Confusing CLI instructions: @tanstack/create-start deprecated but docs still recommend pnpm create @tanstack/start@latest

[Indekkusu545]

When creating a new project using:

pnpm create @tanstack/start@latest

I receive the following warning:

Warning: @tanstack/create-start is deprecated.
Use "tanstack create" or "npx @tanstack/cli create" instead.
See: https://tanstack.com/start/latest/docs/framework/react/quick-start

However, the Quick Start page still instructs users to run:

pnpm create @tanstack/start@latest

This creates confusion about which command is currently the recommended and supported approach.

Questions

1. What is the officially supported and future-proof way to scaffold a new TanStack Start project?

   • pnpm create @tanstack/start@latest
   • npx @tanstack/cli create
   • tanstack create
   • Something else?

2. I noticed one behavioral difference:

   • pnpm create @tanstack/start@latest includes the Nitro plugin
   • pnpx @tanstack/cli create does not include Nitro

   Is this intentional?

3. If I only plan to deploy/run the app in a Node.js environment, is the Nitro plugin required?

   • What functionality would I lose without Nitro?
   • Is Nitro recommended for Node-only deployments?

It would be helpful if the documentation could clarify:

• Which command should be used going forward
• Whether Nitro is optional or required depending on runtime target

Thanks!

[travisbreaks]

Recommended command going forward: npx @tanstack/cli create

pnpm create @tanstack/start@latest is a wrapper around @tanstack/create-start which is now deprecated. The unified TanStack CLI (@tanstack/cli) is the replacement.

# Old (deprecated, avoid):
pnpm create @tanstack/start@latest

# New (recommended):
npx @tanstack/cli create
# or, if installed globally:
tanstack create

Nitro difference

The old @tanstack/create-start scaffolded the @tanstack/start-server-fn-fetcher-nitro (or similar) Nitro adapter by default. @tanstack/cli create does not include it by default because Nitro is only needed for edge/serverless adapter targets (Cloudflare Workers, Vercel Edge, AWS Lambda, etc.).

For a plain Node.js deployment you do not need Nitro. The TanStack Start server runs directly on Node.js via Vinxi without requiring an adapter. You only need a Nitro adapter if you are deploying to a platform that requires one (Cloudflare, Vercel Edge, Netlify, etc.).

Summary

	Old (create-start)	New (@tanstack/cli create)
Status	Deprecated	Current
Nitro included	Yes (default)	No (add if needed)
Node.js only deployment	Works	Works (no Nitro needed)

To add Nitro later if you need it: install @tanstack/start-server-fn-fetcher-nitro (or the adapter for your target platform) and add it to your tanstack.config.ts.