Presentation

Django is an open-source Web framework written in Python for building applications ranging from content websites to complete business platforms.

It directly provides many of the building blocks usually required by a Web application: routing, views, database access, migrations, templates, forms, authentication, sessions, caching, administration and security tools.

This “batteries included” approach reduces the number of libraries that need to be assembled in order to obtain a functional and coherent foundation.

Django can directly generate HTML pages with its template engine or serve as the backend for a separate JavaScript interface. REST APIs are not part of the framework core, however: they are often built with third-party libraries such as Django REST Framework.

The framework supports traditional WSGI architectures as well as ASGI for applications requiring asynchronous features.

As of October 3, 2026, Django 6.1.1 is the latest official version. Django 5.2 remains the LTS branch for projects seeking longer-term support.

Features

ORM and models

The Django ORM represents data as Python classes.

Each model describes fields and relationships that can then be queried with the QuerySet API without systematically writing SQL.

One-to-one, many-to-one and many-to-many relationships are supported, along with aggregations, annotations, expressions and transactions.

Django 6.1 also adds modes for controlling how certain fields that were not initially loaded are fetched from the database.

Migrations

Django includes an integrated database migration system.

Changes made to models can be converted into migration files and then applied with management commands.

These migrations make it possible to evolve the database schema progressively while keeping a versioned history alongside the project.

Databases

SQLite is available by default and is particularly suitable for development or smaller projects.

For production, the Django documentation generally recommends PostgreSQL.

Django also officially supports MySQL, MariaDB and Oracle depending on the versions compatible with each framework branch.

The ORM makes it possible to keep much of the application code independent from the selected database engine, although some features remain database-specific.

Routing and views

The URL system maps application paths to Python views.

Views can be written as functions or classes.

Django provides generic views for several common operations such as displaying lists or details and creating or editing objects.

Routes can be grouped by application and use dynamic parameters.

Templates

The Django Template Language generates HTML pages from templates.

Variables, filters, conditions, loops, inheritance and includes make it possible to build reusable interfaces.

The engine applies HTML escaping by default to reduce injection risks when displaying untrusted data.

Django can also be combined with other template engines when required by a project.

Forms

The framework provides a complete forms system.

Fields can be validated on the server and associated with HTML widgets.

ModelForm can generate much of a form directly from a Django model.

This integration simplifies common data creation and editing operations.

Administration

The Django administration interface can be generated from registered models.

It quickly provides lists, forms, search, filters and relationship management.

The administration interface can be customized with ModelAdmin classes, actions and different display settings.

It is primarily intended for internal teams and trusted users rather than automatically serving as the public interface of an application.

Authentication and permissions

Django provides an integrated system for users, passwords, sessions and permissions.

It notably handles login, logout, groups and permissions associated with models.

The user model can be replaced or extended to meet project requirements.

Authentication features can also be used with the framework's modern asynchronous APIs.

Security

Django includes several protections designed for Web applications.

It notably provides CSRF protection, escaping against certain XSS attacks, protection against SQL injection through the ORM, secure password handling and mechanisms against clickjacking.

Since Django 6.0, the framework also provides built-in support for Content Security Policy — CSP.

These mechanisms reduce common risks but do not replace proper server configuration, permissions and secure application code.

Middleware

Middleware runs around request and response processing.

It can handle sessions, authentication, security, caching, localization or add project-specific logic.

Middleware order affects behavior and therefore needs to be configured carefully.

ASGI, WSGI and asynchronous support

Django supports WSGI for traditional synchronous applications and ASGI for asynchronous architectures.

Views can be written with async def.

Several parts of the framework also provide asynchronous APIs, notably the ORM, caching, authentication, sessions and signals.

Some operations remain synchronous, however, or depend on libraries that do not yet provide a fully asynchronous implementation.

Caching

Django provides a cache API that can be applied to an entire view, part of a template or individual values.

Different backends can be used depending on the architecture, including local memory, files, databases or compatible external solutions.

Caching can reduce the amount of work performed by the application for frequently accessed data or pages.

Static files and media

The framework distinguishes static files used by the application — CSS, JavaScript and interface images — from media files uploaded by users.

django.contrib.staticfiles collects static resources to simplify deployment.

In production, their delivery is generally delegated to a Web server, CDN or specialized service rather than the Django development server.

Internationalization

Django provides internationalization and localization tools.

Translatable strings, date formats, numbers, time zones and language selection can be integrated directly into the application.

The system notably relies on translation catalogs compatible with GNU gettext.

Commands and testing

django-admin and manage.py provide commands for creating applications, applying migrations, starting the development server and performing various maintenance operations.

Developers can also create their own commands.

Django includes a testing framework built on Python tooling and provides clients for testing views, forms and HTTP behavior.

Use cases

Build a business application

The ORM, forms, authentication and administration interface suit applications containing user accounts, structured data and internal workflows.

Django provides a coherent foundation quickly before project-specific business rules are developed.

Create a CMS or editorial website

Templates, routing, models and administration can serve as the foundation for websites containing articles, pages, categories or media.

Complete CMS platforms such as Wagtail are also built on top of Django.

Develop a Web backend

Django can provide authentication, business logic and data access to a separate interface.

For building a significant REST API, it is often combined with Django REST Framework or another specialized library.

Build a SaaS platform

User management, permissions, sessions, database access and modular architecture make it possible to develop dashboards, customer portals or subscription-based applications.

External services required by the product can be integrated using the corresponding Python libraries.

Develop a project requiring internal administration

The automatic administration interface is one of Django's long-standing strengths.

It can quickly provide teams with a tool for viewing and editing data without immediately building a fully custom back office.

Conclusion

Django provides a complete and structured approach to Web development with Python.

ORM, migrations, routing, templates, forms, authentication, administration and security form a coherent set covering a large portion of the requirements of a traditional application.

The framework can also evolve toward modern architectures through ASGI and its asynchronous APIs while retaining compatibility with traditional WSGI applications.

This richness brings more conventions than a micro-framework, but in return reduces the number of decisions and dependencies required when starting a project.

For building structured, maintainable and feature-rich Python Web applications, Django remains one of the major frameworks in the Python ecosystem.

Points to consider

  • Django 6.1.1 is the latest official version as of October 3, 2026.

  • Django 6.1 supports Python 3.12, 3.13 and 3.14. Only the latest micro release of each Python branch is officially supported.

  • Django 5.2 is an LTS release, with extended security support until April 2028. It remains suitable for projects prioritizing a longer upgrade cycle.

  • Django 6.0 is no longer under mainstream support since the release of Django 6.1, but continues to receive security and data-loss fixes until April 2027.

  • Django is free and open source under the BSD license, including for commercial use.

  • PostgreSQL is recommended by the documentation for production, although other database engines are officially supported.

  • A complete REST API is not included directly in Django. Django REST Framework and other libraries can extend the framework for this requirement.

  • The server provided by runserver is intended for development. A production application should use suitable WSGI or ASGI infrastructure.

  • Asynchronous support is substantial but not every operation is necessarily async-native. Certain libraries or portions of code may still require synchronous adaptation.

  • The Django administration interface is not intended for public users by default. It should remain protected and restricted to authorized users.

  • Migrations and upgrades should be tested before deployment. New Django versions may remove APIs that have reached the end of their deprecation cycle.

  • Security fixes should be applied quickly. The Django project regularly publishes corrective releases for branches that are still supported.