Comparing
A high-level Python web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design
Python HTTP for Humans
| Metric | django | requests |
|---|---|---|
| Ecosystem | Python | Python |
| Difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| Weekly downloads | 9.9M | 324.9M↑ |
| Latest version | v6.0.3 | v2.33.1 |
| Recipes | 1 | 3↑ |
django only
Shared
requests only
Use Django for full-stack web applications that need user accounts, an admin interface for content management, forms with validation, or an ORM for complex data relationships. It's the right choice when you want a complete, production-ready framework with a well-trodden path for common features.
Use requests for any synchronous HTTP work: calling REST APIs, scraping web pages, downloading files, or integrating with webhooks. It's the right default for scripts, CLI tools, and Django/Flask backends that don't need async.
Django is heavy for pure REST APIs — the ORM, templates, and admin panel add weight you don't use. FastAPI is a better starting point for API-only projects. Django's synchronous-by-default nature (though async support has improved) can also be a constraint for highly concurrent applications.
Avoid requests when you're writing async code — it will block your event loop. Switch to httpx (drop-in async API) or aiohttp for FastAPI backends, async scrapers, or anything running inside asyncio.
django
requests