Let’s Settle This: Best Python Web Framework. FIGHT.

[jztchl]

Yo devs,
I’m starting this thread to settle something every backend dev debates at some point
Which Python web framework truly deserves the crown in 2025?

Whether you ride or die with Django, flex on async with FastAPI, keep it old-school with Flask, or rep something more niche like Tornado, Sanic, or Pyramid
I want to hear your take.

📌 What matters to you most when picking a framework?

• Speed?
• Dev experience?
• Scalability?
• Ecosystem?
• Built-in features vs modularity?

Share:

• What you use
• Why you chose it
• Where it shines
• Where it fails you

spicy hot takes and real-world project stories. Let's gooo! 🚀🔥

[jztchl]

I started with Django and I won’t lie the admin panel alone is a cheat code for CRUD apps. Auth? Done. ORM? Smooth. But once the project got complex, that monolith turned into a rigid beast. Great for MVPs and feature-packed apps, but scaling into microservices? Eh, not fun.

[Jones-peter]

Try JsWeb

[jztchl]

Flask is like that old hoodie you’ve had since college super comfy, always there when you need it, and perfect for quick setups or when you want total control.
But let’s be real: in 2025, Flask’s starting to feel like it’s missing some modern polish. It gets outpaced by newer frameworks when it comes to async support, type safety, and out-of-the-box features. It’s not irrelevant far from it but it’s no longer the first tool I’d reach for unless I’m building something lightweight, educational, or super custom.

[prabodfx]

When it comes to choosing the best Python web framework , there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Each framework has its own strengths, philosophies, and ideal use cases. However, we can evaluate the most popular options — Django , Flask , FastAPI , Tornado , Pyramid , and newer entrants like Quart or Starlette — based on criteria such as performance, flexibility, ease of use, ecosystem maturity, scalability, and developer experience.

Let’s break down the contenders and see which framework might be best for different kinds of projects.
🥊 Top Contenders

1. Django

   Type : Full-stack, batteries-included web framework
   Use Case : Rapid development, data-driven sites, admin panels, content management systems (CMS)
   Strengths :
   Built-in ORM, admin interface, authentication, templating engine, and form validation
   Strong security features out-of-the-box (e.g., CSRF protection, SQL injection prevention)
   Mature ecosystem with thousands of third-party packages
   Excellent documentation and large community

   Weaknesses :
   Can feel heavy or opinionated for microservices or lightweight APIs
   Less flexible if you want to deviate from Django's conventions
   Sync-only by default (though async support is improving)

✅ Best For : Full-stack applications, startups, CMS-like platforms, and developers who value rapid development and convention over configuration.
2. Flask

Type : Lightweight, extensible WSGI microframework
Use Case : Small APIs, custom tooling, educational purposes, and minimalistic services
Strengths :
    Minimalist core; you only use what you need
    Highly customizable and modular
    Easy learning curve and great for beginners
    Rich ecosystem via extensions (e.g., Flask-SQLAlchemy, Flask-Login)
     
Weaknesses :
    Not built for async operations (although possible with Werkzeug tweaks)
    Scales poorly without additional tools/configurations
    Requires more boilerplate and integration work compared to Django

✅ Best For : Learning web development basics, small-scale APIs, internal tools, and when you want full control over your stack.
3. FastAPI

Type : Modern ASGI-based framework for building APIs with Python 3.7+
Use Case : High-performance REST/GraphQL APIs, microservices, and AI-powered backends
Strengths :
    Blazing fast due to async-first design and Starlette under the hood
    Automatic OpenAPI/Swagger docs generation with Pydantic models
    Strong type hints and validation system using Pydantic
    Growing community and enterprise adoption
     
Weaknesses :
    Primarily designed for APIs, not full-stack apps
    Smaller ecosystem compared to Django or Flask (but growing rapidly)
    Less mature in terms of plugins and integrations

✅ Best For : Building modern, high-performance APIs quickly and safely, especially with async capabilities and real-time features.
4. Tornado

Type : Async networking library + web framework
Use Case : Long-polling, WebSockets, and real-time services
Strengths :
    Non-blocking I/O allows handling tens of thousands of open connections
    Native support for WebSockets and streaming
    Good for real-time services like chat apps, live dashboards
     
Weaknesses :
    Steeper learning curve
    Less active development compared to FastAPI or Starlette
    Not commonly used outside niche use cases

✅ Best For : Applications requiring native async support and real-time communication.
5. Pyramid

Type : Flexible, scalable web framework
    Use Case : Medium to large-scale applications where flexibility is key
     
Strengths :
    Extremely flexible: scales from simple scripts to complex systems
    Configurable architecture with pluggable components
    Supports both function-based and class-based views
     
Weaknesses :
    Smaller community than Django or Flask
    Documentation is thorough but less beginner-friendly
    Lacks the "batteries-included" approach

✅ Best For : Developers who want fine-grained control over their application structure and don’t mind assembling parts manually.
6. Starlette & Quart

Starlette :
    ASGI toolkit/framework focused on speed and modularity
    Async-native, supports GraphQL, WebSockets, HTTP/2, etc.
    Often used as a base layer for other frameworks (e.g., FastAPI)
     
Quart :
    Async-compatible fork of Flask
    Maintains Flask syntax while supporting async routes and background tasks
     
Use Case : Lightweight async-first applications or those migrating legacy Flask apps to async

✅ Best For : Developers seeking async capabilities without abandoning Flask-like syntax (Quart) or needing a highly performant base layer (Starlette).

