Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

wxWidgets VS QT for Python

Compare wxWidgets VS QT for Python and see what are their differences

wxWidgets logo wxWidgets

wxWidgets: Cross-Platform GUI Library

QT for Python logo QT for Python

Design GUI with Python: Python Bindings for Qt
  • wxWidgets Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-21
  • QT for Python Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-25

wxWidgets features and specs

  • Cross-Platform
    wxWidgets allows developers to create applications that run on different platforms such as Windows, macOS, Linux, and more, without changing the codebase.
  • Native Look and Feel
    It provides a native look and feel on each platform by using the native GUI components, making applications appear more integrated with the host OS.
  • Wide Range of Widgets
    wxWidgets offers a rich set of widgets and controls, supporting complex interfaces and various types of user interactions.
  • Extensive Documentation
    The library is well-documented, with numerous tutorials, guides, and an active community to help developers troubleshoot and expand their understanding.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, wxWidgets provides the flexibility to customize and modify the library to better fit specific needs without licensing costs.

Possible disadvantages of wxWidgets

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive features and the complexity of configuring UI components, new users may find it challenging to learn and utilize effectively.
  • Large Binary Size
    Applications built with wxWidgets can become quite large, which might be a drawback for developers focusing on lightweight applications.
  • Platform-Specific Bugs
    Since wxWidgets aims to provide native components for each platform, sometimes this leads to platform-specific bugs that can complicate cross-platform consistency.
  • Limited Modern Features
    While wxWidgets is robust, it might lack some of the modern, cutting-edge features found in newer libraries and frameworks in terms of design and ease of use.
  • Dependency Management
    Managing dependencies for different platforms can be cumbersome, requiring additional effort in the build and deployment processes.

QT for Python features and specs

  • Comprehensive Framework
    Qt for Python provides a comprehensive set of libraries and functionalities for building complex and high-performance applications, making it a great tool for developers who need extensive capabilities in their applications.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    It allows developers to write code once and deploy it across multiple platforms, such as Windows, macOS, Linux, and embedded devices, without significant modifications.
  • Consistent User Interface
    Qt for Python offers standardized widgets and UI components, ensuring that applications have a native look and feel on different platforms, enhancing the user experience.
  • Strong Community and Support
    A robust community and extensive documentation are available, which can be beneficial for learning, troubleshooting, and enhancing productivity.
  • Integration with C++
    Qt for Python can seamlessly integrate with existing C++ code, allowing developers to leverage the performance and features of C++ libraries.

Possible disadvantages of QT for Python

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive features and capabilities, Qt for Python may have a steep learning curve for beginners or developers who are new to the framework.
  • Complexity
    For simple applications, the complexity and overhead of the Qt framework might be overkill, making it less suitable for small-scale projects.
  • Licensing
    While Qt for Python is available under GPL and LGPL licenses, some features and tools are limited to commercial licenses, potentially increasing costs for commercial applications.
  • Performance Overhead
    Compared to native C++ Qt applications, Qt for Python might introduce a performance overhead due to the additional layer between Python and the Qt libraries.
  • Limited Native Python Feel
    Qt's C++ heritage sometimes means that the Python APIs may not feel as 'pythonic' as developers might expect, possibly requiring adjustments for Python developers used to a different programming style.

Analysis of wxWidgets

Overall verdict

  • wxWidgets is a solid choice for developers who need a reliable, cross-platform GUI library with a native look and behavior. Its open-source nature and mature backing make it especially appealing for projects requiring wide platform compatibility.

Why this product is good

  • Platform Independence: wxWidgets allows you to create applications that can run on multiple platforms, such as Windows, macOS, and Linux, without changing the underlying code.
  • Open Source: As an open-source library, wxWidgets is free to use and has a large community supporting it, providing extensive documentation and forums for assistance.
  • Comprehensive Feature Set: wxWidgets provides a wide range of controls and tools that enable developers to build feature-rich applications.
  • Native Look and Feel: The library utilizes the native API of the host system, which means applications built with wxWidgets often look and behave like native applications.
  • Mature and Well-Tested: Having been around for many years, wxWidgets is a mature framework with well-tested tools and a history of stability and reliability.

