You've decided to build a SaaS product. You're using Next.js. Now, the decision of whether to use a starter kit has already been made for you. The question is which kit you're going to choose and how relevant it is to opt for a free open-source solution over a paid one.
This guide will help you navigate the world of Next.js SaaS starters available in 2026, learn how to set up one of them with Stripe and Supabase, learn how to integrate authentication, and discover why paid SaaS starter kits aren't really used despite free alternatives being around.
What Makes a Good Next.js SaaS Starter in 2026?
First and foremost, let's define our expectations. There are many repositories claiming to be SaaS starter kits, while essentially being just landing page templates with an account creation/login form. A proper starter for SaaS applications in 2026 must meet some non-negotiable criteria.
Non-negotiable features:
App Router support.
The Pages Router is legacy. Any starter that hasn't switched to App Router yet will require migration, making it non-future proof.
Types everywhere.
If a starter has only JavaScript and not TypeScript, this is a sign of low maintenance standards. Type safety is essential and shouldn't be compromised.
Auth system including social logins.
At a bare minimum, an email/password method plus Google/Github OAuth authentication.
Stripe with subscription processing.
A payment processor is mandatory. Most starter kits provide Stripe as the example but lack the most important piece of the puzzle – a webhook handler.
Regular updates.
If the latest commit date of a repository is older than three months, the starter is likely to be incompatible with recent versions of Next.js and its ecosystem due to frequent changes in these.
2026-specific requirements:
Next.js 16 support with proxy.ts (not the deprecated middleware.ts).
Tailwind CSS v4 configuration using @import "tailwindcss" and @theme in CSS rather than a JavaScript config file.
These two alone filter out a significant portion of starters that haven't been updated.
What separates good from great:
Multi-tenancy built into the data model. Logging and error monitoring (Sentry or similar). A test suite. Clear documentation that explains architectural decisions, not just setup steps.
Best Open-Source Next.js SaaS Starters on GitHub
- nextjs/saas-starter (Official Vercel Starter) An official starter from the very creators of Next.js. Maintained by the same people, it's minimalist, correct, and stays up to date with the framework.
What it includes:
Next.js App Router
Auth.js (v5+) for authentication
Drizzle ORM
Stripe subscriptions with webhook handler
Shadcn UI components
Tailwind CSS
A working landing page and dashboard.
What it doesn't include:
Support for multi-tenancy
Roles and permissions
Transactional emails
Internationalization (i18n)
Test coverage
It's intentionally kept minimal for educational purposes. Vercel's goal with this starter is to demonstrate the correct architecture for SaaS apps rather than giving all the bells and whistles.
Stack: Next.js 15/16, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Drizzle ORM, Auth.js v5, Stripe, Shadcn UI
GitHub: https://vercel.com/templates/next.js/auth0-nextjs-saas-starter
Best for: Developers who want to understand the correct patterns for a SaaS setup without inheriting someone else's feature decisions.
- ixartz/SaaS-Boilerplate The most comprehensive free Next.js SaaS starter out there, offering way more than the official option.
What it includes:
Multi-tenancy and team support with organization switching
RBAC with owner/admin/member roles
Authentication with Clerk – social authentication, magic links, passwordless with passkeys and multi-factor auth, and user impersonation
Drizzle ORM compatible with PostgreSQL/SQLite/MySQL
Stripe subscriptions with webhook processing
A functional landing page
User dashboard
i18n with Crowdin
Shadcn UI
ESLint
Prettier
Vitest
Playwright
GitHub Actions
Sentry error monitoring, and the
Bundle Analyzer.
Notable detail: This starter kit uses passkeys for passwordless login which is uncommon among free starters. Multi-factor authentication and user impersonation in a free repo is quite rare too, but can prove helpful for debugging later.
Stack: Next.js 16, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Shadcn UI, Clerk, Drizzle ORM, Stripe
GitHub: github.com/ixartz/SaaS-Boilerplate
Best for: Teams building multi-tenant SaaS products who want the most complete free foundation.
- mickasmt/next-saas-stripe-starter Another well-structured Next.js starter. Not the most feature-rich but offers an excellent clean codebase that is easy to modify later.
