Indie Kit (SvelteKit) vs Indie Starter (Next.js)
Built for One-Person Teams
Not every SaaS needs multi-tenancy, team management, or enterprise RBAC. Some products are built by one person, for one person's audience. The boilerplate should reflect that.
Indie Kit (SvelteKit) and Indie Starter (Next.js) are built specifically for solo founders. They strip away enterprise complexity — no org management, no complex role systems, no features you'll delete on day one — and focus on what indie hackers actually need: auth, payments, a landing page, and a clean dashboard.
The difference is the framework underneath. Indie Kit bets on SvelteKit's simpler mental model and smaller bundles. Indie Starter bets on Next.js's massive ecosystem and hiring pool. Both are right, depending on what you value.
TL;DR
Indie Kit uses SvelteKit with a focus on simplicity, performance, and developer experience — smaller bundles, less boilerplate code, faster iteration. Indie Starter uses Next.js with the ecosystem advantage — more tutorials, more components, easier to find help. Both target solo developers with streamlined feature sets. Choose Indie Kit if you value DX and performance. Choose Indie Starter if you want ecosystem safety.
Key Takeaways
- Both target solo founders — minimal features, no enterprise bloat, fast to customize.
- SvelteKit vs Next.js is the core choice. Svelte's reactivity model means less code for the same UI. Next.js means more resources when you're stuck.
- Indie Kit has smaller bundle sizes — SvelteKit compiles away the framework. Typical pages ship 30-50% less JavaScript than equivalent Next.js pages.
- Indie Starter has more ecosystem support. More shadcn/ui components, more tutorials, more Stack Overflow answers.
- Both include Stripe, auth, and email — the indie essentials are covered in both.
- Indie Kit may have a steeper learning curve if you're coming from React. Svelte's syntax is different (but arguably simpler once learned).
Feature Comparison
What's Included
| Feature | Indie Kit (SvelteKit) | Indie Starter (Next.js) |
|---|---|---|
| Auth | SvelteKit Auth | NextAuth.js |
| OAuth providers | Google, GitHub | Google, GitHub, more |
| Magic link | Yes | Yes |
| Stripe subscriptions | Yes | Yes |
| One-time payments | Yes | Yes |
| Landing page | Yes | Yes |
| Dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Email (transactional) | Resend | Resend |
| Blog/content | Markdown-based | MDX |
| SEO | Built-in meta | Next.js metadata API |
| Dark mode | Yes | Yes |
| Analytics | Plausible/Umami | Vercel Analytics |
| i18n | No | No |
| Multi-tenancy | No | No |
| RBAC | No | No |
| Admin panel | Minimal | Minimal |
The feature sets are intentionally similar and intentionally limited. Neither tries to be everything — they're launch pads, not finished products.
What's Deliberately Left Out
Both starters make the same strategic omission: no team/organization management. This keeps the data model simple (users → subscriptions → resources) and avoids the multi-tenancy complexity that most indie products never need.
No RBAC, no invite system, no workspace switching. If you need those, you need a different boilerplate.
Architecture Comparison
Indie Kit (SvelteKit)
src/
├── routes/
│ ├── (marketing)/ # Landing, pricing, blog
│ │ ├── +page.svelte
│ │ └── pricing/
│ ├── (app)/ # Authenticated dashboard
│ │ ├── dashboard/
│ │ └── settings/
│ └── api/ # API endpoints
│ ├── webhooks/
│ └── auth/
├── lib/
│ ├── components/ # UI components
│ ├── server/ # Server-only code
│ └── stores/ # Svelte stores
└── hooks.server.ts # Auth middleware
SvelteKit's file-based routing with route groups keeps marketing pages separate from app pages. The +page.svelte convention is straightforward. Server-side logic lives in +page.server.ts files or +server.ts API routes.
Svelte's reactivity means less code per component:
<script>
let count = $state(0);
let doubled = $derived(count * 2);
</script>
<button onclick={() => count++}>
{count} (doubled: {doubled})
</button>
No useState, no useEffect, no useMemo. Svelte's compiler handles reactivity without runtime hooks.
Indie Starter (Next.js)
src/
├── app/
│ ├── (marketing)/ # Landing, pricing, blog
│ │ ├── page.tsx
│ │ └── pricing/
│ ├── (app)/ # Authenticated dashboard
│ │ ├── dashboard/
│ │ └── settings/
│ └── api/ # API routes
│ ├── webhooks/
│ └── auth/
├── components/ # React components
├── lib/ # Utilities
└── middleware.ts # Auth middleware
Standard Next.js App Router structure. React Server Components for data fetching, client components for interactivity.
"use client";
import { useState, useMemo } from "react";
export function Counter() {
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
const doubled = useMemo(() => count * 2, [count]);
return (
<button onClick={() => setCount(c => c + 1)}>
{count} (doubled: {doubled})
</button>
);
}
More verbose but instantly familiar to any React developer.
Performance
Bundle Size
This is where SvelteKit consistently wins.
| Page Type | Indie Kit (SvelteKit) | Indie Starter (Next.js) |
|---|---|---|
| Landing page | ~45 KB JS | ~85 KB JS |
| Dashboard (simple) | ~60 KB JS | ~120 KB JS |
| Settings page | ~35 KB JS | ~80 KB JS |
| Blog post | ~20 KB JS | ~70 KB JS |
SvelteKit compiles components to vanilla JavaScript — no framework runtime shipped to the browser. Next.js ships React's runtime (~40 KB minified + gzipped) on every page.
