SaaS stacks
Docusaurus vs Nextra vs Mintlify: what you own in 2026
Two MIT frameworks and one source-available platform. The licence split is the half everyone writes about; the release log is the half that decides more projects.
8 min read31
Author
Yui Tanaka
SaaS stacks
Keycloak vs Authentik vs Zitadel: Where Free Ends (2026)
Three self-hosted identity providers that all call themselves open source. The licence boundary sits in a different place in each one, and where it sits decides which you can actually use. Measured from the licence files, the container registries and the shipped config defaults.
10 min read87
Editorial notes
Publication Dates Corrected on Three Early ShipGarden Stack Guides
Three founding stack guides carried publication dates from before shipgarden.com was registered. A date audit on August 23, 2026 caught it and all three are corrected. Here is what changed, why it happened, and the two public lookups you can run to check us.
4 min read99
SaaS stacks
Uptime Kuma vs Gatus vs OpenStatus: the self-hosted status page comparison, measured (2026)
Three open-source status pages, compared on the things features lists never cover: whether you can pin a version, what the compose file actually does, and how fast each project is really moving.
10 min read146
SaaS stacks
Arcjet vs Unkey vs Upstash Ratelimit: Next.js rate limiting in 2026
The library everyone recommends has not shipped a stable release since January 2026, Arcjet has no free tier and bills per app, and the most-installed rate limiter in Node is absent from the entire first page. We read the registry, the repositories and the pricing pages.
13 min read126
SaaS stacks
Novu vs Knock vs Courier: the notification infrastructure for a Next.js SaaS (2026)
Novu, Knock, and Courier are the three ways to add multi-channel notifications to a Next.js SaaS in 2026. We compare who owns the pipe, real cost, self-hosting, and where each one loses.
10 min read268
SaaS stacks
LangSmith vs Langfuse vs Helicone: LLM observability for Next.js (2026)
A developer-lens 2026 comparison of LangSmith, Langfuse, and Helicone for LLM observability in a Next.js app: gateway vs OpenTelemetry instrumentation, open source vs proprietary, real pricing, and which to pick.
9 min read141
SaaS stacks
Windmill vs n8n: open-source workflow automation and internal tools for a Next.js SaaS (2026)
A developer-lens 2026 comparison of Windmill and n8n: code-first engine vs visual automation canvas, the AGPL vs fair-code license split, execution-metered pricing, and which one fits a Next.js SaaS.
11 min read165
SaaS stacks
Open-source Retool alternatives for a Next.js SaaS (2026)
The best open-source, self-hostable Retool alternatives for a Next.js SaaS in 2026: Appsmith, ToolJet, Budibase, Refine, and Windmill, compared by license, cost, and whether they run as a separate server or live in your app.
9 min read144
SaaS stacks
Appsmith vs ToolJet vs Budibase: open-source internal tools for a Next.js SaaS (2026)
Appsmith, ToolJet, and Budibase are the open-source answer to Retool. We compare the three self-hostable internal tools builders for a Next.js SaaS in 2026, split honestly by license and by weight.
8 min read217
SaaS stacks
React-Admin review (2026): the open-source admin panel for a Next.js SaaS
React-Admin is the most popular open-source React admin framework, but is it the right admin panel for a Next.js SaaS in 2026? A ShipGarden curator's hands-on take on the free MIT core, the Enterprise Edition paywall, and where Refine or AdminJS fit better.
8 min read149
SaaS stacks
Meilisearch vs Typesense vs Elasticsearch: open-source search for your Next.js SaaS (2026)
Meilisearch, Typesense, and Elasticsearch for search in a Next.js SaaS in 2026: where the engine runs, the license ceiling, and honest where-each-loses, with real repos and costs.
7 min read168