Should you deploy django with wsgi?

Question

Do you need to deploy django with wsgi? I am running Django on a Docker instance and it seems like often the recommended solution is just to use Django's development server, i.e. the command python manage.py runserver. When exactly is a web server such as wsgi needed -- and in this instance, in a containerized application, is the django development server enough for production applications?

Answer 1

You answer your own question:

is the django development server enough for production applications ?

In the django documentation, you can read the following:

Now’s a good time to note: don’t use this server in anything resembling a production environment. It’s intended only for use while developing. (We’re in the business of making Web frameworks, not Web servers.)

And also this part:

DO NOT USE THIS SERVER IN A PRODUCTION SETTING. It has not gone through security audits or performance tests. (And that’s how it’s gonna stay. We’re in the business of making Web frameworks, not Web servers, so improving this server to be able to handle a production environment is outside the scope of Django.)

So no. Don't use the Django development server in production. Security risks, poor performances, etc.

Answer 2

The development server is never recommended as an option for production server. It has a number of security and performance issues.

The solution which is working well for us is Gunicorn behind an Nginx reverse proxy (so that multiple people can connect smoothly.)

The method mentioned in this tutorial is a good beginners guide to a Ubuntu setup with nginx and gunicorn. When bringing docker into the mix use this tutorial.

Answer 3

You can use Django Channels to deploy in production without using WSGI.

You can set things up in one of two ways; either route all traffic through a HTTP/WebSocket interface server, removing the need to run a WSGI server at all; or, just route WebSockets and long-poll HTTP connections to the interface server, and leave other pages served by a standard WSGI server.