Breakneck is the ultimate .NET SaaS Starter Kit, meticulously built for speed and scale, designed to help C# developers launch their SaaS products from idea to MVP in record time. It handles essential boilerplate like authentication, billing, and core architecture, allowing developers to focus entirely on the unique features that differentiate their SaaS.

Targeting indie hackers and makers, Breakneck aims to demonstrate the power and productivity of .NET for side projects, moving away from overly complex enterprise architectures.

Key Features

• Vertical Slice Architecture: Based on FastEndpoints for minimal boilerplate and feature-focused development.
• Metered Endpoints: Easily track and manage API usage per user for accurate billing.
• JWT / ApiKey Auth: Customizable authentication entities built on Microsoft's Identity package.
• Automated Tests: Facilitates unit and integration testing with TestContainers for real database and API testing.
• Streamlined Billing: Integrated Stripe + webhook handling for easy payment processing and subscription management.
• Comprehensive Backend Tools: Includes EF Core setup, Hangfire for background jobs, templated emails (.cshml), and structured request logging.
• Project Template: Comes with a customizable project template, allowing users to opt out of specific features like auth or billing.

Use Cases

Breakneck is ideal for individual developers or small teams looking to rapidly prototype and deploy a robust SaaS backend without getting bogged down in foundational setup. It's perfect for indie hackers who want to validate their startup ideas quickly, providing a solid, scalable foundation from day one.

It solves the common problem of spending too much time on non-differentiating features like user management, payment processing, and infrastructure setup. By providing a pre-built, opinionated backend, developers can channel their efforts into building the core value proposition of their SaaS, ensuring a faster time-to-market and reduced development costs.

Pricing Information

Breakneck offers a simple, transparent pricing model: a one-time purchase of $199.00 (originally $249.00, with a $50 discount for the first 100 customers). This grants lifetime access to the code repository for one user, including all current and future features, lifetime access to the Discord server for support, and unlimited usage of the code for unlimited projects.

User Experience and Support

The kit emphasizes a clean, maintainable codebase with minimal abstractions, reducing cognitive load and making it easy to understand and extend. It's designed to be a starting point for "programming" rather than "configuring," allowing developers flexibility. Support is available via a lifetime Discord server access, and users can explore documentation, a GitHub project for style reference, and the creator's YouTube channel for insights.

Technical Details

Breakneck is built on C# and ASP.NET Core, leveraging popular industry-standard tools. Key technologies include FastEndpoints for API development, Entity Framework Core (EF Core) for data access, Hangfire for background jobs, Microsoft Identity for authentication, and Stripe for payment processing. It also utilizes TestContainers for robust testing environments.

Pros and Cons

• Pros:
• Rapid development and deployment of SaaS backends.
• Focuses on features over architectural dogma (e.g., DDD, Clean Architecture).
• Scalable architecture suitable for enterprise projects.
• Transparent, one-time purchase pricing with lifetime access.
• Excellent for indie hackers and makers.
• Leverages the productivity and ecosystem of .NET.

• Cons:
• Overkill for very simple, almost static websites.
• Not ideal if the goal is to impress employers with a DDD/Clean Architecture-focused GitHub project.
• Less suitable if you intend to swap out most of the chosen core technologies.

Conclusion

Breakneck provides a robust, opinionated .NET backend starter kit that empowers developers to quickly build and scale their SaaS applications. By abstracting away common complexities, it allows for unparalleled focus on core business logic and unique features. Explore the documentation and get Breakneck now to accelerate your SaaS journey.