Makerkit vs Ship SaaS

When choosing between Makerkit and Ship SaaS, 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 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.

Developed by Giancarlo Buomprisco, Makerkit has become a popular choice among developers looking for a reliable starting point for their SaaS projects.

What is Ship SaaS?

Ship SaaS is a full‑stack boilerplate built with Next.js, Supabase (backend/auth/database), and Tailwind CSS, designed to give developers a ready-made foundation for SaaS or subscription‑driven web applications. With Ship SaaS you obtain working user authentication (registration / login / password reset flows via Supabase), database setup, integrated billing/subscription support via Stripe, and a serverless-ready stack that can be hosted on scalable platforms. It also includes public‑facing page templates, a Striped‑connected backend and basic UI/layout scaffolding. Ship SaaS is best when you’re building a SaaS or subscription‑based web app, you value rapid launch, and you’re comfortable with its tech stack and abstractions. It’s ideal for a solo developer, indie founder or small team wanting to get up and running quickly without reinventing the “plumbing.” It may be less suitable if your project needs a highly customized backend, non‑standard architecture, or minimal dependency footprint - in those cases a lighter template or custom build might serve better.

Created by Nico Botha, Ship SaaS 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 Makerkit and Ship SaaS.

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

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

Ship SaaS stands out for its competitive pricing 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.