Top 10 Python Frameworks for Web Development

Today, Python is one of the leading programming languages for web development. It has its incredible upward movement helping it stand out in the industry. We expect Python to overtake C# and Java sooner in the future. That means this tremendous demand for the language will continue and keep upscaling in the following years. And due to its popularity, ease of coding rules, unique syntax compared to C, C++, and Java, a wide variety of prospects, and easier-to-learn facility, many programmers and compilers today prefer to work with Python.

So, if you are a Python programmer, what is the one particular aspect that will make your life and work more effortless?

The perfect answer is Python frameworks.

Python is a powerfully composed language that is object-oriented, interactive, and interpreted in nature. As a Python programmer, you will agree that it provides one of the best efficient speeds and reliability rates. So, if you can utilize some Python frameworks, imagine how robust this language will get and how much more you can boost your productivity after deploying them.

Frameworks allow you to cut your development time, automate the repetitive task’s implementation, and focus more on application logic in your project. Therefore, in this way, you can use various ready-made components to escape the backbreaking labor of writing similar code for each project.

And it helps you save energy and time alongside TTM (Time to Market), thus allowing you to invest more in your projects and results.

Due to being a widespread language, many Python Frameworks are available in the market. They come with their set of advantages and drawbacks. You might already know it, but many giant tech firms like Instagram, Netflix, and Google have Python frameworks for their web development.

So, whether you are a newcomer or a skilled player, you can always make the best of your work and assignments for web development using suitable Python frameworks. But your selection should be based on your preference as a developer, programming needs, and project requirements.

But, before we head to the top Python frameworks, let us briefly understand their types and categories.

Types of Python frameworks

There are 3-major types or formats of Python frameworks (according to Python.org) you should know about before making up your mind to choose one for yourself.

1. Full-stack
2. Less than full-stack
3. Micro-stack

We also have the Asynchronous frameworks that are micro-frameworks but handle bulk sets of concurrent connections and use Python’s asyncio library.

While Full-stack frameworks are heavy-duty features that are an all-in-one solution for your web development needs, micro-stack are lightweight tools that offer individual facilities.

If you are looking for a framework that provides you with all the elements required in your web development and programming task, you can pick full-stack. But if you feel restricted in your creativity with the all-in-one package, you can choose a micro-stack and compile different features based on your requirements.

Top 10 Python frameworks for web development

Below is a list of the best Python Frameworks in 2024 that you can choose for enhancing your web development projects and improving the website’s performance: 

1. CherryPy

Type: Micro-framework

It is an open-source and object-oriented Python framework with a minimalistic approach. It allows you to design and create standalone web applications and platforms that have an embedded multi-threaded web server and can run on any OS with Python’s support.

Key Features:

• It has a flexible built-in plug-in and a powerful configuration system

• You can run it on android

• It comes with an HTTP/1.1 Compliant

• It provides in-built support for testing, profiling, and coverage

• It has various unique tools for caching, authentication, encoding, sessions, etc

• You don’t need any Apache servers for running apps you’ve developed using CherryPy

Drawbacks of CherryPy:

It lacks comprehensive documentation. And that makes it difficult for beginners to work with this framework.

2. Django

Type: Full-stack framework

Django(not that movie) is one-of-the-most popular Python frameworks for web development. It follows the DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) principle and is an open-source and free-to-use framework. It offers many built-in features instead of open libraries through which you can work on different databases and migrate from one to another effortlessly.

Key Features:

• Django uses its ORM (Object Relational Mapper) to help you map objects to database tables

• It provides you with a superabundance of ready-to-use libraries

• It supports web servers and other databases through third-party drivers

• It comes with a Template and Authentication engine for providing faster speed

• Django has Database schema migrations to make your coding interface more hassle-free

• It also provides you with URL routing

Drawbacks of Django:

1. It does not support WebStocks. And that means it is not ideal for designing real-time apps
2. It is a ready-to-use feature framework, so it might come off as less flexible for working and more monolithic and rigid

3. AIOHTTP

Type: Asynchronous framework

AIOHTTP is a web server framework that leans towards Python 3.5+ elements (awaits and async) and uses the asyncio library. It also supports the Server and Client WebSockets without having you rely on any callback hells.

