Every time I started a new SaaS project, I spent the first two weeks wiring up the same things: authentication, payments, API keys, docs. I got tired of rebuilding infrastructure instead of building the actual product.
The Problem
If you've ever launched a SaaS, you know the drill:
- Setting up authentication with OAuth providers takes days of configuration and edge-case handling
- Integrating payment processing means wrestling with webhooks, credit systems, and billing dashboards
- Building API key management with usage tracking and audit logs from scratch is tedious
- Writing documentation infrastructure and blog systems before writing a single line of product code
- Handling SEO, legal pages, and landing page scaffolding every. single. time.
The Solution: what-is
what-is is a production-ready SaaS boilerplate built on Next.js 16, React 19, and TypeScript. Clone it, swap in your business logic, and ship.
git clone https://github.com/quochuydev/what-is.git
cd what-is/web && npm install && npm run dev
You get auth, payments, API keys, docs, blog, and a landing page — all wired up and ready to customize.
How It Works
- Clone and configure — Set up your environment variables for Clerk (auth), PayPal (payments), and your database (Neon PostgreSQL)
-
Replace the service logic — The default app is an AI-powered definition lookup. Swap the
/apiendpoint and playground with your own product logic -
Customize pricing — Edit credit packages in
src/lib/paypal.tsto match your pricing model - Deploy to Vercel — Follow the included 7-step deployment guide and you're live
From clone to production in under an hour instead of under a month.
Get Started in 30 Seconds
git clone https://github.com/quochuydev/what-is.git
cd what-is/web
npm install
cp .env.example .env
npm run db:push
npm run dev
This scaffolds a full SaaS application with:
- Authentication — Google OAuth via Clerk with database sync
- Payments — PayPal checkout with a credit-based billing system
- API key management — Generate, revoke, and track usage
- Documentation — MDX-powered docs via Fumadocs
- Blog — Category-filtered blog with individual post pages
- Dashboard — API keys, usage analytics, and billing in one place
What's Included
| Feature | Implementation | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Auth | Clerk + Google OAuth | Database-synced user accounts |
| Payments | PayPal checkout | Credit packages: $1/1cr, $5/6cr, $20/30cr |
| API Keys | Custom system | Generate, revoke, audit logs |
| Docs | Fumadocs + MDX | Full documentation site |
| Blog | MDX + categories | Filterable, SEO-optimized |
| Dashboard | Protected routes | API keys, usage stats, billing |
| Landing Page | Pre-built | Hero, features, stats sections |
| Legal | Templates | Privacy policy, terms of service |
| SEO | Built-in | OpenGraph, structured data, sitemap |
The Tech Stack
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Framework | Next.js 16 / React 19 |
| Language | TypeScript |
| Styling | Tailwind CSS v4 |
| Database | PostgreSQL (Neon) + Drizzle ORM |
| Auth | Clerk |
| Payments | PayPal |
| LLM | OpenAI-compatible APIs (DeepSeek, Groq, OpenAI) |
Why This Works
- Skip the boilerplate tax — Authentication, payments, and API management are solved problems. Stop re-solving them and focus on what makes your product unique.
- Modern stack, no compromises — Next.js 16, React 19, TypeScript, and Tailwind v4 mean you're building on the latest foundations, not fighting legacy patterns.
- PayPal-friendly — Unlike Stripe-dependent boilerplates, this works with PayPal personal accounts — perfect for indie hackers and solo founders who want to start accepting payments immediately.
- MIT licensed — Fork it, modify it, ship it commercially. No strings attached.
Try It
git clone https://github.com/quochuydev/what-is.git
cd what-is/web && npm install && cp .env.example .env && npm run dev
Start by visiting http://localhost:3000/playground to see the default AI definition service in action. Then replace it with your own logic and you've got a SaaS.
GitHub: quochuydev/what-is
Live Demo: what-is.cappuai.com
What's the first feature you'd build on top of this boilerplate? Drop it in the comments — I'm curious what people would ship with it.
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