Hey everyone,
Most web-based PDF tools upload your private files to a random backend server just to merge a couple of pages or add a signature. I wanted to see what it would look like to build an all-in-one PDF utility suite that runs completely serverless on the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP).
After a lot of trial and error configuring the UI and backend logic, I finally wrapped up VaultyPDF.
What it actually does
Instead of building just a basic file converter, I packed 15+ everyday document utilities into a single dark-mode dashboard:
- Core file handling: Merging, splitting, compressing, and page cropping.
- Security & privacy: Permanent document redaction and on-chain e-signatures.
- Tracking: Decentralized user metadata and file state tracking handled directly through Motoko canisters (
main.mo).
The tech stack
- Frontend: React with a clean, dark-mode SaaS dashboard layout.
- Backend: Motoko canisters running on ICP for serverless execution without traditional cloud databases.
Turning it into a boilerplate
Setting up the frontend routing, dark-mode components, and Motoko canister connections from scratch took way longer than I expected. Since a lot of solo devs and indie hackers want to build micro-SaaS apps on ICP without spending weeks on boilerplate layout code, I cleaned up the repo and packaged it as a starter template.
If you are building on ICP or just want to save yourself 100+ hours of frontend and canister setup, you can check out the full source code bundle here:
👉 Grab the VaultyPDF React + Motoko Boilerplate on Gumroad
Would love to hear what you guys think about running heavy document workflows on-chain, or if anyone else here is building SaaS tools with Motoko!
