Next.js Authentication Boilerplate

The Next.js Authentication Boilerplate is an open-source starter kit that wires JWT authentication into a Next.js app using edge middleware and serverless API routes, with Prisma and PostgreSQL for data storage.

What is the Next.js Authentication Boilerplate?

This boilerplate implements a full authentication flow — signup, login, and route protection — on the Next.js framework using TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Prisma ORM, and a PostgreSQL database. You provide three environment variables (JWT_SECRET, DATABASE_URL, BCRYPT_PASSWORD) and it produces a runnable app with hashed passwords and signed JSON Web Tokens. The project is authored by Scott Jason, released under the MIT license, and a live demo is hosted on Vercel.

Key Features

• JWT authentication — issues JSON Web Tokens that are verified in middleware to protect pages and API routes.
• Edge middleware — runs authentication checks on the Edge runtime for low-latency request handling.
• Serverless API routes — Next.js API endpoints handle authentication logic without managing a dedicated server.
• Prisma + PostgreSQL — schema definitions live in the /prisma directory; use prisma generate and prisma migrate to sync your database.
• TypeScript — the entire codebase is typed, improving maintainability and editor support.
• Tailwind CSS — utility-first styling is pre-configured for building UI quickly.
• Vercel-ready deployment — directions for running prisma migrate deploy in CI/CD pipelines make production releases repeatable.

Who should use the Next.js Authentication Boilerplate?

Developers starting a new Next.js project need to add authentication quickly without designing a custom auth system. Full-stack developers who want to learn how edge middleware and serverless functions can secure an application will find a complete working example. Teams deploying to Vercel benefit from the included PostgreSQL schema and the documented CI/CD migration step.

What can you do with the Next.js Authentication Boilerplate?

• Solo developers: clone the repository, set three environment variables, run the Prisma migrations, and start the dev server to get a working login and signup system.
• Full-stack learners: study how the edge middleware reads the JWT cookie and how the serverless API routes validate credentials and hash passwords with bcrypt.
• Startup teams: use the boilerplate as a foundation for authenticated SaaS products, then extend the Prisma schema with your own models.

How does the Next.js Authentication Boilerplate work?

Installation follows the standard Next.js workflow: clone, npm install, add a .env file, run prisma generate, and create the database schema with npx prisma migrate dev. For production, apply migrations with npx prisma migrate deploy as part of CI/CD, then build with npm run build. The dev server runs on http://localhost:3000.

Pricing

The template is free and open source under the MIT license (Copyright (c) 2023 Scott Jason), so you can use it commercially without paying a license fee.

Alternatives

NextAuth.js — a popular authentication library for Next.js with built-in support for multiple OAuth providers and database adapters.

FAQ

Does this boilerplate use email and password authentication?

Yes. The template stores user credentials with bcrypt password hashing and issues JWT tokens after successful login. You configure a JWT secret and a bcrypt password value in your environment variables.

What Node.js version is required?

Node.js 18.x is required, along with npm 8.x or 9.x. The project directions list these as prerequisites before cloning and running the app.

How do I deploy this boilerplate to Vercel?

After pushing your repository, run npx prisma migrate deploy before or during your build to apply database migrations, then run npm run build. The repository includes a link to a live Vercel demo.

Is the boilerplate free to use?

Yes, it is released under the MIT License, which permits free use, modification, and distribution, including for commercial purposes.