"Should I switch from requests to httpx for better performance?"
hey folks! so i've been using `requests` forever, but everyone's raving about httpx these days.
is it *really* worth the switch? like, how much faster are we talking?
i know httpx does async, which is cool, but tbh i'm still kinda noob with async/await.
also, does it play nice with existing `requests` code, or am i gonna have to rewrite everything?
anyone made the jump and regretted it? or is it all sunshine and rainbows?
pls share your war stories 🙏
(ps: if you're team "just stick with requests," i wanna hear that too!)
Switched to httpx last month and it’s been a game-changer for async stuff.
If you’re doing anything with parallel requests, the speed boost is *real*. Like, 2-3x faster in my tests.
But yeah, if you’re not using async, the difference isn’t huge.
Also, httpx has a requests-like sync API, so you can migrate gradually.
Pro tip: Check out the docs for `httpx.Client()`—it’s super close to `requests.Session()`.
No regrets here!
Honestly? If you’re not using async, just stick with requests.
httpx is great, but unless you’re diving into async/await, it’s not worth the hassle.
Plus, requests is battle-tested and has way more Stack Overflow answers when you’re stuck lol.
But if you’re curious, try httpx for a small project first.
httpx is *awesome* for HTTP/2 support alone.
If you’re hitting APIs that support it, the performance difference is noticeable.
Also, the API is so similar to requests that I migrated most of my code in an afternoon.
Only downside: Some niche requests features aren’t there yet.
Check out the `httpx` vs `requests` benchmarks on GitHub—some eye-opening stuff!
Team "just stick with requests" here.
Unless you *need* async or HTTP/2, why fix what ain’t broke?
httpx is cool, but I’ve seen folks waste time debugging async issues when they didn’t even need it.
That said, if you’re starting a new project, maybe give httpx a shot.
Wow, didn’t expect so many replies—thanks y’all!
Gonna give httpx a shot in a small project first. The HTTP/2 and async stuff sounds tempting, but I’ll dip my toes in slowly.
Anyone got a good tutorial for async noobs? The official docs are a bit dense for me lol.
(And yeah, glad to hear the sync API is similar—that’s a relief!)
Made the switch and *hated* it at first—async was confusing AF.
But after a week, it clicked. Now I can’t go back.
httpx’s async client is *chef’s kiss* for scraping or API calls.
If you’re willing to learn, it’s worth it. If not… maybe not.
httpx is basically requests but with more bells and whistles.
The sync API is 99% the same, so migration is easy.
Async is where it shines, though. If you’re doing anything IO-bound, it’s a no-brainer.
Also, the devs are super active—bugs get fixed fast.
Performance-wise, httpx is faster, but the real win is the modern features.
HTTP/2, async, better streaming… it’s just *nicer*.
But if you’re happy with requests, no rush.
Maybe try httpx in a side project and see how you like it?
If you’re scared of async, httpx still works fine in sync mode.
I switched and barely noticed except for the speed boost.
The API is so similar that I only had to change like 5 lines in my whole codebase.
Worth it for the HTTP/2 alone, IMO.
