go-starter
go-starter is a production-ready RESTful API template in Go with integrated PostgreSQL, OAuth2 authentication, and VSCode DevContainers. It provides database migrations, Swagger documentation, and testing infrastructure out of the box for rapid backend development.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | allaboutapps/go-starter |
| Owner | allaboutapps |
| Primary language | Go |
| License | MIT — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 617 |
| Forks | 75 |
| Open issues | 6 |
| Latest release | Unknown |
| Last updated | 2025-10-16 |
| Source | https://github.com/allaboutapps/go-starter |
What go-starter is
Go-based backend template featuring SQLBoiler for ORM, sql-migrate for schema versioning, IntegreSQL for isolated integration testing, go-swagger for API documentation, and Docker Compose for local development. Includes auth package with argon2id password hashing, OAuth2 Bearer tokens, and FCM push notification support.
Get the go-starter source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/allaboutapps/go-starter.gitcd go-starter# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Requires mastery of SQLBoiler code generation workflow and migration patterns; schema changes involve regenerating ORM models.
- Swagger-first design means API contracts must be defined upfront; changes propagate to validation code via compilation.
- IntegreSQL testing infrastructure adds operational complexity during CI/CD but ensures database isolation; verify PostgreSQL availability in target environment.
- OAuth2/password auth implementation provided but requires customization for custom claims, RBAC, or integration with external identity providers.
- VSCode DevContainer requirement limits adoption for teams using JetBrains, Vim, or other editors without equivalent container integration.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Non-SQL Databases Required — Template is strongly opinionated toward PostgreSQL. Migration to MongoDB, DynamoDB, or other datastores requires significant refactoring of core architecture.
- GraphQL or gRPC Preferred — go-starter is REST-first with Swagger v2 focus. Adopting it for GraphQL/gRPC projects would require stripping out and replacing substantial parts of the stack.
- Minimal Dependencies Preferred — Includes 20+ opinionated dependencies (SQLBoiler, go-swagger, Cobra, etc.). Projects requiring minimal footprint or specific library choices may find constraints restrictive.
- Docker Compose Incompatible Environments — Development workflow requires Docker CE 19.03+ and Docker Compose 1.25+. Kubernetes-only or non-container environments need alternative setup.
License & commercial use
MIT License permits unrestricted commercial and private use, modification, and distribution with attribution. No patent grants or warranty disclaimers beyond standard MIT scope.
MIT is a permissive OSI-approved license explicitly allowing commercial use without restrictions. Projects can be proprietary, sold, or monetized. No copyleft obligations. Verify compliance with dependency licenses (go-swagger, SQLBoiler, etc.) in your specific use case.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Strong |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | Low |
| DEV.co fit | Strong |
| Assessment confidence | High |
Implements argon2id password hashing (cryptographically sound for 2025). OAuth2 Bearer Token support per RFC 6750. No explicit statement of security audit history, vulnerability disclosure policy, or OWASP compliance mapping. Review: token expiration configuration, refresh token rotation, rate limiting on auth endpoints, CORS policy, and SQL injection prevention in SQLBoiler-generated queries before production deployment.
Alternatives to consider
Buffalo
Full-stack Go web framework with built-in ORM choice, asset pipeline, and scaffolding. Better for monolithic MVC apps; less opinionated on API-only architecture than go-starter.
Gin + Manual Scaffolding
Lightweight web framework requiring manual project structure, auth, and DB setup. Lower overhead but demands more engineering discipline; suitable for teams preferring minimal framework opinions.
Encore.dev
Modern backend framework with infrastructure-as-code and automatic API docs. Cloud-native but vendor-dependent; different tradeoff between ops simplicity and lock-in versus go-starter's OSS portability.
Build on go-starter with DEV.co software developers
Use the go-starter template to bootstrap a production-grade REST API in minutes. MIT licensed, actively maintained, and optimized for VSCode DevContainer workflows.
Talk to DEV.coRelated open-source tools
Surfaced by semantic similarity across the DEV.co open-source index.
Related on DEV.co
Explore the category and the services that help you build with it.
go-starter FAQ
Can I use this for microservices?
What is the learning curve for teams new to Go?
Can I migrate an existing project into this template?
Is this suitable for production?
Work with a software development agency
From first prototype to production, DEV.co delivers software development services around tools like go-starter. Our software development agency staffs experienced software developers and web developers for custom software development, web development, integrations, and ongoing support across open-source databases and beyond.
Start Your Go Backend Now
Use the go-starter template to bootstrap a production-grade REST API in minutes. MIT licensed, actively maintained, and optimized for VSCode DevContainer workflows.