Best Open Source SaaS Boilerplates in 2026 (Compared)

Last year, I built a SaaS product from scratch. Authentication alone took two weeks. Then Stripe integration, another week. Multi-tenancy, two more weeks. By the time I had the "boring" infrastructure done, I was six weeks in and had not written a single line of business logic. My competitor -- who started with a boilerplate -- launched before I finished my login page.

That experience convinced me: the question is not whether to use a boilerplate, but which one. I spent the last three months evaluating every serious SaaS boilerplate I could find. Here are the 10 best, with honest assessments of each.

Why Use an Open Source SaaS Boilerplate?

Building a SaaS application from scratch means spending months on authentication, billing integration, multi-tenancy, role-based access control, email systems, and deployment pipelines before you write a single line of business logic. An open source SaaS boilerplate gives you these foundations for free -- or at least for the cost of learning how the pieces fit together.

But not all boilerplates are created equal. Some are weekend projects with a login page and a Stripe webhook. Others are production-grade systems with real infrastructure automation. This guide compares the 10 best open source SaaS boilerplates available in 2026, evaluating them on tech stack, feature completeness, documentation, and deployment readiness.

The Comparison Criteria

We evaluated each boilerplate on six dimensions:

• Tech Stack -- Languages, frameworks, and databases used
• Authentication -- JWT, OAuth, 2FA, magic links, SSO
• Billing -- Stripe, LemonSqueezy, or other payment integrations
• Multi-Tenancy -- Database-level isolation, schema separation, or row-level
• Deployment -- Docker, Terraform, Vercel, Railway, or manual setup
• Community -- GitHub stars, contributors, documentation quality, and update frequency

1. SaaS Starter (Cloudrix) -- NestJS + Angular

Stack: NestJS, Angular, PostgreSQL, Redis, BullMQ, Terraform License: MIT (lite version), Commercial (pro)

SaaS Starter takes a different approach from most boilerplates by choosing Angular and NestJS -- a combination that delivers strong typing end-to-end with TypeScript and a modular architecture that scales to large teams. The backend uses a clean hexagonal architecture with domain-driven design principles. We explain the rationale behind this stack choice in our NestJS + Angular vs Next.js deep comparison.

What sets it apart is the infrastructure story. While most boilerplates hand you a Dockerfile and stop there, SaaS Starter includes complete Terraform modules for AWS deployment with ECS Fargate, RDS, ElastiCache, CloudFront, and auto-scaling policies. The CI/CD pipeline works out of the box with GitHub Actions.

Standout features: Terraform IaC, BullMQ background jobs, audit logging, RBAC with permissions matrix, webhook system, multi-tenant architecture with schema isolation, rate limiting, GDPR compliance tools.

Free lite version available at demo.cloudrix.io.

Pro Tip: Start with the free lite version to evaluate the architecture. If you love the code quality and patterns, the pro version ($199 one-time) adds Terraform, advanced RBAC, and 55+ test files. No subscription, no recurring fees.

2. Saas UI -- React + Chakra UI

Stack: React, Next.js, Chakra UI, Supabase License: MIT

Saas UI focuses heavily on the frontend experience. It provides a component library built on Chakra UI with pre-built pages for onboarding, billing, settings, and user management. The backend leans on Supabase for auth, database, and real-time functionality.

Strengths: Beautiful UI components, great DX, strong Supabase integration. Weaknesses: Limited backend customization, no infrastructure automation, tightly coupled to Supabase.

3. Shipped -- Next.js Fullstack

Stack: Next.js, Prisma, PostgreSQL, Stripe, Resend License: Commercial with open source components

Shipped is a Next.js monolith that uses server actions and the App Router. Authentication uses NextAuth.js with multiple provider support. The billing integration covers subscriptions, one-time payments, and usage-based pricing through Stripe.

Strengths: Fast to prototype, single deployment unit, good Stripe integration. Weaknesses: Monolithic architecture limits scaling, no background job system, no Terraform.

4. Open SaaS (Wasp)

Stack: Wasp, React, Node.js, Prisma, PostgreSQL License: MIT

Open SaaS uses the Wasp framework, which is a DSL that generates a React + Node.js application. It includes Stripe integration, email sending via SendGrid, admin dashboard, and deployment to Fly.io.

Strengths: Rapid development with Wasp DSL, fully open source, AI-powered features out of the box. Weaknesses: Wasp DSL is an additional abstraction to learn, smaller ecosystem, limited deployment options.

Ready to skip the setup? SaaS Starter includes authentication, billing, multi-tenancy, and Terraform deployment -- all pre-built and tested. View the live demo or get the free lite version.

5. Supastarter -- Next.js or Nuxt

Stack: Next.js or Nuxt.js, Supabase or Prisma, Stripe License: Commercial

Supastarter offers both Next.js and Nuxt.js variants. It includes i18n, dark mode, blog system, and a landing page builder. Authentication supports email/password, magic links, and social OAuth providers. For a detailed comparison with SaaS Starter, see our Cloudrix vs ShipFast vs Supastarter guide.