What it includes:
Auth.js v5 with Google/GitHub/email providers
Prisma ORM with Neon serverless Postgres
Stripe subscriptions with webhook processing
Resend for transactional email delivery
React Email library
Shadcn UI components
Admin dashboard with user roles management
Honest take: A nice starter sitting between the official starter and the ixartz one – more complete than the official starter, less opinionated than the ixartz one.
Stack: Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Shadcn UI, Auth.js v5, Prisma, Neon, Stripe, Resend
GitHub: github.com/mickasmt/next-saas-stripe-starter
- boxyhq/saas-starter-kit If you are targeting larger companies as clients, this is the only starter with built-in enterprise-level functionality included. This is also the most complex starter out there.
What it includes:
Team management system
SAML SSO support provided by Jackson library
Directory synchronization provided by SCIM connector
Audit logging provided by Retraced
Webhook management
Stripe subscriptions with webhook processing
Prisma ORM with PostgreSQL
Honest take: If your application targets enterprises, there's no other starter that would give you all this out of the box for free. For consumer SaaS or SaaS for small businesses, however, all the enterprise-level features are overhead.
Stack: Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Prisma, PostgreSQL, Stripe
GitHub: github.com/boxyhq/saas-starter-kit
Best for: Enterprise B2B SaaS with SAML SSO and compliance requirements.
- KolbySisk/next-supabase-stripe-starter A structured starter built for Supabase and Stripe stack. Supabase is gaining popularity because of its ease of use, scalability, and serverless nature.
What it includes:
Supabase authentication
Postgres via Supabase
Stripe subscriptions with webhook processing that syncs subscription state in Supabase database
Resend for transactional email
Shadcn UI
Feature-based project structure
Notable detail: Supabase Stripe Fixtures. Unlike regular setups where products and prices are set manually in the Stripe console, with Supabase you can configure them programmatically in the JSON file and apply using Stripe CLI command.
Stack: Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Shadcn UI, Supabase Auth, PostgreSQL, Stripe, Resend
GitHub: github.com/KolbySisk/next-supabase-stripe-starter
Best for: Teams committed to the Supabase stack who want a clean, well-organized starting point.
- NextJSTemplates/play-nextjs A free starter focused on visual aspects rather than functionality. It offers all the basic requirements and looks great.
What it includes:
Next.js 16
TypeScript
Tailwind CSS
Prisma ORM
PostgreSQL database
Auth.js for authentication
Stripe for payment processing
MDX blogging
And more: a variety of marketing and product pages pre-built.
Stack: Next.js 16, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS v4, Prisma, PostgreSQL, Auth.js, Stripe
GitHub: github.com/NextJSTemplates/play-nextjs
Best for: Startups that want a polished starting point without paying for a premium kit.
SaaS Starter Kit by Bulletproof Next.js
This phrase pops up in Google searches for SaaS starter kits occasionally. It refers to the ixartz boilerplate which implements the opinionated architecture based on patterns described in "Bulletproof React".
"Bullertproof Next.js" doesn't mean anything official here. The phrase stands for an opinionated, robust approach which implies strict TypeScript usage, feature-based folders structure, clear separation of server and client code, multiple levels of testing, and CI/CD pipeline right away.
"SaaS starter kit by Bulletproof Next.js" will lead you to this GitHub repository: github.com/ixartz/SaaS-Boilerplate.
How to Set Up a Next.js SaaS Starter with Stripe and Supabase
Here's a step-by-step process of setting up a SaaS app with Supabase and Stripe using any starter kit.
Step 1: Clone your starter
npx degit KolbySisk/next-supabase-stripe-starter my-saas
cd my-saas
npm install
cp .env.example .env.local
Step 2: Create your Supabase project
Go to supabase.com. Create a new project. Note down:
Your Supabase project URL (NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL)
Your anon/publishable key (NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY)
Your service role key (SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY)
Add these to your .env.local file.
Step 3: Run the database migrations
Most Supabase-based starters include migration files. Run them through the Supabase SQL Editor or with the Supabase CLI:
supabase db push
This creates the users, subscriptions, and any other tables the starter requires.
