AIOHTTP vs Tornado: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this article, we will discuss the key differences between AIOHTTP and Tornado, which are both popular Python web frameworks. By understanding these differences, developers can choose the framework that best suits their needs and requirements.

1. Concurrency Model: AIOHTTP is built on top of asyncio, which is a library for asynchronous programming in Python. It utilizes coroutines and event loops to achieve high concurrency, allowing multiple tasks to be executed concurrently. On the other hand, Tornado follows a traditional "single-threaded with event loop" model, where it uses non-blocking I/O to handle multiple connections simultaneously.

2. Performance: Due to its asynchronous nature, AIOHTTP can handle a large number of concurrent connections efficiently. It is well-suited for applications that require high performance and scalability. Tornado also offers good performance but is more suitable for applications that require long-lived connections or streaming data.

3. Ease of Use: AIOHTTP provides a simple and intuitive API for building web applications. It supports both server-side and client-side programming, making it versatile for various use cases. Tornado, on the other hand, has a more complex API and requires a thorough understanding of its asynchronous nature. It may have a steeper learning curve for developers who are new to asynchronous programming.

4. Middleware and Plugins: AIOHTTP has a middleware system that allows developers to add custom logic to the request/response processing pipeline. It also has a variety of plugins available for easy integration with third-party services. Tornado, on the other hand, follows a different approach by using Mixins and Decorators to add functionality to request handlers.

5. Community and Ecosystem: AIOHTTP has gained popularity in recent years and has a growing community of developers. It has an active ecosystem with numerous libraries and tools available for various use cases. Tornado, on the other hand, has been around for a longer time and has a mature ecosystem with a wide range of community-contributed modules and libraries.

6. Compatibility: AIOHTTP is a pure Python library and can run on various platforms and Python versions. It supports Python 3.6 and above. Tornado, on the other hand, also supports Python 3.x versions but has limited compatibility with Python 2.x.

In summary, AIOHTTP and Tornado are both powerful web frameworks with different approaches to handling concurrency and asynchronous programming. AIOHTTP is well-suited for applications that require high performance and scalability, while Tornado is more suitable for long-lived connections and streaming data. Developers should consider their specific requirements and skillset when choosing between these frameworks.