Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Pythonista VS Thonny

Compare Pythonista VS Thonny and see what are their differences

Pythonista logo Pythonista

Bring the Zen of Python to iOS.

Thonny logo Thonny

Python IDE for beginners
  • Pythonista Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-07-29
  • Thonny Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-15

Pythonista features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Pythonista offers a clean and intuitive interface that is easy to navigate, making it accessible for both beginners and experienced Python developers.
  • Extensive Built-in Libraries
    The app includes many useful libraries such as NumPy and Matplotlib, allowing for complex computations and data visualization directly on iOS devices.
  • iOS Integration
    Pythonista provides excellent integration with iOS features and functionalities, such as access to the clipboard, photos, and location data, enhancing app development possibilities.
  • Script Sharing
    Users can easily share their scripts via email or other apps, facilitating collaboration and sharing of Python code among peers.
  • Regular Updates
    Pythonista receives regular updates that introduce new features, library support, and improvements ensuring a robust and up-to-date development environment.

Possible disadvantages of Pythonista

  • Platform Limitation
    Pythonista is available exclusively for iOS, restricting its use to users who own Apple devices.
  • Limited to Python
    The app only supports the Python language, which can be a limitation for users who need a multi-language development environment.
  • No Native File System Access
    Due to iOS security restrictions, Pythonista does not provide native access to the file system, which might be a hurdle for some file manipulation tasks.
  • Paid Application
    Pythonista is not free, requiring an initial purchase, which might deter individuals who are looking for a free development environment.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running complex scripts or computations might be resource-intensive on older iOS devices, leading to slower performance or battery drainage.

Thonny features and specs

  • Beginner-Friendly Interface
    Thonny is designed with simplicity in mind, which makes it ideal for beginners. The interface is clean and intuitive, helping new users to focus on learning Python without being overwhelmed by unnecessary features.
  • Integrated Python Debugger
    Thonny comes with a built-in debugger that allows users to step through their code line by line. This feature helps in understanding the flow of the program and is especially useful for debugging and learning.
  • Simple Variable Inspector
    The variable inspector in Thonny provides a clear and straightforward view of variables and their values, helping users to better understand how data changes as the program runs.
  • Preinstalled with Python
    Thonny comes with Python preinstalled, which makes the setup process easier for beginners. Users donโ€™t have to worry about separate Python installation and can start coding right away.
  • Support for MicroPython
    Thonny supports MicroPython, making it a suitable choice for programming microcontrollers and embedded systems. This expands its usability beyond just desktop applications.
  • Educational Focus
    Thonny includes features specifically designed for educational purposes, such as highlighting syntax errors and visualizing code execution, which helps students grasp programming concepts more effectively.

Possible disadvantages of Thonny

  • Limited Advanced Features
    While Thonny is great for beginners, it lacks some advanced features found in other IDEs like PyCharm or Visual Studio Code. This may hinder users as they advance and need more complex workflows and customizations.
  • Performance Issues with Large Projects
    Thonny may not perform efficiently with large-scale projects or extremely large files, potentially causing lag or crashes, which could be a limitation for more extensive development work.
  • Plugin Ecosystem
    Thonny's plugin ecosystem is not as robust as some other IDEs. Users might find fewer extensions and customizations available, which can limit its functionality for certain workflows.
  • Limited Language Support
    Thonny is designed primarily for Python and lacks support for other programming languages. This makes it less flexible for developers who work with multiple languages.
  • Basic Editor Features
    Essential features such as intelligent code completion, refactoring tools, and version control integration are present but not as sophisticated as in more professional IDEs, which could limit productivity for seasoned developers.
  • Less Frequent Updates
    Compared to more popular and commercially-backed IDEs, Thonny receives less frequent updates. This could mean slower adoption of new Python features and slower fixes for bugs.

Analysis of Thonny

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Thonny is highly regarded as a good choice for beginner programmers, particularly those starting with Python. It effectively balances simplicity and functionality, making it an excellent tool for educational purposes.

Why this product is good

  • Thonny is a beginner-friendly Python IDE designed to make programming more accessible and understandable for newcomers. It offers an intuitive interface, a simple debugger, and features like variable tracing and expression evaluation that are particularly helpful for beginners. Its design minimizes distractions and helps in focusing on learning the basics of programming without being overwhelmed by complex features.

