next-js-boilerplate vs dotnet-starter-kit
Two of the top projects in SaaS boilerplates, side by side: who leads on each score part and who each one suits, then setup, license, activity and what each review found.
next-js-boilerplate
Next.js 16 starter with Clerk auth, Drizzle ORM, Tailwind 4 and tooling
dotnet-starter-kit
.NET 10 multi-tenant SaaS starter with two React 19 front-ends
Verdict
next-js-boilerplate ranks higher, 68 to 66. Of the 5 score parts we measure for both, next-js-boilerplate leads on 2, dotnet-starter-kit on 1 and 2 are even.
- Adoptionnext-js-boilerplate leads by 21 points, 62 to 41: a wide gap.
- FreshnessEven at 100.
- Maintenancenext-js-boilerplate leads by 31 points, 87 to 56: a wide gap.
- Easy to rundotnet-starter-kit leads by 34 points, 67 to 33: a wide gap.
- Agent-readyEven at 70.
Pick next-js-boilerplate if you are
Developers starting a Next.js app with auth, database and tooling set up
- Runs locally with embedded PGlite database, no Docker or extra setup
- Broad dev tooling preconfigured: Vitest, Playwright, Storybook, Commitlint, Knip, i18n-check
Pick dotnet-starter-kit if you are
.NET teams building a multi-tenant SaaS who want owned source
- Full source scaffolded with project references, no hidden runtime NuGet packages
- Multitenancy, JWT/Identity auth, billing, auditing and webhooks already wired in
| What we compare | next-js-boilerplate | dotnet-starter-kit |
|---|---|---|
| Score parts, out of 100 | ||
| Adoption | 62, popular | 41, known |
| Freshness | 100, active | 100, active |
| Maintenance | 87, healthy | 56, fair |
| Easy to run | 33, some setup | 67, easy |
| Agent-ready | 70, partly | 70, partly |
| Facts from GitHub and the README | ||
| Stars | 13.1k | 6.8k |
| License | MIT (permissive) | MIT (permissive) |
| Last commit | Oct 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Last release | Oct 2026 | Jun 2026 |
| Language | TypeScript | C# |
| Docker | No | Yes |
| GPU | Not needed | Not needed |
| arm64 or Apple Silicon | Not stated | Not stated |
next-js-boilerplate
A clone-and-edit Next.js App Router starter in TypeScript with Tailwind CSS 4, Clerk authentication, and Drizzle ORM on PostgreSQL (PGlite locally, Neon suggested for production). It also wires in next-intl i18n, Vitest, Playwright, Storybook, Sentry, LogTape and Arcjet. It includes no AI features beyond agent instruction files and CodeRabbit review.
Who it is for: Developers starting a Next.js app with auth, database and tooling set up
Strengths
- Runs locally with embedded PGlite database, no Docker or extra setup
- Broad dev tooling preconfigured: Vitest, Playwright, Storybook, Commitlint, Knip, i18n-check
- Drizzle ORM supports PostgreSQL, SQLite and MySQL, with migration scripts
- Includes instruction files for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode and Copilot
Weaknesses
- Auth depends on a hosted Clerk account and API keys
- No billing; Stripe, teams, RBAC and shadcn UI are in the paid Pro kit
- No built-in AI features such as chat or model calls
- Many sponsor-linked services (Sentry, Arcjet, Crowdin, Better Stack) to configure or strip out
- TypeScript
- Needs Node.js 24+, npm, Clerk, PostgreSQL (PGlite locally, Neon optional), Sentry, Crowdin, Arcjet
- GitHub template
- ⚠️ .env file committed
- sign-in: Clerk
dotnet-starter-kit
A modular .NET 10 monolith using vertical slices, Mediator CQRS, EF Core on PostgreSQL and Finbuckle multitenancy. It ships Identity, Billing, Files, Webhooks, Auditing, Chat and other modules, plus admin and tenant React 19 apps. The fsh CLI or dotnet new scaffolds the full source, and .NET Aspire starts the stack locally.
Who it is for: .NET teams building a multi-tenant SaaS who want owned source
Strengths
- Full source scaffolded with project references, no hidden runtime NuGet packages
- Multitenancy, JWT/Identity auth, billing, auditing and webhooks already wired in
- 1,600+ backend tests and 200+ Playwright E2E tests, with NetArchTest boundary checks
- Docker Compose and AWS Terraform deployment included
Weaknesses
- No AI or LLM features described in the README
- PostgreSQL only; other databases are not mentioned
- Local stack needs .NET 10 SDK, Docker and Node 20+
- Many modules to learn and trim before it fits a smaller product
- C#
- Needs PostgreSQL, Valkey, RustFS (S3-compatible storage), .NET 10 SDK, Docker, Node 20+
- GitHub template
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