ShipFast vs Sabo: 2025 Ultimate Comparison

If you're an indie hacker, you've heard of ShipFast. Created by the prolific Marc Lou, it popularized the concept of Next.js boilerplates and helped thousands of makers ship their first product.

But in 2025, a new contender has emerged: Sabo.

While ShipFast focuses on shipping quickly, Sabo positions itself as the trendiest, most beautifully designed boilerplate for founders who want a premium feel out of the box.

Here is why founders are switching to Sabo.

1. The Vibe: "Ship It Now" vs. "Premium Aesthetic"

ShipFast is built on Marc's philosophy: Ship at all costs. The design is bold and instantly recognizable. It screams "indie hacker."

Sabo is built for beauty and modern trends. It leverages shadcn/ui and Magic UI to provide a sleek, polished aesthetic that feels like a Series A startup from day one.

• Beautiful components: Animated lists, bento grids, and beam effects.
• Clean typography: Optimized for readability and elegance.
• Modern feel: It doesn't look like a "template"; it looks like a custom-designed product.

If first impressions matter to your customers, Sabo wins hands down.

2. The Tech Stack: Classic vs. Modern

ShipFast uses a classic stack: MongoDB, NextAuth, and standard Tailwind. It's a stack that many developers are familiar with from 2023.

Sabo bets on the modern standard:

• Next.js 16 (App Router): The future of React.
• Supabase (PostgreSQL): Relational data with built-in Auth.
• Tailwind CSS v4: The newest, fastest styling engine.

Sabo is for developers who want to use the tools that are defining the next generation of web development.

3. Community vs. Documentation

ShipFast wins on community size. It has a massive Discord where thousands of makers hang out. If you want to vibe with other indie hackers, it's a great place to be.

Sabo wins on documentation. It treats documentation as a first-class product feature. Every component, hook, and integration is documented in detail. The goal is to provide a self-contained manual so you can build without constantly searching for answers.

4. The Philosophy: Momentum vs. Quality

ShipFast is about momentum. It's great for validating 10 ideas in a year.

Sabo is about quality. It's for the founder who wants their MVP to feel polished, robust, and professional from the first deploy. It's not just about shipping fast; it's about shipping a product you're proud of.

Conclusion

ShipFast is legendary for a reason. But if you are starting a new project in 2025, you deserve a modern foundation.

Choose Sabo if:

• You want the most beautiful, trendy UI out of the box.
• You prefer Next.js 16 + Supabase (SQL).
• You want a boilerplate that feels like a premium product, not a hackathon project.