Code starter kits
Sell boilerplates, components and starter kits without building a storefront.
Developers shipping reusable code — SaaS starters, component libraries, integrations and tooling.
What you can sell
- SaaS starter kits
- Framework templates
- Component libraries
- API integrations
- CLI tools and scripts
- Authentication systems
- Database schemas
- Infrastructure and deployment configs
How you would use Unlockable
- 1
Upload the repository as an archive and sell the link, priced on the time it saves rather than the line count.
- 2
Version it properly: sell v1 at a launch price, then deliver updates to existing buyers behind the same link.
- 3
Bundle the code with the architecture diagram and setup notes, which is what separates a starter kit from a zip file.
- 4
Cap early access for a launch, which suits software buyers who expect a founding price.
Why it works for code starter kits
Developer buyers are unusually easy to sell to and unusually hard to impress. They will not pay for code they could write, and they will pay readily for code that saves them a weekend of assembly — which means the value is in the assembly, not the source. A boilerplate that boots on the first try, with the environment documented and the deployment notes written down, sells; the same code as an uncommented repository does not.
The delivery mechanism matters more here than in most categories because updates are expected. A file behind a link can be replaced, so a buyer who purchased v1 receives v2 without a new transaction, which is a genuine advantage over a marketplace that treats each version as a separate product. That makes a paid link a reasonable distribution channel for something that is otherwise sold through a package registry.
The thing it will not do is provide discoverability. There is no marketplace here surfacing your starter kit to developers searching for one, and no review system lending it credibility. This works for developers who already publish, write or maintain a presence where other developers are — the link converts the audience, it does not create one.
Example products and pricing
Illustrations, not a rate card — you set your own prices, in USD, GBP or EUR.
£49
Production-ready SaaS starter kit
collection
£29
Component library, documented
collection
£19
Framework integration template
single file + guide
What these sell for: £29–£49 for a starter kit with documentation. A commercial licence is a separate line, commonly £149 and up.
On a sale the buyer covers the privacy & security fee, and card processing comes out of our share — so a £49 price pays you £39.20. See the full split.
How you share it
One link, posted wherever this audience already is. You send it yourself — we do not connect to these accounts or post on your behalf.
Start with the ones that matter for code starter kits
- X
- GitHub
- Discord
Everywhere else
- TikTok
- X
- Telegram
- Discord
- Bluesky
- YouTube
Code starter kits questions
Buyers expect updates. How do I handle that?
Deliver them behind the same link — replace the file and everyone with access gets the new version, which is the main advantage over a one-off download. State your update policy up front, because "lifetime updates" and "v1 as shipped" are both fine promises but different products at different prices.
How do I price code against free open-source alternatives?
On the time it saves, not on the code. Plenty of open-source starters exist, and they are usually a weekend of assembly away from working. What buyers pay for is the assembled, documented, opinionated version that runs on the first try — so the documentation and the setup notes carry as much of the price as the source does.
Can I sell a licence rather than the code?
Yes, and for commercial code you probably should say which one you are selling. A personal licence and a commercial licence at different prices is a normal structure and it is easy to run as two separate links. Being explicit about what the buyer may ship prevents the disagreement later.
Start with one piece of content
Upload it, set a price, share the link. No monthly fee, no membership, nothing to pay until something sells.