Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

98.css VS Makerkit.dev

Compare 98.css VS Makerkit.dev and see what are their differences

98.css logo 98.css

A design system for building faithful recreations of old UIs

Makerkit.dev logo Makerkit.dev

MakerKit is a SaaS Starter Kit for Next.js, Remix, Firebase and Supabase. Build unlimited SaaS products in record time with the best SaaS Boilerplate.
  • 98.css Landing page
    Landing page //
    2020-04-22
  • Makerkit.dev Dashboard
    Dashboard //
    2024-12-07
  • Makerkit.dev Choose Plan
    Choose Plan //
    2024-12-07
  • Makerkit.dev Landing Page
    Landing Page //
    2024-12-07
  • Makerkit.dev Pricing
    Pricing //
    2024-12-07

Makerkit is a production-ready SaaS starter kit built with Next.js App Router and Supabase that helps developers launch faster.

It provides a robust foundation with built-in authentication, team management, billing integration, and Super Admin - all powered by a modular architecture that makes customization and maintenance a breeze.

Whether you're building a B2B or B2C application, Makerkit handles the complex infrastructure so you can focus on building your product's unique features using modern tools like TypeScript, React, and Tailwind CSS.

Makerkit.dev

$ Details
$299 / One-off
Startup details
Country
Singapore
Founder(s)
Giancarlo Buomprisco
Employees
1 - 9

98.css features and specs

  • Nostalgic Appeal
    98.css provides a nostalgic Windows 98 aesthetic, appealing to users who have an affinity for retro computing and creating a unique visual experience.
  • Lightweight
    The framework is lightweight, making it easy to integrate without significantly increasing page load times.
  • Minimalist Design
    It offers a minimalist and straightforward design, which can be beneficial for projects that require simplicity and less visual clutter.
  • Easy Customization
    While it adheres to a specific retro theme, the CSS can be customized to suit the needs of the developer, allowing for flexible design applications.

Possible disadvantages of 98.css

  • Limited Modern Features
    98.css focuses on replicating the Windows 98 look and feel, which means it lacks support for more modern web design trends and features.
  • Niche Audience
    The retro aesthetic may not appeal to all users and could be inappropriate for certain professional or modern applications.
  • Style Constraints
    The frameworkโ€™s dedication to the Windows 98 aesthetic can limit creativity, making it difficult to diverge from the retro style if project requirements change.
  • Potential Compatibility Issues
    While lightweight, integrating 98.css with other modern frameworks or libraries may cause compatibility issues or require additional workarounds.

Makerkit.dev features and specs

  • Marketing Pages
    Landing page, pricing, FAQ, and other marketing pages included
  • Blog and Documentation
    Full-featured blog/documentation system with CMS integration
  • Authentication
    Complete auth system with email, OAuth, and MFA support
  • Billing
    Integrated payment system with Stripe and Lemon Squeezy support
  • Super Admin
    Admin dashboard to manage users, subscriptions and content
  • Translations (i18n)
    Multi-language support
  • Organizations/Teams
    Team management with roles and permissions system
  • Plugins
    Non-core functionality included as plugins: Testimonials, Roadmap, AI Chatbot, Waitlist

Analysis of Makerkit.dev

Overall verdict

  • Makerkit.dev is a solid, well-built SaaS starter kit that helps developers skip weeks of boilerplate setup by providing production-ready authentication, billing, and multi-tenancy features out of the box.

