12 Python Frameworks You Should Know

You’ve decided to build a website using Python because it’s easy to use, has lots of libraries, and has excellent development and testing capabilities.

And why not? Python, today, has become one of the most versatile programming languages. It has a range of libraries and frameworks that simplify some of the most challenging programming tasks, streamlining the development process.

So, amid this Pythonic symphony, you’re faced with a critical decision: which Python framework is right for you?

And that’s where our guide comes in. We’ve compiled a list of the best Python frameworks, revealing their strengths and weaknesses. From elegant microframeworks to robust full-stack solutions, our guide has it all.

Django Python Framework

Django, a robust open-source Python web framework, transforms the web development landscape, offering a rapid, pragmatic, and elegant avenue to creating digital solutions. Crafted by seasoned developers, Django Python Framework empowers you to navigate the complexities of development seamlessly, freeing your energy for innovative app building. And if you want to develop a website but don’t know how to do it, seek the assistance of a Django web development company to get you started.

Pros of Django for Python:

Speed and Scalability: Django’s streamlined processes accelerate development, allowing you to focus on crafting outstanding applications.
Thriving Community Support: With a legacy spanning over sixteen years and widespread applications, Django boasts a vibrant community for unwavering support.
Comprehensive Documentation: Django’s precise and organized documentation is invaluable, especially for newcomers to Python web development.
Robust Security Measures: Django integrates comprehensive security features, safeguarding your applications with user authentication and defenses against vulnerabilities like Clickjacking, XSS, CSRF, and SQL injection.
Versatility: Python’s flexibility and Django’s features make it adaptable for various projects.

Cons of Django for Python

Complex Project Suitability: Django’s high-level nature excels in intricate tasks, potentially making it less suitable for smaller, more straightforward projects.
Performance Considerations: While Django expedites app creation, it might lead to slower website performance due to the framework’s resource consumption.
Lack of Strict Conventions: Unlike frameworks like Rails that emphasize “Convention over Configuration,” Django offers more freedom, which might slightly affect the development pace.
Learning Curve: Due to Django’s rich feature set and advanced functionalities, beginners might face a learning curve.

1. Flask

Flask is a microframework inspired by the Sinatra Ruby framework. It’s based on the WSGI toolkit from Werkzeug and the Jinja2 template, and it’s designed to give web developers a solid base to build web applications on. You can add modules to it depending on what your project needs are.

It was initially created as a joke in Armin Ronacher’s April Fool’s Day, but it quickly gained attention and became a popular tool for web app development. Nowadays, it’s one of the most popular Python frameworks for developers and offers a great mix of simplicity and features.

Pros of Flask

Ease of Understanding: Flask is beginner-friendly, offering a simple learning curve. Its intuitive nature enables developers to navigate and learn from their applications quickly.
Flexibility: Unlike some frameworks in Python, Flask provides high flexibility, allowing developers to modify almost all aspects according to their requirements.
Testing Support: Flask facilitates unit testing through integrated tools, including a built-in development server, fast debugger, and efficient restful request dispatching.
Rapid Development: Flask’s minimalist design encourages rapid development by focusing on essential components, resulting in efficient and straightforward application building.

Cons of Flask

Quality Concerns: While Flask is approachable for beginners, subpar developers can easily create low-quality code due to its user-friendly nature.
Scaling Challenges: Flask’s singular source for handling requests can lead to slower performance when serving multiple requests simultaneously, requiring careful consideration for scaling needs.
Module Complexity: Extensive reliance on third-party modules in Flask can pose security risks, potentially exposing vulnerabilities if malicious modules are inadvertently included. Integrating external modules also alters the development process, potentially affecting security and stability.

Also read: Pros and Cons of Flask vs Django

2. CherryPy

CherryPy is a well-established Python web app framework with a long-standing history. It is based on a minimalist design approach and provides a unique web development experience. As an object-oriented open-source framework, CherryPy allows developers to use various technologies to access data and create templates.

