Django vs Laravel: Which is Best for Your Backend Development and Why?

Table of Contents

Django vs Laravel: Overview

The struggles associated with choosing the proper framework for backend development are a never-ending hustle. Though several backend development frameworks are available for your disposal, the two most acclaimed ones are Django and Laravel. In fact, the recent StackOverflow survey 2023 shows both frameworks holding their position in the top 15 popular frameworks list. Before moving to the detailed comparison between the two, let us look at the circumferential overview of Django vs Laravel.

What is Django?

The backend Django is precisely an open-source high-level framework written in Python. It is licensed by a 3-clause BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) license and follows an MVT architecture that promotes fast development, efficient and cleaner code with pragmatic design. Django also has a built-in database support SQLite.

Features of Django

The primary objective of Django is to ease the development of complex web applications in lesser time. And similar to Laravel, Django also has numerous features that help achieve this intent. Let’s have a look at a few features of Django:

• Free and Open Source
• Optimized
• Scalable
• Flexible & Versatile
• Security
• Community
• Fully Featured

What is Laravel?

Laravel is an open-source PHP-based web framework renowned for server-side processing, HTML authentication, templating, and others. It follows an MVC architecture. As a server-side framework, Laravel allows you to build pre-defined architectures, modifiable backend logic, full-stack apps, and web projects (such as routing sessions, caching, and others.) You can also manage SaaS products within Laravel.

Laravel implicates several features that involve the essential elements of the PHP frameworks, such as CodeIgniter, Yii, and various other languages like Ruby on Rails. It also possesses a set of features that reduce development time.

Product owners who are comfortable with Core PHP and Advanced PHP can work efficiently with Laravel and save time which otherwise would be required to be invested in building a website from scratch. Also, the web apps build in Laravel have robust security.

Features of Laravel Framework

Laravel possesses a wide assortment of features that help product owners to create exceptional apps with unique functionalities too easily. Let’s have a look at a few of them:

• Libraries and Modular
• Template Engine
• Artisan
• Reverse Routing
• MVC Architecture Support
• Database Seeding
• Localization Validation
• File System
• Application Logic

Given above are the Features of Laravel. You can have detailed information about these features per your project’s requirements.

So, this is the basic overview of both the frameworks and the extensive features they offer business owners. Now, let’s take a quick view of the Laravel vs Django Comparison Table before we dive deep into the thorough details of it.

Django vs Laravel Comparison Table

Laravel is a framework with expressive and elegant syntax, whereas Django is a framework that promotes fast development and clean and pragmatic design. Considering these factors, we have consolidated a tabular presentation of the difference between Django vs Laravel below.

Now that you have better insights through the tabular comparison of Laravel vs Django, let us move towards their in-depth comparison.

Django vs Laravel: In-Depth Comparison

These two frameworks have a few out-of-the-box attributes that make them unique and preferred by the product owners. But, to know in detail which of the two should be your ideal pic, an in-depth comparison is the best solution. So, without any delay, let’s move forward with it.

Django vs Laravel: Which is more popular in 2024-25?

Laravel and Django have made a mark in the market and have seen substantial growth. According to Github, Laravel possesses 78.8k Stars and 24.1k Forks, while Django possesses 80.9k Stars and 31.8k Forks.

According to Google Trends, both frameworks have shown a considerable upsurge in terms of the preferences of the product owners.

Referring to a comparison on SimilarTech, both frameworks are almost equally popular, with Laravel being used by around 133,542 websites, of which 95,502 are on unique domains. In contrast, Django is used by 81,482 websites, of which 49,948 are on unique domains.

Diving deeper into the comparison metric of Laravel vs Django Popularity, we can see that Laravel seems more preferred in Computer Electronics & Technology, Arts & Entertainment, Law & Government, Finance, and Business & Consumer Services. At the same time, Django is preferred in Science & Education and Hobbies & Leisure.

Talking about Django vs Laravel Market Share, Django again lags behind Laravel as per SimilarTech.

However, considering the StackOverflow Survey 2023, Laravel is preferred by only 7.58% of developers, while Django is preferred by 11.47% of developers.

Looking at the current statistics, it is feasible to expect both the frameworks, Laravel and Django would rise up high in terms of popularity and market share. As for now, Django is more popular than Laravel if we compare them side by side.

