Boilerplate

This boilerplate demonstrates how to build a full-stack Next.js application using Drizzle ORM with Neon Serverless PostgreSQL, providing an optimized and cost-effective setup for both local development and serverless production environments.

It includes a complete CRUD implementation, TanStack Query for efficient data fetching, and an automatic driver switch — using a local PostgreSQL driver in development and Neon’s serverless driver in staging/production.

This approach offers the best of both worlds: a fast local developer experience and fully serverless scalability in production.

Note:

This is an excellent approach to avoid keeping persistent database connections open unnecessarily.

It helps reduce database usage hours and costs when the application is idle or experiencing low activity — especially important when using serverless billing models.

Attention:

Serverless drivers do not support SQL transactions.

Transactions may work locally (using a traditional driver), but they will not function in production environments using Neon’s serverless HTTP driver.

If your app depends on transactions, consider using connection pooling or non-serverless Neon plans.

Overview

By combining Next.js (App Router + API Routes) with Drizzle ORM and Neon, this boilerplate showcases a clean, modern architecture ready for Micro SaaS and AI-powered web apps that require strong database performance with minimal infrastructure overhead.

Features

• Next.js App Router for a modern frontend and routing structure.
• Next.js API Routes for isolated backend logic.
• Drizzle ORM for type-safe and SQL-friendly database management.
• Neon Serverless PostgreSQL for scalable, low-cost cloud storage.
• TanStack Query for optimized data fetching and caching.
• Automatic environment detection:
  • Local → Uses standard PostgreSQL driver.
  • Staging/Production → Uses Neon’s Serverless driver.
• Full CRUD example (Create, Read, Update, Delete).
• TypeScript for type safety and maintainability.
• Modular monorepo structure with separate db and ui packages.

Why This Matters

Running serverless on both ends (Vercel + Neon) brings massive advantages:

Performance

Neon’s HTTP-based driver and on-demand connection pooling align perfectly with Vercel’s architecture, minimizing cold starts and latency.

Cost Optimization

Serverless connections scale down to zero — you only pay for queries executed, reducing idle database costs.

Developer Experience

Seamless local workflow (using traditional driver) ensures fast iteration and testing without dependency on remote resources.

Use Case

This boilerplate is ideal for developers building:

• Micro SaaS apps with database-backed features.
• AI/ML-enabled platforms needing scalable persistence.
• Serverless-first architectures on Vercel + Neon.
• Modern CRUD dashboards with full-stack type safety.

With Next.js, Drizzle ORM, and Neon Serverless PostgreSQL, this boilerplate delivers a production-ready foundation for modern, fast, and efficient applications — optimized for Vercel’s serverless runtime and scalable cloud databases. 🚀