FastAPI, Flask or Django - Which Should You Use?

Summary

This video script offers a comprehensive guide to choosing between Flask, Django, and Fast API for Python web development. It covers ease of learning, performance, use cases, community support, and job demand. Flask is recommended for quick, simple apps; Django for complex, data-driven projects; and Fast API for high-performance APIs. The script also highlights the importance of using professional IDEs like JetBrains for efficient development.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Flask is a lightweight and highly customizable WSGI web application framework, suitable for small to medium-sized apps and microservices.
• 🏰 Django is a high-level Python web framework with numerous features out of the box, ideal for complex web applications due to its conventional project structure.
• 🚀 Fast API is a modern, high-performance web framework for building APIs with Python type hints, supporting asynchronous programming and automatic data validation.
• 🛠️ Flask is the easiest to learn among the three, requiring minimal setup and offering quick start for simple projects.
• 🔄 Fast API has intermediate difficulty, requiring understanding of asynchronous programming and Python type hints for full utilization.
• 🏗️ Django is the most complex to learn due to its many built-in features, but is worth the effort for building large applications with complex data requirements.
• 🚦 Flask offers good performance but is not the best for high-load applications due to its synchronous nature.
• 🏎️ Fast API is the fastest of the three frameworks, built asynchronously to handle multiple requests simultaneously.
• 🌲 Django, while the slowest, is reliable for large applications and is used by many large companies despite not being the fastest.
• 📈 Use Flask for quick prototyping or when a simple, fast web server is needed without extensive configuration.
• 🏢 Django is preferred for large, monolithic applications that require built-in features like CMS, authentication, and ORM.
• 🔑 Fast API is the top choice for building high-performance, scalable APIs with automatic data validation and documentation.
• 🌟 All three frameworks have large communities and ecosystems, with Flask and Django being particularly well-known and widely used.
• 🔍 For job demand, Django is the most popular and frequently listed in job requirements, making it a valuable framework to learn for job seekers.
• 📚 Learning all three frameworks is beneficial, with Django being the most time-consuming but also the most rewarding for professional development.

Q & A

What are the three Python web development frameworks discussed in the video?

The three Python web development frameworks discussed are Flask, Django, and Fast API.

Why is Flask considered a good choice for building small to medium-sized apps?

Flask is considered a good choice for small to medium-sized apps due to its lightweight and highly customizable nature, making it easy to get started with and extendable with features.

What features does Django come with out of the box that make it ideal for complex web applications?

Django comes with an ORM, forms, authentication, routing, and more, which are built into the framework and save time by providing a conventional project structure for handling complex web applications.

How does Fast API support the building of APIs?

Fast API supports the building of APIs with standard Python type hints, asynchronous programming, automatic data validation, and the generation of open API documentation, making it great for quickly building self-documenting and performant APIs.

What is the main advantage of using Flask for learning web development?

The main advantage of using Flask for learning web development is its ease of learning and setup, allowing beginners to have a fully functioning API or website in just a few minutes.

Why might Fast API be preferred over Flask or Django for building APIs?

Fast API might be preferred over Flask or Django for building APIs due to its superior performance, asynchronous nature, automatic data validation, and automatic documentation generation.

What are some of the challenges a beginner might face when learning Django?

A beginner learning Django might face challenges due to its complexity and the numerous built-in features, which can take days or weeks to fully understand and learn how all the components work together.

How does the video suggest utilizing an IDE for web development projects?

The video suggests utilizing an IDE, specifically JetBrains IDEs, for their performance, speed, user interfaces, integrated debuggers, code analysis, quick fixes, AI assistance, and extensive plugin support to supercharge the workflow.

What is the main reason Django is often listed as a primary framework in job requirements?

Django is often listed as a primary framework in job requirements because it is popular for building larger or mid-sized applications and is widely used in the industry.

Why might a developer choose Flask over Django for a hobby project?

