We created Padrino to make it fun and easy to build more advanced web applications, while staying true to the spirit that makes Sinatra great.
Padrino 0.16.0 · December 2025Blog::App.controllers :posts do
get :index do
@posts = Post.order(created_at: :desc)
render 'posts/index'
end
get :show, with: :id, provides: [:html, :json] do
@post = Post.find(params[:id])
case content_type
when :json then @post.to_json
else render 'posts/show'
end
end
end
Why Padrino
Sinatra is a thin layer on top of Rack that adds complexity only when an application needs it. We expand on it with the helpers, generators and other standard libraries a framework needs for apps of any size, from a lightweight JSON service to a large full-stack site.
Our goal with Padrino is to stay true to the core principles of Sinatra, including a focus on simplicity and modularity.
Tiny and fast. Clean and compact. Creative and concise.
Agnostic
Padrino is ORM, JavaScript, testing, rendering and mocking agnostic. Pick the libraries you already know, or none at all, and the generator creates a clean and compact directory structure that keeps your code simple and well organized. Try it here and copy the command.
See all componentsRouting
Define your URLs in one place and refer to them by name everywhere else. Padrino adds named routes and params, format negotiation and before and after filters to Sinatra's routing.
Read about routingBlog::App.controllers :admin do
before { halt 403 unless session[:account_id] }
get :show, with: :id do
# "/admin/show/42"
end
end
url_for(:admin, :show, id: 42)
# => "/admin/show/42"
Drop-in admin
Padrino ships with an admin interface, akin to Django's, that includes account authentication and permission management. Create an admin page for any model with one command. It works with ActiveRecord, Sequel, Mongoid and more, and is translated into ten languages.
Explore the admin$ padrino g admin
$ padrino rake db:migrate
$ padrino rake db:seed
$ padrino g admin_page post
$ padrino start
# => http://localhost:3000/admin
Mountable
Unlike other Ruby frameworks, Padrino is designed from the start for mounting multiple apps. When your site gets big, split it into small apps and route them by path, host or subdomain.
Mount applicationsPadrino.mount('Blog::App').to('/blog')
Padrino.mount('Shop::App').host('shop.example.org')
Padrino.mount('Admin').to('/admin')
Padrino.mount('Web::App').to('/')
Comprehensive
Building on our experience with web applications, we designed Padrino to include what a top-notch app needs, in a clean, concise and simple environment.
Sinatra core
Already have a Sinatra app? We built every Padrino component to work on its own, so you can add the helpers, mailer or caching to it without changing anything else.
Standalone usagerequire 'sinatra/base'
require 'padrino-helpers'
require 'padrino-mailer'
class Application < Sinatra::Base
register Padrino::Helpers
register Padrino::Mailer
end
Follow the guides from your first project to a full application.