Quickly Start Your New SaaS With This Template

Starting a new Software as a Service (SaaS) application can be both exciting and daunting. The initial phase often involves setting up a lot of boilerplate code: authentication, database connections, UI components, payment integrations, and more. This repetitive setup can consume valuable time that could be better spent on building the unique features that define your product. Recognizing this common hurdle, I developed my own SaaS starter template, and in this post, I'll share how it helps me and how it can help you quickly scaffold and launch your next SaaS venture.

Why I Built This Template

As a developer, I often found myself rebuilding the same foundational components for different SaaS ideas. Each new project meant:

• Configuring Next.js with TypeScript.
• Setting up Supabase for authentication and database.
• Integrating Stripe for payments.
• Choosing and customizing a UI library (like Shadcn/UI with Tailwind CSS).
• Establishing a consistent project structure.

This process, while necessary, was time consuming and delayed the actual creative work. I needed a way to hit the ground running, a reliable and modern foundation that I could build upon. That's why I created the saas-starter-template. It's an opinionated but highly effective toolkit designed to get a new SaaS application off the ground in hours, not weeks.

What's Inside the Template?

This isn't just a barebones structure; it's a feature-rich starting point packed with essential SaaS functionalities. Here's a glimpse of the core technologies and pre-configured features:

• Framework: Next.js 15 (App Router) for a modern, performant React frontend and backend.
• Language: TypeScript for end-to-end type safety.
• Authentication & Database: Supabase (PostgreSQL) for robust user management and data storage.
• UI: Tailwind CSS and Shadcn/UI for a beautiful, customizable, and accessible user interface.
• Payments: Stripe integration for handling subscriptions and one-time payments.
• API Routes: A well-structured approach to backend endpoints using Next.js Route Handlers.
• Form Handling: Type-safe forms with React Hook Form and Zod.
• Client-side Data Caching: TanStack Query for efficient data fetching and caching.
• Basic Scaffolding: Includes user dashboard and admin area placeholders.
• Developer Experience: Pre-configured linting (ESLint), formatting (Prettier with Tailwind class sorting), and environment variable management (.env.example).

The template is designed to be a launchpad, providing the essentials so you can focus on your application's unique value proposition.

How You Can Use This Template to Launch Your SaaS

Getting started with the template is straightforward. Here's a high-level guide:

1. Clone the Repository:
   Head over to the GitHub repository and clone it to your local machine.

   git clone https://github.com/vicotrbb/saas-starter-template.git your-saas-project
   cd your-saas-project

2. Install Dependencies:
   I recommend using pnpm, but npm or yarn will also work.

   pnpm install

3. Set Up Environment Variables:
   Copy the .env.example file to .env.local and populate it with your own keys for Supabase, Stripe, and any other services.

   cp .env.example .env.local

   You'll need to fill in NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL, NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY, STRIPE_SECRET_KEY, etc.

4. Supabase Database Setup:
   Apply any database migrations (found in the migrations/ directory) to your Supabase project. If you're using the Supabase CLI, you can often use supabase db push. Remember to generate TypeScript types from your Supabase schema if you make changes:

   supabase gen types typescript --project-id <your-project-ref> --schema public > src/types/database.types.ts
   

5. Run the Development Server:

   pnpm dev

   Your SaaS application should now be running on http://localhost:3000.

From here, you can start customizing the UI, adding your specific models and business logic, and building out the features that make your SaaS unique.

Key Advantages of Using This Starter

Leveraging this template offers several benefits:

• Rapid Development: Significantly cuts down on initial setup time, allowing you to move from idea to Minimum Viable Product (MVP) much faster.
• Modern Tech Stack: Built with popular and powerful technologies that are well-supported and offer great performance.
• Best Practices Included: Incorporates common patterns for authentication, API design, and project structure.
• Focus on Innovation: By handling the boilerplate, it frees you up to concentrate on the core features and innovation that will differentiate your product.
• Scalable Foundation: The chosen technologies (Next.js, Supabase) are designed for scalability, providing a good base for future growth.

A Glimpse into the Project Structure

The template follows a logical project structure, primarily centered around the src/ directory:

• src/app/: Houses all the routes, pages, and layouts, including API Route Handlers (src/app/api/).
• src/components/: Contains shared UI components, with Shadcn/UI components often in src/components/ui/.
• src/lib/: For utility functions, Supabase client setup, Stripe integration, and other shared logic.
• src/types/: Stores TypeScript type definitions, including those generated from your Supabase schema.
• public/: For static assets.
• migrations/: Database migration files for Supabase.

This organization helps keep the codebase clean and maintainable as your project grows.

Conclusion

Building a SaaS application is a marathon, not a sprint, but having a strong start can make all the difference. This SaaS starter template was born out of my own need to streamline the initial development phase, and I believe it can offer the same acceleration to other developers and entrepreneurs.

If you're looking to quickly prototype an idea, launch a new SaaS product, or simply want a robust foundation for your next project, I encourage you to check out the saas-starter-template on GitHub. Fork it, build with it, and spend less time on setup and more time creating something amazing!