# Fat-Free Framework

PHP micro-framework for building dynamic web applications, with routing, a template engine, database mappers and a plug-in set, installed with Composer.


Source: https://findsoftware.frbit.cloud/fat-free/
Last reviewed: 2026-10-20
Updated: 2026-10-25
Listed since: 2026-10-20

## Record

### Links

- home: https://fatfreeframework.com
- repository: https://github.com/bcosca/fatfree
- docs: https://fatfreeframework.com/3.9/user-guide
- forum: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/f3-framework

### Identity

- status: active
- maintainer: F3::Factory
- maintainerType: unknown
- parent: unknown
- firstRelease: unknown
- hqCountry: unknown

### Kind

- category: framework
- hosting: php
- language: php
- runtime: php
- runtimeMin: php 7.2
- basedOn: unknown

### Content

- contentStore: unknown
- databases: mysql, sqlite, sqlserver, postgres, mongodb
- adminUi: unknown
- headlessApi: unknown
- templating: built-in template engine
- i18n: yes

### Rendering and deploy

- runsAs: unknown
- renderingModes: unknown
- installMethod: composer require bcosca/fatfree-core, direct download

### License

- licenseModel: open-core
- license: GPL-3.0, alternative commercial license for a fee

### Releases

- currentMajor: 3
- latestReleaseDate: 2026-07-21

### Adoption

- githubStargazers: 2715
- packagistDownloads: 712610
- npmWeeklyDownloads: not applicable
- contributors: unknown
- pluginCount: unknown
- packagistMonthlyDownloads: 13670
- ecosystemsMonthlyDownloads: unknown
- httpArchiveSites: 568
- wordpressActiveInstalls: unknown
- dependentRepos: 202
- dependentPackages: 53

### Sources

- name: https://fatfreeframework.com (read 2026-10-20)
- urls: https://fatfreeframework.com (read 2026-10-20)
- urls: https://github.com/bcosca/fatfree (read 2026-10-20)
- urls: https://github.com/f3-factory/fatfree-core (read 2026-10-20)
- urls: https://fatfreeframework.com/3.9/user-guide (read 2026-10-20)
- maintainer: https://github.com/bcosca/fatfree/blob/master/readme.md (read 2026-10-20)
- category: https://github.com/f3-factory/fatfree-core (read 2026-10-20)
- language: https://github.com/f3-factory/fatfree-core (read 2026-10-20)
- runtime: https://github.com/bcosca/fatfree/blob/master/readme.md (read 2026-10-20)
- runtimeMin: https://github.com/bcosca/fatfree/blob/master/readme.md (read 2026-10-20)
- templating: https://fatfreeframework.com (read 2026-10-20)
- databases: https://github.com/bcosca/fatfree/blob/master/readme.md (read 2026-10-20)
- i18n: https://github.com/bcosca/fatfree/blob/master/readme.md (read 2026-10-20)
- installMethod: https://fatfreeframework.com (read 2026-10-20)
- license: https://github.com/f3-factory/fatfree-core (read 2026-10-20)
- license: https://github.com/bcosca/fatfree/blob/master/readme.md (read 2026-10-20)
- license: https://github.com/bcosca/fatfree/blob/master/readme.md (read 2026-10-20)
- licenseModel: https://github.com/bcosca/fatfree/blob/master/readme.md (read 2026-10-20)
- currentMajor: https://repo.packagist.org/p2/bcosca/fatfree-core.json (read 2026-10-20)
- latestReleaseDate: https://repo.packagist.org/p2/bcosca/fatfree-core.json (read 2026-10-20)
- githubStargazers: https://github.com/bcosca/fatfree (read 2026-10-20)
- packagistDownloads: https://packagist.org/packages/bcosca/fatfree-core.json (read 2026-10-20)
- httpArchiveSites: https://cdn.httparchive.org/v1/technologies (read 2026-10-25)
- dependentRepos: https://packages.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/registries/packagist.org/packages/bcosca%2Ffatfree-core (read 2026-10-25)
- dependentPackages: https://packages.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/registries/packagist.org/packages/bcosca%2Ffatfree-core (read 2026-10-25)
- packagistMonthlyDownloads: https://packagist.org/packages/bcosca/fatfree-core/stats.json (read 2026-10-25)

## Notes

Fat-Free Framework, also called F3, is a PHP micro-framework for building web applications. It is installed with Composer as `bcosca/fatfree-core` or downloaded directly, and it ships with a template engine and database support for MySQL, SQLite, MSSQL, PostgreSQL, DB2 and MongoDB. The readme says the framework's files can be kept in a directory the web server cannot reach.

The project is maintained by F3::Factory, which publishes the core library in the [fatfree-core](https://github.com/f3-factory/fatfree-core) repository. The [user guide](https://fatfreeframework.com/3.9/user-guide) is the documentation.

## Worth knowing

The readme states the GPL as the license and says alternative licensing is available for a fee.

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Data licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Attributes are recorded, never scored; absent means unknown.
Credit, in full: FindSoftware, CC BY 4.0