ApparenceKit vs Makerkit

When choosing between ApparenceKit and Makerkit, it's essential to understand the key differences that make each boilerplate unique. Both are excellent choices for building SaaS applications, but they cater to different needs and development approaches.

What is ApparenceKit?

ApparenceKit is a template generator for Flutter, created by a team with years of Flutter-app experience. On the surface, it’s pitched as a way to bypass many of the repetitive, boilerplate tasks that come with building a mobile (or web) app from scratch: authentication, user flows, payments/subscriptions, push notifications, onboarding, i18n (multilanguage), analytics, theming, and more. When you use ApparenceKit, you start your project by running a CLI that scaffolds a full Flutter app wired up with a backend option (you can choose between Firebase, Supabase or a custom REST API), pre-built modules for auth, subscriptions, notifications, and navigation, plus optional modules such as feedback/voting, translations, remote config, and more. This means that instead of spending weeks setting up the basics of your app (login logic, paywalls, push-notifications, internationalization, UI navigation, etc.), you get a “ready-to-go” foundation that you can build on immediately. For many simple or medium-complexity apps (MVPs, prototypes, early-stage mobile products), that can be a significant time-saver.

Developed by Apparence, ApparenceKit has become a popular choice among developers looking for a reliable starting point for their SaaS projects.

What is Makerkit?

MakerKit is a SaaS‑starter boilerplate built for modern React/Next.js (also supporting Remix/Supabase or Firebase variants) that tries to give you a production‑ready foundation, rather than a barebones template. At its core MakerKit bundles authentication (email, social login, magic‑link, optional MFA), user and team/organization management (multi‑tenancy, roles, invitations), and subscription/billing support via payment providers (Stripe or Lemon Squeezy). The boilerplate comes styled by default using a modern UI stack with Tailwind CSS (and Shadcn/Radix‑based UI components), with light/dark mode and includes UI scaffolding for dashboards, admin panels, marketing pages, blog/documentation pages, and a customizable layout structure. MakerKit aims to reduce the time and effort needed to ship a SaaS: instead of wiring up auth, payments, data layer, UI and common SaaS flows from scratch, you get a working skeleton that you can extend, customize, and build on. This includes also support for serverless or traditional hosting setups, built‑in support for sending stylized transactional emails, and optional plugins/features (like documentation/blog generation, admin dashboards, analytics hooks, and more) to help bootstrap both the product and its public-facing/marketing side.

Created by Giancarlo Buomprisco, Makerkit offers a robust foundation for building scalable SaaS applications.

When building a SaaS application, choosing the right payment integration is crucial for monetization success. Let's compare the payment options available in ApparenceKit and Makerkit.

Both ApparenceKit and Makerkit are excellent choices for building SaaS applications. Your decision should be based on your specific requirements, budget, and technical preferences.

ApparenceKit is ideal if you're looking for a more affordable option with specific capabilities.

Makerkit stands out for its comprehensive feature set and is perfect for developers who need authentication.

Ultimately, both boilerplates will help you launch your SaaS product faster and more efficiently. Review the detailed comparison above, consider your project requirements, and choose the one that aligns best with your goals.