Solana Developer Templates: official create-solana-dapp gallery

Solana Developer Templates: official create-solana-dapp gallery. The public shelf lives at solana.com/developers/templates; the git source is solana-foundation/templates. This is a builder review of what is on the shelf, how the CLI pulls it, and which stack to start from in 2026.

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What the page is

Not a second docs site. It is a filterable catalog of production-oriented starters — dApps, mobile, payments, airdrop, auth — that the create-solana-dapp CLI materializes into a local repo. Filters on the site (Starter, Backend, Mobile, Payments, Airdrop, Auth, SDKs, wallet adapters) map to metadata on each template package.

Install path

# interactive
npm create solana-dapp@latest
# or pnpm / bun / yarn create solana-dapp

# pin a template from the monorepo
npm create solana-dapp@latest -t gh:solana-foundation/templates/kit/nextjs
npm create solana-dapp@latest -t gh:solana-foundation/templates/kit/nextjs-anchor
npm create solana-dapp@latest -t gh:solana-foundation/templates/mobile/kit-expo-minimal

# any giget-compatible external template
npm create solana-dapp@latest -t <org>/<repo>

Template authors can ship a create-solana-dapp block in package.json (post-install instructions, package-manager pin, rename maps, optional Solana skill install). That is why some scaffolds print Anchor build/test commands immediately after generate.

Monorepo layout

Kit templates (prefer for greenfield)

Mobile

Mobile templates split Kit vs web3.js and minimal vs fuller UI (Uniwind / Paper). Privy appears as mobile/kit-expo-privy when you want embedded auth instead of only MWA. Start from kit-expo-minimal unless you already depend on web3.js patterns.

Web3.js (legacy shelf)

The web3js/* Next and Vite templates still matter for courses and wallet-adapter copy-paste, but new product work should not default here. Migrate toward Kit when you touch wallet UX or transaction building in earnest — see Solana Kit and Kit vs web3.js vs gill.

Community templates worth knowing

Chooser

Review notes (opinionated)

• Strength: one CLI, one monorepo, clear Kit-first direction, community path for partners without polluting core.
• Strength: specialized starters (keychain, hardware sign-in, subscriptions, DAS) beat yet another empty “counter + wallet”.
• Watch: gallery filter labels ≠ directory names — always copy the gh:solana-foundation/templates/… path from the card or TEMPLATES.md.
• Watch: web3.js shelf still visible; do not assume “official” means “current default stack”.
• Contribute: community templates need metadata + og-image.png + pnpm generate per the repo guide — good DevRel exercise for protocol teams.

People and links

Resources

• Solana Developer Templates
• Solana Kit
• solana.new CLI (adjacent AI scaffold lane — different product)
• Kora / Subscriptions