Flask vs Django: Let’s Choose Your Next Python Framework

Are you weighing options for your new website or application and trying to choose between Flask and Django?

Flask and Django are two extremely powerful and popular Python frameworks, but even professional web developers may struggle to determine which one is best for their specific requirements.

This Flask-vs-Django comparison guide will help you decide by examining the core differences between the two.

What Is Flask?

Flask is a micro-framework that doesn’t require external libraries to implement its functionalities. It was developed in 2011 by Armin Ronacher, who came up with it while developing a solution that combined Werkzeug (a server framework) and Jinja2 (a template library).

Flask comes with plenty of tools, technologies, and libraries required for web application development. Flask offers form validation and other extensions for object-relational mapping, open authentication, file uploading, and others.

Some of the well-known companies that have employed Flask include Samsung, Netflix, Lyft, Reddit, and Zillow.

What Is Django?

Dubbed a “framework for fussbudgets with deadlines,” Django is a free, open-source web framework first released in 2005 by Adrian Holovaty and Simon Willison.

Django is a sophisticated Python-based framework with full-stack development configurations such as template layouts, request and troubleshooting, cookies, form validation, unit tests, table settings, and other functionality devs use to create dynamic web applications.

Django follows a Model-View-Template (MVT) architectural pattern that helps developers perform routine or complex tasks efficiently with little intervention from protocols, management, and systems when building high-intensity applications and database-driven websites.

Low coupling, pluggability, reusability, and simple code are some of Django’s core tenets. It’s no surprise that global companies such as Instagram, National Geographic, Spotify, Mozilla, Quora, and Discovery Channel use Django for their development projects.

Key Features Of Flask

The features of any framework can indicate the applications for which it’s most useful. Flask has some cutting-edge features for building and optimizing web applications. Here are a few prominent Flask features you should know.

1. Lightweight

Flask doesn’t use external libraries for its development process. This makes it lightweight. It is Python-based on a smaller scale without any set of specific instruments.

It also doesn’t have a database layer or arrangements for shape approval and utilizes expansions.

2. Unit Testing System

Flask’s integrated unit testing system helps speed up debugging and encourages robust development.

3. Extension Support

Flask supports the introduction of third-party extensions which add functionality to your application. Among the many available Flask extensions are Flask SQLAlchemy, which adds support for working with databases, and WTForms, which supports working with web forms.

Other extensions include those responsible for security. In other words, where Flask falls short, it compensates with support for extensions.

4. WSGI Compatibility

Werkzeug, on which Flask is based, is a Web Server Gateway Interface (WSGI) utility library. This makes Flask applications compatible with any WSGI-compliant web server.

There are many WSGI web servers available, but In a production environment, robust servers like Nginx or Apache are called for. Luckily, those popular servers can be configured to support Flask’s WSGI functionality.

Key Features Of Django

The Django framework offers an assortment of compelling features ideal for businesses that hire developers who are dedicated to delivering projects on time. Let’s go through some of them.

1. Robust Security

Django’s approach to security helps users combat malicious threats like SQL injection, cross-site request forgery (CSRF), cross-site scripting (XSS), clickjacking, and more.

Django automatically plugs vulnerabilities that the backend developer could unintentionally overlook while creating a web app. Plus, you can handle user accounts and passwords securely with Django’s active user authentication feature.

2. Adapts to Heavy-Load Projects

Django can accommodate a large volume of traffic, like complex social networks and content management systems.

Since optimizing loading times and performance can be tricky when working with database systems like MongoDB and Redis, Django can quickly handle all of the data, reducing loading time. Django further safeguards error-free results regardless of how complex the coding is.

3. A Don’t Repeat Yourself Philosophy

Building a web app involves a great deal of repetition, such as using business logic and HTML templates. This type of redundancy causes logical errors and maintenance problems.

By following a Don’t Repeat Yourself (DRY) principle, Django ensures that the information isn’t duplicated. Logic that supports a group of data ought to be distinct and reliable. Therefore, you can concentrate on writing original code while reusing existing code. That helps speed up web application development.

4. SEO-Friendly

Dajngo facilitates site mapping and has the ability to generate dynamic links and URLs based on targeted keywords. This can help you improve your site’s search engine rankings.

5. Variety of Packages

Django supports a plethora of packages for developing a fully functional application. It discourages you from relying on third-party solutions by supplying kits for nearly everything.

For instance, you can use the Django REST framework to build APIs or the Django CORS Headers pack to create cross-origin requests. The Django Debug Toolbar assists in troubleshooting apps, while Django Allauth grants social and local authentication.

Pros and Cons of Using Flask

Although Flask has a ton of functionality and is well-known for being easy to use, it has a few shortcomings worth mentioning. The benefits and drawbacks of using Flask are listed below.