A developer might choose Flask over Django for a hobby project because Flask allows for quick setup and is suitable for prototyping or building something simple without dealing with extensive configuration.

How does the video compare the performance of Flask, Django, and Fast API?

The video compares the performance by stating that Flask has good performance but is not the best for high load applications due to its synchronous nature. Fast API is the fastest due to its asynchronous capabilities, while Django is the slowest of the three due to its comprehensive nature, yet still reliable for large applications.

What is the significance of the community and ecosystem for these frameworks?

The significance of the community and ecosystem for these frameworks lies in the availability of a large community support, additional extensions, add-ons, and plugins that can provide additional functionality, making them suitable for a wide range of projects.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Overview of Python Web Frameworks

The video script begins with an introduction to three popular Python web development frameworks: Flask, Django, and Fast API. It outlines the purpose of the video, which is to guide viewers in choosing the right framework based on their project needs. Flask is described as a lightweight, customizable, and minimalist framework suitable for small to medium-sized applications. Django is portrayed as a feature-rich framework with built-in functionalities like ORM, forms, and authentication, ideal for complex web applications. Fast API is highlighted as a modern, high-performance framework for building APIs with support for asynchronous programming and automatic documentation. The script also emphasizes the importance of using an IDE, particularly JetBrains IDEs, for professional development and as a sought-after skill by recruiters.

05:04

📚 Comparative Analysis of Frameworks

This paragraph delves into a detailed comparison of the three frameworks based on various criteria. Flask is praised for its ease of learning and quick setup, making it ideal for beginners and simple projects. Fast API is positioned as an intermediate option, requiring understanding of asynchronous programming and Python type hints, and offers powerful features like automatic documentation and data validation. Django is acknowledged as the most complex due to its extensive built-in features, suitable for larger applications but with a steeper learning curve. The paragraph also touches on performance, with Flask being adequate for most uses but not ideal for high-load applications, Fast API being the fastest due to its asynchronous nature, and Django being the slowest but reliable for large applications. The use cases for each framework are summarized, with Flask for quick projects, Django for complex applications with data management, and Fast API for high-performance APIs.

Keywords

💡Flask

Flask is a lightweight WSGI web application framework. It is known for its simplicity and ease of use, making it highly customizable for developers who want to build small to medium-sized applications or microservices. In the script, Flask is mentioned as the easiest framework to learn and is recommended for those looking to quickly prototype or build something simple.

💡Django

Django is a high-level Python web framework that includes a plethora of features out of the box, such as an ORM, forms, authentication, and routing. It is ideal for complex web applications due to its conventional project structure and built-in features that save developers significant time. The script positions Django as the most complicated to learn but highly beneficial for building large-scale applications with many built-in functionalities.

💡Fast API

Fast API is a modern, high-performance web framework designed for building APIs with Python type hints. It supports asynchronous programming, automatic data validation, and the generation of OpenAPI documentation. The script highlights Fast API as the fastest among the discussed frameworks, making it ideal for quickly building self-documenting and high-performance APIs.

💡Web Frameworks

A web framework is a set of tools and conventions that developers can use to build web applications. In the context of the video, web frameworks are the core subject, with Flask, Django, and Fast API being the specific examples discussed. The script compares these frameworks based on various criteria to help viewers decide which one to use for their web development projects.

💡Asynchronous Programming

Asynchronous programming is a feature of some programming languages that allows a program to perform multiple tasks at the same time. In the script, Fast API is noted for its support of asynchronous programming, which contributes to its high performance and ability to handle multiple requests simultaneously, unlike the synchronous nature of Flask.

💡ORM (Object-Relational Mapping)

ORM is a programming technique that allows developers to interact with databases using an object-oriented approach rather than writing SQL queries directly. Django's ORM is highlighted in the script as one of its key features, making it easier to manage large amounts of data and interact with databases in a more Pythonic way.

