How To Choose The Right Python Framework: A Comparative Study Between Django And Flask

Python boasts of having various web frameworks to suit different development environments. Being a Python developer, one has to be adept all the web frameworks. However, amidst popular full-stack to rapid application development frameworks, new programmers often find it difficult to choose the right one. Though all the web frameworks of python are equipped enough to get the work done, choosing a framework that perfectly fits the project requirement makes the developers’ work a lot easier.

This article focuses on the two most talked about python frameworks – Django and Flask. It highlights the advantages and disadvantages of using Django and Flask frameworks.

How helpful are these Web Frameworks?

Django and Flask are two excellent Python web frameworks for building robust and reliable web applications. These frameworks are a full-fledged collection of python libraries and modules that help developers by making their work easier.

Basic differences between Django and Flask:

Both Django and Flask serve the same purpose of developing web applications, and both are built upon Python. However, their features and usefulness in real-time scenarios are the key parameters to consider while choosing one of them. Developers often run into issues during the project and seek online support from experts around the globe. The availability of online support forums is also another factor that affects the selection of the right python framework.

Django is often referred as the framework for perfectionists. Developers need not to worry much about the application architecture before starting to work with Django. Django is built with an excellent and user-friendly API that eases the work with the developers largely. At the same time, Flask can be considered as a beginner’s tool that does not provide the privilege of easy development. The developers have to do some initial analysis of the application architecture before starting the project. When the requirements are not clear enough, it is good to start with Flask, and later the different development modules can be scaled up.

Key Technical Differences between Django and Flask:

·         Django supports form validation where Flask does not support that. Django programmers often build the forms on their own and after the manual validation process it in Flask. Though there are few extensions available now for form validation in Flask, they are not much useful.

·         Django is neatly structured and has a large number of helper functions. However, in Flask, the developers do not get many library functions and need to develop helper functions on their own.

·         Developers for prototyping and quick application development due to its ready-to-use features use mostly Django. Flask is often used when the requirement is rather simple or does not fit into the Django architecture, in the case of complex projects.

Online Support Forums for Django and Flask:

Django has strong online support forums compared to Flask. Due to the rather smaller user base, there is hardly any active support forum for Flask except Werkzeug and Jinja2 community. However, this lack of support forums is often compensated by the exhaustive documentation that comes with Flask. With Django, finding online support is never difficult.

Advantages of using Django:

·         Django is a reliable Full-stack Framework with numerous helpful plugins.

·         It supports Object-relational mapping or ORM for application development.

·         It offers hassle-free content management with exhaustive CSM Administration.

·         It comes with a well-defined MVC organization architecture.

·         It supports extensive customization for the web application that is being developed in Django framework.

·         It supports inbuilt Forms Validation through library helper functions.

·         Database management is rather easy with Django.

Disadvantages of using Django:

·         Django is unsuitable for smaller projects.

·         The errors in implementing inbuilt templates fail by default in Django.

·         The Django processes are capable of handling only a single request at a time.

·         The features may sometimes seem as too complex and overwhelming.

Advantages of using Flask:

·         Flask is a very flexible framework, and supports manually developed modules as extensions.

·         The API and the design of Flask are very minimalist in nature.

·         There is hardly any forethought required before starting work with Flask. Its documentation is comprehensive and very simple for quick learning.

·         It supports easy routing of the URLs.

·         This framework can be extended easily as per the requirement of the project.

Disadvantages of using Flask:

·         Flask does not support async functions.

·         Flask does not have much online support and communities as compared to Django.

·         Database management support is not in Flask. ORM and forms validation support are also not available in it.

·         It has very limited number of features.

With all pros and cons of both the web frameworks considered, Django certainly has some edge over Flask in terms of both features and their usefulness. Flask is a good choice for smaller projects and beginners while Django is the best choice for Python programmers working on large-scale requirements.