djaodjin Review 2026: Open Source Django SaaS Framework

TL;DR

djaodjin is a battle-tested open-source Django SaaS framework with 10+ years of production use. It handles multi-tenancy, subscription billing, RBAC, and email — all the hard parts of SaaS — in a conventional Django package. Free and MIT licensed. Best for Python teams building B2B SaaS who want conventions and a mature codebase over a fresh startup stack.

What djaodjin Is

djaodjin is not a starter template — it's a set of reusable Django apps:

• djaodjin-saas: Subscription billing, multi-tenancy, plans
• djaodjin-signup: Authentication with magic links + social auth
• djaodjin-pages: Editable landing pages
• djaodjin-rules: Rule-based access control
• djaodjin-survey: Survey and form builder

Used together, they form a complete SaaS platform.

---

Installation and Setup

# settings.py — adding djaodjin components
INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    # djaodjin apps
    'saas',
    'signup',
    'rules',
]

# saas configuration
SAAS = {
    'PROCESSOR_BACKEND': 'saas.backends.stripe_processor.StripeProcessor',
    'BROKER': {
        'GET': 'saas.utils.get_broker',
    },
}

---

Multi-Tenancy Model

djaodjin uses an "organization" model for multi-tenancy:

# models are provided by djaodjin-saas
from saas.models import Organization, Subscription

# Get all active subscribers for a plan
active_subscribers = Organization.objects.filter(
    subscriptions__plan__slug='professional',
    subscriptions__ends_at__gte=timezone.now(),
)

# Create a new organization subscription
from saas.utils import get_broker, get_or_create_stripe_customer
from saas import settings as saas_settings

def subscribe_organization(organization, plan):
    subscriber = Subscription.objects.new_instance(
        organization,
        plan=plan,
    )
    subscriber.save()
    return subscriber

---

Plan and Billing Configuration

# Define plans in the database via fixtures or admin
# fixtures/plans.json
[
  {
    "model": "saas.plan",
    "fields": {
      "slug": "starter",
      "title": "Starter",
      "description": "For individuals and small teams",
      "period_amount": 2900,  # $29.00 in cents
      "interval": 4,          # Monthly
      "unit": "mo",
      "max_subscribers": 1,
      "is_active": true
    }
  },
  {
    "model": "saas.plan",
    "fields": {
      "slug": "professional",
      "title": "Professional",
      "period_amount": 9900,  # $99.00
      "interval": 4,
      "unit": "mo",
      "max_subscribers": 5,
      "is_active": true
    }
  }
]

---

Access Control

# djaodjin-rules: URL-based access control
# urls.py
from rules.urldecorators import is_authenticated, is_contributor_to

urlpatterns = [
    # Requires authentication
    path('dashboard/', is_authenticated(DashboardView.as_view())),

    # Requires organization membership
    path(
        'organizations/<slug:organization>/billing/',
        is_contributor_to('organization')(BillingView.as_view())
    ),
]

# In views.py — programmatic access check
from rules.mixins import RulesMixin

class ProjectView(RulesMixin, DetailView):
    model = Project
    rule_prefixes = ['project']

    def get_accessible_projects(self):
        return Project.objects.accessible_to(self.request.user)

---

API Views

djaodjin integrates with Django REST Framework:

# api/v1/organizations.py
from rest_framework.viewsets import ModelViewSet
from rest_framework.decorators import action
from rest_framework.response import Response
from saas.models import Organization
from saas.serializers import OrganizationSerializer

class OrganizationViewSet(ModelViewSet):
    serializer_class = OrganizationSerializer

    def get_queryset(self):
        return Organization.objects.accessible_to(self.request.user)

    @action(detail=True, methods=['post'])
    def invite_member(self, request, pk=None):
        organization = self.get_object()
        # Invitation logic via djaodjin-signup
        email = request.data['email']
        from signup.utils import invite_user
        invite_user(email=email, organization=organization)
        return Response({'status': 'invited'})

---

djaodjin vs FastAPI Template vs Node.js

Factor	djaodjin	FastAPI Template	Next.js (ShipFast)
Maturity	10+ years	3+ years	3+ years
Multi-tenancy	Built-in	Manual	Manual or Makerkit
Billing	Built-in	Manual	Built-in
Frontend	Django templates	React SPA	Next.js
Type safety	Python typehints	Pydantic	TypeScript
Admin	Django admin	Basic	Varies
Learning curve	Medium	Low-Medium	Low-Medium
Community	Python/Django	Python/FastAPI	JavaScript

djaodjin's 10-year production track record is its biggest advantage.

---

The Django Advantage in 2026

Django's strengths remain relevant:

1. ORM: Django ORM is still excellent for complex relational queries
2. Admin: Django admin + djaodjin conventions give powerful admin tools
3. Security: Django's security defaults are battle-tested
4. Conventions: Any Django developer can navigate a djaodjin app
5. Data science: Seamless integration with pandas, numpy, sklearn

# Example: complex business logic is readable in Django
from django.db.models import Sum, Count, Avg, Q
from django.utils import timezone

def get_mrr_report():
    return Subscription.objects.filter(
        ends_at__gte=timezone.now(),
        plan__interval=Plan.MONTHLY,
    ).aggregate(
        mrr=Sum('plan__period_amount') / 100,
        subscriber_count=Count('organization'),
        avg_plan_value=Avg('plan__period_amount') / 100,
    )

---

Limitations

• Not a starter kit: More of a framework extension — requires Django knowledge
• Frontend: Django templates by default (React requires extra setup)
• Documentation: Functional but less polished than commercial alternatives
• Deployment: Requires a server (no serverless)
• Slower API: Django REST Framework is slower than FastAPI for pure API work

---

Who Should Use djaodjin

Good fit:

• Python/Django teams building B2B SaaS
• Products where billing + multi-tenancy are complex (enterprise)
• Teams who want proven, production-hardened SaaS code
• Applications with significant data analysis requirements

Bad fit:

• Teams new to Django (learning curve before productivity)
• Products needing modern JavaScript frontend
• Serverless deployment environments
• Teams choosing between Python and JavaScript (JavaScript ecosystem is larger)

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Final Verdict

Rating: 3.5/5

djaodjin is underrated in the boilerplate ecosystem — it's one of the most mature open-source SaaS frameworks available. The billing, multi-tenancy, and access control are production-proven. The trade-offs are documentation quality and the Django learning curve. For Python teams building serious B2B SaaS, it's worth serious consideration.

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Compare Django and other Python SaaS starters on StarterPick.