Build full-stack React apps visually. Own everything.
A visual application builder with a schema-driven backend engine.

What is Forma? • Status • Architecture • Getting Started • Roadmap

Forma is a full-stack React application platform for building, deploying, and managing web applications without writing boilerplate. It combines three things:

1. Visual Builder — Drag-and-drop React component design with 100+ pre-built components, styling, data binding, and export to real code (Next.js or Vite).

2. Data Modeler — Visual database schema design that auto-generates REST APIs, GraphQL endpoints, and authentication.

3. Runtime Engine — An open-source (MIT) schema-driven backend that turns a JSON schema into a working API server with auth, storage, and admin UI.

The goal: as easy as Wix to start, but you own everything and can go anywhere. No lock-in. Export your project as real code. Self-host the runtime. Eject whenever you want.

  Designer        Forma Builder        Forma Runtime
     |                 |                     |
     |   Design pages  |                     |
     |  (drag & drop)  |                     |
     |---------------->|                     |
     |                 |   Define schema     |
     |                 |  (data modeler)     |
     |                 |-------------------->|
     |                 |                     |
     |                 |   Auto-generates:   |
     |                 |   REST + GraphQL    |
     |                 |   + Auth + Admin    |
     |                 |<--------------------|
     |                 |                     |
     |   Live app      |                     |
     |<----------------|                     |

Forma is in active development. The core platform works — you can design pages, model data, generate backends, and export projects. Many advanced features (analytics, forms, blog, e-commerce, integrations) are built. The deployment pipeline and real-time collaboration are in progress.

• One-click publish (deployment worker needs to execute builds)
• Real-time collaborative editing (needs CRDT/OT)
• Stripe payments integration (endpoints exist, Connect not wired up)
• AI page generation, content writer, image generation
• CLI tool, monetization, enterprise scale features

forma/                              # Monorepo root
├── forma/                          # Builder
│   ├── frontend/                   # Next.js 14 + React 18 + TypeScript
│   │   ├── src/app/                # App Router pages
│   │   ├── src/components/         # 194 React components
│   │   │   ├── builder/            # Visual builder (91 components)
│   │   │   ├── modeler/            # Data modeling UI
│   │   │   └── hosting/            # Domain management
│   │   └── src/stores/             # Zustand state
│   └── backend/                    # FastAPI + SQLAlchemy
│       ├── app/api/                # 40 API modules
│       ├── app/services/           # Business logic
│       └── app/db/                 # 110+ database models
│
├── formabase/                      # Core Platform
│   └── runtime/                    # Runtime Engine (MIT)
│       ├── forma_runtime/          # Python package
│       │   ├── api/                # REST router factory
│       │   ├── graphql/            # GraphQL schema factory
│       │   ├── auth/               # JWT + OAuth
│       │   ├── db/                 # Model factory
│       │   └── admin/              # Admin UI
│       └── tests/
│
└── formacode-training/             # AI Training Data

Define a JSON schema, get a full backend:

{
  "version": "1.0",
  "name": "my-app",
  "collections": {
    "user": {
      "auth": true,
      "fields": {
        "email": { "type": "email", "required": true, "unique": true },
        "name": { "type": "text" }
      }
    },
    "post": {
      "timestamps": true,
      "fields": {
        "title": { "type": "text", "required": true },
        "content": { "type": "richtext" },
        "author": { "type": "relation", "target": "user" }
      }
    }
  }
}

forma-runtime serve --schema schema.json --port 8000

# You get:
# REST API    → http://localhost:8000/api/
# GraphQL     → http://localhost:8000/graphql
# Admin UI    → http://localhost:8000/admin
# API Docs    → http://localhost:8000/docs

• Python 3.11+
• Node.js 18+
• PostgreSQL (or SQLite for development)

# Clone
git clone https://github.com/axiondeeplabs/forma.git
cd forma

# Start Runtime (Terminal 1)
cd formabase/runtime
python -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate
pip install -e ".[dev]"
MULTI_TENANT=true python -m uvicorn forma_runtime.main:app --reload --port 8001

# Start Builder Backend (Terminal 2)
cd forma/backend
python -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
uvicorn app.main:app --reload --port 8000

# Start Builder Frontend (Terminal 3)
cd forma/frontend
npm install && npm run dev

# Open http://localhost:3000

cd formabase/runtime
python -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate
pip install -e ".[dev]"
forma-runtime serve --schema schema.json --port 8000

• Core platform — Visual builder, data modeler, runtime engine, multi-tenant bridge, export, team workspaces, OAuth
• Content & data — Forms, blog/CMS, analytics, SEO tools, email templates, design system, localization, media library
• Collaboration & DevEx — Version history, comments, activity log, notifications, integrations (Slack, Discord, Zapier), backups, performance monitoring, Enterprise SSO, Figma import

• Deployment pipeline — DNS and domains work, but the build worker doesn't execute yet and the runtime isn't deployed to production
• Real-time collaboration — Cursors and presence work, but canvas integration and conflict resolution (CRDT/OT) are not done
• E-Commerce — API endpoints exist, Stripe Connect integration not wired up

• CLI tool (forma deploy)
• Preview deployments
• AI page generation, content writer, image generation
• Animation editor, interaction designer
• Monetization (usage-based billing, white-label, marketplace)
• Enterprise scale (K8s, multi-region, compliance)

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:pass@localhost:5432/forma
JWT_SECRET=your-secret-key-minimum-32-characters
INTERNAL_KEY=shared-key-for-builder
MULTI_TENANT=true
DEBUG=true
STORAGE_PROVIDER=local  # or 's3'

DATABASE_URL=sqlite:///./forma.db
SECRET_KEY=your-builder-secret
RUNTIME_URL=http://localhost:8001
RUNTIME_INTERNAL_KEY=shared-key-for-builder
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

Contributions to the Runtime engine are welcome:

cd formabase/runtime
python -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate
pip install -e ".[dev]"
pytest

The Builder is proprietary software. For licensing or partnership inquiries, contact us.

Axion Deep Labs
Website • GitHub

_{Built with care in New Mexico.}