saasbrella vs ShipFast: Managed Platform vs Boilerplate

ShipFast is a popular SaaS boilerplate designed for rapid MVP launches. You buy it, get the code, and ship fast. It’s a solid choice if you want to move quickly 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 ShipFast makes sense (rapid shipping), and when saasbrella makes sense (instant launch).

ShipFast vs saasbrella (Head-to-Head)

Here’s how the two SaaS boilerplates compare:

The Key Difference: Managed vs Self-Managed

ShipFast 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 ShipFast

ShipFast (shipfa.st) is a SaaS boilerplate designed for rapid MVP launches:

• One-time purchase — lifetime access to the codebase
• Next.js with TypeScript
• Authentication with NextAuth.js
• Payments with Stripe integration
• Database with Prisma and PostgreSQL
• Email with Resend integration
• Landing page and marketing pages
• Admin dashboard for user management

What you need to do:

• Set up OAuth apps (Google, GitHub, etc.)
• Configure email provider (Resend, SendGrid, etc.)
• Set up database (Supabase, PostgreSQL, 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 (ShipFast is designed to be fast, but you still need to set up infrastructure)

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 like Shopify Payments in the future)

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

The Setup Challenge with ShipFast

Here’s what setting up ShipFast 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 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 set up PostgreSQL
• Create database and get connection string
• Run Prisma 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. ShipFast is designed to be fast, but infrastructure setup still takes time. 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

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

When to Choose ShipFast

Choose ShipFast if:

• You want to ship an MVP fast (but don’t mind setup)
• 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

ShipFast is great for: Developers who want a rapid MVP boilerplate and don’t mind the infrastructure 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 instantly and focus on building unique features, not managing infrastructure.

The Future: Payments

Current state:

• ShipFast: 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 ShipFast

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

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

ShipFast requires more technical knowledge to set up OAuth, email, database, and deployment, even though it’s designed to be fast.

5. Can I use ShipFast code with saasbrella?

No. They’re different platforms (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 ShipFast 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 Next.js over Wasp framework
• You have time for setup and configuration (even if it’s fast)

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: ShipFast is a great boilerplate for rapid MVPs if you don’t mind setup. saasbrella is a managed platform that works immediately — perfect if you want to launch instantly and focus on your product.