In particular, applications created with CherryPy are independent Python entities with an integrated multi-threaded server, allowing for a smooth deployment and execution process. One of the best Python web frameworks, CherryPy has matured into a comprehensive solution that enables developers to build dynamic web applications. This demonstrates its long-term relevance and flexibility in the rapidly changing Python web frameworks landscape.

Pros of CherryPy

Minimalistic Approach: Follows a minimalistic design, emphasizing simplicity and ease of use in web development.
Object-Oriented: Built on object-oriented principles, CherryPy promotes organized and structured coding practices for building web applications.
Flexible Data Access: Developers can choose from various technologies to access data and create templates, providing flexibility in application development.
Embedded Multithreaded Server: CherryPy creates stand-alone Python applications with an embedded multithreaded server, enhancing performance and responsiveness.
Hardware Interaction: Allows developers to work closely with hardware, enabling more direct interaction and control over the web application behavior.

Cons of CherryPy

Limited Ecosystem: Compared to a larger Python web development framework, CherryPy’s ecosystem and available libraries may be more limited, potentially requiring additional development effort.
Steeper Learning Curve: Developers new to CherryPy may experience a steeper learning curve due to its minimalistic nature and the need to understand underlying concepts.
Less Extensive Documentation: While CherryPy has documentation, it may not be as extensive or well-structured as that of more popular frameworks, making it challenging for newcomers to grasp all aspects.

3. Pyramid

Pyramid is one of the best Python web frameworks designed to facilitate the development of websites. An open-source and free-to-use, it is particularly well-known among Python developers due to its straightforward yet adaptable approach to website development.

One of the distinguishing features of Pyramid is its capacity to support large and intricate websites while maintaining high performance. Companies such as Dropbox, Thinkr, and Kallibr have used Pyramid to build websites that accommodate many users and provide a user-friendly experience. Therefore, if you seek a web framework to make your website flexible and scalable, Pyramid is an excellent option. You can consult a Python web development services provider to leverage this powerful tool.

Pros of Pyramid

Flexibility: Pyramid, a Python web application framework, is known for its minimalistic approach. It allows developers to start with a basic structure and add only the components needed for their project, resulting in a flexible and tailored solution.
Scalability and Testability: Pyramid’s architecture supports scalability, making it suitable for projects of various sizes. Its design also enhances testability, allowing developers to write practical unit tests.
Community Support: Pyramid has a solid and active community that contributes to its development, documentation, and extensions, providing valuable resources and assistance.

Cons of Pyramid

Steep Learning Curve: Pyramid’s highly customizable nature and modular design may lead to a steeper learning curve for developers new to the framework, requiring time to understand its intricacies.
Lack of Out-of-the-Box Conventions: Unlike other Python web dev frameworks that offer predefined conventions for specific tasks, Pyramid does not impose such ways, which may lead to slower progress for developers who prefer predefined structures.
More miniature Ecosystem: Pyramid’s ecosystem and third-party libraries might be smaller than more popular frameworks, potentially resulting in fewer ready-made solutions for everyday tasks.

4. Dash

Dash is an open-source Python framework designed for data scientists who want to build web apps with little web development knowledge. It is a specialized framework for building analytical web applications.

Dash apps work like web servers through Flask, using JSON packets for communication via HTTP requests. The front-end components render using ReactJS, and the framework’s functionality can be improved through Flask plugins.

Dash applications are cross-platform, work across browsers and servers, and are mobile responsive. Developers get access to the core flask instance and properties. It is an excellent option for data scientists looking for a user-friendly way to build web applications with analytical features.

Pros of Dash

Data Scientist-Friendly: Dash is a tailored Python web application framework for data scientists who want to build web applications without deep web development knowledge, making it an ideal choice for creating interactive data visualizations.
Open-Source and Python-Based: Being open-source and built on Python, Dash leverages Python’s familiar syntax and extensive libraries, enabling data scientists to leverage their existing skills.
Analytical Web Applications: Dash specializes in building analytical web applications, allowing users to create data-driven dashboards and interactive tools for data analysis.
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Dash apps run in web browsers and can be deployed to servers, ensuring cross-platform compatibility and accessibility across devices.
Flask Integration: Dash is built on top of Flask, which provides a solid foundation for web applications and offers the benefits of Flask’s extensibility.

