Compare Flask and Falcon
Flask is a Python web framework for building web applications. It is based on Werkzeug and Jinja 2. It is a minimalist, 'no batteries included' framework. Yet it can be scaled extensively and support complex applications and use cases by adding required functionality as needed. It follows the philosophy that if something needs to be initialized, it should be initialized by the developer.
Falcon is a minimalist WSGI library for building web APIs, app backends and microservices. Compared to Django and Flask, it is fast, extensible, reliable, and encourages RESTful style. It doesn't come with batteries included and is ideal for applications that require a high level of customization. The fminimalist design allows developers to select the best strategies and 3rd-party packages from the Python ecosystem.
Let's see how Flask and Falcon compare on various factors and features and which to choose when.
Type
Python microframework for building web applications.
Type
The minimalist REST and app backend framework for Python with a focus on reliability, correctness, and performance at scale.
Used by 397,000 projects.
Used by
Netflix, Zillow, Lyft.
Used by
LinkedIn, Leadpages, Wargaming, and Rackspace.
1067 job openings which list Flask as a requirement.
100 job openings which list Falcon as a requirement.
Because it is minimal and doesn't have a lot of overhead, Flask is very performant. Extensions could impact performance negatively.
Very fast, even when compared to microframeworks like Flask. See the
benchmarks. *Caution* - The benchmarks are from the vendor itself.
Flexibility
Very flexible and doesn't require users to use any particular project or code layout. (A structured approach is still recommended.)
Flexibility
Very flexible. Ideal for applications that require a high degree of customization and performance tuning.
Ease of Learning
Flask is simple and its core features are not difficult to learn. There are also plenty of online resources available to aid in learning.
Ease of Learning
Has a slight learning curve but there are some great online resources, courses tutorials and YouTube videos.
RDBMS Support
Through Plugins or Extensions
Flask doesn't come with a built-in ORM framework. Developers can use one of many open source libraries or extensions. Such as
Flask-SQLAlchemy,
Flask-Pony, etc.
RDBMS Support
Doesn't ship with one but developers can use the database library of their choice such as SQLAlchemy.
NoSQL Support
NoSQL databases are supported through open source libraries or extensions. To use MongoDB with Flask,
Flask-PyMong is a popular choice. CouchDB, Cassandra, and DynamoDB are also supported via libraries.
Verdict Flask is a great choice if you want to develop for a NoSQL database.
NoSQL Support
Doesn't come with built-in libraries but makes it easy for developers to use library of their choice such as MongoEngine to interact with MongoDB.
Admin Dashboard
Through Plugins or Extensions
No built-in admin panel, but you can use the
Flask-Admin extension. It supports a number of backends like SQLAlchemy, MongoEngine, Peewee etc.
Admin Dashboard
Through Plugins or Extensions
Does not ship with a web-based admin.
REST Support
Encourages the REST architectural style by design. Resource classes implement HTTP method handlers that resolve requests and perform state transitions.
Security
Despite being a minimalist Framework, Flask does an excellent job of addressing common security concerns like CSRF, XSS, JSON security and
more out of the box. 3rd party extensions like
Flask-Security can be used for common security measures. However, it requires that developers evaluate these extensions carefully for security risks and apply timely updates manually when vulnerabilities are discovered.
Security
No built-in protection but minimal attack surface for writing secure APIs
Templating Library
Flask uses
Jinja2 out of the box.
Templating Library
Doesn't ship with one but developers can use Jinja2 or Mako.
Web Forms
No built-in support but there is
Flask-WTF extention. For SQLAlchemy support, that is, to create forms based on models, there is
WTForms-Alchemy
Authentication
Not built-in but can be easily extended using authentication middlewares like
falcon-auth2.
Testing
Built-in support using Python's
unittest framework.
Testing
Support using unittest and pytest. Read more
here.
How is performance rating determined?
Performance rating is determined using reputable online benchmarks listed below.
Where is job data coming from?
Job data is collected from Indeed, Google Jobs and Stack Overflow jobs.
How is popularity calculated?
Popularity is calculated using a formula which looks at weighted score on the following publicly available data points:
- Popularity per Google Trends
- Number of GitHub Users
- Number of GitHub Stars
How is this calculated?
Ease of learning is calculated using the following data:
- Number of features and depth of tool.
- Number of online resources: articles, blogs, tutorials and YouTube videos.
- Number of courses
- Freshness of online material
For example, a microframework may not have a lot of online resources but still get a high-rating because it's minamalistic and easy to learn just by following official documentation.
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