Better Fullstack vs Spring Initializr
Spring Initializr is the Spring team's project generator. Its reference documentation describes "an extensible API to generate JVM-based projects", and start.spring.io is the public instance. You choose a build tool, a language, a Spring Boot version, a Java version, packaging, and a list of dependencies, and it returns a project with those starters declared.
Better Fullstack covers the JVM as one of 8 ecosystems. Its Java ecosystem offers Spring Boot, Quarkus, Micronaut, and Ktor in Java, and Kotlin for Spring Boot and Ktor. For Spring Boot, many options also come with sample code, such as a JPA entity with its repository, service, and controller, or a Spring Security configuration.
Facts about Spring Initializr checked against its public repository and documentation on 2026-10-06.
| At a glance | Better Fullstack | Spring Initializr |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Backend with sample code, optionally next to web and mobile apps | A Spring Boot project skeleton with the selected starters |
| Frameworks | Spring Boot, Quarkus, Micronaut, Ktor | Spring Boot |
| Languages | Java, or Kotlin with Spring Boot or Ktor | Java, Kotlin, or Groovy |
| Build tool | Maven or Gradle (Kotlin DSL) | Maven, or Gradle with the Groovy or Kotlin DSL |
| Versions | Pinned per release: Spring Boot 4.0.6 and Java 21 in current templates | Choice of Spring Boot version (4.1.1 by default) and Java 17, 21, 25, or 27 |
| Dependencies | Spring Data JPA, jOOQ, or MyBatis; Spring Security or Keycloak; Spring libraries such as Actuator, Flyway, and Kafka | Spring starters for web, data, security, messaging, observability, Spring Cloud, cloud providers, and AI |
| Database setup | Embedded H2 file database in PostgreSQL mode for SQL data layers | The drivers you select; no generated schema or entities |
| Interfaces | CLI, visual web builder, MCP server for AI agents | Web UI, HTTP API, Spring Boot CLI, IntelliJ IDEA, VS Code, Spring Tools |
What Spring Initializr gives you
A ready-to-build project: the Maven or Gradle build file with your starters, the build tool wrapper, an application class, a test that loads the application context, and an application properties file. It does not write controllers, entities, or a frontend; those come next, in your own code. On start.spring.io, the Share option creates a link to the current selection.
The same service is reachable in several ways: `curl https://start.spring.io/starter.zip` with dependency parameters, the Spring Boot CLI's init command, the Spring Boot wizard in IntelliJ IDEA, Microsoft's Spring Initializr extension for VS Code, and Spring Tools for Eclipse and VS Code. Organizations can run their own customized instance with the spring-io/initializr library.
Keeping a Spring project current
Spring Initializr creates new projects. For upgrades, the OpenRewrite community maintains rewrite-spring recipes, and Broadcom's commercial Spring Application Advisor, part of its Spring Enterprise offering, applies OpenRewrite-based upgrades incrementally.
Better Fullstack records your selections in bts.jsonc, and its update command plans template changes for review. Upgrades across Better Fullstack releases are not yet a supported path and require manual review.
What Better Fullstack adds
A choice of JVM framework beyond Spring Boot, plus code for the options you pick: with Spring Data JPA you get an AppUser entity, repository, service, and REST controller, and options such as Spring Security, Spring GraphQL, gRPC, and Flyway or Liquibase come with their configuration. Testing options include JUnit 5, Mockito, Testcontainers, AssertJ, REST Assured, WireMock, Awaitility, ArchUnit, and jqwik.
In a multi-ecosystem project, the Spring Boot backend can sit next to a TypeScript web frontend or a mobile app, with one set of compatibility rules across them.
Where Spring Initializr is ahead
Its Spring catalog is larger and follows Spring releases closely: Spring Cloud, Azure and Google Cloud integrations, Spring AI starters, Groovy, War packaging, and a choice of Spring Boot and Java versions. Better Fullstack pins the versions in its templates, and its SQL data layers run on an embedded H2 database, so moving to PostgreSQL means adding the driver and changing the datasource yourself.
Pick Spring Initializr when you want the official starting point for a Spring Boot app, with exactly the starters you name and no sample code to remove.
Try the closest Better Fullstack equivalent
The java-spring preset scaffolds Spring Boot with Maven and JUnit 5: `bun create better-fullstack@latest my-app --template java-spring`. The java-jpa preset adds Spring Data JPA, Flyway, and validation.
Frequently asked questions
Does Better Fullstack use start.spring.io?
No. Better Fullstack generates Java projects from its own templates, so the build file, configuration, and sample code match the other options you selected.
Which Spring Boot version does each tool generate?
Spring Initializr lets you choose; its default was 4.1.1 on 2026-10-06. Better Fullstack's current templates pin Spring Boot 4.0.6 with Java 21, which you can change in pom.xml or build.gradle.kts after generation.
Can I use Kotlin with both tools?
Yes. Spring Initializr offers Kotlin for any Spring Boot project. Better Fullstack supports Kotlin with Spring Boot and Ktor, and its Kotlin scaffold supports Spring Data JPA and Spring GraphQL but not jOOQ, MyBatis, gRPC, or OpenAPI Generator.
Try it in the builder
Configure any stack visually and get a ready-to-run command - every combination is compatibility-checked.
bun create better-fullstack@latestSee how Better Fullstack compares to other tools on the full comparison page.