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Django vs Steampipe

Django logo

Django

Web Development

The web framework for perfectionists with deadlines

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Steampipe logo

Steampipe

Developer Tools

Query cloud APIs, SaaS tools and code with SQL, with no extract or load step

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Django does not fully support asynchronous database access; Steampipe aGPL-3.0 across all four engines is a procurement blocker at organisations that ban the licence outright, and the network clause reaches any internal portal or service that puts a web interface in front of it.
  • They diverge on capability: Django covers Model-View-Template (MVT), Steampipe covers SQL over live APIs.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Django and Steampipe actually diverge.

Attributes where Django and Steampipe differ
AttributeDjangoSteampipe
Pricing modelfreeOpen source, with paid hosting through Turbot Pipes
PlatformsLinux, macOS, WindowsmacOS, Linux, Windows, Docker, Web
CategoryWeb DevelopmentDeveloper Tools
Founded2005Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Django

  • Model-View-Template (MVT)
  • Object-relational mapping
  • Automatic admin interface
  • URL routing
  • Template engine
  • Form handling
  • Authentication system
  • Internationalization

Only in Steampipe

  • SQL over live APIs
  • Wide plugin set
  • Embedded Postgres
  • Compliance benchmarks
  • Joins across providers
  • Hosted option

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Django

  • Web application developmentnot Steampipe
  • Content management systemsnot Steampipe
  • E-commerce platformsnot Steampipe
  • API developmentnot Steampipe
  • News websitesnot Steampipe
  • Social networksnot Steampipe

Steampipe

  • Security teams answering posture questions against live cloud accounts rather than a nightly exportnot Django
  • Compliance evidence gathering where the answer must reflect the account at the moment it is askednot Django
  • Inventory and drift questions spanning several cloud providers in one querynot Django
  • Engineers who would rather write SQL than learn each provider command line toolnot Django

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Django

  • Does not fully support asynchronous database access
  • Monolithic design can feel restrictive for small-scale or lightweight applications
  • Batteries-included approach adds overhead if features are not needed
  • Slower framework evolution due to backward compatibility requirements

Steampipe

  • AGPL-3.0 across all four engines is a procurement blocker at organisations that ban the licence outright, and the network clause reaches any internal portal or service that puts a web interface in front of it.
  • Dashboards, benchmarks and mods were removed from Steampipe entirely at version 1.0 in October 2024 and now live in a separate product, so pre-2024 documentation and tutorials describe commands that no longer exist.
  • Live querying is bound by cloud provider API rate limits and keeps no persistent store by default, which is why a separate DuckDB-backed product exists for log volumes and why large accounts return slowly.
  • The company is fifteen people and bootstrapped, maintaining four command line tools plus a hosted service plus two further products, and the newer tools have thin community traction relative to that surface area.
  • Hosted tiers include only three users regardless of tier, with additional Enterprise users charged separately, so a team of thirty costs an order of magnitude more than the headline figure before compute and storage are counted.

Pricing, plan by plan

Django

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full web framework
    • Admin interface
    • ORM system

Steampipe

Free
  • Steampipe CLIFree
    • AGPL-3.0
    • All plugins
    • No user or query limits
  • Pipes DeveloperFree
    • One user
    • 400 compute minutes
    • 3GB storage
  • Pipes Team$49/month
    • Three users
    • 2,000 compute minutes
    • 20GB storage
  • Pipes Enterprise$249/month
    • Three users
    • 10,000 compute minutes
    • 100GB storage

Which should you pick?

Choose Django if

  • You need model-view-template (mvt).
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want object-relational mapping.
Django review

Choose Steampipe if

  • You need sql over live apis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, Linux, Windows, Docker, Web.
  • You also want wide plugin set.
Steampipe review

Questions people ask

Is Django or Steampipe better?
Neither clearly leads. Django starts at Free and Steampipe at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Django or Steampipe?
Django starts at Free and Steampipe at Free.
Does Django or Steampipe run on more platforms?
Django runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. Steampipe runs on macOS, Linux, Windows, Docker, Web.
Can I use Django for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Django best used for?
Django is most often used for web application development, content management systems, e-commerce platforms, api development. Of those, web application development and content management systems are not what Steampipe is typically brought in for.
What can Django do that Steampipe cannot?
Django covers Model-View-Template (MVT), Object-relational mapping, Automatic admin interface, URL routing. Steampipe covers SQL over live APIs, Wide plugin set, Embedded Postgres, Compliance benchmarks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Django: What databases does Django support?

Django natively supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite3, and Oracle databases through its ORM, allowing developers to switch databases without rewriting code.

Source
Steampipe: When did Steampipe become AGPL?

May 2021, about four months after the project went public. It is a settled licence rather than a recent change, and predates the Business Source Licence wave it is often confused with.

Django: How does Django handle database schema changes?

Django includes a built-in migration system. Developers use makemigrations to create migration files and migrate to apply changes to the database schema.

Source
Steampipe: Where did the dashboards and benchmarks go?

Into Powerpipe. They were deprecated in March 2024 and removed from Steampipe at version 1.0 in October 2024, so the check, dashboard, mod and variable commands are gone.

Django: Does Django support asynchronous programming?

Django added basic async/await support, but full asynchronous database access remains limited. The framework does not fully support asynchronous programming, which can be a limitation for real-time applications.

Source
Steampipe: Is it fast on a large cloud estate?

Not always. Queries call provider APIs at request time, so rate limits rather than query planning set the pace, and there is no persistent store by default.

Django: Is Django free and open source?

Yes, Django is free and open-source software maintained by the Django Software Foundation, founded in June 2008.

Source
Steampipe: Does the AGPL affect internal use?

Running it internally for your own analysis is fine. Putting a web interface in front of it that other people use is where the network clause becomes a question for your legal team.

Steampipe: Is a bootstrapped vendor a risk?

It cuts both ways. There is no investor pressure toward a licence change or an exit, and there are also fifteen people supporting a large product surface.

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