Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

PythonAnywhere VS Asterisk

Compare PythonAnywhere VS Asterisk and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

PythonAnywhere logo PythonAnywhere

Host, run, and code Python in the cloud: PythonAnywhere

Asterisk logo Asterisk

An open source telephony switching and private branch exchange service for Linux.
  • PythonAnywhere Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30
  • Asterisk Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-08-01

PythonAnywhere features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    PythonAnywhere provides a user-friendly interface with pre-configured settings, which makes it simple for beginners to deploy and manage Python applications without the need to manage server infrastructure.
  • Integrated Development Environment
    It includes an in-browser code editor and Python console, making it convenient to edit and run code on the go without needing to install any software locally.
  • Affordable Pricing
    Offers various pricing tiers, including a free tier, which is very attractive for small projects, prototypes, and learning purposes.
  • Scalability
    Offers options to scale applications as needed, making it suitable for growing projects that may require additional resources over time.
  • Built-in Python Libraries
    Comes pre-installed with many common Python libraries and frameworks, saving users the time and effort of setting up dependencies.
  • Built-in MySQL Support
    Provides built-in support for MySQL databases, making it straightforward to set up and manage databases for your applications.
  • Automated Backups
    Includes automated backup features to help secure your data and provide peace of mind.

Possible disadvantages of PythonAnywhere

  • Limited Customization
    The pre-configured environment limits customization options, which may be a drawback for more advanced users who require specific configurations or installations.
  • Free Tier Limitations
    The free tier has significant limitations, including restricted CPU time and storage space, which can hinder more demanding applications.
  • Performance
    Shared plans might experience slower performance during peak times due to the shared nature of the infrastructure.
  • Lack of Root Access
    Users do not have root access to the underlying system, which can be a limitation for deploying certain types of applications or custom services.
  • Support Limitations
    While it offers community support and documentation, the level of professional support might not meet the needs of all users, especially those on lower-tier plans.
  • Limited Language Support
    Primarily focused on Python, which may not suit all projects, especially those requiring multi-language support.
  • Resource Constraints
    Lower-tier plans have stringent resource limits (CPU, RAM, storage), which can be restrictive for resource-intensive applications.

Asterisk features and specs

  • Open Source
    Asterisk is open-source software, which means it is free to use and can be modified according to your needs.
  • Highly Customizable
    Asterisk offers extensive configuration options and flexibility, allowing you to tailor the system to your specific requirements.
  • Large Community
    There is a large and active community of users and developers who contribute to the project, offer support, and develop plugins and extensions.
  • Wide Range of Features
    Asterisk supports a vast array of telephony features such as voicemail, call conferencing, IVR, call recording, and many more.
  • Compatibility
    Asterisk is compatible with a wide range of hardware and other software, including SIP phones, gateways, and other VoIP systems.
  • Scalability
    Asterisk can scale from a small office setup to a large enterprise environment, handling thousands of concurrent calls.

Possible disadvantages of Asterisk

  • Complexity
    Asterisk can be complex to set up and configure, requiring a steep learning curve and a good understanding of telephony concepts.
  • Maintenance
    Regular maintenance and updates are necessary to keep Asterisk secure and running efficiently, which can require significant time and expertise.
  • Documentation Variability
    While there is extensive documentation available, the quality and comprehensiveness can vary, potentially making troubleshooting difficult.
  • Resource Intensive
    Asterisk can be resource-intensive, requiring substantial server resources, especially in high-call-volume scenarios.
  • Security
    As with any open-source software, security is a concern, and it requires diligent monitoring and updating to protect against vulnerabilities.
  • Initial Setup Cost
    While the software itself is free, setting up an Asterisk system can involve significant initial costs for hardware, consultancy, and training.

Analysis of PythonAnywhere

Overall verdict

  • Overall, PythonAnywhere is considered a good option for those seeking a reliable, straightforward, and affordable way to host Python applications. While it might not cater to the needs of very large scale or highly customizable environments, it is well-suited for personal projects, small to medium-sized applications, and educational purposes.

