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SuperFast vs ShipFast: Which Next.js SaaS Kit Wins in 2026?

Both kits promise the same thing: ship a SaaS in a weekend instead of a month. Both use Next.js. Both ship Stripe. The differences live in price, opinions, and where each one leaves you holding the bag. This is a feature-by-feature teardown — not a marketing spec sheet — so you can pick without buying twice.

Updated Apr 23, 2026 · Written for indie hackers choosing between superfast and shipfast in 2026

Price and license difference

ShipFast sits at 299 USD for a lifetime license. SuperFast sits at 49 USD for the Indie Developer plan and 79 USD for Startup. If you are early, the 250 USD gap matters. If you are funded and want everything pre-wired, the delta is rounding error.

Stack and default opinions

ShipFast assumes Mongo and NextAuth with magic links. SuperFast assumes MongoDB, NextAuth, and Dodo Payments in addition to Stripe. Both are JS-first, TypeScript-default, Tailwind-styled. If you want Postgres out of the box, neither is the right pick — look at Makerkit.

Developer experience at hour zero

ShipFast ships with a Notion-like docs site and a heavily commented codebase. SuperFast ships with a pared-back repo, external docs at docs.superfa.st, and fewer abstractions — you read less code but you also write more glue for anything exotic.

SuperFast vs ShipFast — direct feature comparison

OptionSuperFastShipFast
Starting price49 USD299 USD
Lifetime updatesStartup plan onlyYes
FrameworkNext.js 15Next.js 14 (migrating)
AuthNextAuth, OAuth, Magic LinksNextAuth, Magic Link
PaymentsStripe + Dodo PaymentsStripe only
DatabaseMongoDB / SupabaseMongoDB
EmailResend + React EmailResend
Legal docsAI-generated terms, privacy, imprintManual
CommunityDiscord (Startup plan)Large Discord

Primary column: name

Where each option actually breaks down

Pick SuperFast if

You are bootstrapped, want a Stripe + Dodo fallback, need AI-generated legal docs, and are happy writing a bit of glue yourself.

Pick ShipFast if

You have 300 USD to spend up front, want the largest indie community around a boilerplate, and prefer more abstractions pre-built.

Skip both if

You need multi-tenant B2B, seat-based billing, or Postgres-first relational modeling. Go to Makerkit Turbo instead.

Frequently asked questions

Is SuperFast a ShipFast clone?
No. SuperFast is a separate Next.js 15 boilerplate with its own component library, its own Stripe + Dodo Payments integration, and a cheaper entry price at 49 USD.
Which has better documentation?
ShipFast ships heavier in-repo documentation. SuperFast externalizes docs at docs.superfa.st and ships with fewer abstractions to learn.
Do both support Next.js 15 App Router?
SuperFast is Next.js 15 App Router-native. ShipFast is on Next.js 14 and transitioning — check the current release before buying if App Router is a hard requirement.
Which has lifetime updates?
ShipFast includes lifetime updates in its 299 USD license. SuperFast includes lifetime updates in the Startup plan at 79 USD, not the 49 USD Indie Developer plan.
Can I migrate from ShipFast to SuperFast?
The auth and payment layers are close enough that migrating mid-project is feasible in a weekend. The UI component library differs, so expect to rewrite landing pages and dashboards.

Keep reading

Ready to skip the comparison loop?

SuperFast starts at 49 USD and ships with Stripe, NextAuth, MongoDB, Resend, and AI-generated legal docs. One license, unlimited projects.