Discover how to quickly set up subscriptions in your Next.js app using Update, a powerful platform that seamlessly integrates Stripe billing and user authentication. Learn to create checkout sessions, verify auth, and manage entitlements with ease.

Introduction

Building a subscription-based service can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to integrating billing and authentication. Fortunately, Update makes it incredibly easy to add Stripe subscriptions and user auth to your Next.js app. In this post, we'll walk through the process step-by-step, showing you how to get up and running with Update in no time.

What is Update?

Update is a developer-first platform that wraps authentication and billing providers like Supabase and Stripe, allowing you to integrate auth, subscriptions, paywalls, and user entitlements in minutes. It includes:

• A JavaScript SDK for easy integration
• Full server-side rendering (SSR) support for Next.js
• A CLI tool to scaffold your app with Update pre-configured

With Update, you can set up subscriptions in a fraction of the time it would take to build from scratch. It handles both auth and billing out-of-the-box, making it the perfect solution for indie hackers, solo developers, and small SaaS teams.

Getting Started

To get started with Update in your Next.js app, follow these simple steps:

1. Install the Update package via npm or pnpm:

npm install @update/update

2. Initialize the Update client with your Supabase or other provider credentials:

import { Update } from '@update/update';
 
const update = new Update({
  // your provider config here
});

3. Set up Update in your Next.js app's utils directory to enable SSR:

// utils/update.js
import { Update } from '@update/update';
 
let update;
 
if (typeof window !== 'undefined') {
  update = new Update({...}); // client-side setup
} else {
  update = new Update({...}); // server-side setup
}
 
export default update;

Creating Checkout Sessions

One of the key features of Update is the ability to easily create Stripe checkout sessions. Here's an example of how to create a checkout session:

import update from '../utils/update';
 
const session = await update.billing.createCheckoutSession({
  price: 'price_abc123',
  successUrl: 'https://yourapp.com/success',
  cancelUrl: 'https://yourapp.com/cancel',
});

Update abstracts away the complexity of working with the Stripe API directly, allowing you to focus on building your core product.

Authentication Flows

In addition to billing, Update also provides simple auth flows for passwordless login or 3rd party auth. To generate a connect link:

const { url } = await update.auth.generateConnectLink({
  destination: 'https://yourapp.com/dashboard',
});

You can then verify the auth token on the server-side:

const { userId } = await update.auth.verifyToken(req.query.token);

Update makes it easy to secure your app and ensure only authenticated users can access protected routes and content.

Managing Entitlements

One of the most powerful features of Update is the ability to manage user entitlements based on their subscription status. You can easily lock or unlock features and content using the Update SDK:

const { isEntitled } = await update.entitlements.getStatus(userId, 'pro_plan');
 
if (isEntitled) {
  // unlock pro features
} else {
  // show upgrade prompt
}

This allows you to create flexible subscription tiers and ensure users only access what they've paid for.

Conclusion

Integrating Stripe subscriptions and user authentication into your Next.js app has never been easier thanks to Update. With its powerful SDK, SSR support, and CLI scaffolding, you can set up a fully-functional subscription service in a matter of minutes.

Whether you're an indie hacker, solo developer, or part of a small SaaS team, Update is the perfect solution for adding auth and billing to your app. So why wait? Sign up for Update today and start building your subscription service with ease!