01
Setup debt
You start with one route and burn hours wiring auth, docs, folders, env setup, shared utilities, and the pieces nobody wants to rebuild every weekend.
Live now on npm
Generate a real API starter, then keep the code.
`create-api-lite` gives you a local-first backend starting point with auth, rate limiting, Swagger docs, response helpers, and a project structure teams can actually extend. No hosted platform in the middle. No disposable scaffold.
Run the free version
npx create-api-lite my-api
4
JavaScript paths smoke-tested
2
TypeScript paths validated
0
hosted lock-in
Why it lands
The annoying part is everything around the first endpoint.
02
Tool gravity
Hosted backends are useful until the moment you want to own the code, switch providers, or stay in a workflow that starts locally.
03
Throwaway output
A lot of generators spit out code you replace fast. The better outcome is a starter that already feels like a backend your team can keep.
What the free package gives you
A strong backend starter without pretending to be a platform.
Free package
Plain project files in your repo from the first run.
The free package is meant to do the useful part well: generate the structure, wire the boring essentials, and leave you with code that is readable enough to own.
Auth baseline
JWT auth, protection middleware, env wiring, and a structure that is ready for the next layer.
API guardrails
Rate limiting, request validation, response shaping, and a cleaner baseline than raw boilerplate.
Live docs
Swagger/OpenAPI output so developers can inspect the starter immediately instead of documenting later.
Working structure
Helpers, models, routes, controllers, services, middlewares, validators, and a superadmin seed flow.
How it works
Short prompt flow. Practical output.
The builder stays tight on purpose. It asks for the project-shaping decisions first, then hands you a backend starter that already feels organized enough to keep.
Free now, premium later
The free package is live. Premium is coming soon.
Free
Available now on npm
$0
Enough to generate a serious backend starter without turning the free version into a toy.
- JavaScript or TypeScript project setup
- Express or Fastify starter template
- SQLite or MongoDB support
- JWT auth foundation
- Rate limiting and validation baseline
- Swagger docs generation
- Global response and error helpers
- Superadmin seed flow and manual insert reference
- Dockerfile and environment scaffolding
Coming soon
For teams who want the second sprint built in
Soon
Premium is not shipping yet. It will focus on the modules teams usually rebuild right after the first version works.
- RBAC and multi-role auth flows
- Email verification and password reset modules
- Advanced caching adapters and queue-ready patterns
- Audit logs and production logging baseline
- SaaS-ready billing and team templates
- Advanced deployment presets and CI setup
- Premium template packs and guided upgrades
Join the list if you want updates when premium modules and template packs start landing.
"The right generated backend should feel like a head start, not a trap."
FAQ
A few things worth answering plainly.
Yes. The free package is available now on npm at `create-api-lite`, and this page now points to the real public package.
The free version covers the real starter: language choice, framework choice,
database choice, auth baseline, rate limiting, Swagger docs, response utilities,
and the generated project structure.
Premium is planned as a set of higher-value modules and templates: RBAC, auth
extensions, SaaS and billing patterns, audit logging, and deployment-focused packs.
It is intentionally marked as coming soon for now.
Stay in the loop
Use the free package now. Join for premium updates later.
The free package is already public. Join the list if you want launch updates, premium template announcements, and new module drops.
Open the npm package