refine
A React framework for building admin panels, dashboards and internal business apps.
- Stars
- 36k
- Forks
- 3.3k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last update
- 2 months ago
- Type
- Framework
What it is
Refine is a TypeScript framework built on React for making internal tools, admin panels, dashboards and B2B applications. The description says it aims for flexibility, and it is headless, meaning it supplies the logic and data handling while you choose the look of the interface. Developers use it to avoid rebuilding common pieces like data fetching, tables and forms for every new back-office app.
- Build an admin dashboard that lists, creates, edits and deletes records from a backend API
- Create internal tools for operations or support teams on top of existing data
- Assemble a B2B application with authentication and role-based screens
Great for
- Developers building internal admin panels or back-office tools in React
- Teams that want a headless approach and can pick their own UI component library
- Projects that connect to REST, GraphQL or similar backend APIs and need standard CRUD screens
- Developers already comfortable with React and TypeScript
Not ideal for
- Non-developers who want a no-code app builder, since it requires writing React and TypeScript code
- Simple static websites or small single-page apps that do not need admin-style data screens
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Node.js · npm or another JavaScript package manager
Create a new project with the Refine CLI
npm create refine-app@latest - 2
Run it
- Run the create command and follow the prompts to pick a template and UI library
- Change into the new project folder
- Start the development server with the command shown in the generated project's README
- Open the local address printed in the terminal in your browser
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the headless packages to plug in your preferred UI library
- Connect a data provider that matches your backend API
- Check the official documentation at refine.dev for integrations listed there
Downloads
Strengths
- Headless design lets you combine it with the UI library you already use
- Open source under the MIT license with a large community (about 36,000 stars at the time of metadata)
- Written in TypeScript, which helps catch errors while you build
Trade-offs
- Requires React and TypeScript knowledge, so it is not suited to beginners without that background
- The README excerpt provided is truncated, so details on specific integrations and limits could not be fully verified here
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| refine (this) | 36k | Framework | intermediate | 2 months ago | Developers building internal admin panels or back-office tools in React |
| react-admin | 27k | Framework | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers building internal admin panels or back-office tools on top of an existing API |
| ant-design-pro | 38.9k | Framework | intermediate | 8 days ago | Developers building internal admin dashboards or back-office tools in React |
| payload | 45.6k | Framework | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers already building with Next.js and React who want a backend without a separate server |
| ngx-admin | 25.7k | Framework | intermediate | 2.1 years ago | Developers starting a new Angular admin or back-office dashboard |
| vue-admin-better | 18.9k | App | intermediate | 16 days ago | Front-end developers with about a year of experience who want an admin panel starting point |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.