wails 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.
wails
Framework for building desktop apps with a Go backend and web frontend
next-js-boilerplate
Next.js 16 starter with Clerk auth, Drizzle ORM, Tailwind 4 and tooling
Verdict
wails ranks higher, 93 to 85. Of the 4 score parts we measure for both, wails leads on 2, next-js-boilerplate on none and 2 are even.
- Adoptionwails leads by 16 points, 91 to 75: a wide gap.
- FreshnessEven at 100.
- Maintenancewails leads by 12 points, 98 to 86.
- Agent-readyEven at 70.
Pick wails if you are
Go developers who want a lightweight desktop app with a web UI
- Uses native rendering engines, so no bundled browser as in Electron
- Auto-generated TypeScript definitions for Go structs and methods
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 | wails | next-js-boilerplate |
|---|---|---|
| Score parts, out of 100 | ||
| Adoption | 91, widely used | 75, popular |
| Freshness | 100, active | 100, active |
| Maintenance | 98, healthy | 86, healthy |
| Agent-ready | 70, partly | 70, partly |
| Facts from GitHub and the README | ||
| Stars | 36.9k | 13.1k |
| License | MIT (permissive) | MIT (permissive) |
| Last commit | Nov 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Last release | Nov 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Docker | No | No |
| GPU | Not needed | Not needed |
| arm64 or Apple Silicon | Not stated | Not stated |
wails
Wails packages Go code and an HTML/JS/CSS frontend into a single desktop binary, using the operating system's native webview instead of an embedded browser. A CLI handles project creation, compilation and bundling, and Go methods can be called from JavaScript with generated TypeScript definitions. It has no AI features; it is a general desktop app framework and fits this list only loosely.
Who it is for: Go developers who want a lightweight desktop app with a web UI
Strengths
- Uses native rendering engines, so no bundled browser as in Electron
- Auto-generated TypeScript definitions for Go structs and methods
- Works with any frontend stack, with pre-built project templates
- Native dialogs, menus, dark/light mode and window translucency effects
Weaknesses
- No AI, model or agent functionality; off-topic for this list
- Backend must be written in Go
- Two active versions (v2 and v3) with separate install paths and docs
- Go
- Needs Go toolchain
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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