Step 4: Create your Stripe products
You have two options: configure products manually in the Stripe dashboard, or use Stripe Fixtures if your starter supports them.
With Stripe Fixtures:
stripe fixtures ./stripe-fixtures.json --api-key sk_test_YOUR_KEY
Add your Stripe keys to .env.local:
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_...
NEXT_PUBLIC_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=pk_test_...
STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET=whsec_...
Step 5: Set up Stripe webhooks locally
stripe listen --forward-to localhost:3000/api/stripe/webhook
This forwards Stripe events to your local server. The webhook handler in the starter should process events like checkout.session.completed and customer.subscription.updated, updating your Supabase database when a subscription state changes.
Step 6: Configure Supabase Auth providers
In your Supabase dashboard, go to Authentication → Providers. Enable Google and GitHub OAuth. Get your client ID and secret from each provider's developer console and add them to Supabase.
For Google OAuth, you need a project in Google Cloud Console with the OAuth consent screen configured and credentials created.
Step 7: Run the project locally
npm run dev
Open http://localhost:3000. The signup, login, and Stripe checkout flows should work end-to-end in test mode.
Step 8: Deploy to Vercel
Push to GitHub. Connect to Vercel. Set your production environment variables. Create a production Stripe webhook pointing to https://your-domain.com/api/stripe/webhook and select the events you need.
Switch your Stripe keys from test (sk_test_) to live (sk_live_) when you're ready to accept real payments.
How to Add Authentication to a Next.js SaaS Starter
If your starter doesn't include authentication or you need to add a provider, here's how to approach it.
Option 1: Auth.js (self-hosted)
Auth.js v5 is the standard for self-hosted authentication in Next.js. Your user data stays in your database.
npm install next-auth@beta
Create auth.ts at your project root:
import NextAuth from 'next-auth'
import GitHub from 'next-auth/providers/github'
import Google from 'next-auth/providers/google'
export const { handlers, auth, signIn, signOut } = NextAuth({
providers: [GitHub, Google],
})
Create app/api/auth/[...nextauth]/route.ts:
import { handlers } from '@/auth'
export const { GET, POST } = handlers
Protect routes in proxy.ts (Next.js 16) or middleware.ts (Next.js 15):
export { auth as proxy } from '@/auth'
export const config = {
matcher: ['/dashboard/:path*', '/settings/:path*'],
}
Add your OAuth app credentials to .env.local:
AUTH_GITHUB_ID=your_github_client_id
AUTH_GITHUB_SECRET=your_github_client_secret
AUTH_GOOGLE_ID=your_google_client_id
AUTH_GOOGLE_SECRET=your_google_client_secret
AUTH_SECRET=your_random_secret_string
Option 2: Clerk (hosted)
Clerk handles the entire auth lifecycle: user management, MFA, device sessions, and a pre-built UI. Easier to configure than Auth.js but your user data is on Clerk's servers.
npm install @clerk/nextjs
Wrap your root layout:
import { ClerkProvider } from '@clerk/nextjs'
export default function RootLayout({ children }) {
return (
<ClerkProvider>
<html>
<body>{children}</body>
</html>
</ClerkProvider>
)
}
Protect routes in proxy.ts:
import { clerkMiddleware, createRouteMatcher } from '@clerk/nextjs/server'
const isProtectedRoute = createRouteMatcher(['/dashboard(.)', '/settings(.)'])
export default clerkMiddleware(async (auth, req) => {
if (isProtectedRoute(req)) await auth.protect()
})
Option 3: Supabase Auth
If your starter already uses Supabase for the database, Supabase Auth is a natural choice. It avoids adding another service.
npm install @supabase/supabase-js @supabase/ssr
Supabase Auth handles email/password, magic links, and OAuth providers. The @supabase/ssr package is the current standard for Next.js App Router integration, replacing the older auth helpers package.
Which auth option should you choose?
Auth.js – if you want full ownership of your users and data with no per user fees.
Clerk – if you want maximum functionality with minimum configuration.
Supabase Auth – if you're already using Supabase for your database.
