Introduction

Welcome to Solo Kit

Solo Kit is a modern, production-ready SaaS starter kit designed for building fast, scalable applications with React. It features a monorepo architecture with Next.js for web, Expo for mobile, and extensive code sharing between platforms.

What is Solo Kit?

Solo Kit is more than just a starter template—it's a complete development platform that provides:

• Production-ready architecture with PostgreSQL-first design
• Modern tech stack with Next.js 15, React 18, and TypeScript
• Cross-platform development with shared code between web and mobile
• Built-in feature flags for gradual feature rollout
• Comprehensive authentication with session-based security
• Type-safe database operations with Drizzle ORM
• Email system with React Email templates
• Payment integrations for multiple providers
• Internationalization support out of the box

Why Solo Kit?

🚀 Start Fast, Scale Smart

Skip months of boilerplate setup and jump straight into building your unique features. Solo Kit provides a solid foundation that grows with your business.

🏗️ PostgreSQL-First Architecture

Unlike other starters that use SQLite or mock databases, Solo Kit is built PostgreSQL-first from day one. This means:

• Production parity - Same database technology in development and production
• Full feature support - Access to advanced PostgreSQL features like JSONB, arrays, and full-text search
• Type safety - Complete type safety from database to UI with Drizzle ORM
• Easy scaling - PostgreSQL scales from prototype to enterprise

🔄 Code Sharing Done Right

Share business logic, utilities, and UI components between web and mobile platforms while maintaining platform-specific optimizations.

⚡ Feature Flag System

Built-in feature flag system allows you to:

• Start coding immediately - No complex setup required
• Add services incrementally - Enable features as you need them
• Safe deployments - Test features before releasing
• Environment flexibility - Different features in different environments

Core Philosophy

Solo Kit is built on four key principles:

1. Developer Experience First

Every decision prioritizes developer productivity and happiness:

• Instant setup - Working app in minutes, not hours
• Hot reloading - Fast feedback loops
• Type safety - Catch errors at compile time
• Great tooling - ESLint, Prettier, TypeScript out of the box

2. Production Ready

Not just a demo or prototype starter:

• PostgreSQL database - Production-grade from day one
• Session-based auth - Secure, scalable authentication
• Error handling - Comprehensive error boundaries and logging
• Performance optimized - Code splitting, lazy loading, caching

3. Modular Architecture

Use what you need, when you need it:

• Feature flags - Enable services incrementally
• Monorepo structure - Shared packages, separate apps
• Plugin architecture - Add integrations easily
• Clean abstractions - Easy to customize and extend

4. Modern Standards

Built with the latest best practices:

• App Router - Next.js 13+ App Router
• Server Components - React Server Components
• Edge Runtime - Vercel Edge Functions
• TypeScript - Full type safety throughout

What's Included

Solo Kit comes with everything you need to build a modern SaaS application:

🎨 Frontend

• Next.js 15 with App Router
• React 18 with Server Components
• Tailwind CSS for styling
• shadcn/ui component library
• Dark mode support
• Responsive design

📱 Mobile

• Expo React Native application
• Shared UI components
• Platform-specific optimizations
• Hot reloading development

🗄️ Database

• PostgreSQL with Drizzle ORM
• Type-safe queries
• Migration system
• Schema introspection
• Drizzle Studio integration

🔐 Authentication

• BetterAuth integration
• Session-based authentication
• OAuth providers (GitHub, Google)
• Email/password authentication
• Role-based access control

📧 Email System

• React Email templates
• Multiple providers (Resend, SendGrid, Postmark)
• Development mode with console logging
• Transactional email support

💳 Payments

• Stripe integration
• PayMongo support
• Lemon Squeezy integration
• Polar integration
• Subscription management
• Webhook handling

🌐 Internationalization

• next-intl integration
• Multiple language support
• Locale-based routing
• Date/time formatting
• Pluralization rules

🧪 Testing

• Vitest for unit testing
• Playwright for E2E testing
• React Testing Library
• API testing utilities
• CI/CD integration

🚀 Deployment

• Vercel deployment ready
• Docker support
• Railway deployment
• Environment configuration
• Performance monitoring

Getting Started

Ready to start building? Here's how to get up and running:

1. Quick Start - Get a working app in 5 minutes
2. Installation - Detailed setup instructions
3. Project Structure - Understanding the codebase
4. Development - Development workflow and commands

Community and Support

Solo Kit is actively developed and maintained. Join our growing community:

• GitHub - Report issues, request features, contribute code
• Documentation - Comprehensive guides and API reference
• Examples - Real-world usage examples and patterns

What's Next?

This documentation covers everything you need to know about Solo Kit. Here are some good next steps:

• Tech Stack - Learn about the technologies used
• Architecture - Understand the system design
• Database Guide - Master the database layer
• Authentication - Implement secure authentication

Welcome to Solo Kit - let's build something amazing together! 🚀