name: saas-cloner description: This skill should be used when the user asks to "clone a SaaS", "build a typeform clone", "replicate calendly", "create an open source alternative to X", or wants to rapidly build functional clones of popular SaaS products focusing on core features. version: 1.0.0

SaaS Cloner

Build functional clones of popular SaaS products. Fast. Open source. 100x cheaper.

The Concept

Most SaaS products have:

20% of features that provide 80% of value
Complex pricing that funds features you don't need
Vendor lock-in that costs more over time

Clone the 20%. Ship in an hour. Own your data.

How to Use

Basic Clone

/clone [product name]

Example:

/clone typeform

Clone with Specifics

/clone calendly for internal team scheduling only

/clone notion but just the wiki/docs features

Clone from URL

/clone https://example-saas.com

The Cloning Process

Phase 1: Analysis (5 minutes)

Identify the product's core value proposition
List all features visible in UI
Categorize: Essential / Nice-to-have / Skip
Identify data model requirements
Choose tech stack

Phase 2: Architecture (5 minutes)

Design minimal database schema
Plan API endpoints
Sketch component hierarchy
Identify third-party needs (auth, payments, etc.)

Phase 3: Implementation (30-45 minutes)

Set up project structure
Implement data models
Build API layer
Create UI components
Wire everything together
Add basic styling

Phase 4: Polish (10 minutes)

Add loading states
Handle errors gracefully
Mobile responsiveness
Basic documentation

Default Tech Stack

Layer	Technology	Why
Frontend	React + TypeScript	Universal, typed
Styling	Tailwind CSS	Fast, consistent
Backend	Next.js API Routes	Unified stack
Database	Supabase (PostgreSQL)	Instant backend
Auth	Supabase Auth	Built-in
Hosting	Vercel	One-click deploy

Alternative Stacks

/clone typeform --stack remix+sqlite
/clone calendly --stack vue+firebase

Example: OpenForm (TypeForm Clone)

Original: TypeForm - $59/month for basic Clone: OpenForm - Free, self-hosted

Core Features (cloned)

Multi-step form builder
Drag-and-drop questions
Conditional logic
Response collection
Basic analytics
Embeddable forms

Skipped Features

Team collaboration (add if needed)
Payment integration (add if needed)
Advanced analytics (add if needed)
White-labeling (add if needed)

Result

Build time: 35 minutes
Setup time: 15 minutes
Monthly cost: $0-20 (hosting)
Data ownership: 100%

Clone Recipes

Productivity

Product	Core Feature	Complexity
Typeform	Multi-step forms	Medium
Calendly	Scheduling	Medium
Notion	Docs/Wiki	High
Trello	Kanban boards	Low
Todoist	Task lists	Low

Marketing

Product	Core Feature	Complexity
Mailchimp	Email campaigns	Medium
Buffer	Social scheduling	Medium
Hotjar	Session recording	High
Intercom	Chat widget	Medium

Developer Tools

Product	Core Feature	Complexity
Postman	API testing	Medium
Retool	Internal tools	High
Linear	Issue tracking	Medium
Vercel	Deployments	High

Feature Scoping

Always Include

Core workflow (the main thing users do)
Data persistence (save user work)
Basic auth (protect data)
Responsive design (mobile works)

Include If Easy

Settings/preferences
Export functionality
Basic search
Keyboard shortcuts

Skip Initially

Team features
Advanced permissions
Integrations
Analytics beyond basics
Payment processing

Add Later Pattern

Leave hooks for future features:

// TODO: Add team support
// Schema ready: user.team_id
// API ready: /api/teams (stub)
// UI ready: Team dropdown (hidden)

Deployment Checklist

Environment variables documented
Database migrations ready
One-click deploy button in README
Basic README with setup steps
License file (MIT recommended)
Demo video or screenshots

Legal Considerations

Do Clone

Functionality and workflows
General UI patterns
Feature concepts

Don't Clone

Brand names or logos
Exact copy of UI design
Proprietary algorithms
Terms of service violations

Best Practice

Name your clone something original. Don't call it "Free TypeForm" - call it "OpenForm" or "FormFlow".

Example Session

User: /clone calendly

Claude:

Analyzing Calendly...

Core value: Let people book time with you without email back-and-forth

Essential features:
- Calendar connection
- Availability rules
- Booking page
- Email confirmations
- Time zone handling

Nice-to-have (skipping for MVP):
- Team scheduling
- Payment collection
- Custom branding
- Analytics

Tech stack:
- Next.js 14 + TypeScript
- Supabase (auth + database)
- Google Calendar API
- Tailwind CSS
- Vercel deployment

Starting implementation...

[35 minutes later]

✓ BookEasy is ready!

Features:
- Connect Google Calendar
- Set available hours
- Share booking link
- Automatic confirmations
- Time zone detection

Deploy: npx vercel
Demo: http://localhost:3000

Files created:
- /app - Next.js pages
- /components - React components
- /lib - Utilities and API
- /supabase - Database schema
- README.md - Setup instructions

Limitations

Complex products (Figma, Photoshop) need significant time
Products with proprietary algorithms can't be exactly replicated
Some integrations require paid API access
Real-time collaboration is hard to clone well

Credits

Inspired by @dabit3's OpenForm project - demonstrating that billion-dollar SaaS products can be cloned to functional MVPs in under an hour using Claude Opus 4.5.

Name	saas-cloner
Description	This skill should be used when the user asks to "clone a SaaS", "build a typeform clone", "replicate calendly", "create an open source alternative to X", or wants to rapidly build functional clones of popular SaaS products focusing on core features.

saas-cloner

SKILL.md