Reviews
Payload CMS Review: Your Next.js Backend? (2026)
An honest gallery review of Payload CMS in 2026: the five ways to deploy the Next.js-native backend, what it really costs, and where it loses.
8 min read79
The Gallery
Curator notes on stacks worth shipping — picked, tested, documented.
40 posts
SaaS stacks
Best open-source Next.js SaaS + AI starters (2026 scorecard)
A hands-on July 2026 scorecard of ten open-source and source-available Next.js SaaS and AI starters, ranked across six axes with real GitHub stars and exact licenses.
12 min read114
SaaS stacks
Convex review (July 2026): the self-hostable reactive backend starter for Next.js
A hands-on July 2026 review of Convex, the reactive backend and database for Next.js: five deploy paths, real free-tier cost math, the FSL license fine print, and where it loses to Supabase and Neon.
10 min read105
AI workflows
Inngest v1.34 review (June 2026): hands-on with the open-source workflow starter for Next.js
ShipGarden's hands-on June 2026 review of Inngest v1.34 (v1.34.0 stable shipped June 29, JavaScript SDK v4.11.0 on npm) as the open-source durable-execution platform for Next.js apps. Five deploy paths, real cost-per-10k-executions math, an honest compare-side against Trigger.dev v4, the SSPL license question, and where v1.34 still bites.
11 min read90
SaaS stacks
Refine v5 review (June 2026): hands-on with the open-source React admin starter for Next.js
ShipGarden's hands-on June 2026 review of Refine v5 (@refinedev/core@5.0.12) as the open-source React framework for an admin or internal-tool starter. Five deploy paths, real per-month costs, an honest react-admin / Appsmith / ToolJet comparison, and the v4-to-v5 migration story you should plan for.
13 min read125
SaaS stacks
Trigger.dev v4 review (June 2026): hands-on with the open-source background-jobs starter for Next.js
ShipGarden's hands-on June 2026 review of Trigger.dev v4 (v4.4.6 stable, v4.5.0-rc.7 in flight) as the open-source background-jobs platform for Next.js apps. Five deploy paths, real cost-per-10k-runs math, an honest read against Inngest and Convex, and where v4 still bites.
12 min read449
SaaS stacks
Medusa.js 2.0 review (June 2026): hands-on with the open-source headless commerce starter
ShipGarden's hands-on June 2026 review of Medusa.js v2 (v2.17.1) as the open-source headless commerce backend for Next.js. Five deploy paths, real cost-per-100-orders numbers, payments via Stripe Paddle and Polar.sh, and the v1-to-v2 migration story you don't want to volunteer for.
13 min read85
AI app boilerplates
LlamaIndex.TS RAG Starter Review: Still Usable in June 2026, but the Project Is Deprecated
Hands-on June 2026 review of the LlamaIndex.TS RAG starter for Next.js. The starter still works, the project is officially deprecated, and the deploy-paths matrix below has three options that still ship. Honest cost numbers, vector store picks, and what to point a fresh codebase at instead.
10 min read113
AI app stacks
CopilotKit review: the open-source agent UI for Next.js (2026)
ShipGarden's hands-on review of CopilotKit as a Next.js agent UI in June 2026. The setup walkthrough, the four comparison axes, three deploy paths, and where it loses to Vercel ai-chatbot and Mastra.
10 min read93
gallery
Twenty CRM review: the open-source Salesforce alternative for solo founders (June 2026)
Curator review of Twenty CRM v2.14.0 (June 2026): the open-source Salesforce alternative now with built-in AI agents. Four fork lanes for the solo founder.
10 min read113
SaaS boilerplates
Open SaaS 0.24 by Wasp: solo-founder curator review of the free SaaS starter (2026)
Open SaaS 0.24 by Wasp shipped June 11, 2026 with 14.7k stars and the most batteries-included free SaaS starter on the open-source shelf. We curated it into a ShipGarden gallery entry with three solo-founder paths: ship-as-is, replace the Wasp pieces, or escape the DSL. Honest trade-offs, including when Open SaaS is the wrong pick.
12 min read99
AI agent starters
Mastra AI starter template (2026): three deploy paths for the open-source TypeScript agent
Mastra is the open-source TypeScript agent framework hitting 25.2k GitHub stars and v1.42.0 (June 12, 2026). We curated its starter into a gallery entry with three real deploy paths: clone the repo, one-click on Vercel, or ship as a deployable Next.js app via Totalum. Trade-offs in plain English, no hand-waving.
11 min read99