Comparisons
How StartupKit compares to other solutions
See how StartupKit compares to other popular solutions for building applications.
vs. Create Next App
| StartupKit | Create Next App | |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | ✅ Built-in | ❌ DIY |
| Analytics | ✅ Built-in | ❌ DIY |
| Database | ✅ Configured | ❌ DIY |
| UI Components | ✅ Shadcn/ui | ❌ DIY |
| Monorepo | ✅ Turborepo | ❌ Single app |
| ✅ React Email | ❌ DIY | |
| SEO Utilities | ✅ Built-in | ❌ Basic |
Verdict: Create Next App is great for learning or simple projects. StartupKit is for production applications built with AI assistance.
vs. T3 Stack
| StartupKit | T3 Stack | |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | ✅ Better Auth | ✅ NextAuth |
| Analytics | ✅ Built-in | ❌ DIY |
| Database | ✅ Drizzle | ✅ Prisma/Drizzle |
| UI Components | ✅ Shadcn/ui | ❌ DIY |
| Monorepo | ✅ Built-in | ❌ Single app |
| Type Safety | ✅ Full | ✅ Full (tRPC) |
| API Layer | REST/Server Actions | tRPC |
Verdict: T3 is excellent for tRPC-based apps. StartupKit provides more out-of-the-box and is optimized for AI-assisted development.
vs. Shipped / Shipfast / Other Boilerplates
| StartupKit | Paid Boilerplates | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $199-499 |
| Open Source | ✅ Yes | ❌ Usually not |
| Updates | ✅ Continuous | ⚠️ Varies |
| Customizable | ✅ Fully | ⚠️ Varies |
| AI-Ready | ✅ Yes | ❌ Usually not |
| Monorepo | ✅ Yes | ❌ Usually not |
| CLI Tools | ✅ Yes | ❌ Usually not |
Verdict: Paid boilerplates can be good, but StartupKit offers more flexibility and is free.
vs. Building From Scratch
| StartupKit | From Scratch | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to First Feature | Hours | Weeks |
| Auth Setup | 5 minutes | 2-5 days |
| Analytics Setup | 5 minutes | 1-2 days |
| UI Components | Ready | Days to weeks |
| Maintenance | Shared | All on you |
| Best Practices | Built-in | Research required |
Verdict: Building from scratch teaches you a lot, but you'll spend weeks before writing product code.
Feature Matrix
| Feature | StartupKit | Next.js | T3 | Remix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| React 19 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Server Components | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ |
| Authentication | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Analytics | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Database ORM | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| UI Library | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Email Templates | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Monorepo | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| CLI Tooling | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| SEO Utilities | ✅ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ⚠️ |
When to Use Something Else
StartupKit isn't the right choice for every project:
- Static sites → Use Astro or plain Next.js
- Mobile apps → Use Expo or React Native directly
- E-commerce → Consider Shopify or Medusa
- Heavy tRPC usage → T3 Stack may be better
- Learning React → Start with Vite or follow the React tutorial
Still Have Questions?
- Quick Start - Try it yourself
- GitHub Discussions - Ask the community