Cons of Dash

Learning Curve for Advanced Features: While Dash is user-friendly for basic applications, utilizing its more advanced features, such as custom components, may require a steeper learning curve.
Limited Flexibility in UI Design: Dash’s UI components are predefined, which may limit the flexibility in designing highly customized user interfaces compared to building from scratch.

6. Falcon

Falcon is one of the most popular Python frameworks that focuses on the fast development of web APIs. Unlike competitors, it does not burden developers with many dependencies for creating HTTP APIs. Instead, it focuses on a cleaner design suitable for the HTTP and REST architecture.

Italcon has performed exceptionally well in benchmark tests, handling requests with the same hardware as its competitors. It is committed to 100% of code coverage, which ensures its reliability. Significant companies like LinkedIn, OpenStack, and RackSpace use Falcon for their projects.

Pros of Falcon

Rapid API Development: Falcon is designed for swiftly building web APIs, enabling developers to create APIs quickly and efficiently.
Cleaner Design: Falcon promotes a more hygienic design by focusing on HTTP and REST architectures, allowing developers to build APIs with a simpler and more organized structure.
Efficient Handling of Requests: Falcon’s architecture allows for efficient handling of HTTP requests, making it suitable for high-performance applications and reducing latency.
Scalability: Falcon’s lightweight nature and efficient request handling make it well-suited for building scalable applications that can handle many concurrent requests.

Cons of Falcon

Not Suitable for Full Web Applications: Falcon primarily aims to build APIs, which means it may not provide the full features required for developing complex web applications.
Limited Built-in Features: Falcon has fewer built-in features than other Python web dev frameworks, which may require developers to rely more on external libraries or custom code.
Less Conventional Syntax: Falcon’s syntax and conventions may differ from other most popular Python frameworks, potentially posing a learning curve for developers familiar with different syntax styles.
Community and Ecosystem: While Falcon has a community and ecosystem, it might not be as extensive as some other frameworks like Flask or Django, which could impact the availability of resources and support.

7. Bottle

Bottle, a Python WSGI (Web Server Gateway Interface) microweb framework, stands out for its unique approach that enables developers to interact closely with hardware. This lightweight framework excels in speed and flexibility, making it an excellent choice for swiftly crafting landing pages or engaging in quick prototyping.

Bottle’s distinctive advantage lies in its ability to facilitate direct hardware interaction. This feature makes it one of the most popular web development frameworks for projects requiring seamless integration with hardware components.

Renowned brands such as Sotong Kitchen, Paysa Data, and Net Power & Light have embraced Bottle for their web development needs. With its swift performance, lightweight structure, and hardware-friendly approach, Bottle offers a valuable solution for developers seeking efficiency and flexibility in their Python web projects.

Pros of Bottle

Minimalistic Approach: Bottle follows a minimalistic approach, making it lightweight and easy to understand for beginners and experienced developers.
Close Hardware Interaction: Bottle allows developers to work closely with hardware, enabling them to create applications that interact with hardware components.
Fast and Flexible: Bottle is known for its speed and flexibility, making it suitable for quickly creating landing pages or prototypes.
Quick Prototyping: The bottle’s simplicity and lightweight nature make it a perfect choice for rapid prototyping and testing of concepts.
Single File Applications: Bottle allows you to create single-file applications, simplifying deployment and distribution.
Micro Web Framework: As a micro web framework for Python, Bottle focuses on simplicity and straightforward functionality, making it great for smaller projects.

Cons of Bottle

Limited Complexity: Bottle’s minimalistic nature can limit its capabilities for handling more complex or feature-rich applications.
Less Extensive Ecosystem: Compared to larger frameworks, Bottle may have a more miniature ecosystem, which could affect the availability of third-party libraries and plugins.
Scalability: While suitable for more straightforward applications, Bottle’s design may need to be better suited for building highly scalable and robust applications.
Potential Learning Curve: Developers accustomed to other frameworks may need to adjust to Bottle’s specific syntax and conventions, which could initially pose a learning curve

8. Sanic

Sanic is one of the most potent open-source Python frameworks built around asynchronous programming. Based on the up loop, it provides a straightforward yet powerful way to get fast HTTP responses by handling requests asynchronously.

