Getting started

From zero to a running app in about 10 minutes.

You need: Node 24 or newer, git, and a PostgreSQL database (Neon has a free tier).

1. Clone and install

git clone https://github.com/openstarterkit/nextjs-saas-starter-kit.git
cd nextjs-saas-starter-kit
npm install

2. Start it

npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000. There is no database yet, so the page lists the steps left and marks the one you are on. It appears in development only, until the database is ready.

3. Create a database, then fill `.env.local`

Create a PostgreSQL database and copy the connection string it gives you. On Neon that is the pooled one, and it ends with ?sslmode=require: change that to ?sslmode=verify-full, the stricter mode, or Node prints an SSL warning at every start.

cp .env.example .env.local      # Command Prompt on Windows: copy .env.example .env.local

Two values are enough for the first run:

.env.local

DATABASE_URL="postgresql://..."   # the connection string from your database
AUTH_SECRET="..."                 # any random value; generate one with the command below

node -e "console.log(require('crypto').randomBytes(32).toString('base64url'))"

Paste what it prints between the quotes of AUTH_SECRET.

Leave DIRECT_URL as it is: the kit does not read it, and it ships in the example only because some hosts set it for you.

Everything else (OAuth, Stripe, email) can wait: the kit degrades gracefully and each feature turns on when its variables are set. The full reference is in Configuration.

4. Create the tables

npx prisma migrate deploy   # applies the committed migrations
npx prisma db seed          # six example plans, one inactive (edit prisma/seed.ts later)

Both read .env.local, the same file the app reads.

Restart npm run dev and open the site again. Click Sign in: in development the login page has a Dev Login (Admin) button, which needs no OAuth app and lands you in the dashboard as an admin.

6. Next steps

Real sign-in methods (Google, GitHub, magic link, email + password): Configuration and Authentication
Payments and webhooks: the Stripe section of Configuration
Make it yours: your brand lives in src/config/site.ts and src/components/logo.tsx; swap those two files and the whole app (metadata, navbar, footer, emails, legal pages) follows
Ship it: Deployment