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What is starlette?

sawdog/starlette — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-07-18 · repo last pushed 2023-12-16

Audience · developerComplexity · 2/5DormantSetup · easy

In one sentence

Starlette is a lightweight, async Python framework for building fast web APIs and real-time apps, handling routing, requests, and WebSockets for you.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((starlette))
    What it does
      Routes URLs to functions
      Handles requests and responses
      Manages sessions and uploads
    Tech stack
      Python
      Async and await
      ASGI
    Use cases
      REST APIs
      Real-time WebSocket apps
      Wrapping ML models
    Audience
      Python developers
      Startup founders

Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Build a REST API or microservice that handles many concurrent requests without slowing down

USE CASE 2

Wrap a machine-learning model in an API so other apps can call it over HTTP

USE CASE 3

Add real-time features to an app using WebSocket connections

USE CASE 4

Write automated tests for your API using the built-in test client

What is it built with?

PythonASGIWebSockets

How does it compare?

sawdog/starlette0verflowme/alarm-clock0verflowme/seclists
Language—CSS—
Last pushed2023-12-162022-10-032020-05-03
MaintenanceDormantDormantDormant
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity2/52/51/5
Audiencedevelopervibe coderops devops

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 30min

Requires understanding Python's async/await and an ASGI server to run it.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to define a basic route and handler function using Starlette.
Prompt 2
Write a Starlette WebSocket endpoint for real-time chat between clients.
Prompt 3
Help me wrap an existing Python machine-learning model in a Starlette API.
Prompt 4
Explain how to add background tasks that run after a Starlette request finishes.
Prompt 5
Write a test for my Starlette app using its built-in test client.

Frequently asked questions

What is starlette?

Starlette is a lightweight, async Python framework for building fast web APIs and real-time apps, handling routing, requests, and WebSockets for you.

Is starlette actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2023-12-16).

How hard is starlette to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is starlette for?

Mainly developer.

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