Django REST framework vs Starlette: What are the differences?

Key Differences between Django REST framework and Starlette:

1. Routing and URL Handling: Django REST framework (DRF) provides a built-in URL routing system, where developers can define their API endpoints using a simple and intuitive syntax. On the other hand, Starlette requires developers to handle routing manually, allowing for more flexibility and control.

2. Performance and Scalability: Starlette is designed to be a high-performance asynchronous framework, leveraging the power of asynchronous programming models like asyncio. It is well-suited for building scalable and efficient APIs that can handle a large number of concurrent requests. DRF, while being powerful, does not have the same level of scalability and performance out of the box.

3. Authentication and Authorization: DRF has robust and versatile authentication and authorization capabilities, supporting various authentication schemes such as token-based authentication, session authentication, and OAuth. Starlette, on the other hand, is a lightweight framework that does not provide built-in authentication and authorization features. Developers have the freedom to choose and integrate their preferred authentication and authorization systems.

4. Database Support: DRF is tightly integrated with Django's powerful ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) system, which provides seamless support for various databases such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, and Oracle. Starlette, being a more minimalistic framework, does not have built-in ORM support but allows developers to use any asynchronous-compatible database libraries or ORM.

5. Middleware and Request/Response Handling: DRF provides extensive middleware support for handling requests and responses, enabling developers to easily implement features like CSRF protection, caching, and logging. Starlette also supports middleware but follows a more lightweight approach, allowing developers to write their own request/response handlers with greater control and customization options.

6. Scalability and Extensibility: In terms of scalability and extensibility, DRF provides a comprehensive set of tools and features for building complex APIs quickly. It has a large and active community, offering a wide range of third-party packages, extensions, and integrations. Starlette, while not as feature-rich as DRF, is highly extensible and allows developers to add custom functionality using its lightweight architecture.

In summary, Django REST framework offers a more opinionated and feature-rich approach to building RESTful APIs, providing convenient tools for routing, authentication, and database integration. On the other hand, Starlette is a lightweight and high-performance asynchronous framework, offering greater flexibility and control over routing and request handling, but with less built-in functionality and database support.