Open SaaS vs Wasp
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Free, open-source starter kit for building a SaaS web app with React, Node.js and Prisma.
Open source · MIT
A framework that builds React, Node.js and Prisma web apps from a short declarative spec.
The short answer
Choose Open SaaS if you need…
- Developers who want a head start on a subscription-based web product
- Solo builders who want auth, payments and email already wired up
- Teams that plan to use an AI coding assistant and want project rules and plugins included
- Developers already comfortable with React and TypeScript
Choose Wasp if you need…
- Developers who want to build a full-stack React and Node.js app quickly
- Small teams or solo builders who prefer convention over configuration
- Developers who already know React and Prisma and want less wiring code
- Teams experimenting with AI coding agents who want a more structured project layout
Side-by-side
| Open SaaS | Wasp | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | Framework |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 16.2k | 18.8k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | MDX | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 9 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Open SaaS
Open SaaS is a template for building a software-as-a-service web app. It comes pre-built with common pieces such as user login (email and social sign-in), payments via Stripe, Polar.sh or Lemon Squeezy, email sending, background jobs, a landing page and an admin dashboard. It is built on the Wasp full-stack framework, which uses React, Node.js and Prisma.
Wasp
Wasp is a full-stack framework for building JavaScript and TypeScript web apps with React, Node.js and Prisma. You describe the main parts of your app in a short spec file, such as pages, routes, queries and auth, and Wasp generates the front-end, back-end and deployment code. The README says the goal is less boilerplate, with features like login, background jobs, email sending and end-to-end type safety built in.
Best for
Open SaaS
- Developers who want a head start on a subscription-based web product
- Solo builders who want auth, payments and email already wired up
- Teams that plan to use an AI coding assistant and want project rules and plugins included
- Developers already comfortable with React and TypeScript
Wasp
- Developers who want to build a full-stack React and Node.js app quickly
- Small teams or solo builders who prefer convention over configuration
- Developers who already know React and Prisma and want less wiring code
- Teams experimenting with AI coding agents who want a more structured project layout
Strengths
Open SaaS
- Free and MIT-licensed, with many common SaaS features included out of the box
- Built on Wasp, which provides end-to-end type safety between backend and frontend
- Includes AI-assistant support (AGENTS.md, skills and a Claude Code plugin) for coding help
Wasp
- Declarative spec file covers many common full-stack features in very little code
- Generated code is kept in the .wasp/ directory, so you can read what it produces
- MIT licensed and actively maintained, with a large community of stars and a Discord
Not ideal for
Open SaaS
- Complete beginners to web development, since it assumes familiarity with React, Node and a command line
- Projects that need a different backend stack, because the template is built around Wasp, Prisma and React
- People looking for a finished product rather than a starting point to customize
Wasp
- Projects that need a different stack, since the README says it currently focuses on React with TanStack Query, Node.js with Express.js, and Prisma
- Teams that need a framework marked production-stable, since the README describes the project as in beta
- People who want full manual control over every layer of their app architecture
Trade-offs
Open SaaS
- Depends on the Wasp framework, so you inherit its conventions and its release cycle
- The README is truncated here and does not detail every feature's setup effort, so the real integration work is unclear
- Requires familiarity with React, Prisma and deployment to get the most from it
Wasp
- The README says the project is in beta, so breaking changes are expected
- Tied to a specific stack (React, Node.js, Prisma), so other tools are not supported
- Learning the Wasp spec format is an extra layer on top of the libraries it wraps
Getting started
Open SaaS
Install the Wasp CLI
npm i -g @wasp.sh/wasp-cliCreate a new SaaS app from the template
wasp new -t saasWasp
Install the Wasp CLI globally (OSX/Linux/WSL)
npm i -g @wasp/cli@latestFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Open SaaS and Wasp?
Open SaaS: Free, open-source starter kit for building a SaaS web app with React, Node.js and Prisma. Wasp: A framework that builds React, Node.js and Prisma web apps from a short declarative spec. Open SaaS suits developers who want a head start on a subscription-based web product, while Wasp suits developers who want to build a full-stack react and node.js app quickly.
Are Open SaaS and Wasp free?
Open SaaS: Free and open source. Wasp: Free and open source.
Is Open SaaS or Wasp more popular?
Wasp has more GitHub stars (18.8k) than Open SaaS (16.2k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Open SaaS and Wasp?
Other options people compare them with include AI Website Cloner, Cal.diy, DocsGPT, Next.js, RedwoodGraphQL.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.