saasbrella vs MakerKit: A Detailed Comparison

MakerKit is a popular SaaS boilerplate for React and Next.js. You buy it, get the code, and build your SaaS. It’s a solid choice if you want full control and don’t mind setting everything up yourself.

saasbrella is different: it’s a managed SaaS platform — your app is already deployed and working. No setup, no configuration, no infrastructure management.

This guide compares both approaches: when MakerKit makes sense (full control), and when saasbrella makes sense (speed and simplicity).

MakerKit vs saasbrella (Head-to-Head)

Here’s how the two SaaS templates compare:

The Key Difference: Managed vs Self-Managed

MakerKit is a self-managed boilerplate. You buy the code, then:

1. Set up your own OAuth accounts (Google, GitHub, etc.)
2. Configure your own email service (Resend, SendGrid, etc.)
3. Set up your own database (Supabase, PostgreSQL, etc.)
4. Add your own API keys everywhere
5. Deploy the app yourself (Vercel, Railway, etc.)
6. Configure domain and SSL
7. Pay separately for hosting, database, email, etc.

saasbrella is a managed platform. You get:

1. Already deployed app — working from day one
2. OAuth configured — Google, GitHub, etc. working with our API keys
3. Email service integrated — verification emails, transactional emails, all working
4. Database set up — production database ready
5. Infrastructure included — hosting, SSL, deployment all managed
6. One monthly fee — everything included (except payments, which we plan to handle in the future)

What You Get with MakerKit

MakerKit (makerkit.dev) is a SaaS boilerplate with:

• One-time purchase — lifetime access to the codebase
• React/Next.js with TypeScript
• Authentication with Supabase Auth or Firebase
• Payments with Stripe integration
• Database with Supabase or Firebase
• UI components with Tailwind CSS
• Team management features
• Blog and documentation systems

What you need to do:

• Set up OAuth apps (Google, GitHub, etc.)
• Configure email provider (Resend, SendGrid, etc.)
• Set up database (Supabase, Firebase, etc.)
• Add API keys to environment variables
• Deploy to Vercel, Railway, or your preferred platform
• Configure domain and SSL
• Pay for hosting, database, email separately

Time to launch: Hours to days (depending on your setup experience)

What You Get with saasbrella

saasbrella is a managed SaaS platform:

• Monthly subscription ($19-39/month) — includes everything
• Already deployed — your app is live from day one
• OAuth working — Google, GitHub, etc. configured with our API keys
• Email working — verification, transactional emails all functional
• Database ready — production database set up and managed
• Infrastructure included — hosting, SSL, deployment all handled
• All features working — OAuth, 2FA, file upload, AI chat, payments, admin dashboard, RBAC, organizations, teams, calendar, waitlist
• AI-ready documentation — detailed docs for AI coding assistants

What you need to do:

• Sign up and start building
• (Payments: Currently you add your own Stripe/Lemon Squeezy keys, but we plan to handle payments in the future)

Time to launch: Already live — you can start using it immediately

The Setup Challenge with MakerKit

Here’s what setting up MakerKit actually looks like:

Step 1: OAuth Setup

• Create Google OAuth app in Google Cloud Console
• Create GitHub OAuth app in GitHub settings
• Configure redirect URIs
• Add client IDs and secrets to environment variables

Step 2: Email Service Setup

• Sign up for Resend, SendGrid, or another email provider
• Verify your domain
• Configure SPF/DKIM records
• Add API keys to environment variables

Step 3: Database Setup

• Sign up for Supabase or Firebase
• Create database and get connection string
• Run migrations
• Configure connection in your app

Step 4: Deployment

• Set up Vercel, Railway, or your hosting provider
• Configure environment variables
• Set up domain and SSL
• Deploy and debug any issues

Step 5: Payments (if using Stripe)

• Create Stripe account
• Get API keys
• Configure webhooks
• Test payment flow

Total time: 4-8 hours for experienced developers, 1-2 days for beginners. Plus ongoing costs for hosting, database, email.

The saasbrella Advantage: It Just Works

With saasbrella, you skip all the setup:

1. Sign up — your app is already deployed
2. OAuth works — Google, GitHub login functional with our keys
3. Email works — verification emails sent automatically
4. Database works — production database ready
5. Everything works — all features functional from day one

Total time: Minutes. You can start building your unique features immediately.

