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python pillow VS OpenCV

Compare python pillow VS OpenCV and see what are their differences

python pillow logo python pillow

The friendly PIL fork (Python Imaging Library). Contribute to python-pillow/Pillow development by creating an account on GitHub.

OpenCV logo OpenCV

OpenCV is the world's biggest computer vision library
  • python pillow Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-18
  • OpenCV Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-29

python pillow features and specs

  • Wide Format Support
    Pillow supports a wide range of image file formats including JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF, and TIFF, which makes it very versatile for various image processing needs.
  • Ease of Use
    The library is known for its simplicity and intuitive API, making it easy for beginners to quickly grasp the basics of image manipulation.
  • Active Development
    Pillow receives regular updates and community support, ensuring that it stays up-to-date and compatible with the latest Python versions.
  • Comprehensive Documentation
    Pillow has extensive documentation which provides clear and helpful guidance for both basic and advanced image processing tasks.
  • Integration
    The library integrates well with other Python libraries, which can be advantageous for more complex projects that require multiple dependencies.

Possible disadvantages of python pillow

  • Performance
    For very large images or complex transformations, Pillow might not be the most efficient in terms of performance compared to specialized libraries.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    While Pillow is great for basic to moderate image processing tasks, it might lack some advanced features found in more specialized image processing libraries.
  • Threading Limitations
    There might be some limitations and issues around threading, which can be a drawback for applications requiring concurrent image processing.
  • Learning Curve for Complex Features
    While basic features are easy to use, implementing more complex image manipulation tasks might require a steeper learning curve.

OpenCV features and specs

  • Comprehensive Library
    OpenCV offers a wide range of tools for various aspects of computer vision, including image processing, machine learning, and video analysis.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    OpenCV is designed to run on multiple platforms, including Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS, which makes it versatile for development across different environments.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, OpenCV is freely available for use and allows developers to inspect, modify, and enhance the code according to their needs.
  • Large Community Support
    A large community of developers and researchers actively contributes to OpenCV, providing extensive support, tutorials, forums, and continuously updated documentation.
  • Real-Time Performance
    OpenCV is highly optimized for real-time applications, making it suitable for performance-critical tasks in various industries such as robotics and interactive installations.
  • Extensive Integration
    OpenCV can easily be integrated with other libraries and frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, and OpenCL, enhancing its capabilities in deep learning and GPU acceleration.
  • Rich Collection of examples
    OpenCV provides a large number of example codes and sample applications, which can significantly reduce the learning curve for beginners.

Possible disadvantages of OpenCV

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to the vast array of functionalities and the complexity of some of its advanced features, beginners may find it challenging to learn and use effectively.
  • Documentation Gaps
    While the documentation is extensive, it can sometimes be incomplete or outdated, requiring users to rely on community forums or external sources for solutions.
  • Resource Intensive
    Some functions and algorithms in OpenCV can be quite resource-intensive, requiring significant processing power and memory, which can be a limitation for low-end devices.
  • Limited High-Level Abstractions
    OpenCV provides a wealth of low-level functions, but it may lack higher-level abstractions and frameworks, necessitating more hands-on coding and algorithm development.
  • Dependency Management
    Setting up and managing dependencies can be cumbersome, especially when integrating OpenCV with other libraries or on certain operating systems.
  • Backward Compatibility Issues
    With frequent updates and new versions, backward compatibility can sometimes be problematic, potentially breaking existing code when updating.

