Building a Modern SaaS

This guide covers the complete tech stack for building a production-ready SaaS in 2025.

Frontend Stack

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Framework: Next.js 14+

Server Components for performance

App Router for modern routing

Built-in optimization

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Styling: Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui

Utility-first CSS

Pre-built accessible components

Easy customization

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State Management: Zustand or Jotai

Lightweight alternatives to Redux

Simple API

Good TypeScript support

Backend Stack

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Option 1: Next.js API Routes

Best for simpler applications:

Same codebase as frontend

Easy deployment

Good for MVPs

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Option 2: Separate Backend

For complex applications:

Node.js + Express/Fastify

Go for high performance

Python + FastAPI for ML features

Database Layer

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Primary Database: PostgreSQL

Via Supabase, Neon, or PlanetScale

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Caching: Redis

Via Upstash for serverless

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Search: Typesense or Meilisearch

For full-text search features

Authentication

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Clerk or Auth.js

Social logins

MFA support

User management UI

Payments

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Stripe

Subscriptions

Usage-based billing

Global payments

Deployment

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Vercel

Zero-config deployment

Edge functions

Preview deployments

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Alternative: Railway or Render

For more control over infrastructure

Monitoring

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Error Tracking: Sentry

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Analytics: PostHog or Plausible

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Logging: Axiom or Logtail

Complete Stack Summary

LayerTechnology ------------------- FrontendNext.js + Tailwind + shadcn/ui BackendNext.js API or separate service DatabasePostgreSQL (Supabase/Neon) AuthClerk PaymentsStripe DeploymentVercel MonitoringSentry + PostHog

Getting Started

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