Key Features:

• It can also work as a client framework by providing request objects or routers and enabling the redirect queries to functions created for a similar purpose

• It provides Pluggable routing, middleware support, and signals

• It allows you to build views effectively

Drawbacks of AIOHTTP:

It is not very fast and can lag with some complicated results.

 

4. Bottle

Type: Micro-framework

Although Bottle’s original purpose was to develop APIs, it is now more of an independent  Python framework with no dependencies for creating small apps via web development. It also allows you to work better with the hardware and creates a single fire source for the running applications you have developed using it. It is perfect for designing personal-use apps and learning about prototyping and web frameworks.

Key Features:

• Built-in WSGI/HTTP servers

• It provides plug-in support for various databases

• It has adapter support for third-party template engines

• It comes with a request-dispatching route with URL parameter support

• You can access it via HTTP-related metadata like cookies, file uploads, data, etc.

Drawbacks of Bottle:

1. It is a small framework and is suitable only for building small applications.
2. It can only depend on the standard Python Library.
3. It has a narrow community and no documentation or use cases; thus making it difficult to operate

5. Dash

Type: Micro-framework

It is an open-source Python framework that helps in developing analytical web applications. The applications created by Dash are web servers that can run on Flask and communicate with JSON packets. Thus, they are mobile-friendly, cross-platform, and easy to deploy to servers.

Key Features:

• It also comes with URL routing

• LDAP integration and error handling (Dash Deployment Server)

• It provides a high degree of customizability

• Great plug-in support features

• It gives underlying access to the Flask instance with its configurable properties

• It requires pretty less boilerplate code to work

Drawbacks of Dash:

1. It also requires other complex elements apart from its default components.
2. It has a complex structure; you will need to encode each function to get the output.
3. It requires you to write your own or plug in the React components.

6. CubicWeb

Type: Full-stack framework

CubicWeb is a web-based Python framework that is open-source, free, and semantic. It is based on data models and requires it to be defined to create applications for web development. Instead of using separate models and views, it relies on cubes and joins them together to create an instance (by database, configuration files, or web servers.)

Key Features:

• It has reusable components with multiple databases

• Security workflows with RDF (Resource Description Framework) and OWL (Web Ontology Language) support

• It can simplify data queries using Relational Query Language embedding

Drawbacks of CubicWeb:

It contains plenty of functions that can subsequently make it tricky to work with other projects in the future.

 

7. Flask

Type: Micro-framework

Flask is a popular Python framework that needs a Jinza2 template and WerkZeug WSGI 1.0 compliance toolkit. And due to its modular and lightweight design, it is a very readily acceptable framework preferred by many data scientists and experienced coders. It allows you to build web applications using any form of extension.

Key Features:

• It is highly compatible with the Google app engine based on Unicode

• HTTP request handling

• It supports client-side sessions using secure cookies and plugging in any ORM

• You can have an in-built development server and a built-in debugger

• It provides unit testing support and RESTful request dispatching

Drawbacks of Flask:

Flask needs precise attention to detailing and a profound comprehension of its interconnections. Thus only highly-qualified users can handle it.

8. Falcon

Type: Micro-framework

Its central aim is to create web (HTTP) APIs. Unlike other frameworks available in the market, Falcon doesn’t require dependencies and allows you to build a well-defined and clean design to enable REST and HTTP architecture. Platforms like LinkedIn, RackSpace, and OpenStack use it as a crucial component for web development.

Key Features:

• It has Cython support for extra speed

• DRY request processing

• It comes with a highly optimized and usable code base

• HTTP idiomatic error responses

• It has URI templates for intuitive routing, REST-based resource class, and WSGI helpers for unit testing

 Drawbacks of Falcon:

It can only focus on REST APIs, which makes it unable to scale. And this narrows down the spectrum of this framework.

9. Giotto

Type: Full-stack framework

Giotto is an application-based Python framework inspired by the Model View Controller pattern. Its unique ability is to adequately separate the controller, view, and model elements for web developers, designers, and admins to work without interfering with each other’s tasks.

Key Features:

• Python has Generic models with succinct codes and Automated URL routing

• It comes with Jinja2 for HTML templates and multiple pluggable controllers

• Its CRUD site comes with a standard browser POST and RESTful interface

• SQLAlchemy database persistence

• Highly functional CRUD customs with an in-built cache

• API is available for extending support to other template engines

 Drawbacks of Giotto:

You may face some drawbacks while creating objects via processed data as it is not available in Giotto Suite.

