// SAAS BLUEPRINT

Best Tech Stack for SaaS

Q: What is the best tech stack for a SaaS application in 2026?

For most SaaS applications in 2026, we recommend Next.js + Supabase + Vercel + Stripe. This combination offers excellent developer experience, built-in authentication, serverless scalability, and industry-standard payment processing. It's battle-tested by thousands of successful SaaS products.

Q: Should I use a monolith or microservices for my SaaS?

Start with a monolith. Microservices add complexity that most early-stage SaaS products don't need. You can always split into services later when you have clear boundaries and scaling requirements. Many successful SaaS products (Basecamp, Hey) run on monoliths at scale.

Q: How much does it cost to host a SaaS application?

With modern serverless infrastructure, you can start for free and pay as you grow. Vercel's free tier handles significant traffic, Supabase offers 500MB database free, and Stripe only charges when you make money. A typical early-stage SaaS costs $0-50/month until you have paying customers.

Q: Do I need to use TypeScript for my SaaS?

Strongly recommended. TypeScript catches bugs at compile time, improves IDE support, and makes refactoring safer. The initial learning curve pays off quickly, especially as your codebase grows. Most modern SaaS stacks (Next.js, Supabase) have excellent TypeScript support.

Q: What database should I use for SaaS?

PostgreSQL is the gold standard for SaaS applications. It handles relational data well, scales to millions of rows, and offers advanced features like JSON columns and full-text search. Supabase, PlanetScale, and Neon all offer managed PostgreSQL with excellent free tiers.

Q: How do I handle multi-tenancy in my SaaS?

The simplest approach is shared database with tenant_id columns and row-level security (RLS). Supabase makes this easy with built-in RLS policies. For enterprise SaaS with strict isolation requirements, consider schema-per-tenant or database-per-tenant approaches.

The complete guide to choosing technologies for your SaaS application. Battle-tested recommendations for authentication, payments, scaling, and more.

4 Core Stack

3 Alternatives

12min Read Time

// SECTION 01

THE RECOMMENDED SAAS STACK

Ship fast, scale globally, iterate continuously

Top Pick 2026 Modern SaaS Stack 2026

Frontend

Next.js

React meta-framework with SSR/SSG

Why: Best-in-class SEO, automatic code splitting, API routes built-in

Alternatives:

SvelteKitRemixNuxt

Backend

Supabase

PostgreSQL + Auth + Realtime + Storage

Why: All-in-one BaaS with generous free tier, open-source, row-level security

Alternatives:

FirebasePocketBaseAppwrite

Hosting

Vercel

Edge deployment + CI/CD

Why: Zero-config deploys, preview URLs, global edge network

Alternatives:

Cloudflare PagesNetlifyRailway

Payments

Stripe

Subscriptions + billing + invoicing

Why: Industry standard, excellent DX, handles tax compliance

Alternatives:

PaddleLemon SqueezyChargebee

Build This Stack Now

Modern SaaS Stack 2026

npx create-stacksfinder@latest --seed SF1-eyJ2IjoxLCJ0Ijoic2FhcyIsInMiOiJzdGFydHVwIiwiaHAiOlsic3BlZWQiLCJkeCJdLCJlIjoiamF2YXNjcmlwdCIsInNlbCI6eyJmcmFtZXdvcmsiOiJuZXh0anMiLCJvcm0iOiJwcmlzbWEiLCJhdXRoIjoiYmV0dGVyLWF1dGgiLCJwYXltZW50cyI6InN0cmlwZSJ9fQ --ref guide-saas-2026

Optional Add-ons

Extend your stack as needed

Resend Transactional emails When: User onboarding, notifications

Upstash Serverless Redis When: Rate limiting, caching, queues

Sentry Error tracking When: Production monitoring

PostHog Product analytics When: User behavior tracking

// SECTION 02

CRITICAL SAAS REQUIREMENTS

What every SaaS application needs to handle

critical

Authentication & Multi-tenancy

User sign-up, login, password reset, team management, and data isolation between tenants.

Solutions:

Supabase AuthAuth0ClerkNextAuth.js

critical

Subscription Billing

Recurring payments, plan upgrades/downgrades, usage metering, invoicing, and tax compliance.

Solutions:

Stripe BillingPaddleLemon Squeezy

high

Horizontal Scalability

Handle traffic spikes, auto-scale based on demand, maintain performance under load.

Solutions:

VercelAWS LambdaCloudflare Workers

high

Security & Compliance

Data encryption, GDPR compliance, SOC 2 readiness, audit logs.

Solutions:

Row Level SecurityEncryption at restAudit trails

medium

Developer Experience

Fast iteration cycles, type safety, good tooling, easy onboarding for new developers.

Solutions:

TypeScriptESLintPrettierTurborepo

// SECTION 03

ALTERNATIVE STACKS

Different approaches for different needs

Enterprise SaaS Stack

React + AWS + Auth0 + PostgreSQL

Pros

Maximum control
SOC 2 ready
Proven at scale

Cons

Higher complexity
More expensive
Slower to ship

Best for: Large teams, enterprise clients, compliance-heavy industries

Rapid MVP Stack

SvelteKit + Supabase + Cloudflare

Pros

Fastest DX
Lowest cost
Smallest bundles

Cons

Smaller ecosystem
Fewer enterprise features

Best for: Solo founders, quick validation, budget-conscious startups

Full TypeScript Stack

Remix + Prisma + PlanetScale + Fly.io

Pros

End-to-end type safety
Great DX
Modern patterns

Cons

Newer ecosystem
Less battle-tested

Best for: TypeScript enthusiasts, teams prioritizing code quality

// SECTION 04

BUILD VS BUY DECISIONS

Save time by buying what others have perfected

Feature Build It Buy It Verdict

Authentication

2-4 weeks Security vulnerabilities

Supabase Auth / Clerk $0-$25/mo

BUY

Payments

4-8 weeks Lost revenue from bugs

Stripe 2.9% + $0.30

BUY

1-2 weeks Spam folder

Resend / Postmark $0-$20/mo

BUY

Analytics

2-3 weeks Missing insights

PostHog / Mixpanel $0-$50/mo

BUY

Rule of thumb: If it's not your core differentiator, buy it. Focus your engineering time on features that make your SaaS unique.

// REAL WORLD

STACK MIGRATIONS THAT WORKED

Companies that upgraded their tech stack

Linear

Custom React + Node Next.js + Vercel

50% faster page loads, simplified deployment

Cal.com

Create React App Next.js + Prisma + Vercel

Better SEO, easier scaling, faster development

Dub.co

Express + MongoDB Next.js + Prisma + PlanetScale

Type safety, better DX, reduced bugs

// FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Common questions about SaaS tech stacks

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best tech stack for a SaaS application in 2026?

Should I use a monolith or microservices for my SaaS?

How much does it cost to host a SaaS application?

Do I need to use TypeScript for my SaaS?

What database should I use for SaaS?

How do I handle multi-tenancy in my SaaS?

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