CheapStack vs ShipFast
ShipFast is the right choice if you want the largest community, most tutorials, and don't mind MongoDB. CheapStack is the right choice if you want Polar.sh for payments, a lower price ($49 vs $199), or landing page templates included in the base price.
Feature comparison
| Feature | CheapStack | ShipFast |
|---|
| Price | $49 (SaaS Starter) | $199 (Starter) |
| Auth | NextAuth v5 (GitHub, Google) | NextAuth (Google + magic link) |
| Payments | Polar.sh | Stripe, Lemon Squeezy |
| Database | Drizzle + SQLite/Postgres | MongoDB, Supabase |
| Landing page | Included ($19 value) | Sold separately ($199) |
| Admin dashboard | Included | Not included |
| Community | Growing | 5,000+ Discord |
| Payment reach | 130+ countries (Polar.sh) | Stripe countries only |
Choose CheapStack if
- + Price ($49 vs $199)
- + Polar.sh payments for non-US devs
- + Landing page kit included
- + Drizzle ORM
Choose ShipFast if
- → Community size (5,000+ Discord)
- → More tutorials and documentation
- → Maker of the Year 2023 badge
- → Proven track record