The Best Python Framework? Top 5 Overview

George Fironov
George Fironov

I connect businesses with top software engineers and IT talent on demand. I focu...

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There’s a great number of general-purpose programming languages but in this particular article, we are going to talk about Python, its popularity, and the best framework. Before we try to outline the best Python framework, let’s get to know more about this language itself. After all, its popularity has been growing for the last 5 years. Actually, it has burst over the last 3 years and there has to be a logical reason for this (actually there are few). By the way, just take a look at what we mean by “burst” below.

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Moreover, taking into account the latest Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2020, Python is the 3d most loved programming language among developers worldwide. What’s even more interesting, Python is the #1 among technologies that developers don’t use but want to learn and it holds this position for 4 years in a row now. Also, you should be aware, that experienced data scientists, skilled in Python and R, are considered to be among the most highly compensated developers.

 

What Makes Python Outstand?

At this point, let’s outline the top advantages of this programming language. Among the main reasons Python is so loved by developers are the following facts:

  • Python is versatile, simple to learn, and use;
  • Aside from built-in modules, there’s a huge collection of third-party modules;
  • Python is open-source and it has a vast and diverse community;
  • It has a simple syntax which means less coding is involved;
  • Python is dynamically typed and interpreted for easier coding and simplified testing;
  • It is portable so you can run your Python code on any device or platform.

So, now we know more about the language itself so let’s find out what frameworks and libraries are worth considering.

 

Best Python Web Framework by Types

It’s possible to divide all Python web frameworks into 3 main types. Each type or category can be used in different circumstances and for different purposes. Here are a few words about each of them.

 

Full-Stack Framework

As you could have figured out from the name alone, this type of Python framework is used for all sorts of development: front-end, back-end, and databases. They make the development process much faster and easier by providing a lot of built-in functionalities and common patterns. Projects become more scalable and maintainable. Developers always use existing frameworks unless they have to do something very unusual or unique. With the use of such a framework, a developer can build simple or comprehensive websites as well as all types of applications.

 

Python Microframework

In the case of full-stack frameworks, we can expect overwhelming functionalities but when we are talking about microframeworks, the functionality is limited, size is smaller, and they are used for a specific goal. Usually, these frameworks are usually used to build APIs for other services and apps. Use Python web microframework for rapid development of small and simple apps. Taking into account the fact that microframeworks are small and limited, they are also easier to learn.

 

Asynchronous REST API Python Framework

Asynchronous technologies are not something new in programming but it’s rather an advanced approach. We have already mentioned that Python is interpreted but with the help of modern tools like the Tornado web framework a developer can do asynchronous programming. Basically, it means that instead of waiting when one process is finished, a developer can write code that does a few processes simultaneously. Such an architecture makes this type of framework very convenient for high-performance networks and web servers as well as database connection libraries, distributed task queues, etc.

Best Python Web Framework? 5 Most Used Reviewed

It’s possible to outline the best Python framework only when you understand your project requirements clearly. Otherwise, it’s not wise to name one of them as the ultimate best choice. In this article, we want to outline top frameworks and their strong and weak sides. This should help you get a better understanding in terms of which one is better for you. So, let’s move from one to another trying to mention all the pros and cons as well as significant differences.

 

 

Django Sites Framework

These days Django development services are demanded and popular. It’s a full-stack Python framework and among its main advantages are:

  • Batteries included: Django provides an outstanding range of functionalities required for “out-of-the-box” solutions;
  • Secure: everything about Django is designed in such a way to help developers write code that is right in terms of security;
  • Scalable: thanks to a component-based architecture different parts of code can be adjusted to handle more traffic;
  • Simple administration interface: with Django, it’s easy to create, read, update and delete operations on the model directly;
  • Versatile: it can be used to build all sorts of websites and apps;
  • Maintainable and reusable code: Django encourages beneficial coding principles like Don’t Repeat Yourself (DRY);
  • Built-in template system: it lets a developer build apps faster;
  • Awesome community: Django is free and open-source and it is supported by an outstanding community that constantly provides updates and new resources;
  • Amazing documentation you won’t have problems reading.

 

Pyramid Python Web Framework

The framework Pyramid is a proper choice to build web apps of all sizes. It offers amazing flexibility as developers can choose what kind of templating language, form generation libraries, or database layers they want to use. Let’s outline the top strong sides of the Pyramid Python web framework:

  • Capability to build single-file applications;
  • Flexibility –  a developer can choose the database, URL structure, ORM, templating languages (including Jinja2 and Mako);
  • Functions written for Pyramid views are easier to test, form data is easy to retrieve from Pyramid’s request object;
  • Built-in routing, authentication, and bootstrapping tools;
  • Several views or models are allowed;
  • Ability to debug apps right in the browser;
  • Active and responsible community.

 

Web2py Web App Framework

Web2py is another great full-stack framework that has everything a developer might need to build various websites and web apps. Just like the other two, we have mentioned above, it’s free and open-source. It’s amazing thanks to the following features:

  • The best MVC practices: separate data representation (model), workflow and logic (controller), and data presentation (view);
  • Improved security: major security issues are addressed automatically so a developer has fewer chances of creating security vulnerabilities;
  • Web2py has a Database Abstraction Layer (DAL) which means SQL is written dynamically;
  • Web2py doesn’t require installation or configuration, it is also the only one that fully embraces the Web 2.0 paradigm;
  • With Web2py a database administration interface is automatically generated for a developer to easily access the database and the tables.
  • Web2py developers commit to maintaining backward compatibility in future versions;

 

Which Python Microframework to Consider?