BoxyhQ SAML Jackson or a dedicated identity provider – if you need SAML-based single sign-on for your enterprise customers.
Can You Use a Next.js SaaS Starter for Free?
Yes. In fact, there are several production-ready free options.
The list below includes free to clone, use, and deploy options without licensing costs.
nextjs/saas-starter (official Vercel starter)
ixartz/SaaS-Boilerplate (most feature-complete free option)
mickasmt/next-saas-stripe-starter (clean mid-range option)
boxyhq/saas-starter-kit (enterprise compliance focus)
KolbySisk/next-supabase-stripe-starter (Supabase + Stripe stack)
NextJSTemplates/play-nextjs (design-quality focus)
All projects in the list above are released under a permissive license like the MIT License. No royalties, no revenue sharing, and no mandatory attribution in the product. All code you write yourself, all code you use, all code in your project belongs to you.
Real cost of free solutions:
The code is free. Time isn't. Free projects typically take more time to set up, require more decisions, and will need debugging that is harder to solve without experience. Even a paid starter's price is quickly covered by saved developer hours with any reasonable developer hourly rate.
Maintained projects in the list above have been committed to regularly by their creators. Some other popular free Next.js SaaS starters are not updated. It's not really free if your solution runs some outdated security patches.
Are People Actually Buying Next.js Starters?
Yes, in significant numbers. The Next.js SaaS starter market has been estimated at $50M+ in annual revenue as of 2026. ShipFast alone has sold to tens of thousands of developers. Supastarter, MakerKit, and similar products have substantial customer bases.
The developer community's answer to "are people actually buying this?" is: yes, and the reasons are consistent.
Why developers buy starters:
First, time savings are real and quantified. Developers who had used both approaches reported saving 100 to 200 hours setting up the project on average. At any reasonable developer hourly rate, a paid starter is worth it.
Documentation. Documentation in paid starters explains architectural decisions, upgrade procedures, edge cases, etc. Free starters typically include README files. Quality is different.
Support. Paid projects include access to Discord communities or support forums where developers can ask questions about production problems. GitHub is the closest thing free starters offer in the area.
Active maintenance guarantee. Paid projects are commercial software. There is a monetary incentive to keep up with updates. Free projects need commitment from their creators.
The honest counterargument:
Paid solutions don't always live up to their expectations. Users sometimes buy a starter but find out they wasted money because the starter is based on assumptions that aren't true for their specific case.
Mitigation: almost all paid projects have a demo version. Carefully read the documentation before purchasing.
The community consensus:
Founders who want to build a product they will scale in the future should definitely opt for paid starter. Developers working on MVPs or exploring the Next.js ecosystem will do fine with a free starter. Enterprises definitely should use paid starter with ongoing support.
What Is the Best Free Next.js SaaS Starter?
Directly: ixartz/SaaS-Boilerplate is the best free Next.js SaaS starter available in 2026.
Feature completeness. ixartz/SaaS-Boilerplate includes multi-tenancy, roles-based access control, Clerk authentication with passkeys and multi-factor authorization, Stripe billing, localization, Shadcn ui components, testing, continuous integration, error monitoring, and more. All of that in one free repository.
Drawbacks? One only: complexity. There's quite a lot to know to understand how it works. If you find it too complicated, go with the official Next.js SaaS starter. Then upgrade when you need more features.
Specific suggestions for the Supabase ecosystem: KolbySisk/next-supabase-stripe-starter
Specific suggestion for enterprise compliance requirement: boxyhq/saas-starter-kit (only free option providing SAML single-sign-on and audit logs)
When Free Isn't Enough: Paid Options Worth Considering
Free open-source Next.js SaaS starters serve well as foundations. There are three cases when the gap between paid and free gets problematic.
Maintenance. Free starters rely on a maintainer's availability. When Next.js releases new major, paid starter gets an update automatically. Free starters need time to update.
Documentation. Paid starters have better quality documentation. More architectural decisions explained, more upgrade guides, more security considerations, etc.
Access to paid support channels. When something crashes in your production environment in the middle of the night, having access to a dedicated Discord channel is very useful.
