BMAD-METHOD/expansion-packs/bmad-javascript-fullstack/data/technology-stack-guide.md

Technology Stack Selection Guide

Decision Framework

Consider These Factors

1. Team expertise - What does your team know?
2. Project requirements - What are you building?
3. Scale requirements - Expected traffic and data volume?
4. Timeline - How fast do you need to ship?
5. Budget - Infrastructure and development costs?
6. Maintenance - Long-term support needs?

Recommended Stacks by Use Case

1. MVP / Startup (Speed Priority)

Stack: T3 Stack or Next.js + Supabase

• Frontend: Next.js 14
• Backend: Next.js API routes or tRPC
• Database: Supabase (PostgreSQL + Auth + Realtime)
• Deployment: Vercel
• Why: Fastest time to market, minimal config, great DX

2. SaaS Application (Scale Priority)

Stack: Next.js + NestJS + PostgreSQL

• Frontend: Next.js 14 with App Router
• Backend: NestJS (modular, testable)
• Database: PostgreSQL with Prisma
• Cache: Redis
• Queue: Bull/BullMQ
• Deployment: Frontend (Vercel), Backend (Railway/Render)
• Why: Enterprise-ready, scales well, great TypeScript support

3. E-commerce (Performance Priority)

Stack: Next.js + Shopify/Stripe + PostgreSQL

• Frontend: Next.js with ISR
• Payment: Stripe or Shopify
• Database: PostgreSQL with Prisma
• Cache: Redis
• CDN: CloudFlare or Vercel Edge
• Why: Fast page loads, built-in payments, SEO-friendly

4. Real-time App (Chat, Collaboration)

Stack: Next.js + Express + Socket.io + Redis

• Frontend: Next.js
• Backend: Express with Socket.io
• Database: PostgreSQL + MongoDB (messages)
• Cache/Pub-Sub: Redis
• Why: Excellent WebSocket support, real-time updates

5. API-First / Mobile Backend

Stack: Fastify + PostgreSQL + Redis

• Backend: Fastify (high performance)
• Database: PostgreSQL with Prisma
• Cache: Redis
• API: REST or GraphQL
• Deployment: Railway, Fly.io, or AWS
• Why: Fast, lightweight, API-focused

6. Enterprise Application

Stack: NestJS + PostgreSQL + Microservices

• Backend: NestJS (modular architecture)
• Database: PostgreSQL
• Message Queue: RabbitMQ or Kafka
• Monitoring: Datadog or New Relic
• Container: Docker + Kubernetes
• Why: Enterprise patterns, testable, maintainable

Technology Comparison

Frontend Frameworks

Framework	Best For	Learning Curve	Performance	Ecosystem
Next.js	Full-stack apps	Medium	Excellent	Huge
Vite + React	SPAs	Low	Excellent	Huge
Remix	Full-stack, data-heavy	Medium	Excellent	Growing
Astro	Content sites	Low	Excellent	Growing

Backend Frameworks

Framework	Best For	Learning Curve	Performance	DX
Express	Flexibility	Low	Good	Good
Fastify	Performance	Low	Excellent	Good
NestJS	Enterprise	Medium-High	Good	Excellent
tRPC	Type safety	Low	Good	Excellent

Databases

Database	Best For	Scaling	Query Language	ACID
PostgreSQL	Relational data	Excellent	SQL	Yes
MongoDB	Flexible schema	Excellent	MQL	No
MySQL	Traditional apps	Good	SQL	Yes
Redis	Caching, sessions	Excellent	Commands	No

ORMs

ORM	Best For	DX	Type Safety	Performance
Prisma	Modern apps	Excellent	Excellent	Good
TypeORM	TypeScript	Good	Good	Good
Drizzle	Performance	Good	Excellent	Excellent
Mongoose	MongoDB	Good	Fair	Good

Decision Trees

Choosing Frontend Framework

Need SEO?
  Yes → Need dynamic data?
    Yes → Next.js (SSR/ISR)
    No → Next.js (SSG) or Astro
  No → Need maximum performance?
    Yes → Vite + React
    No → Next.js (great all-rounder)

Choosing Backend Framework

Team experience?
  Beginners → Express (simple)
  TypeScript experts → NestJS (structured)
  Performance critical → Fastify
  Need end-to-end types → tRPC

Choosing Database

Data structure?
  Fixed schema → PostgreSQL
  Flexible/nested → MongoDB
  Need ACID → PostgreSQL
  Document storage → MongoDB
  Caching only → Redis

Stack Templates

Starter Template

{
  "frontend": "Next.js 14",
  "backend": "Next.js API routes",
  "database": "Supabase",
  "hosting": "Vercel"
}

Production Template

{
  "frontend": "Next.js 14",
  "backend": "NestJS",
  "database": "PostgreSQL + Prisma",
  "cache": "Redis",
  "queue": "Bull",
  "hosting": {
    "frontend": "Vercel",
    "backend": "Railway"
  }
}

Enterprise Template

{
  "frontend": "Next.js 14 + TypeScript",
  "backend": "NestJS microservices",
  "database": "PostgreSQL + MongoDB",
  "cache": "Redis Cluster",
  "queue": "RabbitMQ",
  "container": "Docker + Kubernetes",
  "monitoring": "Datadog",
  "ci_cd": "GitHub Actions"
}