LaunchKit vs Open SaaS
Open SaaS offers maximum control. LaunchKit offers maximum speed.
Open SaaS (Wasp) is a free, open-source alternative focused on flexibility and community contribution — LaunchKit is an opinionated, production-ready system that saves weeks or months of setup.
Key Differences
Open SaaS offers:
- ✓Free and open-source
- ✓Maximum control and flexibility
- ✓Community-driven development
- ✓Build exactly what you want
LaunchKit offers:
- ●Opinionated, production-ready system
- ●Business features built-in
- ●Weeks of setup time saved
- ●Ship now, customise later
The Trade-off: Control vs Speed
Open SaaS gives you maximum control — but requires maximum effort.
LaunchKit gives you opinionated choices — but saves weeks of work.
With Open SaaS, you build:
- ⚡Your own CRM system
- ⚡Your own booking flows
- ⚡Your own admin dashboards
- ⚡Your own lead capture
- ⚡Your own billing logic
With LaunchKit, you get:
- ✓Built-in CRM system
- ✓Built-in booking flows
- ✓Built-in admin dashboards
- ✓Built-in lead capture
- ✓Built-in billing logic
Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | LaunchKit | Open SaaS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ✓One-time £249 | ✅Free |
| Approach | =Opinionated & complete | =Flexible & DIY |
| Setup time | ✅Hours | ⚠️Days to weeks |
| CRM & lead capture | ✅Built-in | ⚠️Build yourself |
| Booking & scheduling | ✅Included | ⚠️Build yourself |
| Production readiness | ✅Day-one ready | ⚠️Requires work |
| Control & flexibility | ✓High (you own the code) | ✅Maximum |
| Time to first customer | ✅Days | ⚠️Weeks or months |
Time Investment Comparison
Open SaaS Timeline
- →Week 1: Set up and configure
- →Week 2-3: Build auth and billing flows
- →Week 3-4: Create CRM or integrate tools
- →Week 4-5: Build admin dashboards
- →Week 5+: Production hardening
Time to revenue: 5+ weeks
LaunchKit Timeline
- →Day 1: Configure keys and branding
- →Day 1-2: Customise copy and pricing
- →Day 2: Deploy with everything included
- →Day 2: Accept first customer
Time to revenue: 2 days
Who Should Choose Which?
Choose Open SaaS if:
- ○You want full control and time to build
- ○You prefer open-source community
- ○You enjoy building from scratch
- ○You have weeks to invest in setup
Choose LaunchKit if:
- ●You want to ship now
- ●You need business features built-in
- ●You value speed over maximum control
- ●You'd rather customise than build
Final Verdict
Open SaaS = Maximum control, maximum effort
LaunchKit = Opinionated, production-ready system
Open SaaS is perfect if you have time and want total control. But if you want to ship now and start earning revenue, LaunchKit gets you there in days instead of weeks.
Ready to ship instead of build?
Save weeks of development. Launch with everything you need.