💡Authentication

Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or process. In the script, Django's built-in authentication system is mentioned as one of its many features, which can be crucial for web applications that require user logins and secure access to data.

💡IDE (Integrated Development Environment)

An IDE is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development. The script mentions JetBrains IDEs as professional tools that can enhance developers' productivity with features like integrated debuggers, code analysis, and AI assistance. IDEs are essential for developers working with any of the discussed frameworks.

💡Performance

In the context of web frameworks, performance refers to how well a framework can handle requests and scale with increased load. The script discusses the performance of Flask, Django, and Fast API, noting that Fast API excels due to its asynchronous nature, while Django is the slowest but still reliable for large applications.

💡Microservices

Microservices is an architectural style that structures an application as a collection of small, loosely coupled services. Flask is described in the script as being great for building microservices due to its lightweight and customizable nature, allowing developers to focus on specific functionalities without unnecessary overhead.

💡CMS (Content Management System)

A CMS is a software application or a set of related programs that allow users to create and manage digital content. The script mentions that Django has a built-in CMS, which is beneficial for managing large amounts of content and is one of the reasons why it is preferred for larger applications.

💡Community and Ecosystem

The community and ecosystem of a framework refer to the network of developers, the availability of third-party extensions, and the overall support system. The script states that all three frameworks have large communities and ecosystems, providing a wealth of resources and additional functionality through extensions and plugins.

💡Job Demand

Job demand refers to the need for professionals with specific skills in the job market. The script indicates that Django has the highest job demand due to its popularity and widespread use in larger companies, making it a valuable skill for developers seeking employment in web development.

Highlights

Flask is a lightweight, customizable web framework great for small to medium apps and microservices.

Django is a high-level Python web framework with many built-in features like ORM, forms, authentication, ideal for complex web applications.

Fast API is a modern, high-performance framework for building APIs with Python type hints, asynchronous support, automatic data validation and OpenAPI documentation generation.

JetBrains IDEs are recommended for professional Python web development, offering best performance, speed, integrated debugging, code analysis and AI assistance.

Flask is the easiest to learn for quickly building simple APIs or websites, requiring minimal setup.

Fast API has intermediate difficulty, requiring understanding of async programming and Python type hints for automatic docs and data validation.

Django is the most complex to learn due to its many built-in features, taking days or weeks to fully grasp for simple projects.

Flask has good performance for most use cases but is not best for high-load applications due to synchronous nature.

Fast API is the fastest framework, excelling at handling multiple requests simultaneously with its asynchronous design.

Django is the slowest of the three frameworks but remains reliable for large applications despite not being the fastest.

Flask is best for quick prototyping, hobby projects, and learning web development fundamentals as a beginner.

Django is preferred for large, monolithic applications needing built-in features like CMS, authentication, ORM in a conventional structure.

Fast API is the top choice for building high-performance, scalable APIs with automatic data validation and documentation.

All three frameworks have large communities, ecosystems, and resources, used in major projects - no need to pick based on community size alone.

Django has the highest job demand, being listed in most job requirements for Python web development roles.

Learning all three frameworks is beneficial, with Django taking the most time but Flask and Fast API being quicker to pick up and valuable for job applications.

In summary, choose Flask for simple quick apps, Django for complex data-driven applications, and Fast API for fast, scalable APIs.

Transcripts

Flask, Django or Fast API.

This is the question you should be asking yourself

if you're interested in Python web development.

In this video, I'm going to break down

everything you need to know about these three different frameworks

and tell you which one you should pick depending on your use case.

Now let's get started with Flask.

This is a lightweight WSGI web application

framework that's easy to get started with and highly customizable.

It's a minimalist framework with extendable features, and it's great

for building small to medium sized apps like microservices.

Next, we move on to Django.

Now, this is a high level Python web framework that comes with a ton of features

out of the box.

It includes an ORM, forms, authentication, routing, and more.

Django is ideal for handling complex web applications

because of its conventional project

structure and all of the features that are built into the framework,

saving you a ton of time.