Advantages

• Flexible with full control access
• Great for smaller projects
• Scalable
• Easy to integrate databases
• Adjustable to new tech
• Easy and fast to build prototypes
• Extensible
• Small codebase with simple functions
• Easy URL routing through Werkzueg
• Allows architecture and library experimentation

Drawbacks

• No support for multi-page apps
• Lack of security features
• No built-in admin site
• Difficult maintenance
• No object-relational mapping without extensions

Pros and Cons of Using Django

As you know, nothing interesting is ever completely one-sided, and Django is no exception. Like Flask, Django has numerous perks and a few obstacles.

Advantages

• Full-stack framework
• Batteries-included concept
• Highly scalable
• Comprehensive documentation
• SEO-friendly
• Cross-platform compatibility
• Rapid development and fast processing
• High-level of security
• Excellent CDN management

Drawbacks

• Unsuited for small projects
• Lack of conventions
• Monolithic work environment
• Limited components and design options
• Hard to master and has a steep learning curve
• Doesn’t allow for simultaneous handling of multiple requests

Flask vs Django: Head-to-Head Comparison

We’ve now come to the battle of frameworks. Let’s put Flask against Django and find out which solution is better for you. Ready? Here we go.

Cost-Effectiveness

Both Flask and Django are free and open-source Python frameworks. From a business point of view, Flask can be more expensive to use than Django because it has fewer built-in features and needs more upkeep, particularly in terms of development time and security.

In any case, the cost of using either framework will be determined by your specific requirements. Should you need additional built-in functionalities or prefer a more comprehensive framework, Django could be a better choice for you.

Winner: Django

Development Time

Flask and Django intend to help developers work smarter and save a great deal of time. Yet, one lags behind the other here.

Despite doing a hatchet job on the overall development time, Flask typically adopts a “build from scratch” approach for the majority of your website, making full-fledged web application development fairly labor-intensive. If you’re an advanced user, your development timeline could be slowed by its limited native development features.

Flask also employs a Jinja2 template engine which is simple to use but consumes time during development.

In contrast, Django facilitates rapid development, especially if you have a tight deadline, thanks to its various built-in features and minimal code utilization.

For instance, developers can create a minimum viable product (MVP) faster with Django than with Flask. That’s why Django is ideal for getting big websites started.

Although Flask likewise allows for quick MVP development, there’s an obvious difference when it comes to the frontend. With Django, it’s faster to add the frontend and receive feedback.

Django’s integrated template engine expedites development when compared to Flask’s engine. What’s more, Django is equipped with a wealth of standard libraries that aid developers in building widely used functionalities and resolving common development issues.

Winner: Django

Ease of Use/Learning

If you’re a beginner but are already familiar with Python, it’s easy to get your head around Flask’s minimalist structure.

When implementing machine learning models, Flask is far more user-friendly for beginners than Django. It also requires fewer lines of code.

Django is a more complex web solution that requires extensive expertise to create a sophisticated application such as terminal commands, advanced Python programming skills, variables, loops, and functions.

The rich Flask documentation is particularly helpful for new users who wish to get started with the framework. It has a less steep learning curve than Django, involves a thorough explanation, and covers everything from installation to deployment.

Django, however, has far more documentation than Flask because it is a full-stack framework rather than a minimalist one.

Start with Flask, whether learning Django or Flask is your main objective. It’s excellent for understanding the principles of web development, benchmarks, and the basic components of web frameworks.

Winner: Flask

Employment Opportunities

Python developers are in high demand due to the increasing need for Python in major industries. Having expertise in Flask or Django, or both will boost your career prospects.

According to talent.com, the average Python Flask developer in the US earns $126,750 annually or $60.94 per hour. Most experienced programmers earn up to $171,000 annually, while entry-level roles start at $107,250.

The average Python Django developer’s salary is $120,000 a year or $57.69 an hour. Entry-level salaries begin at $100,000 a year, with the most experienced employees earning up to $152,655.

Winner: Flask

Features

Other than a few built-in capabilities, Flask relies primarily on extensions for its functionality. Whether it’s integrating databases or implementing more security measures, there’s an extension for almost everything you need.

Unlike Flask, Django comes packed with useful features plus a few available extensions. In terms of the variety of features, Flask comes ahead. But it’s always useful to have most of the needed features built into a framework, and, in that respect, Django takes the lead.

Database

Flask doesn’t place limits on how data is stored, and hence there is a wide range of available libraries and extensions specifically for that.

Django, on the other hand, has its own simple yet powerful ORM, which supports a range of relational databases such as SQLite, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, and Oracle. The ORM offers support for the generation and management of database migrations.

Authorization/Authentication

Most web applications require authorization and authentication. Flask provides support for only cookies-based sessions, but you can get extensions for account management, authorization, and authentication.

