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pyglet VS PyQt

Compare pyglet VS PyQt and see what are their differences

pyglet logo pyglet

Cross-platform windowing and multimedia library for Python.

PyQt logo PyQt

Riverbank | Software | PyQt | What is PyQt?
  • pyglet Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-08
  • PyQt Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-18

pyglet features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Pyglet is designed to work on Windows, macOS, and Linux, allowing developers to create applications that are easily portable across different operating systems.
  • No External Dependencies
    Pyglet does not require any external dependencies or additional installations, simplifying the setup process and reducing potential compatibility issues.
  • Rich Media Support
    Pyglet natively supports a wide range of image, audio, and video formats, facilitating the development of multimedia applications.
  • OpenGL Integration
    Offers comprehensive support for OpenGL, enabling developers to create high-performance graphics and make use of advanced rendering techniques.
  • Event-Driven Architecture
    Pyglet provides a flexible event-driven architecture, making it easier to manage user inputs and other events in a clean and organized manner.

Possible disadvantages of pyglet

  • Limited Community and Resources
    Compared to some other libraries, Pyglet has a smaller community and fewer tutorials or online resources, which can make learning and problem-solving more challenging.
  • Performance
    While Pyglet is adequate for many applications, it might not be the best choice for very high-performance requirements or very large-scale games without significant optimization.
  • Less Abstraction for Beginners
    Unlike some other libraries or frameworks, Pyglet requires a good understanding of graphics programming concepts as it doesn't abstract as much detail away, which might be intimidating for beginners.
  • Sparse Development Updates
    Pyglet's updates and new releases are somewhat infrequent, which might lead to concerns about long-term maintenance and feature additions.

PyQt features and specs

  • Comprehensive UI library
    PyQt provides a wide range of UI components, from basic widgets to advanced tools. This allows for the creation of highly sophisticated interfaces.
  • Cross-platform
    Applications built with PyQt can run on different operating systems such as Windows, macOS, and Linux without requiring significant changes in the code.
  • Integration with Qt Designer
    Developers can use Qt Designer to design and implement their UIs visually, which can then be seamlessly integrated with Python code in PyQt.
  • Powerful event handling
    PyQt includes a highly efficient event handling system that makes it easy to manage user interactions and system events.
  • Good documentation and community support
    PyQt is well-documented, and there's a large community of developers who can provide support and share resources.
  • Python-specific advantages
    Leveraging Python's simplicity and readability, PyQt allows for rapid development and easy maintenance of applications.

Possible disadvantages of PyQt

  • License considerations
    PyQt is available under the GPL and a commercial license. If you want to create proprietary software without open-sourcing your code, you need to purchase a commercial license.
  • Steep learning curve
    While PyQt is powerful, it can have a steep learning curve for newcomers, particularly those who are not familiar with Qt and its paradigms.
  • Performance overhead
    Being a binding for Qt, some operations may have extra overhead compared to native Qt applications written in C++.
  • Dependency on external libraries
    PyQt relies on the Qt library, which means that you have to manage and distribute these dependencies along with your application.
  • Large binary sizes
    Applications created with PyQt can result in relatively large binary sizes because of the included Qt binaries.
  • Fragmentation of tools
    There can be fragmentation concerns, as PyQt must stay in sync with Qt, and different versions of Qt may introduce changes that are not immediately reflected in PyQt.

Analysis of PyQt

Overall verdict

  • PyQt is considered a good choice for developers looking to create robust, high-performance desktop applications with Python. Its ability to leverage the powerful Qt framework makes it a reliable option for both beginners and experienced developers.

Why this product is good

  • PyQt is a set of Python bindings for the Qt libraries, allowing developers to create cross-platform applications with native look and feel. It provides comprehensive support for building GUI applications and includes an extensive range of modules and functions, making it suitable for both simple and complex projects. Additionally, it benefits from a large and active community, extensive documentation, and commercial support from Riverbank Computing.

