Indie Starter vs NextJet

When choosing between Indie Starter and NextJet, 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 Indie Starter?

Indie Starter is a boilerplate / starter‑kit built on a modern web stack (Next.js + React + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui) that aims to offer a clean, minimal yet ready‑for‑production foundation for SaaS or web applications. The boilerplate integrates backend/infrastructure services via Supabase (for database & auth) plus support for payments via Stripe for subscription or monetization flows. Indie Starter is structured to provide essential building blocks: authentication (including social logins, magic links, email/password), responsive UI components & layouts, a clean project architecture, type-safe configuration (via TypeScript + validation via Zod), and built-in SEO & content‑management setup (blog/landing page templates, metadata, etc.). Indie Starter makes sense for developers, indie makers, small teams or early‑stage founders who want to get a web app or SaaS up quickly without rewriting common infrastructure: auth, UI, payments, content, etc. It’s also suitable when you want type safety, modern stack, and clean architecture giving you a professional and maintainable starting point.

Developed by Ali Hussein, Indie Starter has become a popular choice among developers looking for a reliable starting point for their SaaS projects.

What is NextJet?

NextJet is a full‑stack SaaS boilerplate built with Next.js, TypeScript and modern web‑app tooling, made to give developers a solid, production‑ready foundation when building subscription‑based or SaaS‑style applications. Out of the box it handles core infrastructure: user authentication + authorization (including OAuth and magic‑link support), payment/subscription logic via Stripe or Lemon Squeezy, and pre‑built user dashboards + admin panel. It also includes content‑management and marketing‑side features: a blog and documentation system using MDX, a customizable landing/marketing site, email templates, and onboarding flows. The project follows a modular, maintainable architecture (monorepo via Turborepo, clean folder structure, typesafety via TypeScript), which helps keep code organized, useful if you plan to grow or scale the app over time. Because much of the “plumbing” is already configured, you can skip repetitive setup and get to building your product‑specific logic faster. At the same time, using NextJet means trusting its built‑in architecture, tech stack and conventions. If your project needs a very different stack, unusual backend/data requirements or a minimal footprint, you might need to refactor or drop parts of what comes with the boilerplate.

Created by Renas Hassan, NextJet 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 Indie Starter and NextJet.

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

Indie Starter is ideal if you're looking for a feature-rich solution with built-in authentication.

NextJet 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.