Compare / Alternatives
Electrik vs Wave
A Wave alternative for Laravel SaaS teams that want package-first auth, teams, and Stripe.
Open SaaS starter from DevDojo — auth, blogging/CMS-style features, and SaaS building blocks with a different product philosophy than Electrik.
The short version
Wave fits builders who want a DevDojo-shaped SaaS starter (often with content/blog DNA) and are comfortable in that ecosystem. Electrik fits builders who want a Composer package focused on teams + Stripe billing + Slate Blade UI, with an explicit BSL commercial story.
- Stack notes
- Laravel-based; historically Livewire-oriented with DevDojo’s Wave ecosystem.
- Pricing posture
- Open-source Wave core with DevDojo commercial offerings around themes/pro — verify current license on the Wave site.
Feature matrix
Wave popularized “SaaS starter” for Laravel indie hackers: authentication, subscriptions ideas, and a community around DevDojo. It is a different product lineage than Electrik’s package-first, team-billed, Slate-skinned kit.
Comparisons are based on publicly documented product positioning and may lag vendor changes. Always verify on the competitor’s site and run both demos before you buy or commit.
| Feature | Electrik | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Distribution model How code lands in your app and how you upgrade it. |
Yes composer require electrik/electrik |
Partial Starter app / template oriented |
| Authentication Login, register, password reset, verification, sessions. |
Yes 2FA, sessions, verification |
Yes Included |
| Teams / workspaces Multi-user workspaces with invites and switching. |
Yes Teamwork fork + invites |
Partial Varies by Wave version |
| Roles & permissions RBAC beyond a single owner/admin flag. |
Yes Spatie, team-scoped |
Partial Varies |
| Stripe / Cashier billing Subscriptions, invoices, payment methods. |
Yes Cashier + plan sync |
Partial SaaS billing patterns; verify edition |
| Billing on the team Subscription owned by workspace, not only the user. |
Yes Cashier customer = Team |
Partial Not Electrik’s team-Cashier model |
| Onboarding wizard Guided first-run flow after signup. |
Yes Configurable wizard |
Partial Varies |
| Product UI kit First-class Blade (or equivalent) design system for the app shell. |
Yes Electrik Slate (MIT) |
Partial Wave / DevDojo UI |
| Primary stack Livewire, Inertia, Filament, or mix. |
Yes Livewire 4 |
Yes Laravel + Livewire heritage |
| Admin / resource panel CRUD admin for operators (not end-user SaaS shell). |
No Product shell, not Filament admin |
Partial Not Filament-first |
| Vendor-owned upgrades Composer package you update vs scaffold dumped into App\. |
Yes Code stays under Electrik\ |
Partial Template ownership model |
| Free commercial lane Ship commercially without paying the kit vendor (grant or MIT). |
Partial Grant for indie/OSS; companies need commercial |
Partial Open core + paid add-ons possible |
| Kit pricing posture What you typically pay the kit vendor (not your Stripe plans). |
Partial $0 grant or one-time commercial tiers |
Partial Free core / paid ecosystem |
Deeper comparison
Product shape
Wave often feels like an application template with SaaS and content features. Electrik is deliberately a vendor package: install, configure, keep App\ for your domain. If you want to fork a full app and own every folder, Wave’s template mindset may feel more natural. If you want upgradable kit code, Electrik’s model matches Slate’s Composer story.
Teams and billing
Electrik’s center of gravity is team workspaces with Cashier on the team and Spatie roles. Wave’s strengths and gaps differ by version — treat team-scoped billing and Spatie integration as Electrik opinions, not universal SaaS-starter defaults.
UI
Electrik standardizes on Electrik Slate. Wave ships its own UI/theme approach tied to the DevDojo brand. Neither is “better” universally; pick the design system you want to live in.
License
Wave’s open core vs paid DevDojo add-ons is a different commercial shape from Electrik’s BSL + Solo/Studio. Read both licenses before you ship a company product.
Choose Electrik if
- You want package-first upgrades and Electrik\ namespaced product code
- Team-scoped Stripe + Spatie permissions are non-negotiable
- You want Slate UI shared with slate.electrik.dev
- You like an explicit indie grant vs commercial license page
Choose Wave if
- You prefer the DevDojo / Wave ecosystem and tutorials
- You want a more template-like full application to fork
- Content/blog-oriented SaaS starters match your product
- Your team already ships Wave in production
Caveats
- Wave’s feature set and licensing have shifted across versions — confirm current docs.
- This page compares product posture, not a line-by-line Wave changelog.
- Electrik is alpha; Wave has a longer public track record as a starter brand.
Electrik vs Wave FAQ
Is Electrik a good Wave alternative?
Yes, when you want a Composer-package SaaS shell (auth, teams, Stripe on the team, Slate UI) instead of Wave’s model. Read the “Choose Electrik if / Choose Wave if” sections on this page — Wave is still the better pick for some teams.
Is Electrik based on Wave?
No. Electrik is an independent kit built on Electrik Slate, Teamwork (fork), Spatie Permission, and Cashier.
Which is more “open source”?
Wave markets an open SaaS starter; Electrik uses BSL 1.1 with a free Additional Use Grant. MIT UI (Slate) sits beside Electrik. Compare licenses for your use case rather than slogans.
Can I migrate from Wave to Electrik?
There is no automated migrator. Treat it as a new shell: recreate auth/teams/billing on Electrik and move domain models into App\.
Try Electrik next
Composer install, or click the demo — then read pricing if you are past the grant.