Recommended for

  • Beginners learning Python.
  • Educational environments and coding classrooms.
  • Users who prefer a simple and clean interface without extra complexity.
  • Those interested in a straightforward setup to start coding quickly.

Pythonista videos

Writing Python on iPad using Pythonista! In-Depth Review + Is it Worth it?

More videos:

  • Review - Coding On The iPad - Pythonista Modules - Create iOS Apps on iPad With Python!

Thonny videos

Thonny - a Python IDE for beginners

More videos:

  • Review - Step Through Python Scripts With Thonny
  • Review - Introducing Thonny

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Pythonista and Thonny)
Text Editors
11 11%
89% 89
Education
100 100%
0% 0
IDE
0 0%
100% 100
Open Source
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

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

Pythonista Reviews

We have no reviews of Pythonista yet.
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Thonny Reviews

  1. steve
    ยท retired ยท
    I like Thonny

    I started an on-line python course that used Pycharm as its basis. I had previously used Thonny to look at code for various programs. I found Pycharm to be over-featured for a beginner like me. Thonny seems much more on my level so I am continuing the course using it instead. And successfully I might add.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Thonny seems to be a lot more popular than Pythonista. While we know about 113 links to Thonny, we've tracked only 11 mentions of Pythonista. 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.

Pythonista mentions (11)

  • Maker of RStudio launches new R and Python IDE
    Pythonista is nicer but ships older Python: https://omz-software.com/pythonista/ Pyto is maybe less approachable but more up to date, with clang compiler and LLVM bitcode interpreter: https://pyto.app/ Juno is Python notebooks: https://juno.sh/https://juno.sh/ In general I prefer Blink Code: https://docs.blink.sh/advanced/code. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: Why don't smartphones encourage programming like early 80s computers?
    There are a few Python environments for iOS, and I'm sure Android also has some. Pythonista is probably one of the better ones. http://omz-software.com/pythonista/. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • Remote development on a mobile device
    Haven't tried it, but there's Pythonista. You can also use a remote terminal like blink shell and ssh into a tmux session. I also haven't tried this, either. Source: about 4 years ago
  • How to code, build, and deploy from an iPad using Gitlab and Gitpod
    There's Pythonista - works pretty well, and you can import modules. I use it for messing around with MQTT. http://omz-software.com/pythonista/. - Source: Hacker News / over 4 years ago
  • Does anybody have a way to trigger an automation after using Apple Pay?
    You can write and execute a script with Pythonista. Source: over 4 years ago
View more

Thonny mentions (113)

  • Hacking with Raspberry Pico: Data Exfiltration with a Captive Portal
    The Pico reboots itself. Then, open the Thonny IDE, configure the interpreter to "MicroPython (Raspberry Pi Pico)", and select your connected board. Using Thonny's file explorer, you can add the required library. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Adafruit: Arduino's rules are 'incompatible with Open Source'
    There is a version of Thonny[1] designed for use with the Pico that is great for education. Raspberry Pi have some good resources on getting started[2]. If your target audience is school kids, you really can't go past the micro:bit and Makecode[3]. 1. https://thonny.org 2. https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/projects/getting-started-with-the-pico/2 3. https://makecode.microbit.org. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Essential Software for Hardware Hackers: Your First IDE & Tools
    Raspberry Pi Pico (MicroPython): The Thonny IDE is highly recommended and often pre-installed in Raspberry Pi OS. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Antirez/load81: SDL based Lua programming environment for kids similar to Codea
    The nice thing about Python is that because it's so pervasive as a teaching language, there are many tools for it that specifically cater to this niche. In particular, https://thonny.org is very nice for explaining basic programming concepts like expression evaluation and function calls. And yeah, turtle graphics is the time-honored method of teaching things like loops, recursion, and parametrization via functions... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Python: From Beginners to Pro in 30 Mins (Part 1)
    Thonny or IDLE are great starting points for beginners due to their simplicity. As you become more comfortable, VS Code or PyCharm Community Edition offers more features to help you develop your skills. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Pythonista and Thonny, you can also consider the following products

Invent With Python - Learn to program Python for free

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

Learn Python The Hard Way - One of the best guides to learn Python & coding in general

IDLE - Default IDE which come installed with the Python programming language.

Pyto - Coding Python Scripts

PyDev - PyDev is a third-party plug-in for Eclipse.