Recommended paid solution: Kostra.
A production-ready starter including auth, billing, and multi-tenancy features. Clean code base and comprehensive documentation explaining decisions rather than just setup procedure. It was created for people who want to own and extend the code base.
Solo founder focused on launching MVP fast? Try ShipFast
Supabase stack + B2B model? Use MakerKit maintained since 2022.
FAQs
Where can I find a Next.js SaaS starter on GitHub?
The most reliable sources: the GitHub topic nextjs-saas and saas-starter-kit, the Vercel template gallery (vercel.com/templates), and direct searches for nextjs saas starter sorted by Most Stars. Key repos to evaluate: nextjs/saas-starter (official), ixartz/SaaS-Boilerplate (most features), boxyhq/saas-starter-kit (enterprise). Check the last commit date before using any repo.
What is the best Next.js SaaS starter template?
For a free option: ixartz/SaaS-Boilerplate covers the most ground with the most active maintenance. For a minimal free option: nextjs/saas-starter is the cleanest reference implementation. For a paid production option: Kostra for teams, ShipFast for solo founders.
What is nextjs-saas on GitHub?
The primary reference is nextjs/saas-starter (github.com/nextjs/saas-starter), the official Next.js SaaS starter maintained by Vercel. It covers auth via Auth.js, Stripe subscriptions, Postgres via Drizzle ORM, and Shadcn UI in a minimal, well-documented package.
A second notable repo is ixartz/SaaS-Boilerplate, which is the community's most popular full-featured free SaaS starter. When people refer to a "bulletproof Next.js SaaS starter," they're usually pointing to the ixartz project.
Is there a free Next.js SaaS starter kit?
Yes. Multiple strong free options exist: nextjs/saas-starter (official, minimal), ixartz/SaaS-Boilerplate (full-featured), boxyhq/saas-starter-kit (enterprise), mickasmt/next-saas-stripe-starter (clean mid-range), and KolbySisk/next-supabase-stripe-starter (Supabase stack). All are free to use under permissive open-source licenses.
What is the SaaS starter kit by Bulletproof Next.js?
"Bulletproof Next.js" refers to the architectural patterns from the Bulletproof React guide applied to Next.js. The community uses this term to describe the ixartz/SaaS-Boilerplate, which follows these patterns: strict TypeScript, feature-based folder structure, separation of server and client code, multi-layer testing, and CI/CD from the start. There's no product called "Bulletproof Next.js" officially. The ixartz SaaS Boilerplate at github.com/ixartz/SaaS-Boilerplate is what people mean when they use this phrase.
Are people actually buying Next.js starter kits?
Yes. The Next.js SaaS starter market generates substantial revenue, with individual products like ShipFast having sold to tens of thousands of developers. The consistent reason developers give for buying: time savings of 100-200 hours of setup work at professional developer rates makes a $200-400 starter an easy decision. Better documentation, support channels, and active maintenance guarantees are secondary reasons. Developers who report disappointment generally had requirements that diverged from the starter's assumptions. Evaluate the demo and documentation carefully before buying.
How do I set up Stripe and Supabase in a Next.js SaaS starter?
Clone your starter and install dependencies. Create a Supabase project and note your URL, anon key, and service role key. Add them to .env.local. Run the included database migrations. Create Stripe products (either via the Stripe dashboard or using Stripe Fixtures if your starter supports them). Add your Stripe keys to .env.local. Run stripe listen --forward-to localhost:3000/api/stripe/webhook to test webhooks locally. Enable OAuth providers in your Supabase Auth settings. Run the project with npm run dev and test the full signup and payment flow using Stripe test cards.
How do I add authentication to a Next.js SaaS starter?
Most starters include auth already. If you need to add or change the auth provider, you have three main options: Auth.js v5 for self-hosted authentication with your user data in your own database; Clerk for hosted auth with more out-of-the-box features (MFA, passkeys, user management UI); or Supabase Auth if you're already using Supabase for your database. The full setup steps for each option are covered in the authentication section of this article. The most important thing to verify: that route protection runs server-side in proxy.ts (Next.js 16) rather than only client-side, which can be bypassed.
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