If you consider the time savings, using a SaaS boilerplate or starter kit for building your next software product is a no-brainer.
On average, a boilerplate costs $247 and can save you 40 hours of development time. So if you value your time above $7 per hour, the ROI is clear.
That time you save? Better spend it launching your SaaS and acquiring users.
So, how do you pick the best SaaS boilerplate for your project? Simple:
Flutter SaaS boilerplate for SaaS bootstrappers to go from zero to production in days. Cubit offers a much lighter and easier-to-use state management solution than BLoC and is perfect for makers who want the simplest possible state management package without losing its power.
SaaS boilerplate with Stripe payments, Firebase auth & storage, PostgreSQL + Prisma ORM, NestJS
The complete Nuxt starter kit to build a robust and market-ready SaaS in a matter of hours.
Cut the code, ship the product. This streamlined Django boilerplate takes care of the heavy lifting and lets you launch your SaaS in record time.
ZapKit is an AI-powered Laravel boilerplate for solopreneurs that automates everything from content creation to task management with its AI Agent module. Enjoy built-in features like blogs, payments, and user management—all designed to accelerate your startup’s launch.
SaaS boilerplate, also known as a SaaS starter kit or SaaS template, is pre-built foundation for software applications. It's a collection of essential, customizable, and tested components that developers can use to quickly build a complete product without starting from scratch.
They're usually built for a specific tech stack (e.g. Next.js) or purpose (e.g. AI SaaS boilerplate).
The exact feature set varies depending on the specific boilerplate but most of them include:
Many paid SaaS starter kits offer additional benefits like dedicated support and access to private developer communities.
Main advantages include:
Here are the main aspects you should take into consideration when selecting a SaaS boilerplate or template for your next software product.
The best SaaS boilerplate is the one that matches your (or your team's) tech stack and resonates with you in terms of architectural choices. After all, you're using a starter kit to save time, so there's no point in picking one that's built using a programming language you're not comfortable using.
While most boilerplates built using a given tech stack will include all key SaaS features (like billing, authentication, database, admin panel, etc.), some are more comprehensive and offer more use case specific features out of the box (such as serverless, waitlist, translations, AI SaaS templates, and more). Make sure to review the full list of features before making a pick.
Make sure that the boilerplate's maker is committed to maintaining and improving the codebase over time. Have a look at the changelog and maker's Twitter to see how frequently the boilerplate is being updated. Ideally, pick a SaaS boilerplate that's maker's main business rather than just a weekend fun project.
Clear and comprehensive docs will help you save even more time. Many starter kits also have video tutorials and makers offering their help via email.
Find out if there are other real SaaS products that were built using the starter kit you're evaluating, especially similar to the one you're planning to build. If so, you can even reach to to their founders and ask about their experience working with that SaaS template.
As the Lindy Effect says, the older something is, the longer it's likely to be around in the future. So checking how long a SaaS boilerplate has been around can be a good proxy for estimating how much longer it's going to be maintained.