A calmer version: treat setup files like recurring line items. Stackpanel’s promise is that these stop being hand-managed costs.
+ + + +Three ways to make the same idea concrete: Stackpanel turns scattered setup chores into a small source of truth that generates ordinary, inspectable files.
+ + + +This one makes the “scattered files become a source of truth” story instantly visible. It also preserves the no-lock-in claim because the right side is still made of normal files.
+This version is the clearest emotional sell: the left side feels tedious, the right side feels obvious. It is less strong on no-lock-in unless paired with generated-file labels below.
+This is the most “productized” visual. It explains that Stackpanel is not hiding the system; it is projecting one source of truth into the files and surfaces developers already know.
++ {DEMO_PROJECT.name} +
++ {DEMO_PROJECT.root} +
+Comparison
++ Each of these tools solves part of the problem. Stackpanel composes + them — so you stop maintaining the glue. +
+| + Capability + | + {headers.map((header) => ( +
+
+ {header.title}
+
+ {header.subtitle}
+
+
+ |
+ ))}
+
|---|---|
|
+ + {row.feature} + + {row.detail ? ( ++ {row.detail} + + ) : null} + |
+ {headers.map((header) => (
+
+
+
+ |
+ ))}
+
+ Comparison reflects out-of-the-box behavior on a fresh repo. Most + stacks can replicate parts of Stackpanel with enough custom tooling — + that's the tooling we're replacing. +
++ One config, everything generated +
++ A single{" "} + .stack/config.nix{" "} + describes your apps, services, secrets, ports, IDE settings, and + deployment. Everything else — the dotfiles, the Caddyfile, the + SOPS rules, the type-safe env modules — is build output. +
+ +
+ {configLines.map((line, idx) => (
+
+ {line.text || "\u00A0"}
+
+ ))}
+
+ + Don't want to write Nix? Open the studio — every option has a + form, and changes are written back to this file. +
++ Generated files live where every tool expects them, in formats + every teammate already knows. Studio shows you which files are + stale, which module wrote them, and what would change if you + regenerated. +
+ ++ {file.path} +
++ {file.description} +
+- Stop paying per seat. Stop dealing with vendor lock-in. Start with - a platform that grows with your team. +
+ Stackpanel core ships free for everyone. Production Stacks land + as managed subscriptions on top. Join the beta to get early + access to both, plus a direct line to the team building it.
-- No credit card required · 14-day free trial · Cancel anytime +
+ Step 1 +
++ nix flake init -t … +
++ Step 2 +
++ direnv allow +
++ Step 3 +
+dev
+
+
- Developer Experience -
-- The StackPanel isn't just for infrastructure. It's your - team's local development hub with managed dev shells, - toolchains, and scripts. -
-+ Developer experience +
++ The README on most repos starts with a 14-step setup guide. + Stackpanel replaces it with{" "} + direnv allow{" "} + — and a teammate is running the full stack on the same ports as + everyone else. +
-- {feature.description} -
++ $ {step.command} +
++ {step.detail} +
++ {pillar.description} +
+Platform Features
-Platform
+- Self-hosted infrastructure that scales with your business. No - per-seat pricing, no vendor lock-in, just powerful tools that work. + Stackpanel collapses the dozens of files, services, and + integrations every team rebuilds from scratch into a single + declarative configuration.