Grails Blog

Apache Grails (Incubating) 7.0.0-RC1 - Release Announcement

By James Fredley

August 10, 2025

The Apache Grails (incubating) community is excited to announce the Milestone 7.0.0-RC1 release of the Grails Framework!
We encourage you to try this pre-release version and provide your feedback here.

Download Source Code and Binary Distributions

Apache Grails Downloads

What's Changed

For changes made in Grails 7 prior to 7.0.0-RC1, check out the following blog posts:

7.0.0-RC1 Changes:

Add permissions to release environments by @jdaugherty in #14795
Asset plugin forking compiler @jdaugherty (#14948)
Update base, web and rest-api profiles to more closely match Forge @jamesfredley (#14942)
#14886 - add licensing to distributed shadowJar @jdaugherty (#14945)
Add non-default, optional virtual thread feature to Forge for Java 24+ @jamesfredley (#14941)
remove: pdf publishing due to licensing issues & no longer using inside of Grails documentation @jdaugherty (#14940)
Update to spring-boot 3.5.4 & groovy 4.0.28 @jamesfredley (#14934)
feature: add grails-dependency proposal @jdaugherty (#14924)
Enhance CreateReleaseDropDownTask so it can be reused by grails-spring-security @jamesfredley (#14929)
remove old asm & AnnotationMetadataReader supporting classes; adopt SimpleMetadataReaderFactory @jdaugherty (#14922)
Set spring boot dev tools as a default feature in forge to match profiles @jamesfredley (#14921)
Use version variables + minor copy and formatting adjustments @jamesfredley (#14908)
Dependency minor/patch version updates before 7.0.0-RC1 @jamesfredley (#14909)
Fix build performance issues @jprinet (#14895)
Merge 7.0.0 m5 release tag @jamesfredley (#14907)
Enhance documentation for grails-shell vs grails-forge CLIs, plus Gra… @jamesfredley (#14906)
Add version support message for IntelliJ Grails Plugin @jamesfredley (#14905)
Update GitHub repository homepage URL @jamesfredley (#14902)
Deprecated Removals @jdaugherty (#14901)
Fix snapshot docs URL, currently only appears on snapshot docs @jamesfredley (#14900)
Restore Sitemesh3GrailsPlugin @jdaugherty (#14891)
Wrapper Improvements found by M5 Release @jdaugherty (#14896)
Fix issue reported by GitHub CodeQL @matrei (#14936)
fix: #14918 adjust the class loader used for command loading to ensure the delegating cli can find all commands @jdaugherty (#14926)
fix: #14910 - make property files reproducible by default (per day) @jdaugherty (#14919)
fix: issues found by M5 release verification @jdaugherty (#14904)
fix: #13705 - revert changes to Metadata from micronaut removal @jdaugherty (#14897)
fix: #13668 - update for SpringBoot resource split into subclass @jdaugherty (#14888)
#14930 - make views reproducible by sorting views always @jdaugherty (#14946)
build(deps): bump google-github-actions/auth from 2.1.10 to 2.1.11 @dependabot[bot] (#14939)
build(deps): bump google-github-actions/setup-gcloud from 2.1.4 to 2.1.5 @dependabot[bot] (#14938)
fix: #14910 - make property files reproducible by default (per day) @jdaugherty (#14919)
doc: #14892 - update RELEASE.md for workflow changes and grails-forge repo merge @jdaugherty (#14893)
fix: #13705 - revert changes to Metadata from micronaut removal @jdaugherty (#14897)

Full Changelog: v7.0.0-M5...v7.0.0-RC1

Upgrade instructions are available in the documentation.

Dependency Upgrades

In this release, we've upgraded several dependency versions, including but not limited to the following:

Asset Pipeline 5.0.12 (now cloud.wondrify.asset-pipeline)
Groovy 4.0.28
Spring Framework 6.2.9
Spring Boot 3.5.4
Gradle 8.14.3
See all in the grails-bom.

Generating a new Grails 7.0.0-RC1 application with Grails Forge

Try out Grails today by visiting our online application generator Grails Forge. This is the quickest and the recommended way to get started with Grails.

