A Lighter Alternative to a Django or Rails Starter
Django and Rails SaaS starters are mature and productive — and they bring an ORM, a database server, background workers and an asset pipeline. Simple Stack keeps the SaaS essentials and drops all of that.
If you are reaching for a Django (SaaS Pegasus and friends) or Rails (Jumpstart, Bullet Train) starter, you get a lot: a strong ORM, conventions, a console and a big ecosystem. You also take on a database server, a migrations workflow, a background-job runner and an asset pipeline — plus a VPS sized to run them comfortably. Simple Stack’s wedge is to deliver the SaaS basics — Stripe, Apple/Google/email auth, a member app and an admin app — as flat PHP + SQLite with no ORM, no worker and no build step. Smaller surface, fewer moving parts, cheaper to run.
Simple Stack vs a Django / Rails starter
| Simple Stack | Django / Rails starter | |
|---|---|---|
| Database server to run | × | |
| ORM to learn | × | |
| Background worker required | × | ~ |
| Asset build / pipeline | × | |
| Comfortable on a $5 / 1GB VPS | ~ | |
| Stripe billing built in | ||
| Deploy | rsync the files | Build + migrate + restart |
| Whole app fits in agent context | × |
When each one wins
You already know the framework, you need its ecosystem and conventions for a large app, or a team of engineers will work in it for years.
You want the fewest moving parts, a cheap fixed-cost VPS, readable code with no ORM or worker, and an app your AI agent can edit end to end.
Common questions
It is a deliberate trade. You write plain SQL through PDO, which is explicit and easy for both you and an AI agent to follow. For a small SaaS the ORM saves less than it costs in hidden behaviour.
Click through every screen before you buy.
Seven live demos, no signup, nothing saved. Then it is yours for £49.