If you're building a SaaS product in 2026, you've probably come across both LaunchFast and ShipFast. Both are Next.js boilerplates designed to help you ship faster, but they take notably different approaches. I've spent time with both codebases, and in this article, I'll give you an honest, detailed comparison to help you choose the right one for your project.
TL;DR: ShipFast is the battle-tested, community-backed choice with thousands of success stories. LaunchFast is the open-source, AI-first alternative with a lower price point and built-in Claude integration. Both are excellent choices depending on your needs.
What is ShipFast?
ShipFast is a Next.js SaaS boilerplate created by Marc Lou (@marc_louvion), who's built a reputation in the indie hacker community for shipping products quickly. It's one of the most popular SaaS starters available, with thousands of customers and a large, active Discord community.
ShipFast at a glance:
- $199 one-time payment
- Closed source (you get the code after purchase)
- Battle-tested across thousands of projects
- Strong community support
- Comprehensive feature set for SaaS apps
- Regular updates from Marc and the team
What is LaunchFast?
LaunchFast is a newer Next.js SaaS boilerplate that takes a different approach: it's completely open source before you buy, includes built-in AI chat capabilities, and comes with extensive E2E testing. It's built by a solo developer focused on modern tech stack and transparency.
LaunchFast at a glance:
- $79 standard / $119 pro (one-time payment)
- 100% open source on GitHub (inspect before you buy)
- 81 E2E tests with Playwright
- Built-in Claude AI integration
- Modern stack (Next.js 16, NextAuth v5, Prisma 6)
- 14-day money-back guarantee
Head-to-Head Feature Comparison
| Feature | LaunchFast | ShipFast |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79 / $119 | $199 |
| Source Access | Open source (GitHub) | Closed (post-purchase) |
| Next.js Version | 16.1+ | Latest |
| Authentication | NextAuth v5 (Google, GitHub OAuth) | Multiple providers |
| Payments | Stripe SDK v17 (subscriptions, checkout, webhooks) | Stripe integration |
| AI Integration | Claude AI (streaming, rate limiting, tokens) | Not built-in |
| Database | PostgreSQL with Prisma 6 | Multiple options |
| Resend | Multiple providers | |
| Testing | 81 E2E tests (Playwright) | Not advertised |
| SEO Tools | Basic | Comprehensive |
| Community | Growing | Large, established |
| Support | GitHub issues, email | Discord, email |
| Updates | GitHub releases | Regular updates |
| Money-back Guarantee | 14 days | 7 days (typical) |
Deep Dive: Key Differences
1. Open Source vs. Closed Source
This is probably the biggest philosophical difference between the two products.
LaunchFast is completely open source on GitHub. You can browse the entire codebase at github.com/Wittlesus/launchfast-starter before spending a dollar. This means:
- You know exactly what you're getting
- You can verify code quality before purchase
- The community can contribute improvements
- Full transparency in how features are implemented
ShipFast is closed source until you purchase. This is a more traditional model:
- Protects Marc's intellectual property
- Prevents free copies from circulating
- You're buying based on trust and reputation
- Still get full source code after purchase
My take: If you're risk-averse or want to inspect code quality before buying, LaunchFast's open-source approach is incredibly valuable. If you trust the ShipFast brand (and thousands of customers do), the closed model is a non-issue.
2. AI Integration: Built-in vs. DIY
LaunchFast ships with a complete Claude AI integration out of the box:
- Streaming chat interface
- Rate limiting to prevent abuse
- Token usage tracking
- Configurable AI behavior
- Ready to ship an AI-powered SaaS
ShipFast doesn't include AI integration. You'll need to:
- Add OpenAI/Anthropic SDKs yourself
- Build the chat interface
- Implement rate limiting
- Handle streaming responses
My take: If you're building an AI-powered product in 2026 (and honestly, who isn't?), LaunchFast saves you 10-20 hours of integration work. If AI isn't core to your product, this feature might be overkill.
3. Testing: 81 E2E Tests vs. Self-Test
LaunchFast includes 81 end-to-end tests using Playwright covering:
- Authentication flows
- Payment processing
- AI chat functionality
- Dashboard features
- Admin panels
- Edge cases and error states
ShipFast doesn't advertise a built-in test suite. You're responsible for:
- Writing your own tests
- Setting up testing infrastructure
- Ensuring quality control
My take: E2E tests are a massive time-saver for catching regressions. If you're planning to iterate quickly or work with a team, having tests pre-written is worth significant money. If you're a solo founder who doesn't prioritize testing, this might not matter.
4. Community & Track Record
ShipFast has:
- Thousands of paying customers
- Large, active Discord community
- Proven track record of successful launches
- Regular updates and improvements
- Community-contributed resources
LaunchFast has:
- Smaller, growing community
- GitHub-based discussions
- Newer product (less battle-testing)
- Active solo developer
- Open contribution model
My take: ShipFast's community is a genuine advantage. When you hit a weird bug at 2am, having hundreds of developers who've seen it before is invaluable. LaunchFast is newer but growing -- the open-source model should accelerate community building.
5. Tech Stack Modernity
LaunchFast explicitly uses cutting-edge versions:
- Next.js 16
- NextAuth v5
- Stripe SDK v17
- Prisma 6
- Modern TypeScript patterns
ShipFast stays current but may be more conservative:
- Latest stable Next.js
- Proven, stable versions of dependencies
- Battle-tested configurations
My take: LaunchFast's aggressive version strategy means you get the latest features but potentially more edge cases. ShipFast's approach prioritizes stability. Neither is wrong -- it depends if you want bleeding-edge or battle-tested.