Unlike Flask, Django comes with the functions of authorization and authentication already built-in. It also comes with account management and support for sessions.

Admin

Flask doesn’t come with its own admin panel, which is a web application that provides a user interface for managing data based on your models. Instead, an extension is available, called Flask-Admin, that offers all this functionality and more.

Django here shines again as it comes with a functional admin panel that allows you to quickly perform CRUD operations against your model as you build up an application without requiring any extra code.

Routing and Views

Both Flask and Django allow you to map URLs to views. They also support function and class-based views.

For Flask, the Werkzeug extension implements URL routing. It also handles requests and responses from the application.

Django routes a URL pattern to a view by referencing a request object that contains the request information to invoke the required view.

Forms

In order to deal with forms, Flask integrates the Flask-WTF extension with WTForms instead. Subsequently, WTForms-Alchemy uses SQLAlchemy models to create forms.

By default, Django’s installation provides forms; that data models create using ModelForms, which handles data input and validation of clients and servers. These forms also deal with security issues such as CSRF, SQL injection, and XSS.

Template Engine

Flask uses Jinja2 as its template engine, while Django uses its own template engine to add data to an existing HTML page on your application. But Django can also use Jinja2. Both template engines have similarities in their syntax and features.

Performance and Speed

Being based on Werkzeug, Flask aims to be as simple as possible yet extensible to allow easy future expansions of the project. It’s this simplicity, flexibility and lightweight that allows developers to build small apps in shorter times.

For those looking to build more demanding projects rapidly and effortlessly, then Django would be a good fit. Django is able to deliver quick outcomes and smoothly take applications from concepts to completion.

So far, the performance race is tough. Nevertheless, Flask takes it home with its small requirements as you can build an entire project using half the number of code lines and fewer resource consumption with Flask than Django.

Winner: Flask

Scalability

Flask is scalable as it can process a large number of requests each day. The micro-framework modularizes the entire code and allows developers to work on independent chunks as the code base grows.

It’s common for Flask applications to be developed locally using the Werkzeug WSGI server but deployed publicly using a WSGI server like Gunicorn or uWSGI, with a robust server like Nginx as the public-facing proxy.

Django is a component-based framework that provides complete scalability options. Each layer of the developed app is independent, meaning you can scale the app at any level.

Django also uses load balancing and clustering for running the app across various servers. In other words, you can scale your web app without affecting the overall performance or loading times.

Django might be the better choice if you need to develop a highly scalable web application.

Winner: Django

Security

Flask comes with a few built-in security features, like CSRF protection. But there are several security extensions available for you to add.

Even though Flask has fewer coding requirements than Django, which makes it less susceptible to cyber threats, it’s still heavily reliant on third-party extensions, which means that an application’s security is only as strong as its weakest plugin.

This increases the responsibility placed on your development team to keep security up to date by assessing and keeping track of third-party libraries and extensions.

On the flip side, Django’s large codebase opens it to more malicious activities. That being said, Django is highly secure by default and includes plenty of integrated security tools such as scripts, user password hashing, CSRF tokens as well as authentication and authorization modules.

This prevents programmers from making common security mistakes and allows them to run a security checklist before deployment. Plus, the Django development team promptly and proactively reports any identified security flaws.

Therefore, Django is easier to secure upfront and maintain throughout the life of your app.

Winner: Django

Community Support

For a developer, it’s essential to have a solid user community for the framework you choose. These communities can offer you a great deal of assistance by responding to any queries you may have. They can also encourage the development of new framework-related applications.

Flask and Django both have large, knowledgeable, and passionate communities. Django has a larger group since it has been around for 5 years longer than Flask. But, despite being smaller, the Flask community is quite active.

Winner: Django

Flask vs Django: Summing it Up

So, what does it mean for you in this Flask vs Django comparison? To help you make a decision, this table sums it all up.

Flask vs Django: Which Should You Choose?

By comparing the two frameworks on various criteria, neither Flask nor Django can be deemed superior across the board.

Flask tends to be simpler, while Django is preferred for large-scale projects with rapid development and offers more incorporated features.

Both frameworks are excellent for creating web apps, and the best one for you will depend on the project’s size, demands, and existing requirements.

Summary

In this Flask vs Django battle, the clear winner for you is the one that truly meets your needs. Some programmers even use both frameworks!

If you’re unsure where to begin, we recommend starting with Flask. Flask is practical because it’s easier to get going without feeling overwhelmed. Django is a fantastic web solution for creating cool apps, but less suitable for a novice.

Are you a professional developer? With Django’s broad feature set, you or your team will need to make fewer decisions. That should allow you to develop your project faster.

No matter which framework you choose, you can get it up and running easily on Kinsta’s Application Hosting platform. You can see just how easy by checking out our quick start examples for Flask and Django.