10 Best Python Web Frameworks

Intro

Python is an object-oriented, cross-platform programming language characterized by the readability and clarity of the source code.

Its possibilities range from creating backend web applications to data science and machine learning. It enjoys unflagging popularity among programmers, mainly due to its versatile use, having extremely extensive and rich libraries and well-functioning frameworks.

Which of the Python frameworks are the most popular and well-received?

Here’s the list with their specific characteristics.

Django

Django is an open source web framework, so enthusiasts and professionals at every stage of their careers use it eagerly, appreciating its features, ease of coding, and pace.

The most significant advantages of Django include an efficient ORM (object-relational mapping) system, automatic generation of the administration panel, and the web server used to check the application during the development phase.

It has been used on projects such as Instagram, Pinterest, and The Washington Times.

Essential features:

• It provides top-notch features to assist developers with basic web development tasks - database authentication, URL routing, template engine, database schema migrations, and rational object mapping (ORM).

• The primary databases are PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, and Oracle - and Django includes them.

• It offers built-in security features provided by cross-site scripting and clickjacking, and with its help, developers can manage sudden spikes in traffic.

• It supports the model-view-template (MVT) structural pattern maintained by the DSF, an independent non-profit organization.

Flask

Flask is a so-called microframework that doesn’t have complicated tools and libraries, a database abstraction layer, or form validation functions. The distinguishing factor is its light and modular design, which contributes to the quick and easy adaptation to various needs.

Like Django, it is mainly used in web application development, but due to its lightness and simplicity, it is applied primarily in implementing smaller projects. Flask also enables building a solid foundation for a web application.

Companies that use this framework are, among others, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

Essential features:

• This Python web platform supports Google App Engine, built-in unit testing, and has a development server.

• It is available under the BSD license, and its lightweight and modular design make it compatible with developers.

• More features include being unicode based, the ability to connect any ORM, HTTP request handling, and sending RESTful requests.

Web2py

It is an open-source full-stack framework for building fast, scalable, secure, and portable web applications. Web2py was developed primarily for application protection, providing validation and escape mechanisms for input data. Additionally, it enables the construction, modification, implementation, and management of network applications using web browsers.

Essential features:

• It supports Windows, Linux, Mac, Google App Engine, and many other platforms.

• The built-in framework supports HTTP responses, cookies, and sessions.

• The programmer can modify the web application’s performance through web browsers or web-based IDEs.

• It protects cross-site scripting and injection errors and helps with the MVC programming paradigm. It also provides support for internationalization.

TurboGears

TurboGears allows the creation of applications that use information from databases. The framework enables developers to build extensible web applications with relatively little configuration quickly.

It contains readable templates and uses components like Genshi, Repoze, SQLAlchemy, and WebOb, which significantly improve the process of creating applications requiring connectivity with databases.

The main advantages of TurboGears are compliance with the MVC pattern, support for multiple databases, and numerous libraries.

Essential features:

• It implements MVC style architecture and integrates large format, impressive Object Relational Mapper (ORM), and Ajax object for server and program.

• It supports web frameworks such as Pylons.

• It enables web developers to raise the standard of their work using JavaScript development tools.

• Its operating system is cross-platform.

CubicWeb

CubicWeb is a semantic web framework for efficient app development with the support of the reuse of elements (so-called cubes) while maintaining the principles of object-oriented design (OOD).

A developer can compile the cubes to construct the expected functionality.

Essential features:

• Semantic Web Language (OWL) and Resource Definition Framework (RDF) support.

• Facilitation of data queries with entity relationships.

• It also supports the asset description structure.

• It’s improved with Relational Query Language (RQL) to simplify confusion.

Bottle

Bottle is considered a light and pleasant microframework. It allows for building low-complexity projects, and it’s used to create simple applications and prototypes.

It works with a multitude of plugins for various databases and has a built-in HTTP server. However, this is the tip of the Bottle's ability, so it's worth getting acquainted with its full potential.

Essential features:

• It has unique routing features, templates, tools, and a basic abstraction above the WSGI standard.

• Mapping and getting neat and dynamic URLs all work in the routing process.

• The global search path list is used by Bottle to discover templates in the file system.

CherryPy

CherryPy is another object-oriented Python web microframework based on a minimalist approach. Each application built in this environment is a standalone website with its built-in, multi-threaded web server and runs on any operating system that supports Python.

CherryPy is distinguished by its built-in encoding, caching, and authentication tool. Additionally, it supports various web servers such as Apache and IIS.

Essential features:

• Built-in functions support profiling, reporting, testing and allow using any template.

• It has a server with a WSGI thread pool, HTTP / 1.1 compliant.

• Powerful configuration and flexible plug.

• Running on Python 2.7+, Python 3.1+, and Android.

• Caching, encoding, authentication, and static content.

Sanic

Sanic is a simple, open-source, unopinionated web server/framework with capabilities similar to Flask. Its advantage, however, is the speed of work. It differs from other frameworks by its asynchronous action maximizes the speed of responding to HTTP requests. Sanic reads and writes cookies and supports routing schemes in the app.

Essential features:

• Unrivaled for its speed and non-blocking capabilities.

• It’s based on the Python 3.5+ release.

Tornado

Tornado is an open-source framework originally developed for FriendFeed, which Facebook acquired in 2009. It’s famous primarily for its very high efficiency.

Its structure and design enable it to handle 10,000 connections simultaneously. This amazing performance makes Tornado a great tool for building web applications to support several thousand users simultaneously.

The framework allows for the implementation of third-party authentication, authorization systems and offers the highest quality of service in real-time.

Essential features:

• It allows developers to execute third-party authentication and authorization strategies like Google, Facebook login, Yahoo BBAuth, Twitter

OAuth, etc.

• It provides a Python-based web template language.

• It enables applications to provide long-lived connections to its users.

• It supports translation and localization.

Pyramid

Pyramid’s flexibility, quality, and transparency contribute to the increase in popularity among developers. Its structures are versatile. Therefore it is used for small and simple as well as large and complex projects. It allows mapping URLs and generating HTML structure.

The framework is used by technological giants such as Mozilla, Dropbox, and SurveyMonkey.

Essential features:

• Scalability. You can use it to build microservices and full-blown web applications with many functionalities.

• Ability to flexibly authenticate and authorize.

• Renderers, URL generation, predicates.

Conclusion

What framework will you choose for your next project?

It certainly depends on the purpose of a particular software product and the developer’s preferences. Each structure has its advantages and flaws, so the key is choosing them according to specific project requirements.

At Sunscrapers a professional expert can pick a framework that matches your goals and can meet all your expectations. Do not hesitate to contact us.

Contact us

At Sunscrapers, we have a team of developers and software engineers with outstanding technical knowledge and experience. We can build your project successfully.

Talk with us about hiring Python and Django developers and work with the best. Sunscrapers can help you make the most out of Python, Django, and other technologies to put your project to the next level.

Contact us at hello@sunscrapers.com

Read more

1. What is Django and how to get started?

2. 10 Django packages you should know

3. 6 best Django tutorials and books for advanced Python developers

4. Django, Flask, or Pyramid? How to choose the right Python framework for your project?

5. Django vs Flask: Which one should you choose for your project?

6. Comparison of Flask and FastAPI

Also, take a look at Sunscrapers Guide to the Django REST Framework, download it, and improve your Django skills.