What is Django?
Django, pronounced "jango," is a free and open-source framework that was first released in 2005. Django was named after the famous jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Over the years, many Python frameworks have been developed, but Django has become one of the most popular because of its flexibility and security.
Django is suitable for both front-end and back-end web development. The integrated Python libraries make it easy for rapid development. Django has become widely accepted across industries. Because of its growing popularity, providers are more readily available to support Django applications on their platforms.
Application types
Django offers a complete framework solution, which means it provides everything you need to quickly deploy your projects. Django offers great out-of-the-box security, a vast community of users, and can scale on demand. For these reasons, it's considered a framework of choice by many developers. By using Django, you can develop complex and database-driven web applications that can include:
- Machine learning
- E-commerce platforms
- Data analysis
- Content management
Django vs. Flask
While both of these frameworks could suit the needs of your next Python application, there are specific functionalities and levels of support that each provides. Let's quickly go through the differences.
| Django | Flask |
|---|---|
| Full-stack framework | Lightweight web framework |
| Ideal for data-driven applications | Ideal for existing APIs and services |
| Potentially more of a learning curve | Potentially less of a learning curve |
| Out-of-the-box security | Additional libraries needed for security |
| Custom HTML templating engine | Jinja HTML templating engine |
Django and Flask both offer great benefits for your projects. Depending on the time requirements for app development, one might be better suited than the other. When you choose a framework, consider the type and complexity of the application and also the end product.