What Grails Framework does

Apache Grails is an open source web application framework for the JVM, built on top of Spring Boot and written primarily in the Apache Groovy programming language. It uses convention-over-configuration, opinionated defaults, and domain-specific languages to reduce boilerplate for Java developers, and integrates with the GORM data access toolkit supporting Hibernate/SQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, and Neo4j. The framework also offers application profiles for React and Angular, view technologies (GSP, JSON Views, Markup Views), asynchronous programming via Promises and RxJava, and a plugin ecosystem for extensibility.

The project was started in 2005, entered the Apache Software Foundation incubator in 2016, and graduated to a top-level Apache project in 2018. It is distributed free of charge under the Apache 2 License through Apache download servers, the apache/grails-core GitHub repository, and the Grails Application Forge (start.grails.org) project scaffolding tool. There is no commercial product, pricing model, or revenue-generating service; the framework is maintained by a volunteer community under the ASF's meritocratic governance model.

Grails serves Java and JVM developers along with enterprise development teams that need productive web frameworks with multi-database support and smooth integration into existing Java codebases. Distribution is entirely self-serve and community-led, relying on documentation, Slack, GitHub, YouTube, LinkedIn, and a dedicated Groovy & Grails track at the Community over Code conference. The latest releases as of 2025 are Grails 7.1.2 and Grails 7.0.12, both built on Spring Boot.

Name

Grails Framework

Legal name

Apache Grails Framework

Website

https://grails.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Apache Grails is an open source, Groovy-based web application framework for the JVM built on Spring Boot. It serves Java developers and enterprise teams with convention-over-configuration tooling, GORM multi-database access, and a self-serve plugin ecosystem under Apache 2 License governance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Web Application Framework

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

GraphQL, gRPC & Modern API Protocols (BPAMAOAK)

Keywords

• JVM web framework
• Open source framework
• Groovy web development
• Spring Boot framework
• GORM data access

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Open Source Framework Distribution: Apache Grails is distributed as free open source software under the Apache 2 License. The project is supported by the Apache Software Foundation and the Grails community. There is no commercial product or revenue-generating service associated with this open source framework.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Apache Grails is a Groovy-based open source web application framework for the JVM, built on top of Spring Boot. It provides convention-over-configuration, opinionated APIs, GORM-based data access across relational and NoSQL databases, REST API and modern JavaScript frontend support, and an extensible plugin ecosystem. The framework is distributed free of charge under the Apache 2 License and is accompanied by a self-serve Application Forge (start.grails.org) for scaffolding new projects.

Product overview

Apache Grails Framework is a single unified open-source web application framework for the JVM, built on top of Spring Boot using the Groovy programming language. The core offering consists of the Apache Grails Framework itself, which provides the full web development stack including the integrated GORM data access toolkit with support for multiple databases (Hibernate/SQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, Neo4j), view technologies (GSP, JSON Views, Markup Views), and async/reactive capabilities. The ecosystem also includes the Grails Application Forge, an online project scaffolding tool accessible at start.grails.org for rapidly generating new Grails application projects. Both the core framework and Application Forge are Apache 2.0 licensed open-source products maintained by the Apache Software Foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Grails Application Forge: Online application generation tool available at start.grails.org for creating new Grails applications.

Products and services

• Apache Grails Framework A Groovy-based open source web application framework for the JVM built on top of Spring Boot. It provides convention-over-configuration, sensible defaults, opinionated APIs, REST API support, modern JavaScript frontend integration via application profiles (React, Angular), asynchronous capabilities, GORM data access, and an extensible plugin system. It is for Java and JVM developers building web applications and enterprise software.
• Grails Application Forge An online application generation tool (start.grails.org) that allows developers to quickly scaffold and create new Grails web application projects with predefined configurations. It is a self-serve tool for developers starting new Grails projects.
• GORM Data Access Toolkit A data access toolkit integrated with the Grails framework that provides rich APIs for accessing relational and non-relational data. GORM includes implementations for Hibernate (SQL), MongoDB, Cassandra, and Neo4j. It is for developers building Grails applications that need unified persistence across multiple database technologies.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Apache Software FoundationcoreOthersApache Grails is an official Apache Software Foundation project. The ASF provides governance, infrastructure, legal protection, and the Apache brand. The project operates under ASF's meritocratic community development model.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Laravel: Laravel is a PHP-based web framework with convention-over-configuration principles and an integrated ORM (Eloquent). It targets the same 'batteries-included, developer-productive' positioning Grails occupies in the JVM space.
• Ruby on Rails: Grails was originally conceived as 'Rails for the JVM' and inherits Rails' convention-over-configuration, opinionated defaults, and developer productivity philosophy. The two are direct conceptual peers across language ecosystems.
• Play Framework: Play is another convention-over-configuration web framework targeting the JVM (Scala/Java). It addresses the same persona of developers building web applications on the JVM with opinionated defaults and modern async support.
• Django: Django is a Python-based, batteries-included web framework with a similar 'convention over configuration' philosophy and integrated ORM. It competes for the same category of developer seeking a full-stack, opinionated web framework.

Emerging players

• NestJS: NestJS is a TypeScript/Node.js server-side framework using opinionated, decorator-driven architecture. It addresses the same 'productive, structured full-stack web framework' use case Grails serves, but in the larger Node ecosystem.
• Helidon: Helidon is Oracle's collection of Java libraries for writing microservices (Helidon SE and Helidon MP). It targets enterprise Java teams building web services and competes for the same JVM productivity-and-cloud-native buyer.
• Quarkus: Quarkus is a Kubernetes-native Java framework tailored for GraalVM and OpenJDK HotSpot. It overlaps with Grails in serving JVM developers who want opinionated, productive web stacks while competing on cloud-native deployment performance.
• Micronaut: Micronaut is a modern, compile-time-DI JVM framework positioned as a faster, cloud-native alternative to Spring Boot. It targets the same developer productivity use case as Grails but with startup/memory characteristics better suited to serverless and Kubernetes.
• Ktor: Ktor is JetBrains' Kotlin-based asynchronous web framework for the JVM. It competes for the same 'modern JVM productivity web stack' mindshare that Grails once owned, increasingly displacing Groovy-based stacks in new projects.

Broad incumbents

• Spring Boot: Spring Boot is the foundation Grails is built on and the most widely adopted JVM web framework. It is the dominant alternative developers weigh Grails against, and it directly competes for the same enterprise Java productivity narrative.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/grailsframework
• GitHubgithub.com/apache/grails-core
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GrailsFramework
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/official-grails

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grails Framework