For an indie SaaS where every millisecond of load time affects conversion, this matters. A faster landing page means more signups. A faster dashboard means happier users.
Server Performance
Both use server-side rendering. SvelteKit's load functions and Next.js's server components achieve similar TTFB (Time to First Byte). The difference shows in:
- Hydration time: SvelteKit hydrates faster because there's less JavaScript to execute
- Interaction readiness: SvelteKit pages become interactive sooner
- Memory usage: SvelteKit apps typically use less server memory
Lighthouse Scores
Typical scores for a starter kit landing page:
| Metric | Indie Kit | Indie Starter |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | 98-100 | 92-97 |
| Accessibility | 95-100 | 95-100 |
| Best Practices | 100 | 100 |
| SEO | 100 | 100 |
Both score well. Indie Kit's edge comes from smaller JS payloads affecting the Performance score.
Developer Experience
Learning Curve
If you know React: Indie Starter is immediately productive. Indie Kit requires learning Svelte syntax (1-2 days for a React developer), SvelteKit's routing conventions, and the $state/$derived runes system.
If you're framework-agnostic: Indie Kit is arguably simpler. Svelte's component model is closer to plain HTML/CSS/JS. No JSX, no hooks, no useEffect dependency arrays to debug.
Iteration Speed
Svelte's compiler provides better DX feedback:
- Unused CSS is flagged at compile time
- Accessibility warnings are built into the compiler
- Reactivity errors are caught before runtime
Next.js has:
- Better TypeScript integration with its router
- More mature error overlays
- More debugging tools available
Component Libraries
| Library | SvelteKit Support | Next.js Support |
|---|---|---|
| shadcn/ui | ✅ (shadcn-svelte) | ✅ Native |
| Tailwind CSS | ✅ Full | ✅ Full |
| Radix UI | ❌ (Melt UI instead) | ✅ Full |
| Headless UI | ❌ | ✅ Full |
| Framer Motion | ❌ (Svelte transitions) | ✅ Full |
Next.js has a significant advantage in component library availability. shadcn/ui (the most popular component library for SaaS dashboards) has a Svelte port, but the React version is more complete and updated faster.
Deployment
| Platform | Indie Kit | Indie Starter |
|---|---|---|
| Vercel | ✅ Works | ✅ Optimized |
| Netlify | ✅ Works | ✅ Works |
| Cloudflare Pages | ✅ Excellent | ⚠️ Limited |
| Railway | ✅ Works | ✅ Works |
| Docker | ✅ Works | ✅ Works |
| Static export | ✅ Adapter-static | ✅ output: 'export' |
SvelteKit's adapter system gives it an edge for edge deployment on Cloudflare Pages/Workers. Indie Kit running on Cloudflare's edge network (300+ global PoPs) delivers sub-50ms responses worldwide — impressive for a solo-founder budget.
Cost Comparison for Indie Hackers
| Service | Indie Kit Setup | Indie Starter Setup |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Cloudflare Pages: $0 | Vercel: $0 (hobby) |
| Database | Turso: $0 (free tier) | Neon: $0 (free tier) |
| Auth | Built-in | Built-in |
| Resend: $0 (100/day) | Resend: $0 (100/day) | |
| Analytics | Plausible Cloud: $9/mo | Vercel Analytics: $0 |
| Monthly total | $0-9/mo | $0/mo |
Both can run a production SaaS for $0-9/month until you hit significant traffic. The indie hacker dream.
When to Choose Each
Choose Indie Kit If:
- Performance is a priority — smaller bundles, faster loads, better Core Web Vitals
- You want less code — Svelte's reactivity model means fewer lines for the same functionality
- You deploy to the edge — SvelteKit + Cloudflare is an exceptional combo for global performance
- You enjoy learning — Svelte's programming model is genuinely different and many developers find it more enjoyable
- You're building something simple — a solo product where the ecosystem gap matters less
Choose Indie Starter If:
- You already know React and don't want to learn a new framework for your MVP
- Ecosystem access matters — more components, more tutorials, more Stack Overflow answers
- You might hire eventually — finding a React developer is dramatically easier than finding a Svelte developer
- You want Vercel's platform — the integration is seamless and the free tier is generous
- You're building alongside other React projects — shared knowledge and component reuse
Either Works If:
- You're a solo founder building a focused SaaS product
- You need auth + payments + dashboard and not much else
- You want to ship fast without enterprise complexity
- Your product's success depends on your idea, not your framework choice
The Indie Hacker Reality Check
Here's what most framework comparisons won't tell you: for an indie SaaS, the framework choice accounts for maybe 5% of your product's success. The other 95% is:
- Does the product solve a real problem?
- Can you reach the people who have that problem?
- Will they pay enough to sustain development?
Both Indie Kit and Indie Starter give you a functional starting point in an afternoon. Pick the one that makes you excited to code, because as a solo founder, your motivation is the scarcest resource.
If Svelte's simplicity energizes you — choose Indie Kit. If React's familiarity comforts you — choose Indie Starter. Then stop comparing frameworks and start talking to customers.
Compare Indie Kit, Indie Starter, and 50+ other boilerplates on StarterPick — find the right starter for your solo project.
Check out this boilerplate
View Indie Kit on StarterPick →