Why this product is good

  • PythonAnywhere is a popular choice for hosting Python applications because it offers a convenient and user-friendly platform for both beginners and experienced developers. Its cloud-based service allows for easy deployment and execution of Python scripts without the need to manage physical servers. The platform supports web development frameworks like Flask and Django, provides a variety of integrations and is equipped with a web-based interactive console, which makes it highly accessible for many users.

Recommended for

    PythonAnywhere is especially recommended for Python developers (beginners and intermediates), educators, students, and hobbyists who are looking for an easy and quick way to deploy and host their Python applications or who need an online python environment for coding practice.

PythonAnywhere videos

Python Anywhere with pythonanywhere - Simplified Python VPS hosting

More videos:

  • Review - Deploy Python Flask App on Pythonanywhere.com
  • Review - PythonAnywhere in one minute

Asterisk videos

Asterisk Knee Braces Review

More videos:

  • Review - The Asterisk War Anime Review
  • Review - The Asterisk War Sucks [Part 1]

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PythonAnywhere and Asterisk)
Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
Communication
0 0%
100% 100
Cloud Computing
100 100%
0% 0
VoIP
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PythonAnywhere seems to be a lot more popular than Asterisk. While we know about 55 links to PythonAnywhere, we've tracked only 4 mentions of Asterisk. 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.

PythonAnywhere mentions (55)

  • [Offer] I need someone to set up a webhook in my WordPress site and a Python server with listener + bot
    The website is already built. Each comment will have a reddit post URL, and the bot should leave a comment on that URL. We can use pythonanywhere.com for this to make it easiest. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Flask and web hosting
    If you are learning, use pythonanywhere.com as they specialize in python, and make setup easy. Only $5 a month. Start with a barebones flask app, get it to run, then follow a tutorial. Actually better to build the app locally, easier to test with IDE like Pycharm. Then upload to the net. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Redirecting client to my server via a external server
    Hello, I have a Minecraft server running on a Rpi with Paper. It works great and I use it to play with some of my friends. However, the server's public IP address often changes, meaning that I have to give my friends the new IP address daily. Being a programmer, I feel this could be automated. I don't want to buy a domain, so I want to try and setup a system where the server sends Its IP to my PythonAnywhere... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Question Gallery WebApp Django or Flask?
    Hosting wise, I would reccomend pythonanywhere.com, combined with either https://imagekit.io or https://cloudinary.com. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Cheap Heroku alternative for PHP MySQL app
    So what is the best alternative? I have one Plotly Dash app on pythonanywhere.com where I spend 6 bucks a month so I don't want to spend anymore than 5 dollars per month on the PHP + MySQL. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

Asterisk mentions (4)

  • Trouble configuring asterix for home pbx with IP phone
    Retrieve the official files from asterisk.org, extract and change directories. Source: about 3 years ago
  • SIP server installation
    Perhaps asterisk / FreePBSX or similar would suite your goals? asterisk.org. Bit of a learning curve, but there is lots of documentation and examples too. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Looking for a Simple Texting Service
    Asterisk? Foss telephoniserver, been around for a long time so mature and solid https://asterisk.org. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Phone Scammer group's open directory
    These are all just sound files, and from what I can recall I'd bet at least 97% are the standard Asterisk (open source PBX software) set (probably core perhaps plus some extras en + es for some). -- It's certainly Alison's voice, and and all the same jokes are there (e.g. zombies, lotso-monkeys). Source: over 5 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing PythonAnywhere and Asterisk, you can also consider the following products

Heroku - Agile deployment platform for Ruby, Node.js, Clojure, Java, Python, and Scala. Setup takes only minutes and deploys are instant through git. Leave tedious server maintenance to Heroku and focus on your code.

FreeSWITCH - FreeSWITCH is an open-source media application designed to support popular protools such as SIP and WebRTC and provides a platform to develop voice and video applications.

Google App Engine - A powerful platform to build web and mobile apps that scale automatically.

FusionPBX - FusionPBX is an open source FreeSWITCH GUI.

DigitalOcean - Simplifying cloud hosting. Deploy an SSD cloud server in 55 seconds.

Kamailio - Kamailioยฎ (successor of former OpenSER and SER) is an open source SIP server released under...