What is App Stack Builder?

App Stack Builder is a free AI-powered tool that helps founders and developers choose the right tech stack for their projects based on budget, app type, team size, and skill level.

What is the best tech stack for SaaS in 2026?

The best tech stack for SaaS in 2026 typically includes Next.js 16 for frontend, Supabase for database and auth, Vercel for hosting, Stripe for payments, and PostHog for analytics. App Stack Builder can generate a personalized recommendation based on your specific budget and requirements.

Is App Stack Builder free to use?

Yes, App Stack Builder is completely free to use. You can generate unlimited tech stack recommendations without any cost.

What types of apps can I build with the recommended stacks?

App Stack Builder supports various app types including SaaS applications, web apps, mobile apps, e-commerce stores, internal tools, and AI/ML products.

How much does a SaaS tech stack cost per month?

A modern SaaS tech stack can cost anywhere from $0-50/month for bootstrapped startups using free tiers, $100-300/month for growth-stage startups, to $500+/month for enterprise-ready infrastructure. App Stack Builder helps you find the best tools within your specific budget.

What is the best tech stack for solo founders?

For solo founders, we recommend Next.js + Vercel (free), Supabase (free tier), Supabase Auth (free), Stripe (pay as you go), and Plausible or PostHog for analytics. This stack can run your entire SaaS for under $50/month.

Can I export my tech stack recommendations?

Yes, you can export your tech stack recommendations as a PDF document or copy them to your clipboard. You can also share a link to your stack with others.

Hatchet vs River: Which is Better in 2026?

Name: App Stack Builder
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Background Jobs & Workflows

Choosing between Hatchet and River? Both are popular background jobs & workflows tools. Below we compare them on pricing, free tiers, features, and pros & cons so you can pick the right fit for your stack.

Hatchet is for: Teams orchestrating background tasks and AI agent workflows who want an open-source engine that runs on Postgres.

River is for: Go teams on PostgreSQL who want jobs enqueued in the same transaction as their data.

Quick verdict

There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Hatchet if you want an open-source task engine you can self-host on the Postgres you already run. Choose River if your app is written in Go and uses Postgres.

Hatchet vs River — Side by Side

	Hatchet	River
Category	Background Jobs & Workflows	Background Jobs & Workflows
What it is	Task orchestration engine	Open-source job queue library
Languages	Python, TypeScript, Go, Ruby	Go, Java, Ruby, Rust, TypeScript
What it runs on	Hatchet Cloud or self-hosted on Postgres	Your Postgres or SQLite
How you pay	Per task run and event; no plan fee	Free (MPL-2.0); optional Pro subscription
Free access	1M task runs a month with a card on file	Full open-source library
Pricing	Free	Free · paid from $125/mo
Starting price	Free tier available	Free tier available
Free tier
Rating	4.4	4.4
Best for	Background Jobs & Workflows — Postgres-backed, AI task orchestration, open source	Background Jobs & Workflows — Go, Postgres, transactional jobs

Pros & Cons

Hatchet

Simple Postgres-based architecture
Easy to self-host
Built for AI task orchestration
Fine-grained concurrency control

Younger project, smaller community
Fewer integrations than incumbents

River

Idiomatic Go with strong typing
Transactional enqueue on Postgres
No separate broker needed
Active development

Go-first; other languages are newer
Newer than incumbents
Needs Postgres or SQLite

Key Features Compared

Hatchet

Open source under the MIT license; self-hosting needs only PostgreSQL for basic use
Hatchet Cloud is pay-as-you-go with no plan fee
With a card on file: 1M task runs and 1M events a month included, then $30 per 1M task runs and $5 per 1M events
Card-on-file plan includes 100 workers, 50 users and 7-day retention
Without a card, lower limits apply and tasks are dropped once a free limit is reached
SDKs for Python, TypeScript, Go and Ruby

River

Open source under the MPL-2.0 license
Enqueues jobs transactionally in your existing database
Runs on Postgres and SQLite
Background jobs for Go, Java, Ruby, Rust and TypeScript, per the project site
River Pro: $125 a month; annual billing saves $300
Pro adds workflows, sequences, batching, global concurrency limits, a dead letter queue and encrypted jobs

Choose Hatchet if…

You want an open-source task engine you can self-host on the Postgres you already run.
You need concurrency and rate limits per tenant or per key.
You want managed hosting with no monthly plan fee.

Hatchet review & pricing

Choose River if…

Your app is written in Go and uses Postgres.
You want a job to exist only if the transaction that created it commits.
You want workflows and concurrency limits for a flat monthly fee.

River review & pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Hatchet better than River?⌄

What is the difference between Hatchet and River?⌄

What it is — Hatchet: Task orchestration engine. River: Open-source job queue library. Languages — Hatchet: Python, TypeScript, Go, Ruby. River: Go, Java, Ruby, Rust, TypeScript. What it runs on — Hatchet: Hatchet Cloud or self-hosted on Postgres. River: Your Postgres or SQLite. How you pay — Hatchet: Per task run and event; no plan fee. River: Free (MPL-2.0); optional Pro subscription. Free access — Hatchet: 1M task runs a month with a card on file. River: Full open-source library.

Hatchet vs River: which is cheaper?⌄

Hatchet pricing: Free. River pricing: Free · paid from $125/mo. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.

Which is rated higher, Hatchet or River?⌄

In our catalog, Hatchet rates 4.4 out of 5 and River rates 4.4 out of 5 — they are evenly matched.

When should I skip both Hatchet and River?⌄

Skip Hatchet if you want a library rather than a separate engine. Graphile Worker and River run inside your app on Postgres. Skip River if your app is in Node.js. Graphile Worker takes the same Postgres approach.

Sources · tool facts checked November 2026