10 Best Django Books For Beginners & Pros in 2023 [Updated]

In this article, we share the 10 best django books in 2023. Whether you’re new to web development or a seasoned programmer that wants to use Django to build scalable web apps, we’ve included django books for beginners and experienced developers alike.

By choosing one of the best django books, you can master this high-level Python web framework that’s even part of the Instagram tech stack. It’s no wonder it’s a top 6 framework for developers learning to code in 2023. 

And when you consider the Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports a median salary in excess of $85K for web developers, grabbing one of the best django books can be very lucrative!

So if you’re ready, let’s dive into some of the best django books to help you build robust web apps and to get you ready to enter the Django job market. 

How to Choose the Best Dango Books?

When looking for the very best book for Django in 2023, we considered the following criteria and recommend you use these as well:

• Author’s credentials: We found authors with extensive experience in Django development and related fields to ensure they have the necessary expertise to provide you with the knowledge you need.
• Level of experience: Choose a book that aligns with your skill level. If you’re just starting out, look for beginner-friendly books. And if you’re an experienced Django professional, a more advanced book might be a better fit. Our evaluation included books for all skill levels.
• Reviews from previous readers: We evaluated first-person reviews from our community and from sites like Amazon. This provides valuable insights into the book’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Preferred learning style: Some books are more hands-on with practical examples, while others take a more theoretical approach. Choose a book that matches your preferred style of learning.

The 10 Best Django Books in 2023

1. Django for Beginners

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Why we chose this book

This is one of the best Django books for beginners as the author takes a hands-on approach to teaching the fundamentals. It’s also really useful to help you refresh your Django skills when preparing to answer Django interview questions. 

Based on our findings, you can expect to cover the basics, like how to set up Django applications, before moving on to models, object-relational mapping (ORM), forms, implementing authentication, using environment variables, and middleware. 

You’ll also learn how to deploy your Django apps into production, write tests for your Django projects, and learn best practices for integrating third-party Django packages.

These are all essential skills that you can put into practice when building five basic apps, including a message board app, a blog app,  and a newspaper app.

We also like that the author is a former Django Software Foundation board member as well as the co-host of the popular “Django Chat” podcast, so you know you’re in good hands. 

Features

• Best Django book for beginners
• Learn by building five Django apps
• Includes lessons on Django best practices
• Authored by a former board member of the Django Foundation

2. Django for Professionals

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Why we chose this book

Written by the same author as our top pick, this is one of the best advanced Django books to learn how to build production-ready Django applications that can handle data from millions of users.

Our findings also show that it’s hands-on, as you’ll learn to build a bookstore app and a reviews app to reinforce the new skills covered within.

In terms of topics covered,  this book includes environment variables, authentication, creating a search feature, creating custom confirmation emails, working with static files, and more. You also get sections on security, deployment, and performance optimization, along with sections to learn about Docker and PostgreSQL.

If you have an intermediate level of Django knowledge and are looking for a deep dive, this book is a great choice. Plus, if you’re debating between Flask or Django for your next web app, this Django book may just tip the scale for you.  

Features

• Hands-on approach to learning Django
• Ideal for advanced Django developers
• Learn how to build “production-ready” apps
• Includes lessons on Docker and PostgreSQL

3. Django for APIs

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Why we chose this book

Another excellent read from the author of our top 2 picks for the best Django books, is a relatively quick read for learning how to work with APIs using Django. 

Based on our observations, you will learn the fundamentals of web APIs, including how they work under the hood, before getting practice by building a library API, a todo API, and a blog API from scratch.  

The book also includes chapters on user authentication, viewsets and routers, schemas, and documentation for APIs, and production deployment. The author also includes lots of code examples and step-by-step guides.

To get the most out of this book, you should be familiar with basic Django concepts. If you are a complete beginner to Django, we recommend you start with our number 1 pick by the same author, Django for Beginners, to get to grips with basic concepts.

