Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Circle.so VS Makerkit.dev

Compare Circle.so VS Makerkit.dev and see what are their differences

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Circle.so logo Circle.so

Bring together your discussions, memberships, and content. Integrate a thriving community wherever your audience is, all under your own brand.

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.
  • Circle.so Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-14
  • 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.

Circle.so features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Circle.so offers an intuitive and clean design that makes it easy for users to navigate and engage with the community features.
  • Customization Options
    Users can customize their communityโ€™s look, feel, and functionality to align with their brand, making it a versatile platform.
  • Integrated Monetization
    Circle.so provides built-in tools for monetization, such as the ability to charge for memberships, courses, and events, which helps creators generate revenue.
  • Robust Community Features
    The platform includes various features like forums, chats, events, and live streams, enabling rich interactions and engagement within the community.
  • Scalability
    Circle.so can support communities of different sizes, from small groups to large organizations, allowing for growth and adaptability.
  • Integration with Other Tools
    The platform integrates with popular tools and services like Zapier, Slack, and third-party membership platforms to enhance functionality and connectivity.

Possible disadvantages of Circle.so

  • Pricing
    Circle.so can be relatively expensive, with pricing plans that may not be affordable for all individuals or small businesses.
  • Learning Curve
    While user-friendly, some users may still face a learning curve in terms of fully utilizing all the platformโ€™s features and customization options.
  • Limited Built-In Analytics
    The platform's built-in analytics capabilities are somewhat limited, which can make it harder for community managers to track detailed engagement and performance metrics.
  • Dependence on Internet Connectivity
    Circle.so is a cloud-based platform, so a stable internet connection is required at all times to access the community features, which can be a disadvantage for users with unreliable internet.
  • Feature Overwhelm
    The abundance of features can be overwhelming for new users, making it challenging to determine which tools are most beneficial for their specific community needs.

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 Circle.so

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Circle.so is a robust and effective tool for community building, offering ample features to enhance engagement and communication among members.

Why this product is good

  • Circle.so is considered a good platform for building and maintaining online communities due to its user-friendly interface, customizable spaces, and integration capabilities. It allows creators to gather their audiences, share content, and engage in meaningful interactions through features like discussion forums, live streams, and group events.

Recommended for

    Circle.so is recommended for content creators, educators, coaches, and organizations seeking to build strong and interactive online communities. It's particularly beneficial for those who want to monetize their communities or create exclusive spaces for member interaction.

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

Circle.so videos

Circle.So Review: A First Look at Circle, the NEW SASS For Building Online Communities Without Code

More videos:

  • Review - Circle.so Review: Is this the best community platform for creators?
  • Tutorial - Learn how to Use Circle.So: Add Spaces, Structure Your Community and Monetize Your Platform

Makerkit.dev videos

No Makerkit.dev videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Circle.so and Makerkit.dev)
Community Platform
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Community Management
100 100%
0% 0
Boilerplate
0 0%
100% 100

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Circle.so 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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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Circle.so and Makerkit.dev

Circle.so Reviews

The Top Free and Paid Teachable Alternatives For Creators
While Circle offers video and social integrations, itโ€™s missing quite a number of features on the sales and market side. For example, it doesnโ€™t allow you to create in-app sales funnels with customizable landing pages and checkout for selling community memberships. It also doesnโ€™t offer any native or third-party email marketing tools.
20 Telegram Alternatives to Chat With in 2024
Like Mighty Networks, Circle is a community platform that can work as an alternative to Telegram. It has a combination of forum, course, and livestreaming features to build a community around a shared interest. And your members can share text and video content.

Makerkit.dev Reviews

We have no reviews of Makerkit.dev yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Circle.so seems to be a lot more popular than Makerkit.dev. While we know about 32 links to Circle.so, 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.

Circle.so mentions (32)

  • Collaboration Circles for Developers (2026)
    Circle.so is a platform designed for online communities, with sub-groups, private spaces, etc. Ideal for creating private circles: you could set up an "Angular/React/AI circle" of 5 people and use Circle's functionalities to schedule meetings, chats, shared files. Advantage: more structured, ideal for your 5-person model. Limitation: may have a cost or require configuration. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • Do you guys know of another platform where people can talk, but is less anonymous than reddit? Allows for more of a sense of connecting with real people in a safe way.
    Https://cptsdfoundation.org/ has a group that you can interact with using https://circle.so/. Membership is 5 bucks a month, and to me, while I was using it, it was a very welcoming community. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Tell HN: DuckDuckGo Search Results have jumped the shark
    Https://circle.so/pricing/ I would guess even if DDG protects your privacy, it would use information (perhaps search and or site history) the browser is broadcasting regardless to filter results it pipes to the end point. For example I never see quora results (honestly it's been some years so I'd forgotten they existed still) as some members in this thread were annoyed with and paid to be done with them ... Then... - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • Which nocode tool to build an online academy?
    What is the reason you are trying to go custom? https://circle.so this is probably the best platform I have seen. Big and small companies use it (even webflow) so it has great adoption works well. I would stay away from a custom solution when there are wonderful tools like circle out there. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Show HN: Engineering Book Club
    I am also curious about the logistics of the club. It seems to be this: https://circle.so. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
View more

Makerkit.dev mentions (2)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Circle.so and Makerkit.dev, you can also consider the following products

Mighty Networks - Mighty Networks enables entrepreneurs, organizations, and companies to create and grow a community-powered brand.

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.

UUKI Live - UUKI helps you build meaningful relationships within your community through events, newsletters, and a community page

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

Bettermode - Create community sites, code-free.

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.