Strengths: Framework choice (React or Vue), good i18n support, polished landing pages. Weaknesses: Commercial-only, no infrastructure code, limited backend extensibility.

6. Bedrock -- Next.js Enterprise

Stack: Next.js, GraphQL (Nexus), Prisma, PostgreSQL License: Commercial

Bedrock targets enterprise teams with GraphQL APIs, comprehensive testing setup (Jest + Cypress), and Stripe billing. It emphasizes code quality with strict ESLint rules and TypeScript configuration.

Strengths: GraphQL API, strong testing setup, enterprise patterns. Weaknesses: GraphQL adds complexity for simple CRUD, commercial license only, infrequent updates.

7. Nextless.js -- Serverless Next.js

Stack: Next.js, AWS (Cognito, DynamoDB, SES), Serverless Framework License: Commercial

Nextless.js is built entirely on AWS serverless services. Authentication uses Cognito, data storage uses DynamoDB, and emails go through SES. The serverless approach means you pay per request rather than per server.

Strengths: True serverless, pay-per-use pricing model, AWS-native. Weaknesses: Vendor lock-in to AWS, DynamoDB requires different data modeling, commercial license.

8. Volca -- Node.js + React

Stack: Node.js (Koa), React, PostgreSQL, Knex.js, Stripe License: Commercial

Volca provides a clean separation between a Koa.js API backend and a React frontend. It includes a project/workspace model for multi-tenancy, Stripe subscriptions, and deployment via AWS CDK.

Strengths: Clean architecture, AWS CDK deployment, straightforward codebase. Weaknesses: Smaller community, Koa.js is less popular than Express/NestJS, limited documentation.

9. SaaSfly -- Next.js + Tailwind

Stack: Next.js, Tailwind CSS, Prisma, NextAuth.js, Stripe License: MIT

SaaSfly is a community-driven open source boilerplate with a focus on modern UI using Tailwind and shadcn/ui components. It includes i18n, blog with MDX, and Stripe billing integration.

Strengths: Fully open source, modern UI stack, active community. Weaknesses: No backend API separation, limited multi-tenancy, no infrastructure automation.

10. Makerkit -- Next.js or Remix

Stack: Next.js or Remix, Supabase or Firebase, Stripe License: Commercial

Makerkit offers both Next.js and Remix templates with a choice of Supabase or Firebase for the backend. It includes organization management, role-based access, and a comprehensive blog system.

Strengths: Framework and backend flexibility, good documentation, regular updates. Weaknesses: Commercial license, relies on third-party backends (Supabase/Firebase).

Comparison Table

Boilerplate	Stack	Auth	Billing	Multi-Tenant	IaC	License
SaaS Starter	NestJS + Angular	JWT, OAuth, 2FA	Stripe	Schema isolation	Terraform	MIT (lite)
Saas UI	React + Supabase	Supabase Auth	Stripe	Row-level	None	MIT
Shipped	Next.js	NextAuth.js	Stripe	Row-level	None	Commercial
Open SaaS	Wasp + React	Wasp Auth	Stripe	Basic	Fly.io	MIT
Supastarter	Next/Nuxt	Multiple	Stripe	Row-level	None	Commercial
Bedrock	Next.js + GraphQL	NextAuth.js	Stripe	Row-level	None	Commercial
Nextless.js	Next.js + AWS	Cognito	Stripe	DynamoDB	Serverless	Commercial
Volca	Koa + React	Custom JWT	Stripe	Workspaces	AWS CDK	Commercial
SaaSfly	Next.js	NextAuth.js	Stripe	Basic	None	MIT
Makerkit	Next/Remix	Supabase/Firebase	Stripe	Organizations	None	Commercial

Key Takeaways

If you want a free, production-ready foundation: SaaS Starter (Cloudrix) and Open SaaS offer the most complete open source options. SaaS Starter stands out with its enterprise-grade backend architecture and Terraform infrastructure.

If you want the fastest prototype: Shipped and Supastarter get you to a deployed MVP fastest, but you will hit scaling walls sooner.

If you want Angular + NestJS: SaaS Starter is the only serious option in this space. The Angular ecosystem is underserved by SaaS boilerplates despite being the dominant choice for enterprise frontend applications. See our Angular admin dashboard guide for why this stack excels for dashboards.

If you want infrastructure as code: Only SaaS Starter and Nextless.js include deployment automation. SaaS Starter uses Terraform (cloud-agnostic), while Nextless.js is locked to AWS Serverless Framework.

Pro Tip: The best boilerplate is the one whose code you want to maintain. Clone your top two choices, read through the service layer, and ask yourself: "Would I be happy debugging this at midnight?" That gut check matters more than any feature comparison table.

Try Before You Commit

The worst outcome is spending days integrating a boilerplate only to discover it does not match your architecture needs. Start by running the demos. SaaS Starter's free lite version is available at demo.cloudrix.io -- deploy it, explore the code, and see if the NestJS + Angular stack fits your team before upgrading to the pro version with Terraform infrastructure and advanced features.

The pro version is a one-time $199 purchase with lifetime updates. No subscriptions, no recurring fees.

Start free | View live demo | See the detailed Cloudrix vs ShipFast comparison