Hackathon Starter
Hackathon Starter is a free, reusable Node.js web application boilerplate and learning guide.
What Hackathon Starter is
Hackathon Starter is a free, reusable Node.js web application boilerplate and learning guide. It provides scaffolding for common hackathon projects, with authentication options covering email and password, passwordless access, passkeys or biometrics, and OAuth sign-in through Google, Microsoft, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Twitch, GitHub, and Discord. Account management includes profiles, password changes and recovery, email verification, two-factor authentication, linked OAuth accounts, token revocation, and account deletion. The repository includes examples for a ReAct AI agent with tool calling, MongoDB session persistence and input guardrails, plus retrieval-augmented generation and text and image language-model examples. API examples connect with Stripe, PayPal, QuickBooks, Twilio, Google Maps, HERE Maps, Google Drive, Google Sheets, GitHub, and GIPHY. Listed protections include reCAPTCHA, rate limiting, CSRF protection, and secure SMTP on port 465 by default. Setup requires cloning the repository, installing npm dependencies, and running the app; MongoDB and Node.js LTS 24 are prerequisites. Some integrations require provider credentials, and supplied keys are placeholders. The project uses the MIT License without warranty.
Good
- Free MIT-licensed project scaffolding
- Many authentication methods included
- Includes account recovery and security controls
- Provides AI and API integration examples
- Runs across major desktop operating systems
Watch out
- Requires MongoDB and Node.js LTS 24
- Some integrations need provider credentials
- Supplied integration keys are placeholders
- Provided without warranty
Who it suits
It suits JavaScript developers starting Node.js web applications or studying individual features. It is also intended for generic, reusable hackathon projects that need authentication, integrations, or AI examples.
Verdict
Hackathon Starter offers a broad starting point for Node.js web applications, combining account features, integrations, and learning examples. Developers should expect to supply external credentials and configure the required local dependencies.
Plans and prices
From Hackathon Starter's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| MIT License | Free | No warranty; attribution and license notice required in copies or substantial portions · Free software under the MIT License |
The facts
Each one read from Hackathon Starter's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Account management
- Account features include profile details, password changes and recovery, email verification, two-factor authentication, linking OAuth accounts, token revocation, and account deletion.checked 8 Oct 2026
- AI examples
- The project includes a ReAct AI agent example with tool calling, MongoDB session persistence and input guardrails, as well as RAG and text and image LLM examples.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Authentication
- It includes local email and password, passwordless, passkey or biometric authentication, plus OAuth sign-in with Google, Microsoft, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Twitch, GitHub, and Discord.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Contributions
- Pull requests are welcome, but the maintainer says the project's opinionated nature means not every pull request can be accepted and asks contributors to open an issue first.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- The README describes optional production deployment and HTTPS proxy setup using ngrok or Cloudflare.checked 8 Oct 2026
- External credentials
- Some integrations require credentials from service providers, and the repository says its supplied keys are placeholders.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- API examples cover services including Stripe, PayPal, QuickBooks, Twilio, Google Maps, HERE Maps, Google Drive, Google Sheets, GitHub, and GIPHY.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The maker describes the project as generic and reusable for common hackathon web app use cases and as a learning guide for developers interested in individual features such as Google sign-in.checked 8 Oct 2026
- License and warranty
- The repository provides the software under the MIT License, which allows use, modification, distribution, sublicensing, and sale subject to its stated conditions, and provides it without warranty.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Hackathon Starter is a reusable boilerplate for Node.js web applications, intended to help developers get projects started and can also be used as a learning guide.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Security features
- Listed protections include reCAPTCHA, rate limiting, CSRF protection, and secure SMTP transmissions over port 465 by default.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Setup
- Getting started involves cloning the repository, installing npm dependencies, and running the app; MongoDB and Node.js LTS 24 are listed prerequisites.checked 8 Oct 2026
Alternatives to Hackathon Starter
- 1
SQLDelight
Free planOpen sourceAndroidiOSWebAPI7.9Free plan - 2
Fern
Free planOpen sourceWebAPILinuxmacOS7.8Free plan - 3
Swagger Codegen
Free planOpen sourceWebAPILinuxmacOS7.6Free plan - 4
APIMatic
Free planWebAPIExtensionLinux7.4From $99 a month - 5
Symfony MakerBundle
Free planOpen sourceAPILinuxmacOSSelf-hosted7.4Free plan - 6
quicktype
Free planWebAPILinuxmacOS7.3From $19 a month