Dirstarter vs Serverless

When choosing between Dirstarter and Serverless, 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 Serverless?

Serverless.page is a full‑stack boilerplate / starter‑kit built on Next.js + React + Firebase + Stripe that aims to accelerate the process of launching a SaaS application. The kit provides essentials such as user authentication, subscription-based payment flows via Stripe, and a content structure including a landing page, blog, and built‑in CMS. It also includes support for team or workspace management (user accounts + team invites), transactional email integrations, and an admin dashboard - everything that typically takes time to wire up is pre‑configured. Because the project uses a serverless infrastructure (Firebase + Next.js), it promises scalability and cost-effectiveness, so there is no need to manage dedicated servers, and billing scale is based on actual usage. Adopting Serverless.page means committing to its stack: Next.js + React + Firebase + Stripe + the provided codebase structure. That gives speed to launch and many built‑in SaaS features, but reduces flexibility if you need a very custom backend, different database, or special integrations. Since it's “full‑featured,” it might feel heavyweight for smaller projects or very basic prototypes. You may end up with more dependencies and configuration than strictly needed if your use case is simple.

Created by Garrett Pierson, Serverless 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 Serverless.

Both Dirstarter and Serverless 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.

Serverless 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.