10. TurboGears

Type: Can act as both Full-stack and Micro-framework

TurboGears is a data-driven and web-based Python framework application. Its prime purpose is to overcome the shortcomings of various mobile and web app development frameworks by enabling you to design them from an insignificant setup. It also helps you streamline your Python website using miscellaneous JavaScript tools with faster and unique elements.

Key Features:

• It has an MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture design with an ORM (Object Relational Mapper) for the program and server

• MochiKit JavaScript integrated library with multi-database support and easily accessible command-line tools

• It allows you to build web applications using Repoze, Genshi, WebOb, and SQLAlchem

• Each feature gets executed as a function decorator

• It has ToscaWidgets for easy coordination with PasteScript templates for smoother and faster web development

 Drawbacks of TurboGears:

You may have to expand it from time to time when the situation necessitates the same.

Some bonus Python Frameworks for web development:

Pyramid

Type: Asynchronous framework

The Pyramid framework runs on Python 3. It is one of the most versatile and flexible Python frameworks, with many pro developers preferring it as their first choice. It allows you to create simple web media apps in a minimalistic and hassle-free method. Tech companies like SurveyMonkey, Mozilla, Dropbox, and Yelp have used Pyramid to develop their websites.

Key Highlights:

• Pyramid provides transparency and well-measured quality service

• You can use it for easy as well as challenging projects

• It can run well with both large and small apps

• It has HTML structure generation and validation

• Routes configuration via URL dispatch and WebHelpers is the establishing core of Pyramid

• All-embracing templating and asset attributes

• Flexible testing, support, authentication, comprehensive data documentation, and approval

Grok

Type: Full-stack framework

This framework takes establishment concepts from the Zope toolkit technology. It follows two primary principles- DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) and convention over configuration. And since it is an open-source framework, it can speed up your application process and provide an agile development experience.

Key Highlights:

• Plenty of independent libraries and networks to suit your task needs

• Provides a robust storage database

• Allows you to utilize the power of Zope 3 in your work

• Integrated security through which you can give access to specific users

 

Growler

Type: Asynchronous framework

It is a micro web Python framework. Growler takes inspiration from the Connect/Express and NODEJS framework and is composed atop Python’s asyncio library. Unlike other conventional frameworks, you can use it to learn the asyncio library at the lowest level.

Key Highlights:

• Growler is Perfect for quickly implementing complex applications

• You can zip a complete application into an executable file using the Ziapp module

• Supports several open-source packages

• Requests pass through a middleware tech instead of getting handled in the framework

• It lacks callbacks and makes it easy to see the program flow

• It allows you to write clean and reusable codes using decorators

 

Web2Py

Type: Full-stack framework

Web2Py is a cross-platform framework featuring a debugger, code editor, and deployment tool. Using it, you can build, revise, and debug your codes and keep up with other web development applications by testing your project. Its main component is a ticketing framework that allows you to follow the mistakes and their status in your program and make necessary corrections at different stages.

Key Highlights:

• Web2Py has in-build components to operate cookies, sessions, reactions, and HTTP requests

• It supports MVC architecture for simplifying web development

• It addresses the vulnerabilities and security issues to keep the web apps secure

• It has helpful batteries that make building web apps easier without relying on other external tools

 

Tornado

Type: Asynchronous framework

This Python framework is an offbeat framework library that consists of a non-blocking framework I/O with a C10k issue, meaning that if you configure it suitably, it can handle 10,000+ coexisting connections.

Key Highlights:

• It provides high-quality results and is perfect for building applications requiring simultaneous clients

• Supports interpretation and localization

• Tornado allows you to implement 3rd party authorization and authentication schemes

• It also delivers real-time services and non-blocking HTTP customers

 

In Conclusion:

The list above featured some of the best and top-rated Python frameworks utilized in web development. Each of these tools and applications has pros and cons and unique features that distinguish them from each other. You can go through all the options and check them out before selecting one for yourself.

Ultimately, the choice and need all fall on the users, as we all have our style and preference. And that’s why you must assess your requirements and the development project before picking the perfect framework.

And if you think some of them didn’t make it to this index, feel free to mention them in the comments below!