Now that we’ve solved authentication, we need to control who gets access to what features.
Permit.io is an open-source authorization that simplifies this process. It allows you to manage roles, permissions, and access levels effortlessly.
Suppose your Saas is growing well and you want to offer premium features to paying customers while keeping certain functionality locked for free users.
Instead of building the whole infrastructure by yourself, you can use Permit.io to manage it for you.
Here’s a Small Demo of the Permit and its features:
It integrates seamlessly with your existing stack, allowing you to define roles, permissions, and access levels without worrying about scaling.
Permit.io is highly customizable, so you can fine-tune your authorization to match the exact needs of your product.
They also offer SDKs for various programming languages including JavaScript, Python, Go, and Java, making it easy to integrate Permit.io into your existing codebase.
If you’re interested in getting more hands-on, I’ve written an article on how to implement RBAC in Next.js apps—feel free to check it out.
The backend infrastructure is the backbone of any SaaS, but building and maintaining a scalable backend from scratch can be a nightmare, especially if you’re a solo founder or working with a small team.
Supabase is a fully-featured Backend as a Service (BaaS) that allows you to focus on building your app without worrying about the complexities of database management, APIs, and real-time updates.
With Supabase, we get a PostgreSQL database, RESTful APIs, real-time subscriptions, and much more – all out of the box.
Let’s say you’re building a project management tool. With Supabase, you can quickly set up user accounts, store project details, and even implement real-time collaboration features without writing a single line of backend code.
Supabase manages everything behind the scenes, so you can focus on delivering a great product experience to your users.
You can check out the Docs to know more about them.
Caching is essential for speeding up your SaaS, especially as your user base grows.
Upstash Redis is a serverless, low-latency Redis database designed specifically for developers who need a fast and scalable caching solution without the complexity of managing infrastructure.
As your Saas scales, Performance becomes a serious problem to handle.
But with Upstash, you can offload frequently accessed data like user sessions or API responses to a Redis cache, significantly improving your app’s responsiveness.
Suppose, Your Saas gets hundreds of thousands of API requests per day. With Upstash, you can cache responses and reduce the load on your primary database, keeping everything fast and efficient.
The Best Part?
You don’t have to worry about scaling – Upstash automatically handles that for you.
Email is still one of the most important communication channels for any SaaS.
When you’re just starting out, you don’t want to spend hours setting up email infrastructure.
With Resend, you can integrate email into your app in minutes and ensure your emails land in users’ inboxes, not their spam folders.
It also provides detailed analytics, so you can track open rates, clicks, and more, giving you valuable insights into how your emails are performing.
This feature can be really crucial to measure the success of marketing campaigns, Newsletters, etc.
Setting Up Resend is Really Simple and straightforward.
First, Install the npm package:
npm install resend
Then Create a server to send an email by using the html parameter.
//server.tsimport{Resend}from'resend';constresend=newResend('re_123456789');(asyncfunction (){const{data,error}=awaitresend.emails.send({from:'Acme <onboarding@resend.dev>',to:['arindammajumder2020@gmail.com'],subject:'Hello Arindam',html:'<strong>Really love this Tool! Thanks for Sharing</strong>',});if (error){returnconsole.error({error});}console.log({data});})();
That’s it! Resend will do the rest of the Work for you.
This was a very simple implementation that I’ve shown, For more complex ones, you can check out their documentation.
After putting all the hard work into building your SaaS, you need a solid platform to deploy it.
Vercel is the go-to solution for deploying modern web apps.
Whether you’re using Next.js, React, or any other framework, Vercel takes care of the heavy lifting, ensuring your app is fast, reliable, and globally distributed.
Vercel is famous for its amazing developer experience.
It’s not just only about deployment – it also provides built-in features like serverless functions, CDN integration, and analytics, making it easier than ever to monitor and optimize your app’s performance.
Personally, I really like the automatic deployments from Git. With it, I can push code changes to production with zero downtime.
For example, you’ve built your SaaS using React and Next.js, and now it’s time to go live.
