DreamFactory

A self-hosted API gateway that turns existing SQL and NoSQL databases into documented REST endpoints with roles, keys and audit logs.

1.8k stars, 354 forks Shell On GitHub since April 2015

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

DreamFactory at a glance

Open sourceYes, Apache-2.0No paid parts in the repository
Health49 of 100Actively developed
Self-hostingFrom sourceSteps in the README
InterfaceEnglish onlyNo translation files found
Issue repliesWithin ~799 daysMedian first reply; 72% of recent issues answered

What is DreamFactory?

DreamFactory connects to a database, reads its schema and generates REST endpoints for CRUD, relationships and stored procedures, along with OpenAPI documentation. It is a Laravel application with a browser admin console for services, roles, users and API keys. Connectors cover MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, Snowflake, MongoDB, Cassandra and others, plus S3, Azure Blob, SFTP and SOAP services. Scripts in PHP, Python or Node.js can change requests and responses. A built-in MCP server lets AI clients query data through the same access rules instead of writing raw SQL.

Good fit if

  • You need a backend for internal tools or mobile apps on top of databases you already run, without hand-written CRUD code.
  • Legacy systems such as SQL Server stored procedures or Oracle need a modern REST interface.
  • AI assistants should read company data only through role-based, logged endpoints.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want a GraphQL API rather than REST over your data: Hasura.
  • You need a general gateway in front of services you have already built: Kong or Tyk.

Before you adopt it

DreamFactory is under the Apache license and no paid parts were found in this repository, although the README has a section on commercial licenses. The dreamfactorysoftware organization maintains it, with four people committing in the last 90 days. Linux installers set up the app and its dependencies; Windows installs use IIS or Apache, and Docker images live in a separate df-docker repository.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 7 November 2026. Report a correction

How to run DreamFactory yourself

One-click install

Not listed in the app catalogs of Umbrel, YunoHost, TrueNAS, Unraid, CasaOS, Runtipi, Proxmox VE Helper-Scripts and Coolify.

Ways to install

Docker files
None in the repository
Compose file
None in the repository
Setup effort
Not rated: no compose file to judge from
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
No app builds in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: dreamfactory.com or the README on GitHub.

DreamFactory health: is it still maintained?

49 of 100, actively developed

Release rhythmEvery ~24 days10 releases in 12 months; latest 7.7.1
Issue repliesWithin ~799 daysMedian first reply; 72% of recent issues answered
Bus factorMedium riskThe most active of 4 authors wrote 67% of recent commits
  • Activity
    9 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 5 November 2026.
    12 / 30
  • Contributors
    4 people wrote the 9 commits of the last 90 days; the most active wrote 67% of them.
    9 / 20
  • Releases
    10 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, 7.7.1, on 24 September 2026.
    18 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 72% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 799 days.
    7 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 3.4 of 10.
    3 / 10

Read from GitHub on 12 November 2026. How the score works

DreamFactory security

Security advisories are the vulnerabilities the maintainers disclosed on GitHub, with the versions that fix them; many advisories can mean careful disclosure as much as weak code. OpenSSF Scorecard checks how a project is developed and released: reviews, protected branches, pinned dependencies, signed releases. It does not audit the code itself.

Security advisoriesNone publishedNo advisories in the repository’s Security tab
OpenSSF Scorecard3.4 of 10How the project is built and released
Security policyNoNo SECURITY.md or similar

What each Scorecard check found

  • Binary files10 / 10No compiled binaries checked into the repository
  • License file10 / 10A license file is present
  • Maintained7 / 10Some activity in the last 90 days
  • Code review1 / 10Some changes are merged without review
  • Best-practices badge0 / 10No OpenSSF Best Practices badge
  • Fuzzing0 / 10No fuzz testing found
  • Pinned dependencies0 / 10Dependencies are not pinned to fixed versions
  • Security policy0 / 10No security policy
  • Static analysis0 / 10No static analysis found

Advisories read from GitHub on 12 November 2026. From the OpenSSF Scorecard of 9 November 2026; checks that do not apply to DreamFactory are left out.

DreamFactory license: is it open source?

DreamFactory uses Apache-2.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. April 2015First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayApache-2.0.

DreamFactory for developers

Written in

  • Shell 61%
  • PHP 21%
  • Blade 10%
  • PowerShell 5%
  • HTML 2%
  • Other <1%

Getting involved

Contributing guideNot foundNo CONTRIBUTING file in the repository
Open issues2On GitHub
Authors, 90 days4Of 9 commits

Language shares are GitHub’s count of the code in the repository.

Alternatives to DreamFactory

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Questions about DreamFactory

Is DreamFactory open source?

Yes. DreamFactory is published under Apache-2.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is DreamFactory still maintained?

Its health score is 49 of 100 (actively developed). It had 9 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 5 November 2026, and its latest release came out on 24 September 2026.

How do I run DreamFactory?

The repository has no Docker files or app builds, so you build it from source. The README on GitHub has the steps.

What is DreamFactory written in?

DreamFactory is written mainly in Shell (61% of the code), with PHP (21%) and Blade (10%), by GitHub’s count of the repository.

What are the alternatives to DreamFactory?

Close alternatives in the Developer tools category include Hasura, Svix, Apprise.