Gin vs Revel
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A fast Go web framework for building HTTP APIs and web services with a simple routing API.
Open source · MIT
A full-stack web framework for building web apps in the Go language.
The short answer
Choose Gin if you need…
- Go developers building REST APIs
- Teams writing microservices in Go
- Developers who want a Martini-like API with a faster router
- Projects where request throughput matters
Choose Revel if you need…
- Go developers who want a batteries-included web framework
- Teams starting a new web application in Go who prefer a conventional project layout
- Developers who want a built-in command-line tool to create and run projects
Side-by-side
| Gin | Revel | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Framework |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 89.5k | 13.2k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Go | Go |
| Last code update | 27 days ago | 3 years ago |
What each one is
Gin
Gin is an HTTP web framework written in Go. It gives you a simple way to define routes, handle requests, return JSON or HTML, and use middleware such as logging and panic recovery. The project says it is much faster than many other Go frameworks, citing a GitHub API routing benchmark included in its README.
Revel
Revel is a web framework for Go, a programming language. A framework gives you a standard structure and built-in pieces so you don't have to build routing, request handling and project layout from scratch. The README describes it as focused on high productivity and says it covers full-stack web development, with a command-line tool that generates and runs new apps.
Best for
Gin
- Go developers building REST APIs
- Teams writing microservices in Go
- Developers who want a Martini-like API with a faster router
- Projects where request throughput matters
Revel
- Go developers who want a batteries-included web framework
- Teams starting a new web application in Go who prefer a conventional project layout
- Developers who want a built-in command-line tool to create and run projects
Strengths
Gin
- Designed for speed, with benchmarks in the README showing low allocation routing
- Simple, Martini-like routing API with a short getting-started example
- Has a large ecosystem of middleware and documentation in several languages
Revel
- The README describes it as a full-stack framework, covering more than just routing
- Includes a command-line tool for creating and running apps
- Uses MIT license and supports Go modules according to the README
Not ideal for
Gin
- Non-programmers, since it is a Go library and requires writing code
- Teams not using Go, because it only works in that language
- Projects needing a full batteries-included framework with built-in ORM or admin panel, as the README describes a focused routing and middleware framework
Revel
- People new to programming, since it requires working knowledge of Go first
- Teams that want a minimal, lightweight router only, because Revel is a larger full-stack framework
- Anyone needing recent Go tooling support confirmed in the README, since the README does not state Go version compatibility
Trade-offs
Gin
- Requires Go 1.26 or above, which may be newer than some existing setups
- Performance claims rely on the project's own benchmark, so real results depend on your workload
- Latest release has no prebuilt binaries, since it is used as a library
Revel
- The README shows last release as 2022 and the repository's last push was in October 2023, so activity may be slower than newer alternatives
- Latest release has no prebuilt binaries, so installation requires a Go toolchain
- The README is short and points to external docs for details, so depth is hard to judge from it alone
Getting started
Gin
Import Gin in your code; Go fetches it during build
import "github.com/gin-gonic/gin"Revel
Install the Revel command-line tool
go install github.com/revel/cmd/revel@latestFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Gin and Revel?
Gin: A fast Go web framework for building HTTP APIs and web services with a simple routing API. Revel: A full-stack web framework for building web apps in the Go language. Gin suits go developers building rest apis, while Revel suits go developers who want a batteries-included web framework.
Are Gin and Revel free?
Gin: Free and open source. Revel: Free and open source.
Is Gin or Revel more popular?
Gin has more GitHub stars (89.5k) than Revel (13.2k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Gin and Revel?
Other options people compare them with include Echo, chi, Fiber, warp, Vapor.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.