Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

PythonAnywhere VS web2py

Compare PythonAnywhere VS web2py and see what are their differences

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PythonAnywhere logo PythonAnywhere

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

web2py logo web2py

Web2py is an open source web application framework.
  • PythonAnywhere Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30
  • web2py Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30

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.

web2py features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    web2py provides a user-friendly web-based interface and requires no installation, making it easy even for beginners to use. It also includes a web-based IDE and administrative interface.
  • Security
    It comes with built-in security features like XSS, CSRF, and SQL Injection protection by default, ensuring safer web applications out of the box.
  • No Configuration Required
    web2py runs with zero configuration, allowing developers to start coding immediately without worrying about initial setup.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    web2py can run on any system that supports Python, providing cross-platform compatibility including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Full-Stack Framework
    As a full-stack framework, web2py includes everything needed to build a web application, from the database to the web server and the front-end interface.
  • Real-Time Error Logging
    The framework offers real-time error logging which aids in easy troubleshooting and debugging during development.
  • Internationalization Support
    Built-in support for internationalization and localization, making it easier to develop applications for a global audience.
  • Active Community and Documentation
    web2py has a strong community and extensive documentation which greatly aids in quick issue resolution and learning the framework.

Possible disadvantages of web2py

  • Less Popular
    web2py is not as popular as other modern frameworks like Django or Flask, leading to fewer third-party plugins, extensions, and community support.
  • Performance
    While web2py is designed for productivity and ease of use, it may not offer the same level of performance optimizations that some other frameworks provide.
  • Lack of Asynchronous Support
    web2py does not natively support asynchronous request handling, which can be a limitation for applications requiring real-time capabilities.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite being beginner-friendly, the framework's custom syntax and paradigms might still present a learning curve for developers used to other frameworks.
  • Monolithic Design
    The monolithic nature of web2py can make it less flexible compared to micro-frameworks like Flask, especially for developers who prefer a modular approach.
  • Limited Ecosystem
    Due to its lower popularity, the ecosystem for third-party libraries, plugins, and tools is relatively limited compared to more widely adopted frameworks.
  • Not Ideal for Large Projects
    web2py is often considered ideal for simple to moderately complex applications but may not be suitable for very large or highly specialized projects.

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

web2py videos

Web development with Python and web2py Part1

More videos:

  • Review - Full Stack Web Development with Python WEB2PY
  • Review - Web2py & Py4web

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PythonAnywhere and web2py)
Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
Web Servers
0 0%
100% 100
Cloud Computing
100 100%
0% 0
Application Server
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare PythonAnywhere and web2py

PythonAnywhere Reviews

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web2py Reviews

  1. Yeral Garcia Mayedo
    ยท Student at University of Camagรผey ยท
    Best framework for newbies

    It's a framework to rapid development with a nice DAL to connect to the databases. great for me. Just less than 20mb to download and you have all you need to do develop offline.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PythonAnywhere seems to be a lot more popular than web2py. While we know about 55 links to PythonAnywhere, we've tracked only 1 mention of web2py. 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

web2py mentions (1)

  • would it be ok to post backup restore code and instructions and have a backups folder for easy finding?
    Web2py {{for _item in response.menu or []:}} {{if len(_item)<4 or not \_item\[3\]:}} {{=_item[0]}} {{else:}} {{=_item[0]}} {{for _subitem in _item[3]:}} {{=_subitem[0]}} {{pass}} {{pass}} {{pass}} {{if 'auth' in globals():}} {{if auth.user:}}{{=auth.user.first_name}}{{else:}}LOGIN{{pass}} {{if auth.user:}} {{=T('Profile')}} {{if 'change_password' not in... Source: over 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing PythonAnywhere and web2py, 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.

Microsoft IIS - Internet Information Services is a web server for Microsoft Windows

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

Apache Tomcat - An open source software implementation of the Java Servlet and JavaServer Pages technologies

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

LiteSpeed Web Server - LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) is a high-performance Apache drop-in replacement.