Introduction
Add complete features to the React app you already own.
Add complete features to the React app you already own
BTST is an open-source TypeScript system for installing full-stack features into existing React applications. It is built for React/TypeScript developers and small product teams that need a substantial recurring feature without replacing the application they already have.
A full-stack plugin can bring the routes, APIs, database schema, hooks, SSR-aware pages, and customizable UI that its feature needs. Start with one plugin and add more only when they are useful.
Install your first feature
Add Blog to an existing Next.js app and open the working route.
Understand how BTST works
See where packages, plugins, data, routes, and owned UI fit.
View the live Blog
See a released BTST feature without changing an application.
Explore released plugins
Compare the capabilities you can install today.
Where BTST fits
BTST is more complete than a UI kit, more incremental than a starter application, and more ownable than a hosted feature service. It is not a new application foundation or a required hosted control plane: plugins run inside your stack, with your database and deployment.
You own the whole application. Your application, data, deployment, and
ejected UI stay yours. Packaged runtime and data behavior remains upgradeable
through @btst/* dependencies, and the open-source code can be inspected,
forked, or replaced.
Released capabilities
Different plugins have different boundaries. Full-stack plugins register both backend and client behavior; one-sided plugins intentionally provide only the side they need. Companions connect BTST to a system the application already runs.
| Capability | Topology | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Blog | Full-stack | Publishing workflow, routes, API, data model, editor, metadata, and sitemap entries |
| AI Chat | Full-stack | Streaming conversations, model integration, history, routes, and UI |
| CMS | Full-stack | Typed content models, APIs, generated forms, and editorial UI |
| Form Builder | Full-stack | Form authoring, validation, rendering, and submissions |
| UI Builder | Client-only · requires CMS | Visual page authoring and public rendering over CMS content |
| Kanban | Full-stack | Boards, columns, tasks, assignment, and drag-and-drop UI |
| Comments | Full-stack | Threads, replies, reactions, moderation, and embeddable UI |
| Media | Full-stack | Media storage, library routes, uploads, folders, and picker UI |
| OpenAPI | Backend-only | Generated OpenAPI document and interactive API reference endpoint |
| Route Docs | Client-only | Generated route reference and navigation UI |
| Better Auth UI | Companion · requires Better Auth | Auth and account pages for an existing Better Auth backend |
These are installable, released capabilities. The catalog does not mix future ideas into the available inventory. See compatibility and prerequisites before choosing an adapter or a plugin with an external dependency.
Choose the level of guidance you need
- Generated setup is the shortest supported path for an existing Next.js App Router, React Router v7, or TanStack Start application.
- Manual installation keeps every integration decision visible for teams with custom project structure, routing, runtime, or deployment requirements.
- Plugin development is for building a reusable capability rather than installing one of the released plugins.
