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Hackathon Starter

A starter template for building Node.js web apps with login, OAuth sign-in, and many API examples.

GitHub Download 10.0.0
Stars
35.3k
Forks
8.1k
Licence
MIT
Language
JavaScript
Last update
7 days ago
Type
Library

What it is

Hackathon Starter is a boilerplate: a pre-built Node.js web application you copy and extend so you don't have to set up authentication, project structure, and common integrations from scratch. It includes local login, OAuth 2.0 sign-in with several providers, user account management, and example API integrations. It is also usable as a learning reference for specific features like Google sign-in.

  • Start a web app with local and Google or GitHub sign-in already wired up
  • Add two-factor authentication with email codes or an authenticator app using the included account features
  • Study the example code for Stripe, Twilio, or Google Maps integrations before building your own
  • Build a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) or AI agent prototype using the included AI examples

Great for

  • Developers starting a hackathon project who want a working login system quickly
  • Students learning how Node.js apps, OAuth 2.0, and MongoDB fit together
  • Developers who want a reference for integrating a specific third-party API
  • Teams that want an MVC-structured Node.js starting point to build on

Not ideal for

  • People who need a non-Node.js stack, since the project is built on Node.js and JavaScript
  • Beginners with no Node or MongoDB experience, who will likely need to learn those basics first
  • Anyone expecting a finished product, since it is a starting point with placeholder API keys and example integrations to adapt
Step-by-step guide: how to use Hackathon StarterInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

How to get it

  1. 1

    Clone and build from source

    You'll need: Node.js LTS 24 · MongoDB (local install or hosted) · Command line build tools for your OS

    Clone the repository

    git clone https://github.com/sahat/hackathon-starter.git myproject

    Change into the project directory

    cd myproject

    Install NPM dependencies

    npm install

    Start the app

    npm start
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Install Node.js LTS 24 and MongoDB, or set up a hosted MongoDB instance
    • Clone the repository and run npm install
    • Run npm start
    • Open the app in a web browser and create a local user account
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Add API keys for the services you need, using environment variables rather than committing secrets to code
    • Install Nodemon to automatically restart the server when you change code
    • Use the HTTPS proxy options such as ngrok or Cloudflare when testing OAuth callbacks locally
    • Review the 'Go to production' checklist before deploying

Downloads

Source code (.zip)master branch · straight from GitHubRelease 10.0.0Release notes and source

Strengths

  • Covers common hackathon needs like authentication, account management, and a contact form in one project
  • Broad set of OAuth providers and API examples to learn from
  • MIT licensed and actively pushed to, with a large community following

Trade-offs

  • Requires you to obtain your own API keys from each provider before many integrations work
  • Depends on a local or hosted MongoDB database, which adds setup work
  • The README is long and covers many optional features, so it can be overwhelming to find what you need

How it compares

ProjectStarsTypeLevelUpdatedBest for
hackathon-starter (this)35.3kLibraryintermediate7 days agoDevelopers starting a hackathon project who want a working login system quickly
create-react-app103kDev toolbeginner1.7 years agoFollowing an existing React tutorial that uses Create React App
react-starter-kit23.7kLearning resourceadvanced4 days agoDevelopers starting a SaaS-style web app who want a pre-built structure
Next-js-Boilerplate13.1kFrameworkintermediate5 days agoDevelopers starting a new Next.js project who want configured tooling from day one
better-auth30.6kLibraryintermediate5 days agoTypeScript developers who need login and access control in their own app
passport23.5kLibraryintermediate2.2 years agoNode.js and Express developers who need to add login to an existing app

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.