Best Next.js Boilerplate 2026: An Honest Comparison
Choosing a Next.js boilerplate in 2026 is harder than it should be. There are at least a dozen options, half of them have subscription pricing, and most comparison articles are written by the boilerplate authors themselves.
This is no different — I built Shipkit — but I'll be upfront about trade-offs and let you decide.
What We're Comparing
| Feature | Shipkit | MakerKit | ShipFast | Supastarter | Open SaaS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Framework | Next.js 16 | Next.js 15 | Next.js 14 | Next.js 15 | Wasp (React) |
| Pricing | $249 one-time | $299/yr | $199 one-time | $399 one-time | Free (open source) |
| Auth | Better Auth + OAuth | Supabase Auth | NextAuth | Supabase Auth | Lucia |
| Database | Postgres + Drizzle | Supabase | Supabase | Supabase / Prisma | Prisma |
| Payments | Stripe, LemonSqueezy, Polar | Stripe | Stripe | Stripe, LemonSqueezy | Stripe |
| CMS | Payload CMS + Builder.io | — | — | — | — |
| AI Built-in | OpenAI + Anthropic | OpenAI addon | — | — | OpenAI |
| Components | 100+ (shadcn/ui) | 50+ | 30+ | 40+ | 20+ |
| Free Tier | Bones (MIT) | — | — | — | Full (FOSS) |
| Updates | Lifetime | Annual sub | Lifetime | Lifetime | Community |
The Short Version
- Just want free and functional? Open SaaS or Shipkit Bones.
- Need a full stack with CMS, AI, and 100+ components? Shipkit.
- Supabase ecosystem fan? MakerKit or Supastarter.
- Fastest possible launch, minimal features? ShipFast.
- Enterprise team, budget is not a concern? Supastarter or MakerKit.
Where Shipkit Wins
Stack breadth. Most boilerplates give you auth + payments + a landing page. Shipkit ships a working app: admin panel, CMS, email system, AI hooks, dashboard, 100+ components, and deployment configs. It's the "three months of infrastructure" already done.
AI-native workflow. Ships with Cursor rules, AI context files, and structured prompts so AI coding tools understand the codebase immediately. Not an afterthought addon.
No subscription. $249 once. Clone the repo, own the code. Updates merge when you want them.
Free open-source tier. Shipkit Bones (github.com/shipkit-io/bones) is MIT licensed. Auth, basic components, and the core Next.js setup. Upgrade to the paid version when you need the full stack.
Where Shipkit Loses
Learning curve. More features means more surface area to understand. If you only need auth + landing page, a simpler boilerplate might be faster to grok.
Not Supabase-native. If your team is all-in on Supabase, MakerKit or Supastarter are a more natural fit.
Solo maintainer. Shipkit is built and maintained by one developer (me). MakerKit and Supastarter have small teams. Open SaaS has community contributors.
How to Choose
Ask yourself three questions:
- Do I need a CMS? If yes, Shipkit is the only option with Payload CMS + visual editing built in.
- Am I using AI coding tools? If yes, Shipkit's AI-native workflow saves hours of context setup.
- Is $249 one-time acceptable? If budget is zero, start with Bones or Open SaaS.
Try It
- Shipkit (paid): shipkit.io
- Bones (free): github.com/shipkit-io/bones
- Live site running Shipkit: shipkit.io (yes, this site is built with Shipkit)
Last updated: July 2026. Prices and features verified at time of writing.
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