Android + Kotlin + Github Actions + ktlint + Detekt + Gradle Kotlin DSL + buildSrc = ❤️
AI Analysis
A GitHub template repository that provides a production-ready Android/Kotlin project scaffold with static analysis (detekt, ktlint), CI/CD via GitHub Actions, Gradle Kotlin DSL, and Maven Central publishing pre-configured. It serves Android developers and teams who want to start new projects with best practices already baked in, rather than spending time on build configuration and tooling setup. Not intended for web, backend, or non-Android development.
Inferred from signals mentioned in the README (tests, CI, type safety) — not a review of the actual code.
AI's overall editorial judgment — not an average of the bars above, can weigh other factors too.
GitHub template for Android/Kotlin projects with CI/CD, static analysis, and publishing pre-configured
kotlin-android-template is a GitHub repository template designed to accelerate Android/Kotlin project setup by bundling Gradle Kotlin DSL, GitHub Actions workflows, detekt/ktlint static analysis, and Maven Central publishing. It targets Android developers and teams seeking to avoid boilerplate configuration for common development infrastructure. The template includes sample modules demonstrating Compose, libraries, and testing patterns. Real adoption is difficult to measure directly, but the template mechanism and 1,901 GitHub stars suggest moderate use among Android developers seeking structured project scaffolding.
Created March 2020 by cortinico, the template emerged as Android/Kotlin tooling matured. It captures best practices around Gradle Kotlin DSL (then relatively new), GitHub Actions (launched late 2019), and formalized Kotlin linting/analysis practices (detekt, ktlint). The template pattern itself became a GitHub feature, positioning this as an early adopter of that pattern for Android.
The project grew to ~1,900 stars over six years, gaining ~255 forks. Growth appears to have stabilized in recent years (0 stars in last 7 days as of July 2026). Activity remains consistent: last push July 2, 2026 suggests ongoing maintenance, though the slow recent star acquisition suggests the project has reached a steady-state audience rather than accelerating adoption. The template likely attracted attention when GitHub Actions became mainstream and Kotlin DSL adoption increased.
Adoption not verified. The template mechanism means actual usage is invisible to GitHub metrics; projects created from this template are independent repositories. Star count and fork count provide weak signals only. No documentation, blog posts, or case studies about real-world adoption were accessible in the README. The project's utility for bootstrapping suggests likely use, but cannot be quantified.
Based on README, the template uses modular structure with four sample sub-projects: an app, Android library, Kotlin library, and Jetpack Compose activity. Dependency management is centralized via Gradle Version Catalog (libs.versions.toml). The build uses Gradle Kotlin DSL throughout and appears to follow current Android development conventions. The actual implementation quality cannot be assessed without inspecting source code.
README documents that the template includes sample Espresso, Instrumentation, and JUnit tests, but no metrics or coverage thresholds are mentioned. Test coverage strategy is not documented.
Last push July 2, 2026 (6 days before evaluation date) indicates active maintenance. However, the project has received 0 stars in the past week and no significant recent growth, suggesting the maintainer is preserving the template's usability rather than developing new features. The repository appears to be in sustained maintenance mode — stable rather than stagnant, but not actively growing.
ADOPT IF: you are starting an Android/Kotlin project and want opinionated, battle-tested configuration for Gradle, CI/CD, static analysis, and Maven Central publishing without manual setup. You value time-to-first-build over customization. AVOID IF: your project has non-standard architecture needs, uses non-Maven publishing, or requires heavy customization of CI/CD workflows; the template's prescriptive structure may create friction. MONITOR IF: you are a maintainer of Android infrastructure and want to stay current with template quality; cortinico's maintenance is stable but slow-growing, so check periodically for updates to Gradle/AGP/Kotlin compatibility.
Independent dimensions
Mainstream potential
3/10
Technical importance
5/10
Adoption evidence
2/10
- Template rot risk: Android/Gradle/Kotlin ecosystems move rapidly; template may fall behind without active updating. Stability is evident, but evolution is slow (last 7 days: 0 stars gained).
- Vendor lock-in to conventions: Projects created from this template inherit specific organizational choices (buildSrc structure, GitHub Actions workflows); migrating away later requires mechanical refactoring.
- GitHub Actions specificity: Template assumes GitHub hosting and Actions CI; not portable to GitLab, Gitea, or on-premise CI systems.
- Maintenance bus factor unclear: Repository is maintained by cortinico, but contribution patterns and succession planning are not documented.
- Maven Central publishing complexity: Publishing workflows are included but require manual secret setup; misconfiguration can result in failed releases or security exposure if secrets are mishandled.
The project will likely remain a stable, low-velocity resource for Android/Kotlin teams seeking boilerplate reduction. Growth will remain modest; the template serves a self-limiting audience (teams actively choosing to scaffold from templates). Periodic updates to AGP, Gradle, and Kotlin tooling will occur but may lag behind cutting-edge versions by months.
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Languages
Information
- Language
- Kotlin
- License
- MIT
- Last updated
- 1w ago
- Created
- 76mo ago
- Analyzed with
- anthropic/claude-haiku-4-5
Stars over time
Contributors over time
Top 100 contributors only — repos with more will plateau at 100.
Open issues
Top contributors
Recent releases
No releases published yet.
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3,746 stars vs. 1,901. JetBrains template serves IntelliJ plugin developers, not Android. Different audience, not a direct competitor for Android projects.
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6,989 stars. This is the linting tool used inside the template, not a competitor. The template bundles detekt as a configured dependency.
1,709 stars. Gradle plugin for ktlint. This is a dependency of the template, not a competitor.