Lastly, we move on to Fast API.

Now, this is a modern, high performance

web framework for building APIs with standard Python type hints.

It has support for asynchronous programing, automatic data

validation, and generation of open API documentation.

This is great for quickly building

APIs that are self-documenting and really fast and performant.

So now that we have an overview of these various frameworks,

I'm going to start going through some very specific comparison criteria

so you can understand exactly which one to pick depending on your use case.

However, if you are going to build out a project using one of these frameworks,

you're probably going to want to be utilizing an IDE.

And not just because IDEs can make your life so much easier,

but because

experience with them is actually something a lot of recruiters are looking for.

Now, there's all kinds of basic code editors to pick from,

but if you really want to get to the professional level,

then you should utilize JetBrains IDEs, which is the sponsor of this video.

Whether you're working in Python, Go, Rust, Java, you name it,

JetBrains has a fully featured professional IDE for you.

These IDEs offer the best performance and speed and have impressive user interfaces.

Take advantage of integrated debuggers, code analysis, quick

fixes, and incredible AI assistance that supercharge your workflow.

Not to mention features like instant search and navigation,

and an insane amount of plugins to customize your environment

as you scale up and work on larger and larger projects.

The importance of an IDE becomes clear.

You should really start building

strong habits now by utilizing professional JetBrains IDEs

and taking advantage of these powerful tools from the link in the description.

So let's start comparing these frameworks beginning with ease of learning.

Now we start with Flask.

This is by far the easiest to learn, and in just a few minutes

you can have a fully functioning API or website.

It's very simple and easy to use.

There's not a lot of setup or a ton of settings

that you need to go through, and if you're just trying

to build something very simple, I definitely recommend sticking with Flask.

Moving on from that we go to Fast API.

Now fast API is more of an intermediate difficulty.

There are more concepts that you need to learn.

You need to understand

asynchronous programing, and it's helpful to also understand

Pydantic and how you use the Python type hint system.

Fast API is a lot more powerful, and it can provide automatic

documentation and data validation, which can be really, really helpful.

But it does take a little bit longer to set up

and can be slightly more complicated.

Lastly, we move on to Django.

Now, this is by far the most complicated because it has so many features built in.

That means just to get a simple Django website setup can actually take 20

or 30 minutes.

If you're learning this completely from scratch, it's

definitely going to take you a few days or a few weeks to really understand

all of the different features and how all of the components work together.

That said, Django is definitely worth learning,

and if you're going to be building

something more complicated and with a lot of data,

I definitely recommend going down that path.

Just understand it will take you a little bit longer

as there's a lot of things you need to learn to get started with Django.

So now we can get into performance starting with Flask.

Now Flask has good performance overall, but it's not the best

for high load applications.

The reason for that is it's built in a synchronous context,

meaning it's not going to handle multiple requests at the exact same time

like some other web frameworks.

Next we have Fast API.

Now Fast API out to all of the frameworks here

is by far the fastest.

It's superior to all of them,

and the reason for that is it's built asynchronously, meaning

it can scale and it can handle multiple requests at the exact same time.

Lastly, we move on to Django.

Now, Django is the slowest of the three frameworks due to its comprehensive nature.

However, it is still very reliable for large applications, and a lot of huge

companies still use Django despite the fact that it's not the fastest out there.

In summary, if you're really looking for the absolute best performance

and you're building something like an API, then definitely choose fast API.

But for most of you, this isn't going to matter a ton

so simply pick the one that's easiest to use or best suited for your project.

So now we're going to dive into the use cases

starting with Flask.

Now Flask for me is what I use when I want to build something really quickly.

And I don't want to deal

with a ton of configuration or spend a lot of time setting up a server.

If I need a really fast web server, if I want to get something done in

just a few minutes, I'll definitely turn to Flask.

And even for slightly larger hobby projects, Flask is still totally fine.

