What is the Django framework and why should you learn and use it to develop web apps?

When discussing web development with Python, the name Django almost immediately comes up. For years, this framework has been the foundation upon which secure, scalable, and production-ready applications are built in record time.

As a developer and trainer, Django has shown me that you can create a lot with less code and more structure.

Django is an excellent framework and the most famous, or at least the first one that comes to mind when we talk about Python web development; Django provides everything necessary from the framework's installation to create small or large-scale projects; Django 3 is a powerful framework whose main advantages are:

• Creation of modular applications
• Programming in the multi-purpose Python programming language
• ALL of the Python ecosystem for developing our web apps
• Multiple packages that we can install via pip and use in our project, whether they are Python packages or specifically for Django
• It brings a complete module or application to perform data management, i.e., the famous CRUD
• Easily designing our own friendly URLs
• An effective approach to maintaining project requirements

What is Django and what is it used for?

Django is a high-level web framework for Python that encourages rapid development of secure and maintainable applications. It was created with the idea that developers should focus on their application's logic and not on reinventing what has already been solved.

A Python-based web framework

Django leverages the full power of the Python ecosystem: libraries, tools, and a clean syntax that speeds up development. Since my first installation, I've been surprised by how easy it was to get a functional project up and running with just a few commands.

Django's philosophy: speed, security, and scalability

Django's motto is "The web framework for perfectionists with deadlines," and it lives up to it. It's designed to deliver solid results quickly without sacrificing quality, security, or order.

We are going to talk about other fundamental characteristics of the framework such as:

Quickly, dynamically, and custom creating a management module with the admin app

A Django project comes with several applications, one of the most interesting is the application called admin, which comes free when we create a Django project and has a high level of customization ranging from defining how to present the different CRUD elements, grouping form elements, as well as defining field types, registering related forms, organizing the table or listing, defining filters and search fields, changing the style, and much more to create customized applications for our clients.

MTV for everything

The structure of a Django project is based on the MTV pattern which we discussed in a previous post; therefore, we have a first-rate organization to divide our development into layers or levels:

• Models: represent the data structure.
• Views: contain the business logic.
• Templates: define the presentation to the user.

Thanks to this separation of concerns, Django projects remain organized even as they grow. In my projects, this organization has saved me countless hours of maintenance.

Key features of Django

ORM and automatic migrations

The ORM (Object Relational Mapper) allows interaction with the database without writing SQL. In my case, this allowed me to focus on business logic without worrying about SQL syntax errors.
Migrations automatically update the database every time the models change.

Modular and reusable applications

Django encourages modularity: you can divide your project into small, independent, and reusable applications. This architecture is perfect for teams or large projects.

Thanks to working within a Python ecosystem, it allows us to extend our app through thousands of components or packages that we can quickly install and configure to give our application more features.

We can extend the application in a modular way for easy reuse of these modular components.

Command line and development environment

Its CLI (manage.py) facilitates common tasks: creating users, running migrations, or launching the development server. I personally consider it one of the framework's most productive tools.

Integrated security against common attacks

Django automatically protects against SQL injection, CSRF, XSS, and other attacks. It is a framework designed for enterprise environments, where security is not optional.

The admin app: a ready-to-use panel

One of Django's gems is its administration application.
Since I tried it, it became an ally for managing data without having to build panels from scratch.

Customization and advanced data management

You can define how to display elements, add filters, related forms, and even change the visual style. All with a few lines of code.

Example of real use in professional projects

In several client projects, I've customized the admin to create complete internal panels, saving weeks of development.

Secure Framework

Django, like other frameworks such as Laravel or CodeIgniter or even Flask, is a secure framework; which we owe in large part to its MTV layers, but also to the protection of sensitive elements like passwords using hash; thanks to our ORM, we can also bypass vulnerabilities based on SQL injection, prevent CSRF attacks, and much more.

Scalable

A Django project consists of one or multiple applications, which can easily and securely share resources thanks to the Python ecosystem and again thanks to the layer separation offered by the MTV framework itself.

Portable

Since Python can be executed on the most famous Operating Systems such as Windows, Linux, and MacOs, Django can be executed and developed wherever we want in a simple, configurable, and secure manner.

Advantages of using Django in web projects

Productivity and maintenance

Django allows you to develop fast, but also easily maintain the code. Its conventions and structure prevent long-term chaos.

Active community and long-term support

It has a huge global community and LTS (Long Term Support) versions, which guarantee stability and security updates.

Integration with databases and APIs

It works with MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, or even Oracle. Additionally, it offers native support for REST APIs thanks to Django REST Framework.

Django versus other frameworks (Flask, FastAPI)

When to choose Django

Choose Django if you are looking for speed, security, and scalability. It is ideal for medium to large-scale projects or applications with complex administration panels.

Quick comparison of Python frameworks
Framework    Focus    Ideal for
Django    Full-featured (MTV, ORM, admin, security)    Complex apps, CRUD, CMS
Flask    Minimalist    Small APIs, microservices
FastAPI    Asynchronous and modern    Fast and scalable APIs
Conclusion: why Django remains a safe bet in 2025

Django has not only stood the test of time but has also adapted to the new demands of modern development.
In my experience, it continues to be a robust, practical, and reliable tool for creating professional web applications.
If you are interested in backend development with Python, Django is the ideal starting point.

Frequently Asked Questions about Django

What is Django and what is it used for?
It is a Python web framework designed to create fast, secure, and scalable applications.

Is Django a backend or full-stack framework?
Primarily backend, but it offers everything needed to handle the front-end using templates.

What advantages does Django offer over Flask?
Django is more complete and structured; Flask is lighter and more flexible.

Which companies use Django?
Instagram, Pinterest, Mozilla, and Disqus, among many others.

How to learn Django from scratch?
Start with the official documentation, create your first project, and explore the admin. Practice is key.

With this, you are now ready to create your first Hello World in Django starting with the creation of the virtual environment.