After installing JetBrains' IntelliJ IDEA 2025.2 or later and the Grails Plugin, the Grails Application Forge will also be available under New Project in IntelliJ IDEA.

Within your newly generated project you can access the Grails CLIs with the Grails Wrapper.

See the Types of CLI section in the documentation for details on each CLI.

grail-shell-cli

grailsw

grails-forge-cli

grailsw -t forge

Installing Grails CLIs 7.0.0-RC1 with SDKMan

Alternatively, you can quickly install Grails 7.0.0-RC1 CLIs (grails-shell-cli and grails-forge-cli) using SDKMan.

See the Types of CLI section in the documentation for details on each CLI.

If you don't have SDKMan installed, follow the instructions at SDKMan Installation Guide to set it up.
Once SDKMan is installed, open your terminal and run the following command to install Grails 7.0.0-RC1:
```
sdk install grails 7.0.0-RC1
```
You're all set! To verify the installation, run:
```
grails --version
```

The Grails Shell CLI can be accessed as:

grails

grails-shell-cli

The Grails Forge CLI can be accessed as:

grails -t forge

grails-forge-cli

Upgrading Your Existing Applications to Grails 7.0.0-RC1

If you already have a Grails application and want to upgrade to the latest version, follow these steps:

Open the project in your favorite IDE (preferably JetBrains' IntelliJ IDEA 2025.2 or later).
Update your application's gradle.properties file to specify Grails 7.0.0-RC1 as the desired version.
```
grailsVersion=7.0.0-RC1
```
Make any necessary adjustments to your application code, configuration, and dependencies to ensure compatibility with the new version. See Upgrade Guide

Normally, Grails Core dependencies are automatically updated using the Grails Bill of Materials (BOM). However, if you have specific versions defined in your build configuration, you may need to manually update them to align with Grails 7.0.0-RC1.

By following these steps, you should be able to transition your existing Grails application to Grails 7.0.0-RC1.

Exploring Alternative Approaches

If manual dependency updates seem daunting, or you want a more streamlined approach, consider the following alternatives:

1. Use Grails Forge Website

Visit Grails Forge and generate a new Grails application with Grails 7.0.0-RC1. Compare the versions in the newly generated application with your existing one to identify any discrepancies. This can serve as a reference point for your update.

2. Automated Dependency Update Bots

Configure automated dependency update bots like Renovate or Dependabot with your source control platform (e.g., GitHub). These bots can automatically detect and update outdated dependencies in your project, including Grails dependencies, saving you time and effort in manual updates.

With these steps and alternative approaches, you should be well on your way to enjoying the exciting features and improvements in Grails 7.0.0-RC1.

Why should you try out Grails 7.0.0-RC1?

Help us test this major upgrade of the Grails Framework and provide feedback.
Be ready for when Grails 7 is released.

Grails 7 Release Schedule

We will continue to work on updating and fixing issues over the next few weeks.
Based on feedback, an Apache Grails RC or Final release is targeted for September 2025.

Apache Grails Mailing Lists

Users Mailing List

The users mailing list will be a General purpose list for questions and discussion about Grails.
Web Archive: https://lists.apache.org/list.html?users@grails.apache.org
Subscribe: Send a blank email to users-subscribe@grails.apache.org

Dev Mailing List

The dev mailing list is focused on the framework implementation and its evolution.
Web Archive: https://lists.apache.org/list.html?dev@grails.apache.org
Subscribe: Send a blank email to dev-subscribe@grails.apache.org

When participating in mailing lists, you should never include any personally identifiable information (PII) like your address, phone number or email address, as all messages sent to these lists are publicly accessible and archived, meaning anyone can view your information. Make sure your email client does not add your signature with these items.

Thank you!

A huge thank you to our amazing community for supporting the Grails Framework over the past 20 years! We’re excited for the future and grateful for the opportunity to continue innovating and pushing Grails forward together.

Contributors

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the contributors who made Grails 7.0.0-RC1 possible.
Special thanks to:

Recent Contributors by Project:

Combined Commit List

Their dedication and hard work have significantly contributed to the release of Grails 7.0.0-RC1.

Join the Grails Slack Community, share your feedback, and contribute to making Grails Framework even better in the future. Happy coding!