Django vs. Flask in 2023 – Choosing the Right Web Framework

Python programming language has gained immense popularity in the last two decades. 

Today, Python is not only one of the most widely used programming languages but also one of the most loved programming languages. 

There are many reasons why Python wins over other programming languages. And one of the reasons is that it is beginner-friendly. 

That’s why its use is increasing in web development, machine learning, game development, and data science. 

Web development is one of the essential domains where you can use Python. 

Related: The Ultimate Python Cheat Sheet – An Essential Reference for Python Developers

Python provides several web frameworks that are very useful in developing web applications. For example, some popular Python web frameworks are Django, Pyramid, Flask, Grok, TurboGears, and CherryPy. 

However, we will not discuss any framework other than Django vs. Flask. 

Django and Flask are the two most popular Python web frameworks. 

Both frameworks are helpful to web developers worldwide in developing modern web applications. 

But people are often confused about choosing between these two frameworks. Also not know how they differ. There are several differences between them, and one should choose carefully. 

This article will compare these two frameworks and discuss their pros and cons. Ultimately, we will see which of them is better and when to choose Django or Flask.

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Origin

Django is the most famous name in the Python web development community. It is an open-source, free Python web framework based on MTV architectural patterns. 

Returning to its origin, Django was created in 2003 by Adrian Holovaty and Simon Willison. And then it officially came out in 2005. 

The main aim of creating Django was to simplify web development because, at that time, JavaScript had its limitations. 

There was still time for popular JavaScript frameworks such as Angular and React to emerge. So Python, being a popular language, was used to create Django. Its purpose was to simplify the whole web application development process. So the creators decided to focus more on reusing components, rapid growth, and less code.

Earlier frameworks such as Plone and Zope influenced Django. And Django’s success inspired other popular Python frameworks such as CherryPy, Pyramid, and Bottle. 

Unlike Django, Flask did not have a long-term purpose. Instead, it started as an April fool joke and had a surprise beginning. Armin Ronacher created two different solutions. 

One was Werkzeug, a server framework, and Jinja2, a template library. He tried an experiment just for fun.

He added these two solutions in a zip file and made it part of a framework he named denied framework. Armin worked on this framework when his earlier answers became part of it. When another developer installed the restricted framework, the solutions unzipped automatically.

When these two solutions ran together with the denied framework, to surprise, it received a positive framework. Thus, Armin created this new framework which is now known as Flask. 

Django vs. Flask

Both Django and Flask are Python frameworks. But Django is a full-fledged framework while Flask is a microframework. Simply put, Flask provides the minimum features required to run the server and does not have additional features.

On the other hand, Django is a high-level full-stack framework that provides several other features, including database layers. In simple words, with Django, almost everything present that is required. On the other hand, you can integrate additional features in Flask. 

Django follows the Model-View-Template architectural pattern. 

As a result, the design pattern helps build web applications more efficiently in less time and with less code. But Flask only comes with essential tools that help build basic web applications, which is one of the main differences between Django and Flask.

Also Read: How to Become a Web Developer – The Ultimate Career Guide

Working with databases

Perhaps, one of the essential differences between Django and Flask is the way both of them work with databases. A database is an integral part of a web application. 

Databases are one of the main focuses of backend development. Thus, a framework needs to be efficient. 

Django has a Relational Object Mapping known as the Django ORM. 

Some of its features allow the Django ORM to work with databases such as MySQL, SQLite, and Prophet. 

It does not require long, confusing SQL queries. Moreover, its ORM uses data models that are useful in linking databases with classes. 

Flask neither has ORM nor data models. 

On the hand, developers need third-party toolkits to perform everyday database operations with Flask. 

Ease of learning

Both Django and Flask are Python web frameworks. Hence, it is critical to understand the Python programming language well.

Both can be integral to web development, so the concepts are more or less similar. But, as mentioned earlier, Django is a full-stack framework, and it offers many ideas, and it takes time to grab them. 

Flask, on the other hand, is a microframework that has fewer concepts as compared to Django. If you have proper Python and basic HTML knowledge, learning Flask will not take much time. 

But Flask requires additional extensions. So to work correctly with it, you need to understand them. 

Packages

Django comes with a wide range of built-in packages. There are over four thousand packages in Django, and thus it makes it easier to implement complex functionalities in an application.

In comparison to Django, Flask does not offer such packages. Instead, it is a minimalistic framework that allows us to choose third-party packages. However, Flask is more flexible and extensible than Django. 

