DronaHQ
Low-code platform for internal apps, workflows, and AI agents with enterprise controls
Refine
React meta-framework for fast, customizable CRUD enterprise apps
Refine provides a headless React framework that accelerates development of admin panels, dashboards, and internal tools with built-in authentication, routing, state management, and UI-library integrations.
Overview
Who should use Refine?
Refine targets engineering teams building data‑intensive enterprise applications such as admin panels, dashboards, and internal tools. It is especially suited for React developers who need the flexibility of a headless architecture while avoiding boiler‑plate for common concerns like authentication, routing, and state management.
Core capabilities
The framework provides a set of core hooks and components that integrate with React Query for data fetching, and offers out‑of‑the‑box providers for authentication, access control, and i18n. With built‑in connectors for more than 15 backend services (REST, GraphQL, Supabase, Firebase, etc.) and UI‑library adapters for Ant Design, Material UI, Mantine, and Chakra UI, developers can quickly generate CRUD interfaces that are fully customizable. SSR support for Next.js and Remix, as well as real‑time data handling, enable both customer‑facing and internal applications.
Deployment
A Refine project can be bootstrapped with a single command (npm create refine-app) and deployed to any Node or static hosting platform, including Vercel, Netlify, or traditional servers. Its headless nature ensures the UI layer can be swapped or extended without affecting business logic.
Highlights
Headless architecture with UI‑library agnostic design
Connectors for 15+ backend services (REST, GraphQL, Supabase, etc.)
SSR support for Next.js and Remix with any router
Integrated devtools and auto‑generated CRUD UI
Pros
- Highly flexible, works with any UI framework
- Comprehensive authentication and access‑control providers
- React Query powered state management
- Strong community and extensive documentation
Considerations
- Steeper learning curve for beginners
- Requires manual styling for custom designs
- Limited out‑of‑the‑box components compared to full low‑code platforms
- Performance depends on underlying data provider implementation
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider Refine, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- Teams building internal admin dashboards
- Enterprises needing custom B2B applications
- Developers who want headless control with React
- Projects that require SSR and real‑time features
Not ideal when
- Simple static sites without data interaction
- Non‑React stacks
- Projects that need drag‑and‑drop UI builders only
- Very small prototypes where low‑code solutions suffice
How teams use it
CRM admin panel
Rapidly launch a full‑featured customer relationship management interface with auto‑generated CRUD screens.
Inventory dashboard
Monitor stock levels in real time using built‑in live data support and custom visualizations.
Multi‑tenant SaaS portal
Provide isolated admin experiences per tenant with built‑in access control and routing.
Internal ticketing system
Create a secure internal tool for issue tracking with authentication and audit‑log capabilities.
Tech snapshot
TypeScript98%
JavaScript2%
CSS1%
HTML1%
Handlebars1%
Shell1%
Frequently asked questions
Is Refine a full low‑code platform?
Refine sits between low‑code and custom development; it supplies the scaffolding and integrations while leaving UI implementation to the developer.
Which UI libraries are supported?
Official adapters exist for Ant Design, Material UI, Mantine, Chakra UI, and you can integrate any custom design system.
Can I use Refine with Next.js?
Yes, Refine offers SSR support and a Next.js router provider, enabling seamless server‑side rendering.
How does data fetching work?
Refine relies on React Query; you connect a data provider (REST, GraphQL, Supabase, etc.) and use hooks like useDataGrid or useMany.
Is there a free hosting option for the starter app?
The `npm create refine-app` command generates a local project; you can deploy it to any static or Node host such as Vercel or Netlify.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 33,895
- Watchers
- 33,895
- Forks
- 2,903
LicenseMIT
Repo age5 years old
Last commit3 hours ago
Primary languageTypeScript
Last synced 3 hours ago