Backend-as-a-Service

Daphne

HTTP and WebSocket protocol server for ASGI applications.

Status
Generally available
Last checked
Checked · Oct 15, 2026
License
Open source
Pricing
Free tier · from $0
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What it is

Daphne is a high-performance HTTP, HTTP2, and WebSocket server designed to work with ASGI and ASGI-HTTP. It's essential for developers looking to deploy Python web applications that require asynchronous capabilities.

Daphne stands out as the go-to HTTP2 and WebSocket protocol server for ASGI applications, providing high performance and robust support for Django Channels.

When it fits — and when it doesn’t

A good fit for

  • Teams deploying Django Channels for real-time communication features in their web apps

  • Projects requiring a high-performance HTTP2 server with WebSocket support

  • Development teams looking to leverage ASGI for asynchronous Python applications

Look elsewhere if

  • Developers who need a cloud-hosted solution without self-management responsibilities

  • Teams preferring a simpler setup process over configuring an ASGI-compatible server

Known weaknesses

Each one links to the public issue, changelog or docs page it came from, where we have one.

  1. 01

    Limited language support beyond Python

    Daphne is tightly integrated with ASGI and primarily supports Python, making it less accessible for developers working in other languages.

  2. 02

    Complex setup for non-ASGI applications

    Configuring Daphne to work with non-ASGI frameworks requires significant manual configuration and understanding of ASGI internals.

  3. 03

    Documentation lacks depth in advanced use cases

    The official documentation is sparse on advanced topics such as custom middleware, performance tuning, and debugging techniques.

  4. 04

    Performance issues with large-scale deployments

    Daphne's performance can degrade under heavy load or when handling a large number of concurrent connections without proper tuning.

What it does well

  • Supports HTTP, HTTP2, and WebSocket protocols

  • Designed for ASGI applications

  • High-performance asynchronous server

Pricing

Free tier
YesOpen source — free to use
Paid from
$0
Model
Flat rate
Enterprise plan
No

Pricing not independently confirmed — check the vendor’s page.

Performance benchmarks

How Fast Is It?

Set up Daphne

Setup steps, common gotchas and what to check after 30 days.

Open the setup guide →
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