# RedwoodJS — Full-Stack React Framework with GraphQL and Prisma

> RedwoodJS is an opinionated full-stack JavaScript framework that combines React on the frontend with a GraphQL API and Prisma ORM on the backend, optimized for startups and rapid application development.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# RedwoodJS — Full-Stack React Framework with GraphQL and Prisma

## Quick Use
```bash
npx -y create-redwood-app my-app
cd my-app
yarn rw dev
# Web at http://localhost:8910, API at http://localhost:8911
```

## Introduction
RedwoodJS is a full-stack web framework co-founded by Tom Preston-Werner (GitHub co-founder) that wires together React, GraphQL, and Prisma into a single cohesive developer experience. It follows a cells-and-services architecture that separates data fetching from presentation, and includes generators, auth integration, and deploy targets out of the box.

## What RedwoodJS Does
- Scaffolds full-stack CRUD features with a single CLI generator command
- Connects a React frontend to a GraphQL API backed by Prisma and any SQL database
- Provides Cells, a declarative data-fetching pattern that handles loading, empty, error, and success states
- Includes built-in authentication adapters for Supabase, Auth0, Clerk, and others
- Supports prerendering, server-side rendering, and streaming via React Server Components

## Architecture Overview
A Redwood project is a monorepo with two workspaces: `web` (React + Apollo Client) and `api` (GraphQL + Prisma). The web side uses Cells to declare GraphQL queries alongside the component that renders the result. The API side maps SDL type definitions to service functions that call Prisma. A built-in CLI generates boilerplate for pages, layouts, cells, services, and database migrations.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Create a project with `npx create-redwood-app` and choose TypeScript or JavaScript
- Define your data model in `api/db/schema.prisma` and run `yarn rw prisma migrate dev`
- Generate pages, cells, and services with `yarn rw generate` commands
- Configure auth, deployment target, and environment variables in `redwood.toml`
- Deploy to Vercel, Netlify, AWS Lambda, Render, or self-hosted Node.js servers

## Key Features
- Cells pattern separates data lifecycle states from rendering logic cleanly
- Full-stack generators produce pages, GraphQL types, services, and tests together
- Prisma integration with automatic migration management via CLI
- Multiple auth provider adapters with role-based access control built in
- Storybook integration for isolated component development

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Next.js** — React meta-framework with SSR/SSG focus, no built-in GraphQL layer or ORM
- **Remix** — Web-standards-first with loaders and actions, no opinionated ORM or GraphQL integration
- **Blitz.js** — Similar full-stack vision built on Next.js with zero-API pattern, smaller community
- **Meteor** — Older full-stack platform with real-time data, uses its own build system and pub/sub
- **SvelteKit** — Svelte-based full-stack framework, different component model, no GraphQL layer

## FAQ
**Q: Does RedwoodJS require GraphQL?**
A: GraphQL is the default API layer. Redwood also supports building custom REST endpoints, but the generators and Cells pattern are designed around GraphQL.

**Q: What databases does RedwoodJS support?**
A: Any database supported by Prisma: PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, SQL Server, CockroachDB, and MongoDB (preview).

**Q: Is RedwoodJS ready for production?**
A: Yes. RedwoodJS reached v1.0 in 2022 and has been used in production applications. The framework continues active development toward v8+.

**Q: Can I use RedwoodJS without the full-stack setup?**
A: The framework is designed as a cohesive full-stack solution. Using only the web or API side independently is possible but loses the integrated developer experience.

## Sources
- https://github.com/redwoodjs/redwood
- https://redwoodjs.com/docs

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/d0d8eb8f-42fe-11f1-9bc6-00163e2b0d79
Author: Script Depot