Kings of Data App Building Tools: Streamlit vs Datapane

Ali Shahed
ML Hobbyist
4 min readFeb 20, 2023

--

Authors: Ali Shahed, ChatGPT

Data is at the heart of many modern applications, and building data-driven apps has become a crucial skill for developers and businesses alike. However, building these apps from scratch can be a time-consuming and complicated process. Fortunately, there are many tools available that make it easier to build these apps quickly and efficiently. Two such tools are Streamlit and Datapane.

Streamlit and Datapane are both web-based tools that allow developers to build data-driven applications quickly and easily. However, they have different features, strengths, and weaknesses, and choosing the right tool for your project is essential. In this article, we will compare Streamlit and Datapane and provide examples of how to use these two tools.

Streamlit: The Basics

Streamlit is a popular open-source framework for building data applications. It allows developers to create interactive applications quickly and easily, with no frontend or backend coding required. With Streamlit, developers can create interactive data visualizations, data dashboards, and machine learning models.

One of the key strengths of Streamlit is its ease of use. It has a simple and intuitive interface, making it easy for developers to get started quickly. Additionally, Streamlit has a wide range of pre-built components and libraries, making it easy to add functionality to your app without having to write custom code.

Examples of Using Streamlit

  1. Visualizing Data: With Streamlit, you can quickly create interactive data visualizations. For example, you can create a scatter plot, line chart, or bar chart that updates in real-time as the user interacts with the data.
  2. Data Dashboards: You can create interactive data dashboards that allow users to explore data and gain insights. For example, you can build a dashboard that shows key metrics for a business, such as revenue, profit, and customer engagement.
  3. Machine Learning Models: Streamlit makes it easy to build and deploy machine learning models. For example, you can build a model that predicts housing prices based on a range of factors, such as location, square footage, and number of bedrooms.

Datapane: The Basics

Datapane is a cloud-based data app builder that allows developers to create interactive data applications quickly and easily. With Datapane, developers can create interactive data visualizations, data dashboards, and machine learning models.

One of the key strengths of Datapane is its ability to handle large datasets. Datapane can handle datasets of up to 1GB, making it ideal for building applications that require large amounts of data. Additionally, Datapane has a wide range of pre-built components and templates, making it easy to create data applications quickly and efficiently.

Examples of Using Datapane

  1. Visualizing Data: With Datapane, you can create interactive data visualizations that allow users to explore data. For example, you can create a heatmap, scatter plot, or bar chart that updates in real-time as the user interacts with the data.
  2. Data Dashboards: You can create interactive data dashboards that allow users to explore data and gain insights. For example, you can build a dashboard that shows key metrics for a business, such as revenue, profit, and customer engagement.
  3. Machine Learning Models: Datapane makes it easy to build and deploy machine learning models. For example, you can build a model that predicts housing prices based on a range of factors, such as location, square footage, and number of bedrooms.

Comparing Streamlit and Datapane

While both Streamlit and Datapane are great tools for building data-driven applications, they have different strengths and weaknesses. Here are some of the key differences between these two tools:

  1. Ease of Use: Streamlit has a simple and intuitive interface, making it easy for developers to get started quickly. Datapane, on the other hand, has a steeper learning curve and can be more complex to use.
  2. Flexibility: Streamlit is more flexible than Datapane, as it allows developers to write their own custom code and create more complex applications. Datapane, on the other hand, is more focused on pre-built components and templates, making it easier to create simple applications quickly.
  3. Data Handling: Datapane is better equipped to handle large datasets, while Streamlit may struggle with datasets that are too large. This is because Datapane uses cloud-based technology to handle data, while Streamlit relies on the resources of the machine it is running on.
  4. Deployment: Streamlit is more flexible in terms of deployment, as it can be deployed on a wide range of platforms, including cloud services, virtual machines, and Docker containers. Datapane, on the other hand, is a cloud-based service that requires a subscription to use.

When it comes to choosing between Streamlit and Datapane, it really depends on the specific needs of your project. If you need to handle large datasets or require a cloud-based solution, Datapane may be the better choice. If you require more flexibility and want to write custom code, Streamlit may be the better option.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both Streamlit and Datapane are excellent tools for building data-driven applications. They have different strengths and weaknesses, and choosing the right tool for your project is essential. With Streamlit, you can create interactive data visualizations, data dashboards, and machine learning models quickly and easily. With Datapane, you can create large-scale data applications that can handle large datasets. Regardless of which tool you choose, these platforms provide a great way to build powerful data applications with ease.

If you buy me a coffee, I can work longer hours and create more content like this. Thank you!

--

--

Ali Shahed
ML Hobbyist

PhD EE | Data Scientist | Machine Learning Engineer