Platform vs Template

Ever Works consists of two main products that serve different purposes but work together as a unified ecosystem. This page explains the difference and when to use which.

Ever Works Platform

The Ever Works Platform is the backend infrastructure for building and managing directory websites at scale. It provides a REST API, AI-powered content generation pipelines, a plugin system, and deployment orchestration.

For full Platform documentation, visit docs.ever.works.

Directory Web Template

The Directory Web Template (this project) is a production-ready, full-stack directory website that you can clone, customize, and deploy as a standalone application.

What It Does

• Provides a complete directory website with item listings, search, filtering, categories, tags, and collections
• Includes authentication via NextAuth.js v5 with OAuth providers (Google, GitHub, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft) and Supabase Auth
• Supports payments through Stripe, LemonSqueezy, and Polar with subscription management
• Features internationalization with multiple languages and RTL support via next-intl
• Uses a Git-based CMS to synchronize directory content from Git repositories
• Includes a theming system with built-in themes and dynamic color generation
• Provides analytics and monitoring through PostHog and Sentry
• Ships with SEO optimization, sitemap generation, and structured data (JSON-LD)
• Includes an admin dashboard with content management, user management, and analytics

Tech Stack

• Framework: Next.js 15, React 19
• Language: TypeScript 5
• ORM: Drizzle ORM (PostgreSQL)
• UI: Tailwind CSS 4, HeroUI React, Radix UI
• Auth: NextAuth.js v5, Supabase Auth
• Payments: Stripe, LemonSqueezy, Polar
• Testing: Playwright (E2E)
• Deployment: Vercel (primary), Docker (alternative)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Aspect	Platform	Template
Purpose	Backend infrastructure and AI pipeline	Frontend directory website
Architecture	Monorepo (Turborepo + pnpm)	Standalone Next.js application
Backend	NestJS 11 API	Next.js API routes
Database ORM	TypeORM	Drizzle ORM
Authentication	JWT + OAuth (NestJS Guards)	NextAuth.js v5 + Supabase Auth
Payments	Not included	Stripe, LemonSqueezy, Polar
AI Features	LangChain agents, 7 LLM providers	None (consumes AI-generated content)
Content	Generates content via AI pipelines	Reads content from Git-based CMS
Deployment	Docker on any VPS	Vercel (or Docker)
Testing	Jest + Vitest	Playwright
Audience	Platform operators, AI developers	Website builders, directory creators

How They Connect

The Platform and Template work together through the Git-based CMS pattern:

Independent Operation

• Template without Platform: Manually maintain directory content by editing YAML and Markdown files in the Git CMS repository. The Template works as a fully functional directory website without AI generation.
• Platform without Template: Use the Platform API to generate directory data and export it to any frontend.

When to Use Which

Use the Template When...

• You want to launch a directory website quickly with minimal backend setup
• Your directory content is manually curated or comes from a static data source
• You need a production-ready website with authentication, payments, and SEO out of the box
• You prefer deploying to Vercel with zero server management

Use the Platform When...

• You need AI-powered content generation for large directories
• You want automated pipelines that discover, enrich, and update directory items
• You need to manage multiple directories from a single backend
• You want to use the plugin system for custom integrations

Use Both When...

• You want AI-generated content flowing into a production website
• You are building a SaaS product on top of Ever Works
• You need automated content generation AND a polished frontend

Deployment Architectures

Template Only (Simplest)

Manual content management via Git. Single Vercel deployment.

Platform + Template (Full Stack)

Automated content generation via Platform. Connected through Git.

Platform + Multiple Templates

Single Platform instance managing multiple directory websites.