Django vs Laravel Performance Comparison

Performance is an essential component of any web application. As you know, nobody likes a web app that takes too much time to load. Considering the same under the Django vs Laravel performance benchmark, factors like hardware resources, storage space, and memory can affect your app’s performance. And, choosing the wrong framework can negatively impact your app’s performance and reduce your market credibility.

Django, powered by Python, generally offers faster execution and a streamlined development process, which makes it a preferred option when you need to handle high-traffic apps efficiently. While Django is an excellent choice in terms of performance, it does encounter minor slowdowns with specific tasks, such as JSON serialization and complex query processing. However, these issues can be overcome by deploying high-performing hardware, identifying the best use cases, and implementing the best web app development practices. Overall, Django’s performance capabilities make it a strong contender for apps requiring rapid processing and scalability. So, if you need to use Django to speed up your development processes, you can hire Django developers to boost your web app performance.

On the other hand, Laravel, built on PHP, has many compelling built-in features that can significantly impact its performance in a negative way. Still, after PHP 7’s release, Laravel has experienced boosted memory efficiency and performance without any doubt. However, Laravel’s extensive ecosystem of tools and libraries can introduce some latency, making it slightly slower than Django in handling high data loads. Nonetheless, Laravel’s powerful features and ease of use make it a popular choice, especially for developers focusing on rapid feature development.

Django vs Laravel: Speed Comparison

When we are talking about web development, we cannot forget another important aspect; application speed, which impacts both user experience and app scalability. Django is specifically designed for speed and efficiency, with various tools and libraries that simplify and expedite development. Django’s has the ability to quickly compile and execute code, which further makes it a perfect choice for projects with tight deadlines. Additionally, its ORM optimizes database interactions and reduces the time taken for data retrieval and processing.

Laravel, on the contrary, offers a powerful, efficient framework to craft feature-rich apps. However, it is often considered slower than Django. Although PHP 7 and newer versions have significantly improved Laravel’s speed, its extensive feature set and complex architecture can result in higher execution times. Laravel’s caching mechanisms and optimization techniques allow programmers to improve its speed for specific use cases as well as to enhance user experience.

When comparing the two, Django overtakes Laravel in terms of speed, particularly for apps that require performance and fast execution. However, Laravel remains a strong contender when your project seeks flexibility, rapid feature deployment, and its extensive capabilities.

Django vs Laravel: Application Architecture

Choosing a flexible framework instead of a stiff one can help ensure adaptability and ease of use during development. Further, it is always an excellent choice to consider a framework as a guide, not a rule or method. Keeping the same in mind, let’s compare the application architecture of Django and Laravel to understand their structural differences and suitability for various projects.

Django follows an MVT architecture that is almost identical to the MVC architecture but with a slight twist. In Django, the template files contain HTML and Django Template Language, which performs the controller’s task of creating dynamic and personalized web experiences. This makes Django an ideal choice for projects of all sizes that require immediate modifications without disrupting the overall structure.

Laravel, on the other hand, follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture that allows dividing the workload of the product owners to simplify the development process. This separation makes Laravel a preferred option for projects that need precise control over the application. Any kind of changes can be made quickly without affecting the other segments. Further, this enhances the implementation of external APIs and reusing app logic with Laravel’s MVC architecture. Additionally, you can create a separate strong app backend support, but it will be challenging to modify and unsuitable for developing larger apps.

Django vs Laravel: Scalability

Every time a business owner decides to get an app developed for their business, the one thing that must be kept in mind is Scalability. The choice of framework can directly impact scalability, enabling the app to adjust efficiently to business needs. When comparing Django vs Laravel in terms of scalability, both the frameworks offer features to support scalable development, but their approaches and capabilities differ.

First, we will discuss the scalability of Django. It is highly scalable, thanks to its foundation in Python and its robust architecture. Django is particularly well-suited to craft apps that require complex operations like integrating Machine Learning (ML) or Artificial Intelligence (AI). Django’s flexible design ensures the app’s smooth performance under heavy traffic and high-load conditions. Selecting Django helps maintain optimal speed and reliability. The framework also supports optimizing elements like CSS, images, and databases, song with utilizing cloud solutions and CDN, which further enhances scalability.

