[globular-toast]

We could probably do with a "SQLAlchemy for Django users" article. SQLAlchemy is much more powerful and flexible than Django. After using SQLAlchemy it's hard to even consider an active record style ORM like Django an ORM at all. SQLAlchemy can truly map relational data onto objects and uses the unit of work pattern to coordinate updates. Django just feels like writing raw SQL but in nicer Python syntax. The details of relational models leak directly into the business logic and there isn't really much you can do about it. In short, SQLAlchemy is a different beast. If all you need is Django then you're probably only doing CRUD and you should just use Django.

[BiteCode_dev]

The problem with sqla is that you need to deal with the session object all the time. Doing it right is not that easy, and never as concise.

SQLA is cleaner and more powerful, but when you just need CRUD, django wins.

[globular-toast]

Django definitely wins at CRUD because that's what it is. It calls itself a web framework but really it's a web-crud-app framework. Flask and Pyramid are web frameworks.

Dealing with the session object seems a small price to pay for the flexibility in architecture that it gets you.