Why I Built My SaaS Starter Kit with Django + React Instead of Next.js

Paul Iheabunike — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 12:30:22 +0000

Most SaaS starter kits are built on Next.js. Mine isn’t.
And not because Next.js is bad. It’s an excellent framework.
But when I decided to build my own starter kit, I chose Django REST Framework and React instead. I wanted a clear separation between the backend and frontend, and I wanted to build on a stack I already knew and trusted.

Why Separate Backend and Frontend?

I like having Django REST Framework responsible for the API and React responsible for the UI.
That gives me:
•Reusable APIs for web and mobile applications
•Independent deployments and scaling
•A mature ORM and Django admin panel
•PostgreSQL support out of the box
•Clear separation of concerns

This architecture also makes it easier to reuse the backend for future clients without tightly coupling everything together.

Next.js starter kits are great.
But if you’re already comfortable with Python and Django, switching frameworks just to get access to a starter kit never made much sense to me.
I wanted a stack I already knew, trusted, and could deploy confidently.

What I Included
The starter kit includes:
•JWT Authentication
•Role-Based Access Control
Projects CRUD Module
•Responsive Dashboard
•Swagger/OpenAPI Documentation
•Docker Support
•PostgreSQL Production Configuration
•Deployment Guides for Render and Vercel
•Full Source Code
•An 18-page PDF Guide covering setup, architecture, API usage, and deployment

After rebuilding authentication and project setup multiple times, I wanted something I could reuse for future projects.
A foundation I could actually build products on.
So I packaged everything into a production-ready starter kit built with Django REST Framework and React.

Which Stack Would You Choose?

Next.js is great. Django + React is great. There isn’t one perfect stack.

But if you’re already comfortable with Python and Django, you shouldn’t have to switch ecosystems just to get a production-ready foundation.

That’s why I built StarterFoundry.

I’m curious what others are running these days.

Django + React or Next.js?

Live Demo

https://starterfoundry.vercel.app

Product Links

https://linktr.ee/starterfoundry

DEV Community: Paul Iheabunike

Why I Built My SaaS Starter Kit with Django + React Instead of Next.js