start-ui-web vs next-js-boilerplate
Two of the top projects in SaaS and app starters, side by side: who leads on each score part and who each one suits, then setup, license, activity and what each review found.
start-ui-web
TanStack Start web app starter with oRPC, Prisma, Better Auth and shadcn/ui
next-js-boilerplate
Next.js 16 starter with Clerk auth, Drizzle ORM, Tailwind 4 and tooling
Verdict
start-ui-web ranks higher, 72 to 71. Of the 4 score parts we measure for both, start-ui-web leads on 1, next-js-boilerplate on 2 and 1 is even.
- Adoptionnext-js-boilerplate leads by 58 points, 77 to 19: a wide gap.
- FreshnessEven at 100.
- MaintenanceWe do not score start-ui-web on this; next-js-boilerplate has 86.
- Easy to runstart-ui-web leads by 67 points, 100 to 33: a wide gap.
- Agent-readynext-js-boilerplate leads by 40 points, 70 to 30: a wide gap.
Pick start-ui-web if you are
Teams starting a TypeScript React web app who want a full-stack base
- Auth, Prisma/PostgreSQL, S3-compatible storage and email run locally through a Docker Compose stack
- Includes Storybook, Vitest and Playwright E2E, plus react-email templates with a preview server
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
| What we compare | start-ui-web | next-js-boilerplate |
|---|---|---|
| Score parts, out of 100 | ||
| Adoption | 19, niche | 77, popular |
| Freshness | 100, active | 100, active |
| Maintenance | Not scored for this kind | 86, healthy |
| Easy to run | 100, very easy | 33, some setup |
| Agent-ready | 30, minimal | 70, partly |
| Facts from GitHub and the README | ||
| Stars | 1.8k | 13.1k |
| License | MIT (permissive) | MIT (permissive) |
| Last commit | Oct 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Last release | None published | Oct 2026 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Docker | Yes | No |
| GPU | Not needed | Not needed |
| arm64 or Apple Silicon | Not stated | Not stated |
start-ui-web
Full-stack web starter from BearStudio, scaffolded with `pnpm create start-ui -t web`. It combines TanStack Start, React, Tailwind, shadcn/ui, oRPC, Prisma on PostgreSQL and Better Auth, with Storybook, Vitest and Playwright set up. It has no AI features of its own; it is a general web app boilerplate.
Who it is for: Teams starting a TypeScript React web app who want a full-stack base
Strengths
- Auth, Prisma/PostgreSQL, S3-compatible storage and email run locally through a Docker Compose stack
- Includes Storybook, Vitest and Playwright E2E, plus react-email templates with a preview server
- Generates OpenAPI docs for the backend at /api/openapi/app
- Production Dockerfile runs as non-root user on port 3000 with a HEALTHCHECK
Weaknesses
- No AI or model integration in the README; it is a generic web starter
- Billing is not mentioned in the README
- Needs Node.js 22 or newer, pnpm, and Docker or a PostgreSQL database
- Uses the TypeScript 7 native compiler, so editors need a separate extension to match CI
- TypeScript
- Needs Node.js >= 22, pnpm, PostgreSQL, Docker, S3-compatible storage, SMTP server
- GitHub template
- Docker
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
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