Features

• Best guide on building APIs with Django
• Has lots of code examples and step-by-step guides
• Build three APIs from scratch
• Assumes basic knowledge of Django

4. Django 4 By Example

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Why we chose this book

We were really impressed with this comprehensive guide to building web applications using Django, as it covers both basic and advanced Django topics. 

We also liked that the author takes a hands-on approach to learning, meaning you will be building a blog app, a social media website, an online shop, and an e-commerce app. 

If you want to enhance your portfolio, this is a solid choice to learn Django by building apps with advanced features like recommendation systems, search engines, and payment gateways.

And if you are completely new to Django, the book even covers how to install and set up a new project before covering the new features of Django 4.

We also found that you’ll be able to learn how to add real-time features with Django Channels, implement authentication, and discover how to build a CMS and a RESTful API.

Features

• Suitable for all skill levels
• Build projects for your portfolio
• Hands-on approach to learning Django
• Assumes knowledge of HTML and JavaScript

5. Web Development with Django

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Why we chose this book

As the newest release in our list of Django books, we fully expect this second edition to pick up where the first edition left off, making it a great choice to learn how to build robust applications with the latest Django 4. 

Based on our observations, it covers essential concepts like models and migrations, mapping, views, and templates. It also includes a range of sections on advanced concepts like sessions and authentication, building a REST API, integrating other third-party libraries, testing your Django applications, and more.

From our perspective, this book has a good blend of theory and practice. You can even get hands-on to build an app for collating book reviews. 

Another great feature is that each chapter includes exercises that ask you to implement a  new feature in your app, helping to reinforce the new knowledge you’ve gained. 

To get the most out of this book, it’s recommended that you have some familiarity with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, so it’s important to bear that in mind.

Features

• Project exercises included in each chapter
• Includes lots of screenshots and illustrations
• # 1 new release in Web Services
• Requires familiarity with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

6. Mastering Django

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Why we chose this book

We found this to be a great choice for Django developers that want a deep dive, as this book aims to help you become an expert in Django. 

If that sounds appealing, you’ll also appreciate that the author focuses on writing clean and easy-to-maintain code, as this helps you learn best practices for building large and complex applications.

Based on our findings, this Django book also covers the most important concepts you need to master Django, including Django admin, models, views, templates, user authentication, forms, debugging, testing, and more.

We’d also point out that the code examples for this book are mainly written for Django 3.2, but the newest edition includes a Django 4 supplemental text to help you stay current with the latest features of the framework.

Features

• A comprehensive and up-to-date resource
• Suitable for use as a reference document
• Includes Django 4 supplemental text
• Includes guides for both Windows and Mac environment

7. Becoming an Enterprise Django Developer

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Why we chose this book

We really like that this Django book offers expert guidance for building robust enterprise-level applications, with the author offering a comprehensive guide on how to develop Django apps in a Windows, Mac, or Linux environment. 

Our findings also show that this book offers useful tips on how to structure Django projects for optimized performance.

You can also expect to learn about essential areas like models, views, templates, and Django forms. You’ll also cover how to work with messages and email notifications, RESTful API development, testing, and database management. These are all essential topics to help you learn how to build large-scale Django applications.

We’d recommend that you should have intermediate-level knowledge of Python to get the most out of this book, and it also helps to have some familiarity with Django concepts.

Features

• Focuses on building scalable, large-scale applications
• Assumes knowledge of basic Django concepts
• Platform flexibility for Windows, Mac, and Linux environments

8. Django 4 for the Impatient

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Why we chose this book

The clue is in the title of this Django book! If you want a fast way to become familiar with the Django framework, this book is ideal for you. 

Based on our observations, the authors offer a quick and practical approach to learning Django, covering core features like URLs, views, templates, models, authentication, deployment, and database management. 

And while it’s only a shade over 150 pages, the authors provide clear and concise explanations with relevant examples. You can also put your new skills into practice by building a movie review app.

