosophy

Weaknesses:

• $199 one-time (not free)
• MongoDB default (can switch to Supabase)
• Some components feel templated
• No admin dashboard
• Code quality varies

Best for: Indie hackers who want to ship fast and value community support. If you've watched Marc Lou on Twitter/YouTube, you know the vibe.

Supastarter ($299)

Supastarter offers both Next.js and Nuxt versions with Supabase backend.

Included:

• Supabase Auth (email, magic link, OAuth)
• Stripe + Lemon Squeezy payments
• Admin dashboard
• i18n (internationalization)
• Blog (MDX)
• Email templates (React Email)
• Dark mode
• Team/organization support
• Waitlist mode
• Analytics integration

Strengths:

• Both Next.js AND Nuxt versions (rare)
• Supabase integration is excellent
• Organization/team support out of the box
• Well-designed UI components
• Regular updates and changelog

Weaknesses:

• $299 one-time
• Supabase dependency
• No background jobs
• Closed source (you get a license, not community contributions)

Best for: Teams building multi-tenant SaaS on Supabase who want a polished, maintained starter.

Makerkit ($299/year)

Makerkit provides ongoing updates and support for Next.js and Remix.

Included:

• Supabase or Firebase auth
• Stripe + Lemon Squeezy
• Multi-tenancy (organizations)
• Admin dashboard
• Blog (MDX)
• Email (React Email)
• i18n
• Background jobs
• AI integration examples

Strengths:

• Ongoing updates (subscription model)
• Both Next.js and Remix versions
• Most comprehensive multi-tenancy support
• Excellent documentation
• AI chatbot and billing portal

Weaknesses:

• $299/year recurring (not one-time)
• Requires Supabase or Firebase
• Subscription model means ongoing cost

Best for: Teams who want a continuously updated starter with strong multi-tenancy support.

Choosing the Right Starter Kit

Decision Matrix

If you want...	Choose...
Maximum features, $0	Wasp OpenSaaS
Clean Next.js foundation	SaaSfly or next-saas-starter
Ship fast, community support	Shipfast
Next.js + Nuxt options	Supastarter
Best multi-tenancy	Makerkit
Supabase-first	Supastarter or Makerkit
Minimal + modern	next-saas-starter

By Experience Level

Beginner: Shipfast (best docs and community) or OpenSaaS (free with tutorials) Intermediate: Supastarter or Makerkit (more features, better patterns) Advanced: next-saas-starter (minimal, customize everything)

By Budget

$0: Wasp OpenSaaS → SaaSfly → next-saas-starter $199-299: Shipfast → Supastarter $299/yr: Makerkit (if you want ongoing updates)

What to Look For in a SaaS Starter

Must-Have

• ✅ Authentication (email + at least one social provider)
• ✅ Subscription billing (Stripe or Lemon Squeezy)
• ✅ Database setup with ORM
• ✅ Responsive landing page
• ✅ TypeScript
• ✅ Good documentation

Nice-to-Have

• 📧 Email sending (transactional)
• 📝 Blog/content management
• 👥 Multi-tenancy/organizations
• 📊 Admin dashboard
• 🌍 Internationalization
• 🔄 Background jobs
• 📁 File uploads
• 🤖 AI integration examples

Red Flags

• ❌ No TypeScript
• ❌ Last updated 6+ months ago
• ❌ No documentation
• ❌ Authentication rolled from scratch (use a proven library)
• ❌ No active community or maintainer

FAQ

Should I use a starter kit or build from scratch?

Use a starter kit. Auth, payments, and email take 2-4 weeks to build properly. A good starter saves that time. Customize later.

Will my app look like everyone else's?

Only if you don't customize. The landing pages are templates — you should redesign them for your brand. The backend code (auth, billing, API) is where the real value is.

Can I use a starter kit for a commercial product?

Yes. All listed kits (free and paid) allow commercial use. Check the specific license for any restrictions.

Which is best for a first-time founder?

Wasp OpenSaaS (free, most complete) or Shipfast (paid, best community). Both get you from zero to deployed SaaS in a weekend.

The Verdict

• Wasp OpenSaaS is the best free option — most features, active development, zero cost.
• Shipfast is the best paid option for speed — community, docs, and "just ship" philosophy.
• Supastarter is the best paid option for quality — polished, well-designed, Supabase-native.
• next-saas-starter is the best minimal option — clean foundation for experienced developers.

Pick one, customize it, and ship your product. The starter kit doesn't matter nearly as much as what you build on top of it.