IHP is a batteries-included web framework optimized for building type-safe web applications using Haskell and Nix.
IHP addresses the challenge of maintaining productivity and correctness in web development by leveraging Haskell's type system to catch errors at compile time rather than runtime. The framework provides type-safe routing, database queries, and HTML templating through HSX, a JSX-like syntax for writing HTML in Haskell. Despite being compiled, IHP offers live reload during development for instant feedback. The framework includes a visual schema designer for database management, code generators for controllers and views, and built-in features like authentication, form handling with validation, real-time data synchronization via WebSockets, and background job monitoring. Deployment uses a declarative approach via Nix, where server configuration lives in git and deploys to NixOS servers without requiring Docker or Kubernetes.
Teams building applications that prioritize long-term maintainability and catching bugs early should consider IHP. The framework suits projects where type safety provides significant value and where teams want to avoid the operational complexity of containerization. IHP is particularly well-suited for AI-assisted development workflows, as the strong type system acts as a safety net for code generated by AI tools; the framework ships with comprehensive documentation teaching AI conventions. The managed environment through Nix eliminates setup friction across development teams, ensuring every developer works with identical dependencies including PostgreSQL and the Haskell compiler. IHP has been in production use since 2017 and is used by teams building serious applications.
The project maintains active development with regular updates to its core framework and ecosystem packages. The monorepo structure keeps focused packages for specific concerns including GraphQL support, real-time data sync, server-side components, testing utilities, email support, and PostgreSQL integration. The framework demonstrates commitment to developer experience through features like the schema designer and code generators integrated into the IDE, and through comprehensive tooling for deployment that handles TLS provisioning, process recovery, and zero-downtime restarts automatically.