Personally, for me it's

not something I would use in production unless it was doing a really simple task.

And that's because there are better, more performant options out there.

But a lot of times in my development environment, I'll need a simple API

and I'll turn to Flask

because I know it's the fastest for me to get something set up with.

It's great to start with if you're a complete beginner.

It's good for prototyping

and you can really use it to learn the fundamentals of web development.

Next, we move on to Django.

Now, Django is best when you're building a large, monolithic application

and you need a lot of built in features like a CMS authentication and ORM, etc..

Now, it's worth

noting that with a framework like Flask, you can actually have extensions

or additional Python packages that provide some of the same functionality,

but it's not as conventional to use them,

and it can get a little bit messy when you're building a really large app.

So that's personally why I prefer Django.

Django has a lot of settings and configuration built in.

A lot of things

you already know how to do because it's simply built into the framework.

And when you start building something larger

and you maybe have multiple developers on your team,

it's a lot easier to work with something that has the conventions built in,

like Django, and all of the features already wrapped into the framework.

Django is really good when you're dealing with a lot of data.

It has, again, something called an ORM, which is an object relational mapping,

and it allows you to utilize databases just like a normal Python object, which

can make it really easy to do development and manage large amounts of data.

That said, it also has all of that data that you can add to an admin panel.

So you have a built in CMS, and overall, it's just better

when you're dealing with a lot of data and you have these larger applications.

Now lastly we move on to Fast API.

Fast API is really the choice to go with if you're trying to build a high

performant API.

Now with both Flask and Django, you can build APIs as well,

or you can just build a normal website where you're rendering HTML and pages.

But really, if you want the fastest

API you can possibly have, then Fast API is the one to go with.

It has automatic data validation, automatic document

which is super, super helpful, especially as you scale up

and it has asynchronous programing built in, which is really what provides it

all of that speed.

So overall, Flask for something simple prototyping, getting a hobby project up

and running, Django for something a little more professional where you need

those built in features, and then Fast API when you want a high performance,

scalable API.

So now we move on to community and ecosystem.

Now all three of these are very large well known Python frameworks.

They have a huge community behind them and all of them have additional

extensions, add ons, plug ins, etc.

that you can add to have additional functionality in each framework.

For example,

something like Flask, even though it doesn't have a ton of features built in,

there's all kinds of packages you can install

that provide that additional functionality.

For example, you want authentication in Flask.

You can simply install a package and now you have Flask authentication.

You just need to do a little bit of configuration.

Same thing for Django. Same thing for Fast API.

So I wouldn't pick one of these three packages or one of these three frameworks

simply because they have a larger community or ecosystem.

All of them are very well known, all kinds of resources on the internet,

and they're used for very large projects,

some of which you've probably interacted with.

So now we're going to get into job demand

and which of these you should learn if you are looking to land a developer role.

Now, bluntly,

Django is going to be the most popular here,

and it's going to show up in the most job requirements.

That's because this is the larger of the frameworks,

it's used for a lot of larger or mid-sized companies,

and this is really just what a lot of people go to when they're trying

to build a website or some kind of backend service with Python.

So if you are looking to land a role, simply learn Django.

That's going to be your best bet.

Not to say that Flask and Fast API don't have some demand in the market.

They do, and they're increasingly popping up,

especially for the smaller companies or startups.

But most of the time

you're going to be seeing Django listed as that primary framework.

Overall, I would say it's worth it just to learn them all.

Django will definitely take you the most amount of time, but picking up

something like Fast API or Flask is going to be pretty fast,

and it can have an added benefit when you are applying to jobs.

So there you are.

That's my breakdown of Flask, Django, and Fast API

Flask for simple web apps where you're prototyping or building something quickly.

Django for more complicated data driven applications

and Fast API for building that fast, scalable API with Python.

If you enjoyed this video, make sure you leave a like,

subscribe to the channel and I will see you in the next one.