Ongoing costs: One monthly fee covers everything (hosting, database, email, SSL, deployment). No separate bills.

Pricing Comparison

MakerKit Pricing

• One-time purchase: Varies by plan
• Plus ongoing costs:
  • Hosting (Vercel): $20/month (Pro plan) or free (hobby)
  • Database (Supabase): $25/month (Pro) or free (limited)
  • Email (Resend): $20/month (Pro) or free (limited)
  • Domain: $10-15/year
  • Total: $45-70/month + one-time purchase

saasbrella Pricing

• Essential: $19/month (for individuals)
• Pro: $39/month (for teams)
• Everything included: hosting, database, email, SSL, deployment, infrastructure
• Note: Payments currently require your own Stripe/Lemon Squeezy keys (we plan to handle payments like Shopify Payments in the future)

The difference: MakerKit is cheaper upfront but requires setup and separate infrastructure costs. saasbrella is more expensive monthly but includes everything and works immediately.

When to Choose MakerKit

Choose MakerKit if:

• You want full control over your infrastructure
• You’re comfortable setting up OAuth, email, database, and deployment
• You want to own the code completely (one-time purchase)
• You prefer managing your own hosting and services
• You have time to spend on setup and configuration
• You want to customize the infrastructure stack

MakerKit is great for: Experienced developers who want a solid React/Next.js boilerplate and don’t mind the setup work.

When to Choose saasbrella

Choose saasbrella if:

• You want to start building immediately (no setup)
• You want everything working out of the box
• You prefer managed infrastructure (like Shopify for SaaS)
• You want one monthly fee instead of multiple bills
• You want to focus on your product, not infrastructure
• You want AI-ready documentation for coding assistants

saasbrella is great for: Developers and founders who want to launch fast and focus on building unique features, not managing infrastructure.

The Future: Payments

Current state:

• MakerKit: Includes Stripe integration, you add your own keys
• saasbrella: Includes Stripe + Lemon Squeezy integration, you add your own keys

Future plans:

• saasbrella: We plan to handle payments like Shopify Payments — you’ll be able to accept payments without setting up your own Stripe account. We’ll handle the payment processing and you’ll get paid directly.

This is similar to how Shopify handles payments for their merchants. You won’t need to manage payment infrastructure at all.

FAQ: saasbrella vs MakerKit

1. Can I customize saasbrella like I can with MakerKit?

Yes. saasbrella gives you full access to the codebase. You can customize everything — UI, features, business logic, everything. The difference is that saasbrella is already deployed and working, so you can customize it while it’s live.

2. Do I own the code with saasbrella?

Yes. You have full access to your codebase and can export it anytime. saasbrella is a managed platform, but you own your code.

3. What if I want to self-host saasbrella?

You can. saasbrella is built on Wasp framework, and you can export your code and self-host if you want. But most users prefer the managed platform because it’s easier and includes everything.

4. Which is better for beginners?

saasbrella is better for beginners because:

• No setup required — everything works immediately
• No infrastructure management — we handle it
• No multiple accounts to set up — OAuth, email, database all configured
• Focus on building features, not infrastructure

MakerKit requires more technical knowledge to set up OAuth, email, database, and deployment.

5. Can I use MakerKit code with saasbrella?

No. They’re different platforms (React/Next.js vs Wasp). But you can use the same AI coding assistants (Cursor, Claude Code) with both to build features.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose MakerKit if:

• You want a one-time purchase and full code ownership
• You’re comfortable setting up infrastructure yourself
• You want to manage your own hosting, database, and email
• You prefer React/Next.js over Wasp framework
• You have time for setup and configuration

Choose saasbrella if:

• You want to start building immediately (no setup)
• You want managed infrastructure (everything included)
• You want to focus on features, not infrastructure
• You prefer one monthly fee over multiple bills
• You want AI-ready documentation for coding assistants

The bottom line: MakerKit is a great boilerplate if you want full control and don’t mind setup. saasbrella is a managed platform that works immediately — perfect if you want to launch fast and focus on your product.