With Vercel, you simply connect your GitHub repository, and in a matter of seconds, your app is deployed to the cloud, optimized for performance, and ready for users.
It’s that easy – no need to worry about setting up servers or managing infrastructure.
Alternatively, you can use Cloudflare to deploy your applications
To build your first SaaS, you'll need 8 essential tools: a code editor, cloud platform, database, API manager, payment gateway, analytics, customer support system, and version control. Just like in CarX Street Drive, having the right tools lets you accelerate performance and navigate challenges smoothly, ensuring success in fast-paced environments.
This project is a simple demonstration of how to deploy a Next.js application to Cloudflare Pages. It covers the basic setup, deployment steps, and configuration for a seamless integration with Cloudflare's powerful CDN and edge network.
🚀 Features
Next.js 14 with App Router and API routes support.
Server-side rendering (SSR) and Static Generation.
Optimized for Cloudflare Pages.
Built-in support for Edge functions.
🛠 Prerequisites
Node.js installed (v18.x.x or later).
A Cloudflare account with access to Cloudflare Pages.
A GitHub repository (or GitLab) to connect with Cloudflare Pages.
⚙️ Installation and Setup
Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/Arindam200/next-on-cloudflare.git
cd next-on-cloudflare
Install dependencies:
npm install
Run the Next.js app locally:
npm run dev
Build the app for production:
npm run build
📄 License
This project is open-source and available under the MIT License.
Thanks Arindam for sharing the list! I'd also recommend Stripe for managing subscriptions and customers. Stripe also has support for usage-based billing, which is essential for many SaaS products. It's really simple to use and you could integrate it with your authentication stack.
I wrote a DEV post about how we use Stripe to build our own customer management in <500 lines of TypeScript.
Great list Arindam. I'm a former dev (now focused on business side) looking for some dev help - superstars only - to help launch a new company. Even open to adding a tech co-founder to the initial team, as mine has to drop out for medical reasons. Fully expect to get into one of the more well-known accelerators and get funding early 2025. Let me know if you have good suggestions. ng@sociableos.com
Embarking on the journey to create your first Software as a Service (SaaS) product? Here are eight essential tools that can streamline your development process and help bring your vision to life. From project management platforms like Trello or Asana to development frameworks like Node.js or Ruby on Rails, and tools for user authentication like Auth0, each plays a crucial role in building a successful SaaS. Don't forget to consider analytics tools such as Google Analytics and customer support solutions like Zendesk to enhance user experience. Join the conversation to share your experiences and discover more tools that can help you on your SaaS journey!
I found this post incredibly insightful, especially emphasizing the essential tools for launching a SaaS product. One aspect that I believe is crucial yet often overlooked is the role of a SaaS SEO firm. In today’s competitive landscape, solid SEO is vital for visibility and attracting the right audience. A dedicated SEO team can help optimize content, enhance organic search rankings, and drive traffic, ensuring your product reaches potential users effectively.
Additionally, integrating SEO from the start can save time and resources. It’s not just about getting found; it’s about being found by the right customers actively searching for solutions like yours. Professional SEO support can set your SaaS venture apart and lay a strong foundation for growth.
Vercel está bien, pero el inicio de sesión está bloqueado para algunos países como Cuba (de donde soy). En reemplazo de v0, utilizo bolt.new de la gente de StackBlitz, ya que si permite el inicio de sesión desde mi país al menos.
I've been searching for a tool like Permit.io — what a great find! Maybe I won't need to build another authorization layer ever again :-)
For developers looking to streamline their workflow, Webacus.dev is another fantastic tool worth checking out. It combines multiple operations into a single interface, making it easier to handle various tasks efficiently.
damm thats badass bro i am just googling that how to start first saas but you dropped this , this will going to very helpful for me thanks man ! btw i have some doubts!!!
Thank you very for sharing. When building a saas is very important to use the right tools for the job in order to finish tasks fast, and avoid to re invent the wheel, a solo developer or a small team should invest their time ( their most valuable asset ) with feature that can create value, impact and revenue.
permit.io
Great List