Django vs Phoenix: What to learn in 2023
Django and Phoenix framework are popular technologies for building full-stack web applications. They are also popularly used for building backends for mobile, desktops, and other applications.
If you are already familiar with the Python programming language, you should learn Django over the Phoenix framework.
On the other hand, if you are already using Elixir, you should learn Phoenix over Django.
Django is a high-level Python web framework that follows the Model–Template–Views (MTV) architectural pattern.
Django is a very good choice for rapid development and you will be able to do a lot with just a few lines of code.
Phoenix framework on the other hand is an Elixir-based web development framework that uses a server-side model–view–controller (MVC) pattern.
Phoenix was developed to provide highly performant and scalable web applications. It is also a very good choice for rapid development.
Choosing which web framework to learn can be tricky, there are many factors to consider when learning a new technology or backend framework.
Popularity, opportunities, types of projects, salaries, resources, learning curve, etc. are some of the factors that many people consider when choosing to learn a new technology or a framework.
Here are some of the considerations you should make when choosing to learn a new backend framework.
POPULARITY AND OPPORTUNITIES
If you want to learn a technology or framework solely for its popularity among developers, you should learn Django over Phoenix.
Generally, Django is more popular than Phoenix. According to a Stack Overflow survey of 2022, Django is the 5th most commonly used web framework, it is used by 14.65% of developers.
On the other hand, Phoenix is the 16th most commonly used web framework, it is used by 2.13% of developers according to the same survey.
It is also worth noting that Phoenix is growing in popularity. As of 2022, Phoenix was the most loved web framework.
Phoenix is loved by 83.51% of developers versus 16.49% of developers who dreaded it. On the other hand, Django is loved by 53.10% of developers versus 46.90% of developers who dreaded it.
Ultimately, if your choice of which web framework to learn depends on popularity, you should learn Django.
Plus, there are more opportunities for Django Developers than Phoenix developers because Django is used by many companies than Phoenix.
However, because Django is very popular and commonly used by many companies, there is going to be more competition for Django opportunities than for Phoenix opportunities.
In this regard, a Phoenix developer may get a job easily because of less competition.
SALARIES
Another popular criterion that many people use as an incentive to learn a new web framework is salary. Salaries for developers differ from one company to the other and from one country to the other.
Experience is another factor that comes into play as far as salaries are concerned. The more experience you have with a certain technology or web framework, the more likely you are of getting a higher salary.
Generally, Phoenix developers get higher salaries than Django developers. A Stack Overflow survey reported that Phoenix is the highest-paid web development framework of 2022.
Phoenix developers get an average salary of $94,644 per year while Django developers get an average salary of $60,000 per year.
So, if the salary is your major incentive for learning a language or framework, you should learn Phoenix over Django, because you are more likely to get a higher salary as a Phoenix developer than as a Django developer.
BEGINNER FRIENDLINESS
Some web frameworks can be learned more easily than others. If you want a web framework that is beginner-friendly and very easy to work with, you should learn Django.
Django is easy to learn and use even for complete beginners, its syntax is easy to read and write. Django is a batteries-included framework, meaning that it comes with a lot of features that are ready to use out of the box.
If you are already familiar with Python, it makes your work even much easier.
Phoenix is also easy to work with, its syntax is easy to pick up even for complete beginners. Phoenix comes with many features out of the box, which makes it very easy to develop your applications quickly.
Phoenix is an Elixir-based web framework. So, if you are already familiar with Elixir, it will make your work easy.
The good news is that there are many helpful resources for both Phoenix and Django to help you learn the frameworks.
The Django (Python) and Phoenix (Elixir) communities are very active and helpful, in case you get stuck with something.
APPLICATIONS AND FEATURES
Django comes with a lot of ready-to-use features out of the box. This means that you won’t have to spend as much time and effort setting up your development environment or installing additional libraries and dependencies.
Django was used to build the backend for the popular social media platform Instagram. Django is also used by many companies such as Mozilla, Clubhouse, Bitbucket, Disqus, Nextdoor, Pinterest, National Geographic, Open Knowledge Foundations, Knight Foundation, Spotify, Dropbox, NASA, etc.
Phoenix also comes with a lot of features that are ready to be used without much friction. Like Django, you won’t have to spend as much time and effort setting up your development environment or installing additional libraries and dependencies.
Phoenix is used by many companies such as Veeps, Voice Layer, Fly.io, Bleacher, Heroic Labs, Inverse, Cargo Sense, Bright Cove, Podium, and many others.
CONCLUSION
Once you have evaluated all the factors, you can choose which web framework to learn depending on the factors that are on your side and what you want to build.
If you want a popular web framework that is easy to learn and to rapidly build web applications, you should learn Django over Phoenix.
If you want a web framework that can potentially fetch you a higher salary and build real-time web applications, you should learn Phoenix over Django.
