Flutter boilerplate generators compared

A Flutter boilerplate (or starter kit) is code you start a new app from, so you do not set up the same structure, packages and CI for every project. There are five common ways to get one. Each fits a different team. This page compares them with sources, so you can check every claim yourself.

Short answer. For a free, well-tested single app, use Very Good CLI. To build your own templates, use Mason and BrickHub. For a finished app to change and ship, buy paid app source. For a modular monorepo that you keep adding features to, use Archipelago.

What to look for

• Structure. One app, or many packages in a monorepo? A monorepo takes longer to learn, but large teams can work in it without conflicts.
• Wiring. Does it set up dependency injection (DI), routing, flavors and CI, or only the folders?
• Later changes. Can you add a feature to the project after day one, or is it a copy you then own alone?
• Cost and licence. Free, one-time or monthly? Can you read and change all of the code?

At a glance

	Archipelago	Very Good CLI	Mason + BrickHub	GitHub template repo	Paid app source (CodeCanyon)
What it is	A CLI that generates a Flutter monorepo, then adds features to it from 76 versioned bricks[1]	A CLI from Very Good Ventures, a Flutter app development agency. It creates Flutter apps, Flutter and Dart packages, plugins, Dart CLIs, Flame games and docs sites[2][3]	A general tool to make and use code templates (bricks); BrickHub is where bricks are published and found[4][5]	A repository you copy once to start a new repository[6]	Finished app source code you buy and change, such as e-commerce, delivery and booking apps, plus UI kits[7]
Price and licence	Free plan with 3 project scaffolds per month and the Free bricks. Pro and Enterprise are one-time purchases. The CLI is MIT[8][9]	Free. MIT licence[10]	mason_cli is free. MIT licence[4]	Set by each template's author[6]	One-time purchase per item. Prices seen on the listing page ran from $9 to $79[7]
Project structure	A modular monorepo: app, feature packages, shared packages and a devtools/ toolkit[11]	One Flutter app with a folder per feature (a counter example). Packages and plugins have their own templates[12]	Whatever the bricks you choose generate[4]	Whatever the template contains[6]	Set by each seller[7]
State management	Your choice: bloc, cubit, riverpod or provider, per project and per feature[13]	bloc ("layered architecture with bloc")[12]	Whatever the bricks contain[4]	Whatever the template contains[6]	Set by each seller[7]
Dependency injection	Wired: get_it with one global container and one per feature (Dual-GetIt)[11]	No DI package in the template docs. The flavor entry points are where you set up flavor-specific dependencies[12]	Whatever the bricks contain[4]	Whatever the template contains[6]	Set by each seller[7]
Add features later	archipelago generate <brick> adds a feature or SDK; the feature registers its DI and routes[1]	very_good create makes new projects, packages and plugins. The docs list no command that adds a feature to an existing app[2]	mason make <brick> runs any brick in any project. You connect the output yourself[4]	No. The new repository starts as a single commit, with unrelated history, so you cannot merge template changes[6]	Set by each seller[7]
CI/CD	GitHub Actions or GitLab CI, plus Fastlane for iOS and Android[14][13]	GitHub Actions that format, lint and test, with a coverage check[12]	Only what a brick contains[4]	Only what the template contains[6]	Set by each seller[7]

Sources (each one checked on the date shown):

1. Archipelago: Brick Catalog, checked 2026-10-15
2. Very Good CLI: Overview, checked 2026-10-15
3. Very Good Ventures home page, checked 2026-10-15
4. mason_cli on pub.dev, checked 2026-10-15
5. BrickHub documentation, checked 2026-10-15
6. GitHub Docs: Creating a repository from a template, checked 2026-10-15
7. CodeCanyon: Flutter category, checked 2026-10-15
8. Archipelago: Account & Billing, checked 2026-10-15
9. archipelago_cli on pub.dev, checked 2026-10-15
10. very_good_cli on pub.dev, checked 2026-10-15
11. Archipelago: Architecture, checked 2026-10-15
12. Very Good CLI: Very Good Core template, checked 2026-10-15
13. Archipelago: Getting Started, checked 2026-10-15
14. Archipelago: GitHub Actions workflows, checked 2026-10-15

Very Good CLI

Very Good CLI is a free, MIT-licensed CLI from Very Good Ventures, a Flutter app development agency. very_good create flutter_app makes an app with bloc, three flavors (development, staging, production), localization, GitHub Actions and tests at 100% line coverage. It also has templates for packages, plugins, Dart CLIs and Flame games, and a very_good test command with coverage checks.

