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web2py VS OpenResty

Compare web2py VS OpenResty and see what are their differences

web2py logo web2py

Web2py is an open source web application framework.

OpenResty logo OpenResty

Turning Nginx into a Full-fledged Web App Server
  • web2py Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30
  • OpenResty Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-16

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.

OpenResty features and specs

  • High Performance
    Built on NGINX, OpenResty benefits from high-performance HTTP server capabilities, capable of handling a large number of simultaneous connections efficiently.
  • Extensibility
    Integrates seamlessly with the LuaJIT scripting language, allowing for powerful customizations and extending the server's functionality without the need to modify core code.
  • Rich Ecosystem
    Supports a wide range of third-party modules for various functionalities such as caching, security, request manipulation, and more, fostering a comprehensive and versatile ecosystem.
  • Asynchronous Processing
    Capable of non-blocking processing, which is essential for real-time web applications, ensuring lower latency and higher throughput.
  • Active Community and Support
    Backed by an active community and commercial support options, providing ample resources for troubleshooting, enhancing functionality, and keeping up with the latest best practices.

Possible disadvantages of OpenResty

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Requires proficiency in Lua scripting and understanding of NGINX configuration, which might be challenging for those new to these technologies.
  • Complex Debugging
    Debugging Lua code within OpenResty can be complex, lacking some of the more advanced debugging tools available for other languages.
  • Limited Documentation
    While there is documentation available, it may not be as comprehensive or beginner-friendly compared to other more mature web server ecosystems.
  • Niche Use Case
    Primarily suited for high-performance applications requiring custom HTTP server behavior, which might not be necessary for simpler web applications or APIs.
  • Resource Intensive
    Depending on the complexity of the Lua scripts and modules used, OpenResty can become resource-intensive, requiring careful optimization and resource management.

web2py videos

Web development with Python and web2py Part1

More videos:

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

OpenResty videos

Why and how I built my CMS based on ArangoDB & openresty

More videos:

  • Review - OpenResty Edge 2 Admin Intro: Episode 3: Applications - Cache & Req Rewrite

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to web2py and OpenResty)
Web And Application Servers
Web Servers
28 28%
72% 72
Application Server
28 28%
72% 72
Web Frameworks
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 web2py and OpenResty

web2py Reviews

  1. Yeral Garcia Mayedo
    · Student at University of Camagüey ·
    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.

OpenResty Reviews

We have no reviews of OpenResty yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenResty seems to be a lot more popular than web2py. While we know about 21 links to OpenResty, 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.

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 3 years ago

OpenResty mentions (21)

  • Scriptable Operating Systems with Lua [pdf]
    It's maybe deprecated by the official Nginx support, but there are other projects and organizations that are offering Lua scripting with Nginx with all kinds of extensions and libraries. See OpenResty website[0] and Github repo[1]. [0] - https://openresty.org/en/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: The C10M Problem
    Have you seen https://openresty.org/en/ before? To share a quote directly taken from their website: > By taking advantage of various well-designed Nginx modules (most of which are developed by the OpenResty team themselves), OpenResty® effectively turns the nginx server into a powerful web app server, in which the web developers can use the Lua programming language to script various existing nginx C modules and... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Show HN: Lockbox: forward proxy for making third party API calls
    Nginx is quite extendable, there are tons of nginx plugins to help you add more customizations. There is OpenResty, a version of nginx [0]. It allows you to script all sorts of stuff with Lua inside nginx itself. Tools like lockbox are not necessary, nginx, caddy, etc or heck even a normal 70 line python3 fastapi based script works just fine and should be more extendable than lockbox. [0](https://openresty.org/en/). - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Five Apache projects you probably didn't know about
    APISIX is an API Gateway. It builds upon OpenResty, a Lua layer built on top of the famous nginx reverse-proxy. APISIX adds abstractions to the mix, e.g., Route, Service, Upstream, and offers a plugin-based architecture. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Apache APISIX plugin priority, a leaky abstraction?
    Apache APISIX is an API Gateway, which builds upon the OpenResty reverse-proxy to offer a plugin-based architecture. The main benefit of such an architecture is that it brings structure to the configuration of routes. It's a help at scale, when managing hundreds or thousands of routes. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing web2py and OpenResty, you can also consider the following products

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

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

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

Apache HTTP Server - Apache httpd has been the most popular web server on the Internet since April 1996

Forge - Static web hosting made simple

Phusion Passenger - Phusion Passenger is a multi-language (Ruby, Python, Node) web & app server which can integrate into Apache and Nginx