Kivy vs PyQt
Side-by-side — pricing, strengths, tradeoffs, and fit.
Kivy
Create NUI applications for multiple platforms with Kivy.
PyQt
Python bindings for the Qt cross-platform application and UI framework.
At a glance
Open SourceFree Tier
● Established·From $0
Open Source
● Established·From Contact sales
Overview
One-liner
One-liner
Create NUI applications for multiple platforms with Kivy.
One-liner
Python bindings for the Qt cross-platform application and UI framework.
Maturity
Maturity
EstablishedMaturity
EstablishedOpen source
Open source
✓ YesOpen source
✓ YesPricing
Free tier
Free tier
✓ AvailableOpen source — free to use
Free tier
✕ NoneStarts at
Starts at
$0
Starts at
Contact sales
Model
Model
Flat rate
Model
Flat rate
Enterprise
Enterprise
✕ NoneEnterprise
✕ NoneBest for
✓ Best for
Developers looking to build cross-platform applications with multitouch support.
Teams needing a flexible UI toolkit for rapid prototyping.
Projects requiring natural user interface elements across multiple platforms.
✓ Best for
Developers building cross-platform desktop applications in Python who need a comprehensive UI toolkit.
Teams working on projects that require both rich graphical interfaces and the flexibility of Python.
Not ideal for
✕ Not for
Applications that require real-time data streaming capabilities not supported by Kivy.
Large-scale enterprise applications where specific performance optimizations are critical and may not be available in Kivy.
✕ Not for
Projects requiring real-time graphics or game development, as PyQt is more suited for standard GUI applications.
Developers looking for a purely web-based solution for application development.
Strengths
↑ Strengths
Cross-platform support for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Android and iOS.
Supports multitouch input.
Highly customizable UI components.
Built-in widgets for common interface elements.
↑ Strengths
Cross-platform application development
Comprehensive set of UI controls and widgets
Signal-slot mechanism for event handling
Supports Pythonic syntax and idioms
Weaknesses
↓ Weaknesses
Steep learning curve for non-Python developers
Performance issues on complex UIs
Limited commercial support and small community
Frequent breaking changes between versions
↓ Weaknesses
Steep learning curve for non-Python developers
Frequent breaking changes between versions
Limited native support for modern Python features
Complex setup process, especially on Windows