Next.js 16 boilerplates compared: ShipFast, MakerKit and CREA.MBA

If you've decided not to write auth from scratch and want a Next.js boilerplate, the three most-discussed options in 2026 are ShipFast, MakerKit, and CREA.MBA. All three start from the same promise (saving you the first 4-6 weeks), but with different philosophies. This comparison lays them out side by side without diplomacy. What each one does, which type of product it fits. ## Each one's philosophy ### ShipFast: speed above all ShipFast is designed so that an indie hacker can ship an MVP in a weekend. Philosophy: give me the minimum viable and let me go. Opinionated stack, ready-made templates, huge community. You see it in how the code is organized: many loose files, decisions made for you, few abstractions. ### MakerKit: completeness for B2B MakerKit assumes you'll build an enterprise SaaS. It ships with multi-tenancy, plan management, teams, everything a "real" B2B needs. Philosophy: I give you a lot already done, but in exchange you follow my structure. ### CREA.MBA: AI-native CREA.MBA starts from a new premise: "AI is part of the team". The boilerplate is designed so that Claude Code or Cursor understand the project from the first prompt. That means CLAUDE.md with conventions, reusable skills, specialized agents, automatic hooks. Philosophy: I give you a solid base and the AI builds on top without breaking it. ## Tech stack | Piece | ShipFast | MakerKit | CREA.MBA | | ---------- | ------------------ | ------------------------- | -------------------------- | | Framework | Next.js 14 | Next.js 15 or Remix | Next.js 16 | | App Router | Yes | Yes | Yes (with cacheComponents) | | Auth | NextAuth | Supabase Auth or Firebase | Better Auth | | DB | MongoDB / Supabase | Supabase / Firebase | PostgreSQL + Prisma 7 | | Payments | Stripe | Stripe | Polar or Stripe | | Email | Mailgun | Resend | Resend + React Email | | CSS | Tailwind v3 | Tailwind v3-4 | Tailwind v4 | CREA.MBA is the most up-to-date stack. ShipFast the most conservative. ## Key features ### Multi-tenancy - ShipFast: ❌ Not out of the box. Has to be added. - MakerKit: ✅ Yes, complete (organizations, roles, invitations). - CREA.MBA: ✅ Yes, with Better Auth Organizations. ### 2FA - ShipFast: ❌ Not out of the box. - MakerKit: ⚠️ Optional depending on tier. - CREA.MBA: ✅ Yes, TOTP with QR setup and backup codes. ### Internationalization (i18n) - ShipFast: ❌ No. - MakerKit: ⚠️ Partial. - CREA.MBA: ✅ Yes (EN/ES out of the box, easy to add more). ### Admin panel - ShipFast: ⚠️ Basic. - MakerKit: ✅ Complete. - CREA.MBA: ✅ Complete (user management, ban, impersonation, audit log). ### AI-native - ShipFast: ❌ Zero. - MakerKit: ❌ Zero. - CREA.MBA: ✅ CLAUDE.md, 18 skills, 2 agents, 16 claude.md per module, 9 automated checks. ## Price - ShipFast: $249 (one-time license). - MakerKit: $199 (Starter) – $499 (Pro). - CREA.MBA: €199 (regular) / €149 (early bird) / €99 (founder waitlist). CREA.MBA is the cheapest on the top tier. ShipFast the most stable in price. ## Community and maintenance - **ShipFast**: thousands-strong community. Very active Discord. Regular updates but stack lagging behind. - **MakerKit**: medium community, direct support from the author. Frequent updates. Stack up to date with a few months' delay. - **CREA.MBA**: small community, growing. Very frequent updates (Israel builds in public). Stack always on the latest. If community is a critical factor for you, ShipFast wins. If update speed is, CREA.MBA. ## Who each one fits ### Pick ShipFast if: - You want an MVP in a weekend, no thinking - The stack doesn't matter as long as it works - You value tutorials and extra templates ### Pick MakerKit if: - You're building a B2B SaaS with teams - You need multi-tenancy from day one - You don't mind the steep learning curve ### Pick CREA.MBA if: - You build with AI every day - You want the most modern stack (Next.js 16, Better Auth, Polar, Tailwind v4) - You care that the AI understands your project without you having to explain everything every time ## Bottom line It's not "ShipFast vs the rest". They're three different philosophies for three different profiles. ShipFast rewards speed, MakerKit rewards B2B completeness, CREA.MBA rewards working with AI. Your product and your way of working decide which one fits.