The defining strength of Sanic lies in its compatibility with Python 3.5’s async/await functions, enabling heightened speed and non-blocking capabilities. During a benchmark test involving one process and 100 connections, Sanic showcased its remarkable prowess by handling up to 33,342 requests in a single second.

Sanic equips developers with comprehensive tools for building scalable, production-grade servers upon installation. Notably, it immediately provides robust Transport Layer Security (TLS) support, enhancing its appeal as a performance-driven and secure Python framework.

Pros of Sanic

Asynchronous Performance: Sanic leverages asynchronous programming to handle high concurrency, resulting in an impressive performance for handling multiple requests simultaneously.
Python 3.5+ Features: Sanic utilizes Python 3.5+ features like async and await, allowing developers to take advantage of modern asynchronous programming capabilities.
Fast Response Handling: Sanic is designed for fast HTTP response handling, making it an ideal choice for applications requiring rapid response times.

Cons of Sanic

Learning Curve: Developers trying to get more accustomed to asynchronous programming may face a learning curve when transitioning to Sanic.
Limited Community and Ecosystem: While growing, Sanic’s community and ecosystem may still be smaller compared to more established frameworks, potentially leading to fewer resources and libraries.

9. Giotto

Giotto is an open-source Python application framework based on the MVC (Model View Controller) model. It is designed to support the idea of independent collaboration between web designers, developers, and system administrators. To achieve this, Giotto divides the core components into Models, Views, and Controllers.

Giotto stands out for its various controller modules, which enable users to create applications for multiple platforms like the web, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), and the command line. This adaptability creates opportunities for invention and creation. The framework promotes a smooth workflow by adhering to the MVC framework, allowing each stakeholder to concentrate on their domains while jointly contributing to the development process.

Pros of Giotto

Model View Controller Pattern: Giotto follows the MVC pattern, facilitating the separation of concerns and independent work by web designers, developers, and system admins.
Flexibility: Giotto’s design allows flexibility in handling Model, View, and Controller elements, providing developers with adaptable choices.
Controller Modules: Giotto offers controller modules for creating apps on the web, IRC, and command line interfaces, expanding its application scope.
Open Source and Scalable: Being open-source and scalable, Giotto supports various operating systems, making it suitable for diverse development environments.
Integrated Development Environment: Giotto has a web-based IDE equipped with a debugger, code editor, and deployment features for streamlined development.

Cons of Giotto

Python 3 Compatibility: Giotto’s IDE currently doesn’t support Python 3, limiting its usage to projects requiring the latest version.
Learning Curve: Developers unfamiliar with the MVC pattern might face a learning curve while adapting to Giotto’s structure.

10. AIOHTTP

AIOHTTP stands as one of the best frameworks for web development, extensively leveraging the capabilities of Python 3.5. Operating within the realm of Python’s asyncio library, AIOHTTP excels as an asynchronous framework. Its versatility extends beyond serving solely as a web framework for Python and functions adeptly as a client framework.

This dual role grants AIOHTTP the ability to serve as a server and client solution. The framework equips developers with a request object and router, facilitating the seamless redirection of queries to designated functions designed to manage such tasks. By embracing Python’s asynchronous capabilities, AIOHTTP empowers developers to create efficient, responsive, high-performance applications that cater to the modern demands of the digital landscape.

Pros of AIOHTTP

Asynchronous Framework: AIOHTTP leverages Python 3.5+ async and awaits features, making it ideal for building asynchronous applications that handle concurrent operations efficiently.
Python’s asyncio Library: AIOHTTP utilizes Python’s asyncio library, enabling non-blocking I/O operations, enhancing performance and responsiveness.
Server and Client Framework: AIOHTTP serves as both a server and a client framework, offering a versatile solution for building web applications and making HTTP requests.
Request Handling: AIOHTTP provides a request object and router, allowing easy redirection of queries to functions designed to handle specific requests.

