Revel
A full-stack web framework for building web apps in the Go language.
- Stars
- 13.2k
- Forks
- 1.4k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Go
- Last update
- 3.0 years ago
- Type
- Framework
No commits in over a year — check for forks or alternatives before adopting.
What it is
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.
- Create a new web app skeleton with the revel new command
- Run a local development server and open it at localhost:9000
- Build a full-stack web application with a Go backend
Great for
- 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
Not ideal for
- 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
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Go (version not specified in README)
Install the Revel command-line tool
go install github.com/revel/cmd/revel@latest - 2
Run it
- Install the Revel command-line tool with the go install command
- Create and run a new app with: revel new -a my-app -r
- Open http://localhost:9000 in your browser
- Check that the page shows "It works!"
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Read the manual, samples and Godocs linked from revel.github.io
- Browse the Apps in the Wild wiki page to see real projects built with Revel
- Check the Articles wiki page for tutorials
- Ask questions on the Gitter channel or tag StackOverflow questions with revel
Downloads
Strengths
- 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
Trade-offs
- 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
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| revel (this) | 13.2k | Framework | intermediate | 3.0 years ago | Go developers who want a batteries-included web framework |
| gin | 89.5k | Library | intermediate | 27 days ago | Go developers building REST APIs |
| echo | 32.8k | Library | intermediate | 7 days ago | Go developers building REST APIs or backend services |
| fiber | 40.2k | Library | intermediate | 5 days ago | Go developers building REST APIs or web backends |
| phoenix | 23.2k | Framework | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers who already use or want to learn Elixir |
| sanic | 18.6k | Framework | intermediate | 3 months ago | Python developers building web APIs or backend services |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.