Recommended for

  • Developers looking for cross-platform GUI toolkits
  • Projects that require a modern, native look and feel
  • Development teams requiring robust commercial support
  • Python developers interested in leveraging a well-documented and extensive framework

pyglet videos

Pyglet Python and OpenGL - part 01 - Hello Triangle

More videos:

  • Review - PyCon.DE 2018: 3D Graphics in Python with Ratcave and Pyglet - Nicholas A. Del Grosso

PyQt videos

Python Top 3 GUI Frameworks In 2019 (PyQt5, wxPython, TKinter)

More videos:

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to pyglet and PyQt)
Game Development
100 100%
0% 0
Development Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Game Engine
100 100%
0% 0
Rapid Application Development

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare pyglet and PyQt

pyglet Reviews

Top 6 Python Framework for Game Development | by Ankur Kumar | unikaksha | Medium
Pyglet is a windowing and multimedia library used to create games and other visually-rich applications using Python. Windowing, game controls, user interface event management, OpenGL graphics, joysticks, picture, and video loading, and sound and background music playing are all supported by this program. Pyglet runs on Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux.
Source: medium.com

PyQt Reviews

25 Python Frameworks to Master
PyQt is one of the most popular sets of Python bindings for the Qt cross-platform application framework. This framework perfectly combines the simplicity of Python as a general-purpose language and the powerful Qt application framework built in C++.
Source: kinsta.com
Which Python GUI library should you use? Comparing the Python GUI libraries available in 2023
Before the Qt Company (under Nokia) released the officially supported PySide library in 2009, Riverbank Computing had released PyQt in 1998. The main difference between these two libraries is in licensing. The free-to-use version of PyQt is licensed under GNU General Public License (GPL) v3 but PySide is licensed under GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL). This means...
10 Best Python Libraries for GUI
Developed by Riverbank Computing, PyQt5 is one of the most popular Python frameworks for GUI. The PyQt package is built around the Qt framework, which is a cross-platform framework used for creating various applications on different platforms.
Source: www.unite.ai
Top 10 Python GUI Frameworks for Developers
When it comes to creating GUIs, the PyQt5 arsenal offers the impressive QtGui and the QtDesigner module, which provide numerous visual elements that the developer can implement with a simple drag and drop. Of course, the option of creating these elements by code also exists, allowing you to create both small-scale as well as large-scale applications with ease. Pythonโ€™s...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, pyglet should be more popular than PyQt. It has been mentiond 7 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.

pyglet mentions (7)

  • I need a good python game engine.
    Years ago I had some success with pyglet. It seems to still be actively developed! I haven't seen anything about swf files though. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Minecraft-like engine...having a hard time getting geometry on screen fast enough
    Bottom of the page: https://pyglet.org/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Pglet โ€“ Web UI framework for back end developers
    Already exists: https://ollycope.com/software/piglet-templates/latest/ also this one is very popular too: http://pyglet.org/ I would personally avoid the current name as it sounds phonetically the same as the above. - Source: Hacker News / almost 4 years ago
  • What's the best game-engine for making RPG games with Python?
    First, you can use Python plus a library like Pyglet or Cocos2D or Arcade or Pygame. The only one of these that I have any experience with is Pygame, but it looks like none of these are "engines" in the modern sense. Working with them means doing everything from your favorite Python IDE. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • In a nutshell: Aren't game engines just pre-programmed instructions written for the user?
    In the same way, if your goal is to make a game, why go to the trouble of writing all the code to do basic things like loading images and drawing sprites and playing sounds when you could just type "import pyglet"? Source: about 4 years ago
View more

PyQt mentions (4)

  • Python vs. JavaScript: Is It a Fair Comparison?
    JavaScript is a clear winner in the category of mobile development. There are some niche frameworks to do mobile development with Pythonโ€”like Kivy and PyQTโ€”but pretty much nobody uses them. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
  • what would be the best looking GUI framework to develop a desktop python application? (other than Tkinter)
    If none of those are to your liking, you can use PyQT (or Pyside) but the learning curve is much steeper. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Is there a "Windows Forms" GUI designer for Python?
    Also, there is the PyQt module which is a comprehensive set of Python bindings for the Qt GUI. It has Qt Designer. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Best way to install qutebrowser?
    As for PyQt, that's developed entirely independently from Qt (by Riverbank Computing). The major/minor versions usually line up with the respective Qt releases (since the Qt release introduces new APIs, so a new PyQt release is needed to expose those to Python). However, it's versioned independently, and a new patch release of PyQt might be needed before/without Qt releasing a new patch release. For more details,... Source: over 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing pyglet and PyQt, you can also consider the following products

Godot Engine - Feature-packed 2D and 3D open source game engine.

Qt - Powerful, flexible and easy to use, Qt will help you not only meet your tight deadline, but also reduce the maintainable code by an astonishing percentage.

Pygame - Pygame is a set of Python modules designed for writing games.

PySimpleGUI - A simple to use GUI that can create custom GUIs

BYOND - BYOND is the premier community for making and playing online multiplayer games.

Tkinter - Tkinter is a Python wrapper for Tcl/Tk that offers classes to create various graphical user interfaces.