Cons of AIOHTTP

Compatibility Constraints: AIOHTTP’s reliance on Python 3.5+ features might limit its use in projects that require compatibility with older Python versions.
Learning Curve: Developers transitioning to asynchronous programming or unfamiliar with Python’s asyncio might face a learning curve while working with AIOHTTP.
Complexity for Beginners: Asynchronous programming can introduce complexity, making AIOHTTP less suitable for beginners or projects with straightforward requirements.

11. Web2Py

Web2Py is a comprehensive full-stack framework known for its scalability and open-source nature. Operating seamlessly across various operating systems, it offers a robust solution for developers. One of its distinctive features is the integrated web-based development environment (IDE) it provides. This IDE encompasses essential elements like debugging tools, a code editor, and simplified one-click deployment.

However, there’s a limitation: the IDE is incompatible with Python 3. Nonetheless, Web2Py presents a versatile and user-friendly option for developers seeking an integrated and efficient framework for their projects, catering to a wide range of development needs while offering a streamlined development experience.

Pros of Web2Py

Full Stack Framework: Web2Py is a comprehensive full-stack framework, encompassing both front-end and back-end development, simplifying the entire development process
Open-Source and Scalable: Being open-source and scalable, Web2Py is accessible to developers and adaptable to various project sizes and requirements.
Integrated Development Environment (IDE): Web2Py offers an integrated web-based IDE with debugging, code editing, and deployment features, enhancing developer productivity.
Cross-Operating System Compatibility: Web2Py supports all major operating systems, ensuring cross-platform compatibility for developers and users.

Cons of Web2Py

Python 3 Compatibility: Web2Py’s limitation in working with Python 3 restricts its adoption in projects prioritizing the latest Python versions.
Learning Curve: Beginners might face challenges in understanding the full-stack nature of Web2Py, leading to a potential learning curve.
Limited Third-Party Integration: Compared to other frameworks, Web2Py might have limitations in integrating third-party tools or libraries, limiting its extensibility.
Dependency on IDE: Reliance on the built-in IDE might hinder developers who prefer to use other code editors or integrated development environments.

12. Growler

An asynchronous microweb framework, Growler is based on Python’s asyncio library. Unlike traditional Python frameworks, Growler takes a unique approach by processing requests not within the framework but by directing them through middleware technology. It draws inspiration from the Express/Connect and NodeJS and frameworks.

Regarded as a prime selection among Python frameworks, Growler facilitates the swift and efficient implementation of intricate applications. Interestingly, the inception of Growler was rooted in its author’s aspiration to delve into the depths of the asyncio library, demonstrating its versatility and potential even at its foundational levels.

Pros of Growler

Asynchronous Framework: Built atop Python’s asyncio library, Growler offers asynchronous capabilities, enhancing performance and responsiveness.
Inspired by NodeJS and Express: Drawing inspiration from NodeJS and Express frameworks, Growler leverages their successful design principles for efficient web development.
Middleware Handling: Growler’s unique approach handles requests through middleware technology, enabling flexible processing of incoming data.

Cons of Growler

Unconventional Handling: Growler’s abnormal request handling through middleware might require developers to adapt to a different paradigm.
Learning Curve: Developers familiar with more traditional Python frameworks might experience a stiff learning curve when transitioning to Growler.
Specialized Use Case: Growler’s design, inspired by NodeJS, might limit its suitability to specific projects that align with its asynchronous and middleware-driven architecture.

The Final Words

You might find these frameworks impressive, but did you know there are around 260 Python frameworks, and more keep popping up?

Let’s get straight to the point – there’s no one-size-fits-all regarding tools like coding languages, frameworks, or IDEs. It all depends on the project you’re working on, what you’re comfortable with, and other factors.

The IT world is always changing, and new things are constantly being introduced. So, the idea of a single perfect solution doesn’t fit here.

These are the best Python frameworks that will surely benefit your projects. They’re called ‘best’ for a reason, after all.

So, if you’re planning a project, organize and be prepared, or you can even reach out to Python experts at Finot Technologies. Let’s start working together, using existing frameworks or creating new ones. For any query, you can connect with us at info@finoit.com.