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OpenCV videos

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  • Review - Practical Python and OpenCV

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to python pillow and OpenCV)
Data Science And Machine Learning
Development Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Data Science Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Python Tools
7 7%
93% 93

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare python pillow and OpenCV

python pillow Reviews

10 Python Libraries for Computer Vision
Pillow (PIL Fork) is a powerful library for image processing tasks. It supports various image formats and provides functionalities such as resizing, cropping, filtering, and adding text to images. Whether you’re working with photographs or generating visual content, Pillow offers an array of tools to manipulate images effectively.
Source: clouddevs.com

OpenCV Reviews

7 Best Computer Vision Development Libraries in 2024
From the widespread adoption of OpenCV with its extensive algorithmic support to TensorFlow's role in machine learning-driven applications, these libraries play a vital role in real-world applications such as object detection, facial recognition, and image segmentation.
10 Python Libraries for Computer Vision
OpenCV is the go-to library for computer vision tasks. It boasts a vast collection of algorithms and functions that facilitate tasks such as image and video processing, feature extraction, object detection, and more. Its simple interface, extensive documentation, and compatibility with various platforms make it a preferred choice for both beginners and experts in the field.
Source: clouddevs.com
Top 8 Alternatives to OpenCV for Computer Vision and Image Processing
OpenCV is an open-source computer vision and machine learning software library that was first released in 2000. It was initially developed by Intel, and now it is maintained by the OpenCV Foundation. OpenCV provides a set of tools and software development kits (SDKs) that help developers create computer vision applications. It is written in C++, but it supports several...
Source: www.uubyte.com
Top 8 Image-Processing Python Libraries Used in Machine Learning
These are some of the most basic operations that can be performed with the OpenCV on an image. Apart from this, OpenCV can perform operations such as Image Segmentation, Face Detection, Object Detection, 3-D reconstruction, feature extraction as well.
Source: neptune.ai
5 Ultimate Python Libraries for Image Processing
Pillow is an image processing library for Python derived from the PIL or the Python Imaging Library. Although it is not as powerful and fast as openCV it can be used for simple image manipulation works like cropping, resizing, rotating and greyscaling the image. Another benefit is that it can be used without NumPy and Matplotlib.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenCV seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 60 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.

python pillow mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of python pillow yet. Tracking of python pillow recommendations started around Mar 2021.

OpenCV mentions (60)

  • Grasping Computer Vision Fundamentals Using Python
    To aspiring innovators: Dive into open-source frameworks like OpenCV or PyTorch, experiment with custom object detection models, or contribute to projects tackling bias mitigation in training datasets. Computer vision isn’t just a tool, it’s a bridge between the physical and digital worlds, inviting collaborative solutions to global challenges. The next frontier? Systems that don’t just interpret visuals, but... - Source: dev.to / 1 day ago
  • Top Programming Languages for AI Development in 2025
    Ideal For: Computer vision, NLP, deep learning, and machine learning. - Source: dev.to / 15 days ago
  • Why 2024 Was the Best Year for Visual AI (So Far)
    Almost everyone has heard of libraries like OpenCV, Pytorch, and Torchvision. But there have been incredible leaps and bounds in other libraries to help support new tasks that have helped push research even further. It would be impossible to thank each and every project and the thousands of contributors who have helped make the entire community better. MedSAM2 has been helping bring the awesomeness of SAM2 to the... - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • 20 Open Source Tools I Recommend to Build, Share, and Run AI Projects
    OpenCV is an open-source computer vision and machine learning software library that allows users to perform various ML tasks, from processing images and videos to identifying objects, faces, or handwriting. Besides object detection, this platform can also be used for complex computer vision tasks like Geometry-based monocular or stereo computer vision. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • F1 FollowLine + HSV filter + PID Controller
    This library is used for image and video processing, offering functions for tasks like object detection, filtering, and transformations in computer vision. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing python pillow and OpenCV, you can also consider the following products

python xlrd - Please use openpyxl where you can... Contribute to python-excel/xlrd development by creating an account on GitHub.

Scikit-learn - scikit-learn (formerly scikits.learn) is an open source machine learning library for the Python programming language.

python docx - Create and modify Word documents with Python. Contribute to python-openxml/python-docx development by creating an account on GitHub.

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

bokeh python - This Python tutorial will get you up and running with Bokeh, using examples and a real-world dataset. You'll learn how to visualize your data, customize and organize your visualizations, and add interactivity.

NumPy - NumPy is the fundamental package for scientific computing with Python