A complete, step-by-step Ktor backend tutorial series. Build REST APIs, connect databases, handle file uploads, and secure your endpoints with JWT — all in Kotlin.
Build a production-ready backend with the Kotlin you already know.
Part 1: Getting Started
| # | Tutorial | What You Will Learn |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is Ktor? | What Ktor is, why use it, Ktor vs Express/FastAPI/Spring Boot |
| 2 | Ktor vs Spring Boot | Feature comparison, performance, when to use each |
| 3 | Project Setup | Project structure, plugins, configuration, error handling |
Part 2: Building the API
| # | Tutorial | What You Will Learn |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Routing | GET/POST/PUT/DELETE, path params, query params, route grouping |
| 5 | Serialization | JSON with kotlinx.serialization, request/response DTOs |
| 6 | Database Setup | Exposed ORM, H2, table definitions, coroutine-safe queries |
| 7 | CRUD Operations | Full REST API, repository pattern, validation, status codes |
Part 3: Advanced Features
| # | Tutorial | What You Will Learn |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Relationships | One-to-many, many-to-many, JOIN queries, filtering, sorting |
| 9 | File Uploads | Multipart form data, static files, upload validation |
| 10 | Database Migrations | Flyway setup, versioned SQL migrations, schema management |
| 11 | JWT Authentication | JWT tokens, bcrypt, protected routes, register/login |
Prerequisites
- Kotlin Tutorial: Complete Series — You should know Kotlin basics before starting this series
Source Code
All source code is available on GitHub with one branch per tutorial: