Daphne

HTTP and WebSocket protocol server for ASGI applications.

EstablishedOpen SourceLow lock-in

Pricing

Free tier

Flat rate

Adoption

Stable

License

Open Source

Data freshness

Aging · Jun 8, 2026

Overview

What is Daphne?

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.

Key differentiator

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

Capability profile

Capability Radar

Ease of StartEcosystemValueMaturityFlexibilityScale Ready

Honest assessment

Strengths & Weaknesses

↑ Strengths

Supports HTTP, HTTP2, and WebSocket protocolsmedium

Designed for ASGI applicationsmedium

High-performance asynchronous servermedium

↓ Weaknesses

Limited language support beyond Pythonhigh

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

Complex setup for non-ASGI applicationsmedium

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

Documentation lacks depth in advanced use caseshigh

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

Performance issues with large-scale deploymentsmedium

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

Fit analysis

Who is it for?

✓ Best 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

✕ Not a fit for

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

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

Cost structure

Pricing

Free Tier

Available

Open source — free to use

Starts at

$0

Model

Flat rate

Enterprise

None

Performance benchmarks

How Fast Is It?

Ecosystem

Relationships

Next step

Get Started with Daphne

Step-by-step setup guide with code examples and common gotchas.

View Setup Guide →