Why this product is good

  • Provides pre-built, production-ready SaaS boilerplate covering authentication, subscriptions, and team/organization management
  • Supports popular modern stacks like Next.js, Remix, Supabase, and Firebase
  • Saves significant development time by eliminating repetitive setup and configuration work
  • Comes with documentation, active maintenance, and community support
  • Includes billing integration with providers like Stripe and Lemon Squeezy
  • Built with TypeScript and modern best practices for maintainable, scalable code

Recommended for

  • Solo developers and indie hackers looking to launch a SaaS product quickly
  • Startups wanting to validate ideas without building infrastructure from scratch
  • Development teams needing a reliable, well-structured foundation for multi-tenant apps
  • Developers already familiar with Next.js, Remix, Supabase, or Firebase
  • Anyone wanting to avoid reinventing authentication and billing systems

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to 98.css and Makerkit.dev)
Design Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
44 44%
56% 56
Boilerplate
0 0%
100% 100
Cloud Computing
100 100%
0% 0

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing 98.css and Makerkit.dev.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Makerkit.dev's answer:

Indie Hackers and Companies who want to launch quickly, without compromising on quality.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Makerkit.dev's answer:

Makerkit uses Next.js 15 (App Router), Supabase, React.js, Typescript and Stripe.

What makes your product unique?

Makerkit.dev's answer:

Makerkit stands out by offering a truly modular architecture built with Turborepo, where core features like auth, billing, and notifications live in their own packages for better maintainability.

While most starters lock you into specific patterns or providers, Makerkit gives you flexibility with a multi-account system supporting both B2B and B2C scenarios, provider-agnostic billing, and edge-ready deployment options.

Beyond the basics, it includes production-ready features like multi-factor auth, real-time notifications, and team permissions - all built with Supabase, TypeScript, React Query, and modern tooling to make development a genuine pleasure.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Makerkit.dev's answer:

While other starters give you basic auth and a dashboard, Makerkit provides a genuinely modular foundation with the real features SaaS products need - like multi-factor auth, team permissions, real-time notifications, and provider-agnostic billing, all organized in clean, maintainable packages using Turborepo.

You get a first-class developer experience with TypeScript, React Query, and modern tooling, plus the flexibility to support both B2B and B2C scenarios, different payment providers, and edge deployment options.

Best of all, Makerkit is actively maintained with regular updates and responsive support, so you're building on a foundation that grows with your needs rather than painting yourself into a corner.

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, 98.css seems to be a lot more popular than Makerkit.dev. While we know about 21 links to 98.css, we've tracked only 2 mentions of Makerkit.dev. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

98.css mentions (21)

  • llama.cpp
    Wow itโ€™s aggressively vibe coded. Nothing inherently wrong with that, but it looks a bit amateurish which is funny. Iโ€™m still waiting on 98.css to become the standard for vibe coded sites. You donโ€™t have to read docs anyway if youโ€™re just using LLMs! All you have to do is say โ€œuse 98.cssโ€ and you have a 10/10 site https://jdan.github.io/98.css/. - Source: Hacker News / 11 days ago
  • Slightly reducing the sloppiness of AI generated front end
    There's an entire lightweight CSS lib around the Win9x look as well: https://jdan.github.io/98.css/. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Claude Design by Anthropic Labs
    Nothing screams old school more than 98.css https://jdan.github.io/98.css/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Celebrate 50 years of Microsoft with the company's original source code
    I had never heard of this but it's description for it's git is what I hope and dream for anytime I go look at a project related to or having a GUI. Reference at https://jdan.github.io/98.css/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Recreating History: Building a Windows 98 Disk Defrag Simulator with Modern Web Tech
    TailwindCSS: To style the app, along with 98.css for bringing in the Windows 98 aesthetic. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
View more

Makerkit.dev mentions (2)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing 98.css and Makerkit.dev, you can also consider the following products

Tailwind CSS - A utility-first CSS framework for rapidly building custom user interfaces.

ShipFa.st - The NextJS boilerplate with all the stuff you need to get your product in front of customers. From idea to production in 5 minutes.

Windows95 - Windows 95 in Electron. Runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows.

supastarter - The boilerplate for your next web app built on top of Supabase and Next.js.

Virtual Windows 98 - Use Windows 98 in your browser

Nexty.dev - Launch your SaaS in days, not weeks. Nexty.dev is a production-ready Next.js and Supabase starter template for building modern SaaS applications. Launch your content, AI, or subscription service faster.