create-light-stack

A minimal, opinionated CLI to scaffold a full-stack monorepo without the headache.

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Why?

Honestly, I was just tired.

I got tired of setting up the same tsconfig.json, configuring the same ESLint rules, and wiring up the same database connections every single time I had an idea. I really like the T3 Stack and Better T Stack, but I wanted to build something that felt like mine a stack that matches exactly how I prefer to structure Express/Hono backends with strict type-safety.

I built this for fun, for myself, and to never have to write "initial config" boilerplate ever again.

The Stack

It's a Turborepo setup designed to be modular. You pick the pieces, I wire them up.

Package Manager: NPM Workspaces (Turborepo)

• Backend: Express or Hono (Your choice)

• Database: Postgres (Drizzle ORM) or MongoDB (Mongoose)

• Frontend: Next.js 16 + Tailwind v4 + shadcn/ui

• Validation: Zod (Shared across backend and DB)

Quick Start

You don't need to install anything. Just run:

npx create-light-stack

Answer a few questions, and you're good to go.

Development

Once you are in your folder:

# 1. Install dependencies
npm install

# 2. Setup your .env files (check the .env.example files)

# 3. If using Postgres, push schemas
npm run generate --workspace=@light/database
npm run migrate --workspace=@light/database

# 4. Start everything
npm run dev