Dirstarter vs Gravity

When choosing between Dirstarter and Gravity, 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 Dirstarter?

Dirstarter is a full-featured boilerplate built with Next.js (with TypeScript) designed for launching directory-style websites. It gives you a ready-made foundation: authentication and user management, admin panel, listing submission and management, payment integration via Stripe, and monetization options (premium listings, featured spots, ads, affiliate-links, etc.). Beyond that, Dirstarter includes SEO-friendly page structure, support for multiple languages (i18n), and built-in tools for content creation (including AI-powered content generation to help bootstrap listings and categories). On the technical side, Dirstarter leans on a modern, maintainable stack: Next.js, a modern ORM (e.g. Prisma), CSS via Tailwind CSS, and UI components from shadcn/ui / Radix UI which means you’ll get a responsive, customizable UI and a code structure that’s relatively straightforward to work with and extend. The value proposition of Dirstarter is that instead of spending weeks building the backbone of a directory site: user flows, payments, listings DB, admin UI, monetization logic, i18n, SEO - you get a working system out-of-the-box and can focus immediately on content, branding, and growth. For someone building a directory or listing-type website (local businesses, tools marketplace, niche listing directory, etc.), this can significantly reduce time to launch. However, adopting Dirstarter also means accepting its architecture and conventions. It’s opinionated: you're committing to the tech choices (Next.js + Prisma + Tailwind + the integrations Dirstarter bundles). If your project requires a drastically different backend setup, custom data models or unusual flows, you may spend extra effort altering or stripping parts you don’t need. Moreover, because it offers a lot of built-in features (payments, content generation, monetization, i18n, admin, etc.), you may end up with more “surface area” than needed which can complicate maintenance if you only need a simple directory.

Developed by Piotr Kulpinski, Dirstarter has become a popular choice among developers looking for a reliable starting point for their SaaS projects.

What is Gravity?

Gravity is a full‑stack boilerplate for JavaScript/TypeScript projects combining a Node.js backend with a React (or React Native) frontend designed to give developers a head‑start when building SaaS applications. It aims to deliver a working foundation so that you don’t need to assemble all the plumbing (auth, billing, database, UI, API) from scratch. The boilerplate includes support for multiple databases (like Postgres, MySQL, MongoDB, MariaDB and possibly others) which gives flexibility depending on your data/storage preferences. There is also a full “stack” support: server (Node.js + Express/API backend), web client (React + Tailwind or similar), and optionally native mobile clients (via React Native), which helps if you want a unified codebase for web + mobile. Beyond the core stack, Gravity claims to bundle SaaS‑ready features: authentication (email/password, magic links, social logins, 2FA, account security), subscription & billing support (with free plans, trials, seat‑based or usage billing), and a library of UI components & views (dashboard, admin tools, layout components, responsive UI, dark mode, etc.). Gravity also offers a “website/landing page template” (built with a static‑site generator + modern site tooling) useful for marketing, landing pages, pricing pages, etc. — thereby giving you both the “app core” and “public‑facing site” foundation.

Created by Kyle Gawley, Gravity 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 Dirstarter and Gravity.

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

Dirstarter is ideal if you're looking for a more affordable option with built-in authentication.

Gravity 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.