Getting Started

Create a project

Everything you need to scaffold and run your first Grit app. Install the CLI once, pick what you're building, and copy the block — you'll be running a full-stack app in a few minutes.

Install the Grit CLI

One line, every platform. The script installs the latest release (or updates an existing install):

Terminal

# macOS / Linux
$curl -fsSL https://gritframework.dev/install.sh | sh
# Windows (PowerShell)
$iwr -useb https://gritframework.dev/install.ps1 | iex

Verify with grit --help. You'll also need a few tools installed — Go 1.24+, Node 22+, pnpm 9+, and Docker (skippable for desktop). New to any of them? The Prerequisites page has a short primer for each.

Scaffold your app

Pick what you're building. Each tab is a complete, copy-pasteable sequence — scaffold, set up the database, and run, all with grit.

Every target at once — Go API, Next.js web app, admin panel, Wails desktop app, Expo mobile app, and a docs site. More than most projects need, but the fastest way to see what Grit does.

Terminal

$grit new myapp --full      # api + web + admin + desktop + expo + docs
$cd myapp
$docker compose up -d       # Postgres, Redis, MinIO, Mailhog
$pnpm install               # frontend deps (one-time)
$grit migrate               # create database tables
$grit seed                  # sample data + a demo admin login
$grit start                 # runs every app, Ctrl+C stops them all

Web app

http://localhost:3000

Admin panel

http://localhost:3001

Go API + docs

http://localhost:8080/docs

GORM Studio

http://localhost:8080/studio

Desktop + Expo

grit start desktop / grit start expo

Six apps is a lot to run at once. If you only want the web stack, use the Web + Admin + API tab — you can add desktop or mobile later.

Prefer to be asked?Run grit new myapp with no flags and the CLI walks you through architecture and frontend choices interactively. Add --vite to use TanStack Router (Vite) instead of Next.js.

You're running — now build

Register a user, log into the admin panel, and browse your database in GORM Studio. Then generate your first full-stack resource — model, API, admin page, types and hooks — in one command:

Terminal

$grit generate resource Post --fields "title:string,body:text,published:bool"
$grit migrate    # create the new table

Refresh the admin panel and your Posts resource is there with a working table and form.

Escape hatchEverything generated is your code — edit the model, tune the admin resource, restyle the screens. Grit generates opinions, not a cage. See the Generated File Map for exactly what each command writes.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need Docker?

For the web/API/mobile kits, Docker runs Postgres, Redis, MinIO and Mailhog locally — or use cloud services (Neon, Upstash, R2) instead. The Desktop kit needs no Docker at all: it uses local SQLite.

Which architecture should I pick?

Start with Web + Admin + API unless you know you don't need a frontend. Pick API only for a headless backend, Mobile for Expo, Desktop for a native app. You can always add more later. See Architecture Modes.

Next.js or Vite?

Next.js is the default. Add --vite to scaffold a TanStack Router (Vite) frontend instead, e.g. grit new myapp --triple --vite.

How do I add a database table?

grit generate resource <Name> --fields "…" then grit migrate. It creates the model, API, admin page, types and hooks in one go — see the Generated File Map.

Something wrong, unclear, or missing on this page?

Open an issue: your feedback shapes Grit, and we fix docs fast.

Raise an issue on GitHub

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