Next.js Better Auth + AI Template 🚀

Complete Authentication Starter with AI-Powered Demo App

A production-ready Next.js template featuring Better Auth, PostgreSQL, and a full InnerLink AI Therapy App as a reference implementation.

✨ Features

🔐 Complete Auth System - Login, signup, verification, profiles
🤖 AI Therapists - 6 specialized virtual therapists with HeyGen avatars
🧘 Meditation Sessions - AI-powered guided meditation
💬 Real-time Chat - Voice and text with streaming avatars
📱 Responsive Design - Modern UI with Tailwind CSS + Radix UI
🛡️ Security First - Secure sessions and data handling
📊 Database Ready - Pre-configured PostgreSQL schema

Deploy and Host

This template is optimized for Railway deployment with one-click setup including:

PostgreSQL database provisioning
Environment variable configuration
Automatic SSL certificates
Custom domain support

About Hosting

Railway Advantages

🚀 Zero Config Deployment - Deploy directly from GitHub
📊 Managed PostgreSQL - Automatic database setup and backups
🔧 Environment Management - Secure variable handling
📈 Auto Scaling - Handle traffic spikes automatically
💰 Cost Effective - Pay only for what you use
🔒 Enterprise Security - SOC 2 compliant infrastructure

Infrastructure Requirements

Database: PostgreSQL 14+ for user data and sessions
Runtime: Node.js 18+ for Next.js application
Memory: 512MB minimum for AI avatar streaming
Storage: Minimal (stateless application)

Why Deploy

🎯 For Developers

Quick Start: Get authentication working in minutes, not hours
Best Practices: See production-ready patterns and security
AI Integration: Learn how to integrate HeyGen avatars and OpenRouter
Type Safety: Full TypeScript implementation with Drizzle ORM

🚀 For Startups

MVP Ready: Ship user authentication and AI features fast
Scalable Foundation: Built on modern, performant technologies
Customizable: Easy to modify for your specific use case
Production Tested: Security and performance optimized

📚 For Learning

Modern Stack: Next.js 15, Better Auth, Drizzle ORM
AI Implementation: Real-world AI avatar and chat integration
Full-Stack Example: Complete app from auth to AI features

Common Use Cases

🤖 AI-Powered Applications

Mental Health Apps - Therapy bots, meditation guides
Education Platforms - AI tutors, language learning
Customer Support - Virtual assistants, help desks
Healthcare - Symptom checkers, wellness coaching

🔐 Authentication-Heavy Apps

SaaS Platforms - User dashboards, subscription management
Social Networks - Profile systems, content sharing
E-commerce - User accounts, order history
Content Management - Admin panels, user-generated content

💼 Business Applications

Employee Portals - HR systems, internal tools
Client Dashboards - Project management, reporting
Booking Systems - Appointments, reservations
CRM Systems - Customer relationship management

Dependencies for

Deployment Dependencies

Core Application

{
  "next": "^15.4.5",
  "react": "19",
  "typescript": "^5",
  "better-auth": "^1.3.4",
  "drizzle-orm": "^0.44.4"
}

Database & ORM

{
  "postgres": "^3.4.7",
  "drizzle-kit": "^0.31.4",
  "drizzle-zod": "^0.8.2"
}

UI & Styling

{
  "tailwindcss": "^4.1.11",
  "@radix-ui/react-*": "^1.1.x",
  "class-variance-authority": "^0.7.1",
  "tailwind-merge": "^3.3.1"
}

AI & Communication

{
  "@heygen/streaming-avatar": "^2.0.16",
  "@openrouter/ai-sdk-provider": "^1.1.0",
  "ai": "^5.0.8",
  "resend": "^4.8.0"
}

Development Tools

{
  "eslint": "^9",
  "prettier-plugin-tailwindcss": "^0.6.14",
  "@types/node": "^24",
  "@types/react": "^19"
}

Runtime Dependencies

Node.js 18+ - Required for Next.js 15
PostgreSQL 14+ - Database for user data and sessions
Memory: 512MB+ - For AI avatar streaming and chat
Storage: 50MB+ - Application code and assets

External Service Dependencies

HeyGen API - For AI avatar streaming (optional)
OpenRouter API - For AI conversations (optional)
Resend - For email verification and notifications
Railway PostgreSQL - Managed database service

Development Dependencies

Git - Version control and Railway deployment
npm/yarn - Package management
Environment Variables - Configuration management

🔧 Environment Variables

Required for Basic Auth

DATABASE_URL="postgresql://..."
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET="your-secret-key"
NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL="https://yourapp.railway.app"
RESEND_API_KEY="your-resend-key"
SENDER_EMAIL="noreply@yourdomain.com"

Optional for AI Features

HEYGEN_API_KEY="your-heygen-key"
OPEN_ROUTER_KEY="your-openrouter-key"

🚀 Quick Start

Deploy to Railway - Click the deploy button above
Configure APIs - Add your email and AI service keys
Access App - Visit your Railway-provided URL
Customize - Modify avatars, prompts, and UI to fit your needs

🛠️ Tech Stack

Framework: Next.js 15 + App Router + Turbopack
Auth: Better Auth + Email Verification
Database: PostgreSQL + Drizzle ORM
UI: Tailwind CSS + Radix UI + Shadcn
AI: HeyGen Avatars + OpenRouter Chat
Email: Resend
Hosting: Railway Platform

📄 License

MIT License - Build amazing things!

🌟 Perfect for the Railway Hackathon - Deploy AI-powered apps in minutes!