Laravel is also a good option for scalability as it is based on the PHP language, which is beneficial for growing businesses. Laravel can achieve horizontal scaling efficiently if a good load balancer and database are added. The Laravel-powered apps can be scaled smoothly to pair with solutions like AWS, MySQL, and advanced caching mechanisms. However, if we compare Laravel with Django, Laravel’s scalability may require more customization and optimization due to PHP’s inherent limitations. In terms of scalability, Django indeed has the upper hand over Laravel due to its superior handling of high-traffic and resource-intensive operations.

Django vs Laravel: Community

Community is of utmost importance, especially when you are a product owner. At any stage, if your development process gets stuck at a place, the frameworks with extensive community support turn out to be of great help. Let’s have a look at the community support of these two frameworks.

Django has community support of approx. 82k members on Reddit, 66.9k Stars, 28k Forks on Github, and approx. 250k questions tagged in StackOverflow. This is not it; the Django community is growing tremendously and will grow in the future. The Community is also active and is readily available in case of any assistance.

Considering the Laravel community involves approx. 46k active users, 18k threads, 71.2k Github Stars, and 23k Github Forks. The Laravel community is also very active, which can be realized because the maximum time to resolve a query is at max. 3 days. Further, the community interexchange Laravel podcasts, news, documents, repositories, etc.

Django vs Laravel: Learning Curve

Learning Curve, as we know, can vary from person to person but talking about the general learning curve, Django almost has no learning curve as it is very easy to learn and becomes even more simplified if you are familiar with Python’s syntax. Django offers better code readability, making it easy for beginners to learn and implement

However, it is not the case with Laravel it is not the case it has a steep learning curve. Though, it can be overcome using tools like Lara casts and thorough documentation, which may help to learn.

Django vs Laravel: REST API

REST API is a type of API that allows interaction with the RESTful services by aligning with the REST architecture. The APIs act as the common ground between the User request and the services they want to access, which are all secured with the help of authentication, control, and security. Here comes the need to choose a framework that offers better REST API support, as it might be a tedious task to manage limited access to these APIs due to the framework.

Django has no inbuilt feature that supports the building of APIs. So, there is a need for a third-party library to use APIs with Django. However, Laravel has inbuilt API support. The queries return to JSON by default. So, it is evident that if the project demands an API integration per the client’s needs, then Laravel is a better choice.

Laravel vs Django: Security

Internet Security is a crucial issue these days. An attack on the security and data of a web app not only hampers the image of the business owner and their product but also puts the User’s data at significant risk and fraud. So the need for a secure framework is becoming vital and raises the question, Is Django more secure than Laravel?

The answer is Yes; Django is far more secure than Laravel as it uses the Python language; therefore, whether it is a complex app or a simple one, it has almost no effect on the security of Django. Also, Python is one of the market’s most secure languages, making Django safer naturally. It also involves a safe user authentication system that manages the accounts and passwords. Further, Django has a few standard security protocols that prevent common security errors like cross-site requests, XSS, clickjacking, forgery, etc.

Contrary to this, Laravel has a greater risk of security than Django as it uses the PHP language; though the Laravel community is working hard to improve this issue and accessible Laravel and PHP from security threats, it is a time taking task and hence, making a safer choice is a better option.

Laravel uses salted and hashed passwords that do not allow passwords to be saved in the form of plain text in the database. Further, it utilizes the “Bcrypt Hashing Algorithm” for creating an encrypted password representation. It also has mechanisms to safeguard users from cyberattacks like XSS, SQL injection, intercepting data, harmful cookies, etc.

However, the safer web framework between Django vs Laravel is Django. This is why biggies like NASA use it.

Django vs Laravel: Testing and Debugging

Django offers a wide range of tools to make the test-writing process easy. Further, its extensive documentation allows you to deploy great web apps without errors. It also allows you to test all the logic layers and make your web app completely error-free.

Laravel has many testing tools that allow for building a bug-free app. However, this wide assortment of tools and resources for testing can be a bit overwhelming. Laravel tests code in two distinct levels: Unit and Feature, to make the testing process more efficient.

Laravel, by default, has robust testing documentation and provides all the tools you need to test the application environment at several levels, including the ability to conduct mock tests by mocking application codes and events.

