Why Esmerald is the FastAPI alternative you didn't know you needed
FastAPI is one of the most hyped Python web frameworks in recent years. It promised speed, async support, and type safety-all great features. But is it the best choice for building scalable applications?
Meet Esmerald-a modern Python framework that takes what FastAPI does well and improves upon it. If you've ever felt like FastAPI is missing structure, scalability, or flexibility, this article will show you why Esmerald might be a better alternative.
FastAPI is great but this simple and small article is about Esmerald, a Python web framework designed with no hypes and already being used by some large institutions around the world.
FastAPI offers flexibility, while Esmerald provides built-in structure for large projects.
FastAPI is lightweight and flexible, but that also means it lacks built-in structure for larger applications. Developers often struggle with project organization, leading to inconsistent codebases.
Esmerald enforces structure from day one.
- Clear separation of concerns
- Built-in controllers, middleware, and interceptors
- More maintainable for enterprise-scale projects
- 👉 FastAPI is great for small APIs, but if you need a structured system that scales, Esmerald wins.
More Powerful Interceptors & Middleware
FastAPI has simple dependencies but lacks powerful interceptor like NestJS.
Esmerald introduces:
- ✅ Interceptors – Modify requests/responses dynamically.
- ✅ Middleware – More robust than FastAPI's dependency injection approach.
- ✅ Better request handling – Fine-grained control over the request lifecycle.
- 👉 If you've ever used NestJS and wished Python had similar power, Esmerald delivers.
Beyond Pydantic: Better Performance & Flexibility
FastAPI is tightly coupled with Pydantic. That's great-until you need flexibility.
Esmerald supports:
- ✅ Pydantic (for those who want it)
- ✅ msgspec (for speed)
- ✅ Other serialization libraries
- 👉 You're not locked into one ecosystem. More choices, more speed.
Business-First Approach for Enterprise Apps
FastAPI's design is API-first, which works for simple applications but doesn't guide you in building real-world, scalable software.
Esmerald is designed for businesses and teams, making it:
- More maintainable
- Easier to onboard developers
- Scalable for microservices and monoliths alike
- 👉 If you're building something serious, Esmerald has your back.
Built-In Caching & Performance Optimization
Esmerald introduces first-class caching support:
✅ Built-in caching decorator (@cache) ✅ In-memory & Redis support ✅ TTL expiration & automatic key generation FastAPI? No built-in caching. 👉 Esmerald is faster where it actually matters.
Conclusion: Should You Ditch FastAPI?
FastAPI is great for many use cases, but Esmerald provides additional structure and scalability.
- 🚀 If you love FastAPI, Esmerald takes it a step further.
- 🏢 If you need structure, scalability, and performance? Esmerald is the future.
- 👉 Get Started with Esmerald: https://www.esmerald.dev