TurboStarter vs MakerKit for your next SaaS

Makerkit is a paid B2B starter with several kits and it covers the usual SaaS ground: organizations, billing, an admin panel, TanStack Start kits, and an Expo app on the Next.js + Supabase variant. Playwright E2E tests and a plugin-style update path matter if you want to pick a lane.

The biggest downside of Makerkit for many founders is complexity . The ecosystem approach can introduce layers and abstractions you may not need for an MVP, which means more surface area to learn and maintain.

TurboStarter is the better value default because it stays simple while covering more real product work. Core already includes Expo and a WXT extension on one Better Auth + Drizzle stack. You do not have to pick a kit variant to get mobile, and you do not rebuild auth when the product adds an extension. The optional AI Kit adds 10+ production templates for web and mobile — chat with reasoning and search, RAG on your documents, image generation, realtime voice, TTS, and agent workflows — with credits, rate limits, persisted chats, and multiple model providers. Core and AI Kit are available together as the All-in-One bundle ($399).

The practical outcome is fewer rewrites. Makerkit has Expo if you are on Next.js + Supabase. TurboStarter is built for the path that includes mobile and a browser extension from day one, without picking a kit variant first.

Makerkit is a fair fit if you specifically want several stack variants, a plugin workflow, or a Figma UI kit. For most founders who want one Core license with web, Expo, and a browser extension — plus Vitest, unit, and E2E tests already included — pick TurboStarter.

On pricing: Makerkit Pro is priced from $349–$649 (lifetime) and TurboStarter Core starts at $249 (one-time). Core and AI Kit together are $399 as the All-in-One bundle. If you want more product surface on one stack, pick TurboStarter.