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Choosing Your SaaS Tech Stack as a Solo Founder
A practical comparison of modern tech stacks for indie SaaS founders. Next.js vs Remix, SQLite vs Postgres, Prisma vs Drizzle, and more.
May 15, 2026
The wrong tech stack won't kill your startup. But the right one can save you months of development time. Here's how to choose as a solo founder.
The Stack We Use (And Why)
| Layer | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Framework | Next.js 13 | App Router, server components, API routes all in one |
| Database | SQLite via Prisma | Zero infrastructure, file-based, easy to back up |
| Auth | bcrypt + JWT sessions | No third-party dependency, full control |
| Storage | Local filesystem | No S3 complexity for MVP |
| Styling | Tailwind + shadcn/ui | Fast UI development, consistent design |
| Hosting | Netlify | Free tier, easy deploys from GitHub |
Next.js vs Remix vs SvelteKit
| Factor | Next.js | Remix | SvelteKit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecosystem | Largest | Growing | Smaller |
| Learning curve | Low (React) | Low (React) | Medium (Svelte) |
| API routes | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in |
| Server components | Yes | No | No |
| Job market value | High | Medium | Low |
Verdict: Next.js is the safe choice for solo founders. Largest ecosystem, most tutorials, easiest to hire for later.
SQLite vs PostgreSQL vs MySQL
| Factor | SQLite | PostgreSQL | MySQL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | File-based | Server required | Server required |
| Backup | Copy the file | pg_dump | mysqldump |
| Concurrency | Limited (WAL helps) | Excellent | Good |
| Extensions | Limited | Rich (PostGIS, etc.) | Few |
| Hosting | Anywhere | RDS, Supabase, Neon | RDS, PlanetScale |
Verdict: Start with SQLite. When you need more, Prisma makes it a one-line config change to switch to Postgres.
The Vibe Coders Stack
For most indie SaaS products, this stack will carry you from zero to $10K MRR:
Frontend: Next.js + Tailwind + shadcn/ui
Backend: Next.js API routes
Database: SQLite → PostgreSQL (when needed)
ORM: Prisma
Auth: bcrypt + JWT (or Auth.js)
Hosting: Netlify or Vercel
Email: Resend