Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Polars VS WinPython

Compare Polars VS WinPython and see what are their differences

Polars logo Polars

Polars is a highly performant DataFrame library for manipulating structured data. The core is written in Rust, but the library is also available in Python. Its key features are:

WinPython logo WinPython

The easiest way to run Python, Spyder with SciPy and friends out of the box on any Windows PC...
Not present
  • WinPython Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-18

Polars features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

WinPython features and specs

  • Portable
    WinPython is completely portable and can be run directly from a USB device without the need for installation, making it easy to use on different machines.
  • Pre-configured Environment
    It comes with a wide range of pre-installed packages commonly used in scientific computing, data analysis, and machine learning, saving time required for setup.
  • Standalone
    It includes a standalone version of Python and can be used alongside other Python installations without conflict, allowing for multiple environments.
  • Ease of Use
    The interface is user-friendly, including a comprehensive control panel that lets users manage their packages and environment easily.
  • Open Source
    WinPython is open-source, allowing users to modify and contribute to its development, fostering a collaborative improvement route.

Possible disadvantages of WinPython

  • Windows Only
    As the name suggests, WinPython is only available for Windows users, making it irrelevant for users of other operating systems like macOS or Linux.
  • Large Size
    The distribution is relatively large compared to other distributions, which can be a downside when dealing with limited storage or downloading bandwidth.
  • Update Management
    Managing updates for both the Python version and the individual packages can be cumbersome compared to alternatives like Anaconda, which can handle updates more seamlessly.
  • Resource Intensive
    It might consume more system resources, which can be a limitation for users working on machines with limited specifications compared to lighter setups.
  • Less Popular
    WinPython might have less community support and fewer resources available online compared to more popular distributions like Anaconda, which could be a concern for beginners seeking help.

Polars videos

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WinPython videos

[ENG] Python programming 1: WinPython/Anaconda Installation

More videos:

  • Review - #1 WinPython - installing, saving & loading
  • Review - Install Python 3 in Windows 10 | Winpython best Windows Python 3 IDE for win10 win7

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Polars and WinPython)
Data Science Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Python IDE
12 12%
88% 88
Text Editors
12 12%
88% 88
IDE
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Polars and WinPython. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, WinPython seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 19 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Polars mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Polars yet. Tracking of Polars recommendations started around May 2025.

WinPython mentions (19)

  • One path to connecting a Python script to a COM application on Windows
    STEP 1: Python on Windows What to install Download and install WinPython from https://winpython.github.io. I researched Python on Windows and in very short order understood that WinPython is the way to go. While it’s stated audience is scientists, data scientists and education, it fully serves the needs of personal projects. Also, it is available as a portable distribution with no requirement to register with... - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • qBitTorrent search plugins - portable python runtime ?
    How can I use the portable version of winpython from https://winpython.github.io to configure into qbittorrent to detect the runtime pre-requisites so that my portable qbittorent search can work? Thx in advanced. #portablepython. Source: about 2 years ago
  • What you guys use to process data? Excel? r? python?
    You equally are barred from e.g., WinPython which can work without an installation into the OS, too? Then - mechanically speaking - it wouldn't matter that the USB ports are permanently plastered with some polymer. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Jupyterlab Desktop
    Thank for answering. I understand that the interpreter situation can be annoying. There is WinPython [0] to circumvent that to some degree. I feel like if I don’t do it the „VSCode and py-file“ way, it’ll be more and more difficult to keep everything together when teaching about modularity and putting functions in helper scripts, putting tests in other directories and such. I think it’s just because I got used to... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • How to learn Python without installation
    One option would be to use a portable Python runtime. Like this one: https://winpython.github.io/. Source: over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Polars and WinPython, you can also consider the following products

Anaconda - Anaconda is the leading open data science platform powered by Python.

PyCharm - Python & Django IDE with intelligent code completion, on-the-fly error checking, quick-fixes, and much more...

Python Package Index - A repository of software for the Python programming language

Portable Python - Minimum bare bones portable python distribution with PyScripter as development environment.

Pandas - Pandas is an open source library providing high-performance, easy-to-use data structures and data analysis tools for the Python.

Spyder - The Scientific Python Development Environment