Which SaaS boilerplate is better: Makerkit or supastarter?
It depends on your backend preferences and framework choices. Makerkit is ideal if your team builds exclusively on Supabase with Next.js or React Router and wants deep Postgres Row-Level Security. supastarter is better if you prefer Nuxt alongside Next.js or want Better Auth with Prisma on web. If you want native mobile and desktop apps alongside web without paying up to $1,499 for multi-framework licenses, supastack is the only kit that includes web, Expo mobile, and Tauri desktop starting at $199 lifetime.
The Dilemma: Choosing Between Two Established Web Starters
Makerkit and supastarter are two of the most polished commercial starter kits on the market. Both have helped hundreds of developers skip the repetitive setup of authentication, billing portals, and organization workspaces.
When you are ready to invest a few hundred dollars in code you will build your business on, picking between them comes down to three practical questions: which backend do you trust, do you need mobile or desktop apps later, and what is the real all-in cost?
Makerkit vs supastarter at a Glance
Here is how Makerkit, supastarter, and supastack compare on everyday developer needs:
| Feature | Makerkit | supastarter | supastack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Web Stack | Next.js 15 / React Router | Next.js 15 / Nuxt 3 | Next.js 16 + TanStack Start |
| Backend & Database | Supabase (PostgreSQL) | Prisma / Drizzle | Drizzle ORM (PostgreSQL) |
| Mobile App | No (web only) | No (web only) | Yes (iOS & Android via Expo) |
| Desktop App | No (web only) | No (web only) | Yes (macOS & Windows via Tauri 2) |
| Authentication | Supabase Auth | Better Auth | Better Auth (OAuth, OTP, 2FA, Passkeys) |
| Test Suite | Playwright E2E tests | Unit & integration tests | 144 test files with local credential-free gate |
| License Pricing | $299 (Pro) / $599 (Teams) | $199 (Nuxt) / $299 (Next) / $1,499 (All) | $199 one-time lifetime |
Where Makerkit Is the Stronger Pick
If you love Supabase and want to run your business logic through PostgreSQL Row-Level Security (RLS) policies, Makerkit is engineered around that exact philosophy.
Its data fetching, permissions, and team roles mirror Supabase conventions. For teams with existing Supabase expertise who want a traditional web dashboard, Makerkit saves weeks of integration time.
Where supastarter Is the Stronger Pick
If your team prefers Nuxt (Vue) over React, supastarter is the undisputed market leader. It offers dedicated editions for both Next.js and Nuxt 3 with consistent styling and documentation.
Its user interface is exceptionally clean, with polished dark mode toggles, multilingual support, and a smooth onboarding flow for browser-based software tools.
When to Consider supastack Instead
Both Makerkit and supastarter stop at the browser window. When your paying customers ask for a companion iPhone app, an Android client, or a fast desktop utility that lives in the system tray, you have to build those apps from scratch and duplicate your authentication and API logic.
supastack takes a different path: one unified TypeScript repository that shares authentication, database schemas, and billing logic across web (Next.js and TanStack Start), mobile (Expo), and desktop (Tauri 2). And unlike multi-tier plans that climb past $1,499, supastack includes all platforms starting at $199 ($299 for all four).
Frequently Asked Questions
Straightforward answers to common questions buyers ask when deciding between these kits:
- Can I migrate from Makerkit or supastarter to supastack later?: Yes. Because supastack uses standard open-source tools like Better Auth and Drizzle ORM on PostgreSQL, your database tables and customer records transfer cleanly without proprietary lock-in.
- Do I have to build mobile or desktop apps right away?: No. Many founders launch web-only on day one, and enable the pre-wired Expo mobile or Tauri desktop folders only when their users ask for them.