6. Price Point
LaunchFast: $79 (standard) or $119 (pro)
ShipFast: $199
That's a $80-$120 difference. Is ShipFast worth the premium?
Arguments for ShipFast's higher price:
- Proven track record
- Larger community
- More comprehensive SEO tools
- Battle-tested across thousands of projects
- Marc Lou's ongoing updates and reputation
Arguments for LaunchFast's lower price:
- You get AI integration (worth $50-100 in dev time)
- 81 E2E tests (worth $200-500 in QA time)
- Open-source inspection before purchase
- Modern stack saves migration time later
My take: Both are priced fairly for what they deliver. ShipFast's premium reflects its established reputation. LaunchFast's pricing reflects its newer status and open-source model.
Who Should Choose LaunchFast?
LaunchFast is the better choice if you:
- Are building an AI-powered SaaS: The built-in Claude integration alone saves 10-20 hours of development time.
- Value transparency: Being able to inspect the entire codebase on GitHub before purchase is a huge risk reducer.
- Want comprehensive testing: 81 E2E tests mean you can refactor with confidence and catch bugs before users do.
- Are budget-conscious: $79-119 vs $199 is meaningful when you're bootstrapping.
- Prefer open-source: If you want to contribute improvements or understand exactly how everything works, open source is ideal.
- Want the latest tech: Next.js 16, NextAuth v5, Stripe SDK v17 -- you're starting with modern patterns.
- Are comfortable with a smaller community: You'll rely more on documentation and GitHub issues than a Discord with thousands of members.
LaunchFast is a strong choice for technical founders who value code quality, testing, and AI-first features.
Who Should Choose ShipFast?
ShipFast is the better choice if you:
- Want a proven, battle-tested solution: Thousands of successful launches mean most edge cases are already solved.
- Value community support: The large Discord community is incredibly helpful when you're stuck.
- Need comprehensive SEO tools: ShipFast has more built-in SEO features and guides.
- Prefer stability over bleeding-edge: Battle-tested configurations mean fewer surprises.
- Trust the brand: Marc Lou has built a strong reputation -- you're buying peace of mind.
- Don't need AI integration: If AI isn't core to your product, LaunchFast's main differentiator doesn't matter.
- Want extensive documentation: ShipFast's docs are comprehensive and community-contributed.
- Are non-technical or junior: The large community makes it easier to get help with any issue.
ShipFast is ideal for founders who want maximum support, proven patterns, and a community-backed solution.
The Honest Verdict
Here's my honest assessment after comparing both products:
ShipFast is the safer choice. It has a proven track record, thousands of successful launches, and a large community. If you want minimum risk and maximum support, ShipFast delivers. The $199 price tag is justified by the peace of mind and community resources.
LaunchFast is the innovative choice. It brings fresh ideas to the boilerplate space: open source before purchase, built-in AI, comprehensive E2E testing, and a modern tech stack. At $79-119, it's also more accessible for bootstrapped founders. The trade-off is a smaller community and less battle-testing.
For AI-powered SaaS products: LaunchFast is the clear winner. The built-in Claude integration alone justifies the purchase.
For traditional SaaS products: It depends on your priorities. Value community and proven stability? ShipFast. Value testing, transparency, and lower price? LaunchFast.
For technical founders: LaunchFast's open source model and E2E tests might appeal more.
For non-technical founders: ShipFast's large community provides more safety nets.
Neither product is objectively "better" -- they serve different needs and philosophies. ShipFast is the established, community-backed leader. LaunchFast is the open-source, AI-first challenger with compelling unique features.
Final Recommendations
Choose LaunchFast if:
- You're building an AI-powered SaaS
- You value code transparency and open source
- You want comprehensive E2E testing
- You're budget-conscious ($80-120 savings)
- You prefer GitHub-based workflows
Choose ShipFast if:
- You want proven, battle-tested stability
- You value large community support
- You need comprehensive SEO tools
- You're willing to pay premium for peace of mind
- You trust established brands
Conclusion
Both LaunchFast and ShipFast are excellent Next.js SaaS boilerplates that will save you weeks of development time. ShipFast is the established leader with a massive community and proven track record. LaunchFast is the innovative challenger with open source, AI integration, and comprehensive testing.
Your choice should depend on what you're building and what you value. For AI products, LaunchFast's built-in Claude integration is a massive time-saver. For traditional SaaS, ShipFast's community and SEO tools provide significant advantages.
The good news? You can't really go wrong with either. Both will help you ship faster, handle the boring boilerplate stuff, and let you focus on building your unique product.
The best SaaS boilerplate is the one you actually use to ship your product. Pick the one that matches your priorities, and start building.
Resources:
- LaunchFast GitHub: github.com/Wittlesus/launchfast-starter
- Buy LaunchFast Standard ($79)
- ShipFast: shipfa.st
Last updated: February 2026
Disclaimer: I'm the creator of LaunchFast, but I've tried to write this comparison as honestly as possible. ShipFast is a great product with thousands of satisfied customers. This article aims to help you choose the right tool for your specific needs, not to unfairly criticize the competition.
Top comments (1)
I see you're comparing LaunchFast vs ShipFast for your SaaS build in 2026. Both are solid choices, but have you considered the lead generation aspect once your product launches?
Most SaaS founders I work with nail the technical build but struggle to find their first customers consistently. What's your plan for getting those initial users once you ship?
I've been helping SaaS founders automate their customer acquisition - would be happy to share what's working best for NextJS-based products specifically.