[rootsom]

Yo folks 👋,

• Been in the trenches with FastAPI for most of 2024–2025, and honestly, it’s hard to look back. For me, developer experience and async performance are non-negotiables, and FastAPI just nails both. Type hints + auto-generated docs = pure joy, especially on large-scale APIs with microservices.

• That said, I’ve used Django on projects where batteries-included saved weeks of boilerplate — admin panel, auth, ORM, you name it. But the monolith vibe can be a pain to decouple at scale.

• Where FastAPI shines: blazing speed, great typing, async-first architecture — and the community is exploding with tools.

• Where it falls short: lack of built-in features can be a double-edged sword. You need to piece things together for stuff Django gives you out of the box (like admin or permissions).

• I migrated a REST-heavy internal dashboard from Flask to FastAPI — cut response times by 40%, dev velocity went up thanks to pydantic validations. Worth it.

[mecodeatlas]

Hey @jztchl!

Thanks for posting this! Love the topic — it’s a great conversation starter for backend devs.

Just a quick heads up: Since this is a more open-ended, programming-focused discussion (rather than product-specific feedback about GitHub Discussions), I’m moving it over to the Programming Help category. That way, more folks from the broader dev community can jump in and share their takes.

Looking forward to seeing everyone’s favorite Python frameworks for 2025! 🚀🔥

[Jones-peter]

Jsweb is the best python framework JsWeb

[alexted]

1. litestar - for high performance data serialization using msgspec
2. sanic and fastapi - because these are mature products with a large community and a wide range of ready-made solutions for all situations in life
3. Well, generally speaking, I believe that the future of backend development lies with TS/JS and Go.

[Jones-peter]

Then don’t use it. Nobody’s pitching JsWeb to you personally. If Sanic and FastAPI cover your needs, great move on. New tools don’t exist to satisfy your stack or your approval.

[alexted]

What part of “get the hell away from me” don't you understand?

[Jones-peter]

Then stop engaging you’re the one still talking dumb.

[alexted]

You came to me in the comments with your spam, started an argument about nothing, trying to prove something, even though I don't need it, so why the hell are you shutting me up now? Get the hell out of this thread before I report you for off-topic.

[Jones-peter]

You posted publicly, I replied that’s how comments work. You kept replying and now you’re crying “off-topic” because you don’t like pushback. If you actually wanted me gone, you’d stop talking but here you are, still barking. Report it if that makes you feel powerful 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.

[Arefin994]

🏆 Python Web Framework Crown (2025 Edition)

Short answer: there is no single “best” framework — but FastAPI is the closest thing to a 2025 default, while Django remains the enterprise king. Everything else shines in specific niches.

---

🥇 FastAPI — The 2025 Default

Used for: APIs, ML backends, SaaS, microservices

Why I chose it

• Async-first, not an afterthought
• Automatic OpenAPI / Swagger docs
• Pydantic gives strong typing + validation
• Extremely fast to prototype and deploy

Where it shines

• High-performance APIs
• AI/ML inference services
• Microservices and cloud-native systems
• Teams that care about DX and correctness

Where it fails

• Smaller ecosystem than Django
• You assemble features yourself (auth, admin, CMS)
• Async mistakes can cause subtle bugs

Hot take:
FastAPI didn’t just replace Flask — it replaced Flask plus a stack of extensions and duct tape.

---

🥈 Django — The Enterprise Tank

Used for: Large monoliths, admin-heavy platforms

Why I chose it

• Batteries-included philosophy
• Best ORM and admin panel in Python
• Massive ecosystem and long-term stability

Where it shines

• CRUD-heavy applications
• Internal tools and dashboards
• Teams that want structure and guardrails
• Long-lived enterprise products

Where it fails

• Overkill for API-only projects
• Async support still feels clunky
• Fighting Django’s conventions hurts productivity

Hot take:
Django isn’t slow — most performance issues come from bad usage, not the framework.

---

🥉 Flask — The Minimalist Veteran

Used for: Small services, quick prototypes

Why I chose it

• Minimal magic
• Easy to learn and reason about
• Full control over architecture

Where it shines

• Simple services
• Teaching backend fundamentals
• Solo projects

Where it fails

• You build the framework yourself
• Inconsistent project structures
• Large teams require heavy discipline

Hot take:
Flask is perfect for small teams, risky for large ones without strong standards.

---

⚡ Niche but Powerful

Sanic / Tornado

• Extremely fast
• Great for real-time systems
• Smaller ecosystems and higher learning curve

Pyramid

• Very flexible
• Underrated
• Easy to over-engineer

---

📌 What Matters Most When Choosing

1. Developer experience
2. Ecosystem and community
3. Team scalability (not just traffic)
4. Performance
5. Structure vs flexibility

---

🧠 Final Verdict

• APIs / ML / Startups (2025): FastAPI
• Enterprise / Admin / Monoliths: Django
• Learning / Small tools: Flask
• Real-time / edge cases: Sanic or Tornado

Real-world truth:
A well-architected “slower” framework beats a poorly written fast one every time.