Whether you’re a beginner starting your journey with Django or an experienced developer seeking a quick refresher on core concepts, Django 4 for the Impatient is a solid choice.

Features

• A quick and practical approach to learning Django
• Covers core Django features with clear explanations
• Hands-on practice by building a movie review app
• Suitable for beginner and experienced Django developers

9. Two Scoops of Django

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Why we chose this book

This is one of the oldest books on our list, but we found that it offers really helpful tips, best practices, and real-world examples for building high-quality Django applications.

Our findings show that it covers a range of essential basic topics, including how to install and set up a Django environment, project structure, models, views, templates, and forms.

The authors also go beyond the basics concepts and dive deeper into advanced topics like consuming REST APIs, performance optimizations, security, testing, debugging, and deployment strategies. 

We like this because it means you not only learn how to build Django applications, but you learn how to build them right!

We also appreciated this book’s unique, approachable, and engaging writing style, as the authors present complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner. We think this is ideal for helping you to easily understand new ideas. 

Features

• Accessible and engaging writing style
• Focuses on Django best practices
• Suitable for a reference document

10. Django Design Patterns and Best Practices

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Why we chose this book

Despite its relatively short length at just over 250 pages, this Django book is a comprehensive guide on Django design patterns and modern best practices. 

We found that it’s a solid choice if you want to learn how to create Django apps that are scalable and easy to maintain. The authors also go beyond theory and include a superhero app project for practice. 

Throughout this book, the authors also explore core aspects of Django, such as models, views, templates, and code reusability techniques. And aside from the basics, you will also cover advanced topics like API design principles, testing and debugging strategies, security, performance optimization, and deployment best practices.

There’s even information on asynchronous workflows with powerful tools like Celery, Channels, and asyncio. 

We also liked the inclusion of real-world examples and case studies, as this makes the learning experience more engaging and relatable.

Features

• Covers Django design patterns and best practices
• Practical examples and case studies
• Covers API design principles

Final Thoughts

In 2023, Django continues to be an incredibly popular and powerful web framework that can simplify the process of building robust and scalable web applications.

With the ability to create high-traffic websites and handle complex data requirements, it’s established a firm reputation as a top framework for developers, especially if you are coming from a Python background.

To help you on your journey to becoming a Django developer, we’ve covered the 10 best Django books to help you learn and master this framework. 

Whether you're a beginner or a professional, we’ve included a range of books that cover the essential skills you need to learn to excel in Django development.

Happy reading!

Want to level up your Django learning? Check out:

The Best Django Tutorials

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Django Hard For Beginners?

This depends on whether you’re a beginner to web development and programming in general or if you have Python skills and are looking to learn web development with Django.

If you’re in category one, learning Django can be challenging, so it may be more advisable to begin with HTML and CSS to develop a strong foundation in web dev. If you do have Python skills, any of the books on our list can help you learn Django relatively easily.

2. Do I Need To Learn Javascript For Django?

Learning JavaScript is not a requirement for Django development as this primarily focuses on server-side programming. That said, it never hurts to have a basic understanding of JavaScript, as this can be useful for adding interactivity to web apps that you build with Django.

3. Is Python And Django Still Relevant In 2023?

Yes. Both Python and Django are still relevant in 2023. Python is widely used in various fields, such as web development, data science and analytics, machine learning, and more. Django also remains one of the preferred frameworks for building scalable and secure web applications.

4. Is Django For Beginners A Good Book?

Based on our research, Django for Beginners provides a beginner-friendly introduction to the Django framework, including essential topics with clear explanations, examples, and hands-on exercises. It’s also our number-one pick!

5. Which Is Better, Flask Or Django?

This is a hotly debated topic. In general, Flask and Django are both popular Python web frameworks. If you had to narrow it down,  Flask is lightweight and flexible, making it ideal for small to medium-sized projects. Django is a full-featured framework, making it suitable for complex and large-scale applications. That said, use whichever you prefer!

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