Introduction:

WhatSaaS is a comprehensive SaaS project that leverages the robustness of Next.js alongside the Evolution API to deliver a powerful multi-tenant CRM focused on WhatsApp service management and automation. Designed for high performance and scalability, the system orchestrates a modern architecture where the interactive front-end communicates in real-time via Pusher , while the Evolution API manages WhatsApp Web/WABA instances in an isolated and stable manner. Featuring native integration with Stripe for subscriptions and Resend for transactional emails, WhatSaaS offers an "out-of-the-box" solution for entrepreneurs looking to launch their own white-label chat platform.

System Requirements:

To ensure the WhatSaaS platform runs efficiently with high availability for real-time messaging, the following hardware and software requirements must be met.

1. Hardware Requirements (Minimum)

• Processor (CPU): 2 Cores (Recommended for handling multiple WhatsApp instances).
• Memory (RAM): 4 GB (Essential for running Docker containers, PostgreSQL, and Next.js build processes).
• Storage (SSD): 20 GB available space (To store logs, databases, and media files like audio/video).
• Network: Static IP address

2. Software Requirements

• Operating System: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or 22.04 LTS (Recommended for stability and native Docker support).
• Runtime Environment: Node.js v20.x (LTS).
• Package Manager: pnpm (Used for fast and disk-efficient dependency management).
• Process Manager: pm2 (To keep the Next.js application running in the background).
• Web Server: Nginx (Acts as a Reverse Proxy and serves static media files efficiently).
• Virtualization: Docker & Docker Compose (Required for isolating the Evolution API and Database services).

3. Third-Party Services

The project relies on specific external integrations to function as a complete SaaS:

• DNS & Security: Cloudflare (Required for SSL management and domain pointing).
• Real-time Messaging: Pusher (Required for instant bi-directional message synchronization).
• Payments & Billing: Stripe (Required for subscription management and webhooks).
• Transactional Email: Resend (Required for magic links and system notifications).
• Messaging Backend: Evolution API (Required for WhatsApp connectivity).

Installation:

1️⃣Step 1:

Make sure your domain is pointing to your VPS.

I’m using Cloudflare, but feel free to choose your own domain provider.

Step 1.1 Access your VPS via SSH:

During the step-by-step process, I’ll be using PuTTY, but it’s optional.

Step 1.2 Update System & Install Essentials:

Run the following commands:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y sudo apt install -y curl git unzip build-essential

Step 1.3: Install Node.js (v20 LTS)

curl -fsSL <https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x> | sudo -E bash - sudo apt install -y nodejs

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Verify installation

node -v

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