Marten is built around one simple idea: "the framework you reach for when you want nothing in the way."
It keeps full stdlib purity (untouched context.Context, zero external deps) but refuses to force you into boilerplate: clean Gin-like helpers (c.JSON, c.Bind, c.Param) + production middleware included by default (gzip, CORS, secure headers, rate limiting, timeout, etc.).
So you get Chi-level cleanliness with meaningful productivity gains right from the first handler—no extra packages, no compromises.
I have built this cool Go web framework Marten which is a lightweight, zero-external-dependency Go web framework built around the philosophy: "The framework you reach for when you want nothing in the way."
Key points:
- Stdlib context remains untouched (no custom wrapping)
- Thin *Ctx helper for ergonomics: c.JSON(), c.Bind(), c.Param(), c.Status(), etc.
- Built-in production middleware: gzip, CORS, secure headers, rate limiting, timeout, recover, etc.
- Radix router, route groups, graceful shutdown, context pooling