Django vs Flask: Make the Right Choice

The words Python and Django might feel synonymous to each other for a few as Django has been the go-to framework for most developers. Flask was introduced as a simpler and lighter alternative to Django. Though there are other Python frameworks, these two are the most widely used. Having used both these frameworks in our software development projects, we are well aware of all the pros and cons on each side. So we will be going through the differences in detail in our Django vs Flask blog. But before that, let’s have a small introduction to both Django and Flask.

Django

Django was first launched in 2005 and due to its long presence in the field, it has great documentation and a large community of Django developers who are very supportive. So if you need help while adding new features or APIs, there will be a high chance for it to be readily available.

Django is commonly referred to as Model View Template (MVT) due to its architecture. So in our Django vs Flask blog, we will see how it differs from the Model View Controller (MVC) architecture of Flask.

Model:

The models are just regular Python files where we structure the table for making it easy to create, edit and delete the data. Using these models we can create tables in the database of your choice such as PostgreSQL, MariaDB, MySQL, Oracle, and SQLite. This is one of the major advantages of Django as you will not be needed to execute raw SQL queries.

View:

The view is used to accept HTTP requests, process them, and return the HTTP response. This is where the main logic is given (i.e) the required data will be retrieved from the database by using Django queries. After which, it will render the data to create the user interface using templates.

Template:

The Template is where we will have all the HTML files that will be rendered and shown as a web page. HTML pages can be dynamically created using an HTML template from views where data will be populated from the views. Flask will have a Controller in its architecture instead of this and we will be exploring that in the later stage of our Django vs Flask blog.

URL:

To make it even easier, Django has a file called urls.py that can be used to map the URLs to the views. So the URL mapper can be used in Django to redirect the HTTP requests to the respective view in views.py. In addition to that, will also be able to pass data like User ID to the URL and get that in the view.

Flask

Flask was released in 2010, 5 years after the launch of Django. Though it was launched later, it has been used by many top software development outsourcing companies and has been in the industry for more than a decade. So that one factor alone cannot be used to rule out Flask in our Django vs Flask comparison.

As stated earlier in our Django vs Flask blog, Flask uses the MVC architecture which is Model, View, and Controller. So the flow will be the user requesting to view a web page by entering the URL that will be handled by routes.

Models:

Models have access to the database. The direct access to the database by models for getting the data will be directly used by the controller.

The data from models will be accessed after it will be passed to the view so it renders the requested page.

Views:

The view in MVC is responsible for the part where we display the data. It could be just a string or a fully operational HTML page with great design.

In Flask there is a way to send the data during the rendering of an HTML page and display that data by looping through it using jinja syntax.

Controller:

Flask requires its users to define specific URL routes to determine which page has to be displayed or rendered for which URL. So when the user enters the URL, the application finds the relevant matching route. And when it finds the correct route, it calls the associated controller action. So the controller is like the middleman between the view and the model.

Now that we have seen an overview of both, let’s move on to the Django vs Flask tabular comparison.

Django vs Flask

Django vs Flask: Which should you Choose?

So by now, you would have understood that choosing between Django and Flask is not a simple this or that type of question. They are both great frameworks that have their own individual features and characteristics. But that doesn’t mean you can pick a framework that is most suitable for your needs. So we’ll now list out a few focus points that will help you choose.

Project Scale: Django is best suited for mega projects that require lots of logic, data, and APIs. But on the other hand, Flask is best suited for smaller and simple projects.

Learning Curve: Flask is easy to learn and so you can complete the project with less time compared to Django. On the contrary, you’ll need extensive knowledge for creating a project in Django.

UI: Django offers an administration interface that enables you to create, read, edit, and delete data from the admin UI. But this feature is not available in Flask.

Security: If security is a major concern for you when choosing the right framework, you can go proceed with Django as it offers built-in authorization features.

API Support: But if you need API support, then Flask is the best choice as Django doesn’t provide any support for API.

Conclusion

We hope you now have a clear picture as to which framework will be suitable for you after reading our Django vs Flask blog. We have used both Django and Flask based on the project’s needs to deliver top-notch software development consulting services. We recommend you make your decision in a similar way. Because it is not just about choosing the best option in the market, it is about choosing the best option for you. Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to not miss out on any of our latest updates.