Introduction
NovaStack CLI is a modern MERN stack scaffolding tool that lets developers bootstrap production-ready applications within seconds.
It generates a clean, scalable project structure with best practices already configured so developers can focus on building products instead of configuring projects.
🚀 New in v1.0.0
- ✦ Interactive project creation
- ✦ MERN templates
- ✦ TypeScript support
- ✦ Tailwind CSS
- ✦ ESLint + Prettier
- ✦ Environment setup
- ✦ Ready-to-deploy structure
Installation
Install the CLI globally on your machine using npm. This will add the global novastack executable to your PATH.
Quick Start
Follow these simple steps to bootstrap and launch your first application:
Scaffold a new project
Run the interactive installer. You can specify a name directly or let the CLI prompt you.
Navigate to your folder
Start local development
Launch the dev server and view the project in your browser at http://localhost:3000.
Project Structure
NovaStack CLI generates a clean, scalable folder structure configured with industry-standard patterns:
This layout separates routing, styling, database management, and helper scripts, making the project intuitive to scale from day one.
Core Features
NovaStack isn't just a simple boilerplate generator. It acts as an orchestrator that connects modern tools with optimized defaults:
TypeScript Native
Every file, component, configuration, and API endpoint is strictly typed.
Better Auth Pre-integrated
Comes with pre-configured secure authentication handlers for email/password and OAuth.
Prisma Database Layer
Pre-configured PostgreSQL connection, models, migrations, and a database seeding script.
Tailwind CSS Styling
Responsive design tokens and customizable variables ready to use with custom UI systems.
Command Directory
A comprehensive reference of commands available in the NovaStack CLI:
| Command | Description | Options / Flags |
|---|---|---|
| create [name] | Bootstraps a new workspace from the golden stack. | --yes, --template |
| --version | Display the installed CLI version. | -v |
| --help | Prints support documentation and command descriptions. | -h |
Templates
NovaStack CLI generates high-performance MERN Stack boilerplate applications. By focusing on Next.js 15 as the React core layer, our templates bridge client-side rendering with backend route handlers and DB actions seamlessly.
Templates contain built-in setup guidelines, ESLint configs, TypeScript configurations, Prettier styling configurations, and dockerized local services to minimize friction.
Environment Variables
When scaffolding a project, NovaStack generates two files:
- .env.example — A safe template listing all required variables. This is checked into git.
- .env.local — Contains actual credentials (e.g. database password, auth secret key) and is automatically added to
.gitignore.
DATABASE_URL = Connection string to your database instance (PostgreSQL).BETTER_AUTH_SECRET = Used to encrypt session cookies and auth tokens.BETTER_AUTH_URL = Absolute URL of your application (e.g., http://localhost:3000).Deployment
NovaStack templates produce completely standard Next.js applications, which means you have zero vendor lock-in. You can host them anywhere:
Serverless Platforms
Deploy directly to Vercel, Netlify, or AWS Amplify by importing your GitHub repository. Environment variables can be added directly via their settings panel.
Containerized Hosting
Build the multi-stage production container using the included Dockerfile. Deploy to AWS ECS, Google Cloud Run, Railway, or Render.
Database Hosting
Connect to managed Postgres providers such as Neon, Supabase, AWS RDS, or Aiven. Run database migrations on deployment using npx prisma db push.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does NovaStack lock me into a runtime?
No. The generated project uses pure Next.js code with standard node_modules. Once scaffolded, you can delete NovaStack CLI, and the project will continue building and running exactly as normal.
Q: Can I customize the database or styling frameworks?
Yes. You own 100% of the generated codebase. Feel free to replace Prisma with Drizzle, or swap Tailwind CSS out for another styling library.
Q: How do I upgrade my dependencies?
You can update your packages manually in your project's package.json file and run npm install, or use package updates utilities like npm-check-updates.