> [!IMPORTANT]
> **AI Assist Note (Knowledge Heritage)**:
> This document is part of the "Sovereign Reality" documentation.
> - **@docs ARCHITECTURE:Registry:Skills**
> - **Failure Path**: Information drift, legacy terminology, or documentation mismatch.
> - **Telemetry Link**: Search `[tech_stack]` in audit logs.
>
> ### AI Assist Note
> Tech Stack Selection (2026)
>
> ### 🔍 Debugging & Observability
> Traceability via `parity_guard.py`.

# Tech Stack Selection (2026)

> Default and alternative technology choices for web applications.

## Default Stack (Web App - 2026)

```yaml
Frontend:
  framework: Next.js 16 (Stable)
  language: TypeScript 5.7+
  styling: Tailwind CSS v4
  state: React 19 Actions / Server Components
  caching: Next.js 16 Cache Components (Stable)
  bundler: Turbopack (Stable for Dev & Build)

Backend:
  runtime: Node.js 23
  framework: Next.js API Routes / Hono (for Edge)
  validation: Zod / TypeBox

Database:
  primary: PostgreSQL
  orm: Prisma / Drizzle
  hosting: Supabase / Neon

Auth:
  provider: Auth.js (v5) / Clerk / Kinde (Default for Fast-to-Market)

Monorepo:
  tool: Turborepo 2.0
```

## Alternative Options

| Need | Default | Alternative |
|------|---------|-------------|
| Real-time | - | Supabase Realtime, Socket.io |
| File storage | - | Cloudinary, S3 |
| Payment | Stripe | LemonSqueezy, Paddle |
| Email | - | Resend, SendGrid |
| Search | - | Algolia, Typesense |

## Authentication Selection Notes
- For custom database-linked authentication with fine-grained control: Use **Auth.js (v5)**.
- For rapid delivery and managed auth services (Fast-to-Market): Use **Kinde** or **Clerk** (reduces configuration complexity).

[//]: # (Metadata: [tech_stack])
