Kore is a web application framework for writing scalable, concurrent web APIs in C or Python.
Kore addresses the need for high-performance, secure web services by combining a privilege-separated architecture with operating-system-level sandboxing features such as seccomp on Linux and pledge on OpenBSD. The framework operates on an event-driven architecture using epoll or kqueue, with per-CPU worker processes that handle concurrent requests efficiently. It enforces security by default, isolating private keys in separate processes and enabling TLS with strong ciphersuites and forward secrecy across all major browsers. The framework supports HTTP/1.1, WebSockets, SNI, and can reload modules and certificates on-the-fly without interrupting service.
Kore suits developers building high-assurance applications where security and performance are non-negotiable, particularly in cryptographic systems, machine-learning infrastructure, and aerospace applications. It scales from embedded platforms to high-performance servers. The framework allows you to write handlers in C for maximum performance or Python for convenience, and supports optional features including asynchronous PostgreSQL, background tasks, ACME certificate automation, Lua scripting, and JSON-RPC. Applications can be compiled as precompiled dynamic libraries or single binaries. Choose Kore if you need fine-grained control over security posture and are comfortable with C as a primary development language, or if you want Python convenience without sacrificing the underlying performance and security guarantees.
The project maintains a mailing-list-based contribution model rather than GitHub-based workflows, with separate lists for patches and user questions. Development activity shows consistent attention to security concerns, with a dedicated security contact separate from general project communication. The framework supports multiple platforms including Linux, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, and macOS across x64, ARM, and aarch64 architectures, indicating ongoing maintenance across diverse deployment environments.
