create-api-starter-cli

Stop wasting 30 minutes setting up Node.js backends.

🚀 Generate production-ready Express.js or NestJS APIs with TypeScript, validation, and database setup in seconds.

Create modern backend applications with TypeScript or JavaScript, built-in linting, formatting, validation, database integration, and best-practice project structure.

No setup. No configuration. No boilerplate.

Just build.

Quick Start

Using npx

npx create-api-starter-cli

Global Installation

npm install -g create-api-starter-cli

Then run:

create-api-starter-cli

⚡ What you get instantly

No setup. No configuration. Just build.

💡 Example Output

A single command gives you:

• REST API structure
• Authentication-ready foundation
• Scalable architecture
• Clean code setup
• Database integration

Features

Framework Support

• ⚡ Express.js
• 🏗️ NestJS

Language Options

• TypeScript
• JavaScript

Package Managers

Choose your preferred package manager:

• npm
• pnpm
• yarn

Validation

Built-in validation support:

• Zod
• Joi

Database Setup

Initialize your API with database support:

• PostgreSQL
• MySQL
• MongoDB
• SQLite

⚡ Production-ready by default

Everything configured for real-world applications:

• ESLint + Prettier (clean code)
• Environment variables (.env setup)
• Logging system ready
• Security middleware (CORS, Helmet)
• Folder structure (scalable architecture)

Interactive CLI

Example flow:

? Select framework › Express.js
? Language › TypeScript
? Package manager › pnpm
? Validation library › Zod
? Database › PostgreSQL

✔ Creating project...
✔ Installing dependencies...
✔ Configuring database...
✔ Setting up ESLint & Prettier...
✔ Project ready!

Why create-api-starter-cli?

Every backend project starts the same way:

• Setup project
• Configure TypeScript
• Install dependencies
• ESLint
• Prettier
• Validation libraries
• Database packages
• Create folder structure
• Environment variables

This takes 15–30 minutes every time.

This CLI automates the entire process so you can start building immediately.

Roadmap

• Authentication templates
• Docker support
• Prisma integration
• Swagger/OpenAPI generation
• Testing setup (Jest/Vitest)
• CI/CD templates
• Microservice starter templates

⚔️ create-api-starter-cli vs Express Generator

Most developers start with Express Generator, but it only solves the very basic setup problem.

Here’s the difference:

| Feature | Express Generator | create-api-starter-cli | |--------|------------------|--------------------------| | Project structure | Basic MVC | MVC + Feature-based architecture | | TypeScript support | ❌ Not built-in | ✅ Built-in | | Validation | ❌ None | ✅ Zod / Joi | | Logging | ❌ None | ✅ Pino / Winston | | Security (Helmet, CORS) | ❌ Manual setup | ✅ Pre-configured | | Environment setup | Basic | Production-ready | | Database setup | ❌ Not included | ✅ MongoDB / SQL support | | ORM support | ❌ None | ✅ Prisma / Drizzle / Sequelize | | Code quality tools | ❌ Not included | ✅ ESLint + Prettier | | CLI experience | Basic scaffolding | Interactive guided setup | | Production readiness | ❌ Minimal | ✅ Production-ready by default |

Express Generator gives you a starting point.
create-api-starter-cli gives you a production-ready backend.

Stop building boilerplate. Start building features.

License

ISC

Support

⭐ If this saved you time, consider starring the repo.