Scalability

Django MVT architectural pattern makes it very powerful and scalable. As mentioned earlier, Django supports a variety of databases because of its powerful ORM. Moreover, its data models make it more efficient to work with the backend. Web applications built using Django are much faster and more scalable than Flask. 

However, Flask does not have Django-like architecture and ORM. 

Security

Being secure is an essential feature of a web framework. Today, security is the top priority of every web application. 

Django has different measures for different attacks. For example, templates in Django are capable of protecting from XSS attacks. In addition, it has built-in protection from CSRF attacks and measures for SQL injections. 

Flask also has a security library called Flask-security library that provides security benefits over such attacks. But it is not as efficient as Django.

Popularity

Both of these frameworks are most popular in the Python web development community. 

According to StackOverflow’s developer survey 2020, both Django and Flask had received the same stats (i.e., 14.2%) in the list of most popular web frameworks by all respondents. 

But in the same list of professional developers, Flask received 13.6% while Django received 13.2%. 

And again, in the same survey, Django got 4th position in the list of “most wanted web frameworks,” while Flask got 7th. 

So no doubt, both of them are popular. But Django is more in demand than Flask.

Community support

Django is older than Flask. As it is an open-source product, its community support has increased tremendously. As a result, it has enormous community support, while Flask’s community is not significant.

When to use Django and Flask?

So, where should we use Django and Flask? Both are Python frameworks used to develop web applications and share some common concepts, but they are pretty different in some aspects. 

Django is a full-fledged high-level full-stack web framework. 

As discussed, it provides almost everything required to build web applications. It comes with an ORM and data models that are very helpful with backend development. 

Moreover, it has thousands of built-in packages, and because of these packages, there is no need to look elsewhere. 

Because of such features and its MVT architectural pattern, Django is powerful enough to develop large-scale web applications. 

Some of the most popular applications that use Django are:

  • Instagram
  • Spotify
  • DropBox
  • Mozilla
  • Washington Post
  • National Geographic
  • Pinterest
  • NASA

As you can see, these applications are complex. And their everyday traffic is enormous. Not only that but also these applications has to integrate advanced security features. And as Django is robust, secure, high-performing, and scalable, it meets many complex requirements. 

On the other hand, Flask does not have some heavy-duty features such as Django. But that does not mean the giants do not use Flask.

Because of its simplicity, extensibility, and, most importantly, flexibility, Flask is helpful to developers who want more room for development. 

Some of the popular applications that use Flask are:

  • Netflix
  • Airbnb
  • Red Hat
  • Reddit
  • Lyft

So, if you want to create a medium to large-sized application and you want everything in a single place, then Django is a good choice. I

Whereas, if you want to make a simple, small-sized application with flexibility, room for developers, and custom components, then Flask is a good choice. 

Django or Flask?

So, both frameworks help build web applications. That’s why choosing one of them for your project depends on your requirements.

If the project is large and requires powerful features, then Django is a perfect option. 

But if the project is small and needs only core features, Flask is a good option. 

Also, a developer’s perspective is essential. If you want flexibility, then Flask is better than Django. Moreover, choose Django instead of Flask if you want everything in one place.

But the size of the project also comes into play. There is a good chance Flask can get the job done for smaller projects. So, no need to choose a bulky framework like Django. 

However, if the project is medium-sized to large, go for Django. 

Conclusion

This article focuses on the two most popular Python web frameworks – Django vs. Flask. 

We discussed how the processes behind their development and their basis. 

In addition, we discussed their main differences and features. We also discussed where Django and Flask are useful and how to make decisions reflecting on the purpose of your projects. 

Let’s discuss their differences in brief:

  • Django came out in 2005, while Flask came out in 2010.
  • Django is a full-fledged framework with several features, such as ORM, data models, and packages. Flask is a lightweight micro-framework.
  • Flask is simple and beginner-friendly. In comparison, Django is huge and requires experience. 
  • Django’s community is vast. And Flask’s community is still growing.
  • Flask is a minimalistic framework that only provides core features. At the same time, Django has numerous amount of packages available to use.
  • In short, Django is a good option for medium and large-sized projects. And in comparison, Flask is efficient for smaller-sized projects.

Both Django and Flask are very popular. 

Because of that, they are well known among developers for building web applications. Furthermore, their popularity is increasing exponentially. Not only that, but they also have a perfect place in the job market. 

Looking for video tutorials on Python? Check out these courses from Linkedin Learning:

Django Tutorial:

Flask Tutorial:

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