Laravel vs Django: Supported Libraries

Django is a “batteries included” framework with an extensive library of packages. Multiple self-contained packages present reusable features that can be effective for many projects. A few renowned Python-based libraries in Django are Django Rest Framework, Django-cors-headers, Django Filters, and Django Storages.

Laravel also has an extensive set of libraries that allow building web apps. Laravel supports a striking suite of Object-Oriented Libraries and pre-installed libraries. It also has comprehensive packages to help improve the app performance, such as Spatie, Laravel Debugbar, Entrust, and Socialite, to name a few.

Microservices Compatibility: Django vs Laravel

Django offers multiple features like inbuilt security, fast development, and deployment, and it is versatile in nature, making it an excellent choice for microservices architecture. The critical benefit of the microservice architecture for Django is that though it allows significant scope for scaling, involving microservices and breaking them down into more minor functionalities makes it simple to work in the same. Another reason to use microservices in Django is to introduce machine learning features within your web app development.

Laravel involves the PHP language, which supports microservices. In Laravel, the the app is broken modularly into small blocks, with every block having a different set of functionality. All these blocks interact via APIs, making the app functional and compatible with microservices architecture. The Laravel microservices have recently gained much popularity; a developer brought up a framework called “Lumen,” a simple, lightweight version of Laravel for microservices.

Even though Lumen and Laravel are trying to keep up with Django’s efficiency and effectiveness, Django is still better than Laravel in this segment.

Laravel vs Django: Documentation

The documentation in every framework is like a tour guide that not only involves the process and the other details of the framework but is also a way to get the solution to most of the problems faced by the product owners during the development process.

Django has extensive, informative, and effortless documentation, with complete details on all aspects. Its contents are organized and cross-referenced with a detailed explanation of each concept with illustrations. Django has a detailed and illustrative description for every less renowned terminology that helps you better understand the same. It also offers a wide range of tutorials, easy-to-navigate API references, and more. Further, the the source code in it is easily readable with guides, walkthroughs, references, conceptual explanations, and other use cases.

Additionally, the documentation explains standard tools for web apps, their core functionalities, performance optimization, and more. You can refer to the FAQs, index, or report bugs using the ticket tracker. Hence, we can infer that Django offers one of the best documentation of all the frameworks available in the market.

However, Laravel is far behind Django’s documentation; it lacks the latest maintenance and updates accompanying the framework’s complexity. It also involves definitive explanations, but even after being long and detailed, they are not up to the mark or per the product owners’ requirements, like the examples on Eloquent ORM and APIs. Furthermore, the documentation is fragmented and not up to the mark, and it is tedious to navigate to relevant API pages.

Laravel vs Django: When to Choose What?

Django and Laravel both deliver optimal results in backend development for your web app, but choosing the right framework based on the web application you wish to build contributes to making your app stand out. Below are a few Laravel vs Django Use Cases that would help you choose the right framework for your next project.

Choose Laravel When:

• Building web apps hosted as a service
• Building interactive website layouts
• Building websites that offer on-demand videos
• Creating an advanced app without adding overhead components or additional costs
• Building a Web application for e-learning
• Building Stock Trading web management systems
• Building reward and recognition featured apps
• Creating multilingual CMSs
• Building a performance monitoring app for website-hosted computer

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Choose Django When:

• Building Scalable applications
• Creating ORM support for web applications
• Creating Backend APIs
• Building a customizable and dynamic social media website
• Building data-driven apps for travel, food, and hospitality industries
• Building Data powered applications
• Integrating Machine Learning into applications

Django vs Laravel - Which One Should You Choose?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are Laravel and Django Backend or Frontend Frameworks?

Laravel and Django are both backend frameworks and are open-source, helping develop exceptional backends for your web application.

Is Django still relevant in 2024-25?

Yes, Django is relevant in 2024-25 as it is gaining a lot of popularity in recent years and have shown considerable growth potential with a continuous upsurge in growth and preference among the developer community.

Laravel vs Django which is better?

Regarding Django vs Laravel Speed, Django outperforms Laravel to a certain extent, but both frameworks still offer exceptional backend development results. The best answer to this question is that it totally depends on your needs and requirements, which of the two frameworks is better for you.

Is Django slower than Laravel?

Django is a bit faster than Laravel as Django uses the Python language, which offers fast execution, whereas Laravel uses the PHP language, which is comparatively slower than Python.