There’s a significant number of Python web microframeworks a developer can choose from. In this article, we focus on just a few of them, two of them (the most outstanding ones) to be more precise. We have already mentioned that microframeworks are might lightweight and have limited functionalities. This does not mean they are worse, it only means they are designed to solve a particular task. To put it in simple words, it’s like buying a specific tool to do one job instead of buying a whole set of tools you don’t really need.

Overall Flask Framework Review

Let’s start with Flask framework Python. It’s an outstanding Python web microframework. It has enough libraries and tools to be used to build websites and even web apps. If you need to extend the built-in functionalities you can use additional plugins. Also, there are extensions for form validation, open authentication systems, object-relational mappers, uploading mechanism, and more tools like this. Among the main features of Flask framework Python are:

  • No dependencies on external libraries except for Werkzeug (WSGI utility library) and jinja2 (template engine);
  • Support for unit testing: test your separate parts of your code separately – find bugs faster;
  • RESTful request dispatching: handle embedded resource lookup and serve resources with multiple formats;
  • Cookies with secure attribute set defined by the user agent;
  • Simple database integration and URL routing;
  • Strong community – you can find multiple resources available, especially on GitHub.

Python CherryPy Framework

CherryPy is also a microframework but it’s can also be called a web application library. It is actually one of the oldest, (since 2002), Python web frameworks, that provide a clean interface and reliable platform. Python as a dynamic language, can model and bind HTTP protocol into an API. CherryPy is simple and easy to use. Small apps can be built with fewer lines of code. Developers find the following features of the Python CherryPy framework very appalling:

  • Ease to use: the simplicity of this framework is outstanding, it’s light and has a narrow scope covered so the developers that use it don’t overcomplicate the project;
  • Self-sufficiency: CherryPy relies only on Python core and doesn’t require third-party packages;
  • Modularity and modifiability: each object is a separate entity which means it’s easier to improve and reuse code as well as change local things without affecting other parts of the app;
  • Data redundancy and hiding: you can inherit functionality and use it within other modules while the functionality stays hidden and modules have a clearly defined interface.

Tornado Web Framework

Tornado is an asynchronous REST API Python framework or asynchronous networking library. A developer can create thousands of open connections with the help of its non-blocking network. Python and Tornado show outstanding performance, it can be used to improve and optimize network processing by handling a lot of clients at the same time. Its main focus is the speed and simultaneous processing of huge volumes of data. Let’s outline the rest of the advantages that have to be taken into account:

  • An amazing templating system, flexible and fast;
  • High performance: it does not only  run faster but also provides an asynchronous IOLoop for polling requests;
  • Concurrent connections: the framework offers real-time services and supports a large number of concurrent connections, HTTP streaming, and long polling;
  • Built-in solutions: Tornado has built-in support with ready solutions like templates, localization, signed cookies, so on;
  • An event-based paradigm which is useful for any kind of networking programming;

 

The Popularity of the Best Python Frameworks

Django sites framework is an extremely popular Python framework, the most popular actually. According to StackOverflow reports it managed to take 6th most popular frameworks among professional developers. Since then it has been slightly moved down by uprising technologies but in the latest 2020 report, it’s the 4th most wanted framework which means that developers have a significant interest in it. Moreover, companies like Mozilla, Instagram, Disqus, and Pinterest prefer Django development services and keep contributing to the community.

 

Pyramid Python web framework was released back in 2008 but if you are to browse the web looking for some facts about its popularity, you won’t find any decent information. Obviously, Pyramid is not much of a buzz maker yet it stays one of the most popular Python frameworks often used by developers. No wonder it is often compared to the rest of the most popular Python frameworks.

 

Web2py is used in various industries from news portals to law firms – SimilarTech. Among countries where it is used the most are Japan, the USA, Argentina, and Italy. Its usage is growing and the number of websites built with it is constantly growing – source. At this point, Web2py is one of the most popular Python frameworks and, most likely, its popularity will continue to grow.

 

Flask framework Python was released in 2010 and it has been almost as popular as Django. Actually, according to StackOverflow surveys, it was right next to Django in 2019 and 2020 both. Django and Flask both at peak of popularity held 3th and even 2nd positions. This fact alone means a lot. Additionally, just take a look at these worldwide popular companies that are using Flask: Red Hat, Airbnb, Netflix, Reddit, and more!

 

Python CherryPy framework is another popular solution often used by developers. The number of websites built with it is growing according to BuiltWith. It’s not mentioned in StackOverflow surveys but that’s normal for a microframework to be less talked about. Merchantcircle.com is probably the most popular website written with CherryPy.

 

Tornado web framework is the last one which popularity we are to overview. The initial release date is back in 2009. Since then it has been growing in popularity and among the most popular websites using this framework are Facebook and FriendFeed  – source.

 

Conclusion

In terms of popularity, Django and Flask are definitely leaders with their outstanding popularity and demand among developers. Still, we have to take into account that microframeworks are not all in one solution which is probably the main reason for this popularity gap. meanwhile, all the frameworks mentioned in this article are considered the best solution for Python development. Which one to choose is a very subjective question. Everything depends on your project requirements and goals. Only when you clearly understand what kind of architecture is preferable for your project, you can make technology choices. In case you don’t have a CTO or someone with technical background but you need to come up with a solution, contact us and we’ll help you with your project.

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