SaaS Starter KitvsShipFast

BoxyHQ's SaaS Starter Kit (free, open source) and ShipFast ($149) target opposite ends of the SaaS market. SaaS Starter Kit is enterprise-focused — it includes SAML SSO, directory sync (SCIM), team management, and audit logs. These are features that enterprise customers require before signing contracts. ShipFast is indie hacker-focused — landing pages, simple auth, Stripe payments, and MongoDB, optimized for launching consumer-facing products quickly.

If you're building a product that will sell to businesses (companies with 50+ employees, compliance requirements, IT procurement processes), SaaS Starter Kit's enterprise features are invaluable. SAML SSO alone can take 2-4 weeks to implement correctly, and enterprises won't evaluate your product without it. ShipFast has no enterprise auth, no SCIM, no audit logs — adding these features later is a significant engineering investment.

For consumer products, side projects, and indie hacker MVPs, ShipFast's simplicity wins. You don't need SAML SSO for a personal productivity tool. ShipFast's polished landing page and email integration get you from zero to launched faster than SaaS Starter Kit's more complex setup.

Choose SaaS Starter Kit if you're building for enterprise customers and need SSO, directory sync, and audit capabilities from day one. Choose ShipFast if you're building consumer-facing or indie hacker products where speed to launch matters more than enterprise compliance features.