Recommended for

  • Developers building cross-platform desktop applications.
  • Projects that require native look and feel on different operating systems.
  • Open-source enthusiasts or developers who prefer using community-supported frameworks.
  • Teams seeking a mature and well-documented GUI solution.

wxWidgets videos

Cross Platform Graphical User Interfaces in C++

More videos:

  • Demo - More Cross Platform Graphical User Interfaces in C++: Custom Controls

QT for Python videos

No QT for Python videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to wxWidgets and QT for Python)
Development Tools
91 91%
9% 9
Developer Tools
83 83%
17% 17
Rapid Application Development
GUI Libraries
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using wxWidgets and QT for Python. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare wxWidgets and QT for Python

wxWidgets Reviews

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

QT for Python Reviews

10 Best Python Libraries for GUI
Another top Python GUI library is PySide2, or QT for Python, which offers the official Python bindings for Qt (PySide2). It enables the use of its APIs in Python applications, and the binding generator tool can be used to expose C++ projects into Python.
Source: www.unite.ai

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, wxWidgets seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 14 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.

wxWidgets mentions (14)

  • Linux Applications Programming by Example: The Fundamental APIs (2nd Edition)
    Linux is rarely a porting issue for C++ or python: https://wxwidgets.org/ Static linking libraries for MacOS or Windows is contaminated by GPL/LGPL code, and this why wxwidgets excludes the disclosure requirement. Also, if you are looking for a VueJS cross-platform GUI framework for most Desktop and Mobile platforms (MacOS hardware and developer account is a requirement): https://github.com/quasarframework/quasar... - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • PureBasic: The Quiet Survivor
    Some other options. https://github.com/andlabs/libui > Simple and portable (but not inflexible) GUI library in C that uses the native GUI technologies of each platform it supports. Missing a lot of desktop features and abandoned. https://wxwidgets.org/ > wxWidgets is a C++ library that lets developers create applications for Windows, macOS, Linux and other platforms with a single code base.... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Bonsai: A 3D Voxel Engine, from scratch
    That is a fact, and why https://wxwidgets.org/ had to have a more open license to cross-port programs from/to other platforms (especially Android and windows often needed Static builds just for practical reasons.) Additionally, a public-domain/CC0 license can run up against some organizations policies. It is better to release under several licenses to reach as many users as possible. Personally prefer Apache... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Implementation of a Java Processor on a FPGA
    I have done native cross-platform projects in https://wxwidgets.org/ and https://quasar.dev/ . Fine for basic interfaces, but static linking on Win64 gets dicey with lgpl libraries etc. YMMV. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • YAD: Is a simple tool for developing Graphical User Interfaces
    > Are we missing somethng? wxWidgets?[1] [1]: https://wxwidgets.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

QT for Python mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of QT for Python yet. Tracking of QT for Python recommendations started around Apr 2023.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing wxWidgets and QT for Python, you can also consider the following products

GTK - GTK+ is a multi-platform toolkit for creating graphical user interfaces.

Kivy - Open source Python framework for rapid development of applications that make use of innovative user interfaces, such as multi-touch apps. Installation on WindowsInstallation on Windows. Installation; What are wheels .

Qt - Powerful, flexible and easy to use, Qt will help you not only meet your tight deadline, but also reduce the maintainable code by an astonishing percentage.

Tkinter - Tkinter is a Python wrapper for Tcl/Tk that offers classes to create various graphical user interfaces.

PyQt - Riverbank | Software | PyQt | What is PyQt?

WompMobile - WompMobile offers tow kind of functions โ€“ first creating new mobile apps and secondly converting the websites into mobile applications.