Good fit: a single app, a team that likes bloc, and anyone who wants free tools only. Less good fit: you want DI wired for you, or a command that adds features to an existing app. The docs do not cover either.

Full comparison: Archipelago vs Very Good CLI.

Mason and BrickHub

Mason is a free, MIT-licensed tool to make and use code templates called bricks. BrickHub is where bricks are published and found. mason make <brick> generates code from a brick in any project, and hooks can run Dart code before and after generation. Archipelago itself uses Mason bricks.

Good fit: you want to write your own templates for your team, or add one small template to a project you already have. Less good fit: you want one set of bricks that already work together. With plain Mason, you choose the bricks and keep them consistent yourself.

GitHub template repositories

A template repository is a repo you copy with one click. The copy starts as a single commit, with history that is not related to the template. You can read every file before you start.

Good fit: a small project, or a template your own team keeps. Less good fit: long-lived apps. You rename the app by hand, and you cannot merge later fixes from the template, because the histories are not related.

Paid app source code

Marketplaces such as CodeCanyon sell finished Flutter apps (for example e-commerce, delivery and booking apps) and UI kits. On 2026-10-15 the listed prices ran from $9 to $79, as one-time purchases.

Good fit: you want a working app in a known category and plan to change its design and content. Less good fit: you want a structure to build your own product on. Code quality, structure and updates are different for each seller, so read the item page and reviews before you buy.

Archipelago

Archipelago is a CLI that generates a Flutter monorepo: an app, feature packages, shared packages and a devtools/ toolkit. DI (get_it), routing, flavors, CI (GitHub Actions or GitLab CI) and Fastlane come wired. You choose bloc, cubit, riverpod or provider. Later, archipelago generate <brick> adds a feature, and the feature registers its own DI and routes. There are 76 bricks: 50 Free, 20 Pro and 6 Enterprise.

Good fit: an app and team that will grow, agencies that start many apps from the same base, and teams that want debug tools out of release builds (build_prepare). Less good fit: a one-screen app, or a team that wants no account. You need a free account to download bricks, and the monorepo takes time to learn.

Which one to pick

If you want	Pick
A free, single Flutter app with strong testing	Very Good CLI
Your own templates, or one template in an existing project	Mason and BrickHub
A small starter your team already keeps	A GitHub template repository
A finished app in a known category to change and ship	Paid app source code
A modular monorepo you keep adding features to	Archipelago

Not on this list: Melos manages a monorepo you already have but does not generate one (Archipelago projects use it). FlutterFlow is a visual builder, not a code generator; see FlutterFlow vs code generation. For more tools, see Archipelago vs alternatives.

FAQ

What is the best Flutter boilerplate?

There is no single best one. It depends on the size of the app and the team. For one app, Very Good CLI is a strong free start. For a large app with many features, a generator that makes a modular monorepo, such as Archipelago, saves more setup.

Is there a free Flutter starter kit?

Yes. Very Good CLI and Mason are free and MIT licensed. Archipelago has a Free plan with 3 project scaffolds per month and 50 Free bricks.

What is the difference between a template and a generator?

A template is a copy of a project. You rename things by hand, and it does not change after you copy it. A generator asks for your settings (app name, state management, CI) and writes the files with them. A generator like Archipelago can also add new parts to the project later.

Can I use Mason bricks in an Archipelago project?

Yes. An Archipelago project is a normal Flutter workspace, so mason make works in it. Archipelago's own bricks are installed with the archipelago CLI.

Try Archipelago

Make a free account, install the CLI, and generate a project:

dart pub global activate archipelago_cli
archipelago auth login --interactive
archipelago create --output ./my_app

The Free plan includes 3 project scaffolds per month and the Free bricks. See Getting Started for each step, and pricing for Pro and Enterprise.