Dear PyGui vs Iced
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A Python toolkit for building fast graphical desktop interfaces, built on Dear ImGui.
Open source · MIT
A Rust library for building desktop and web graphical interfaces, modeled on the Elm architecture.
The short answer
Choose Dear PyGui if you need…
- Python developers who want a desktop GUI for a script or internal tool
- Projects that need fast, data-heavy graphs or plots
- Developers who want theme and style control over their interface
- Anyone who wants to learn from the built-in demo and example code
Choose Iced if you need…
- Rust developers building a desktop GUI application
- Developers who like the Elm-style state, message, and update pattern
- Projects that want a renderer-agnostic runtime they can plug into existing systems
- Developers who want to write custom widgets
Side-by-side
| Dear PyGui | Iced | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 15.7k | 31.9k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | C++ | Rust |
| Last code update | 17 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Dear PyGui
Dear PyGui is a graphical user interface toolkit for Python that lets you build windows, buttons, text inputs, sliders and plots from ordinary Python code. It is built on the Dear ImGui library and its C/C++ core, and the README says it uses the GPU for rendering. People use it to quickly make tools and control panels for scripts.
Iced
Iced is a toolkit for Rust programmers who want to build windowed graphical user interfaces. You describe your app as state, messages, a view function that draws widgets, and an update function that reacts to messages, following the Elm architecture. The README says it targets Windows, macOS, Linux, and the Web, and it is described as experimental software.
Best for
Dear PyGui
- Python developers who want a desktop GUI for a script or internal tool
- Projects that need fast, data-heavy graphs or plots
- Developers who want theme and style control over their interface
- Anyone who wants to learn from the built-in demo and example code
Iced
- Rust developers building a desktop GUI application
- Developers who like the Elm-style state, message, and update pattern
- Projects that want a renderer-agnostic runtime they can plug into existing systems
- Developers who want to write custom widgets
Strengths
Dear PyGui
- Installs with a single pip command and the README notes minimal dependencies
- Includes a built-in demo and inspectable demo source code
- Released under the permissive MIT license
Iced
- Follows a clear, type-safe Elm-style model for state, messages, and updates
- Supports multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and the Web, according to the README
- Modular design with a renderer-agnostic runtime and a software fallback renderer
Not ideal for
Dear PyGui
- People who need a native-looking app with standard OS widgets, since the README describes a custom immediate-mode look
- Web-based or mobile projects, because the README lists only Windows, Linux and macOS (plus Raspberry Pi 4)
Iced
- People who are not programming in Rust, since the library is a Rust crate
- Teams that need a production-stable UI toolkit, because the README says Iced is currently experimental software
- Users looking for an end-user application to install rather than a library to build with
Trade-offs
Dear PyGui
- The README is short on API detail, so you will rely on external docs and the demo to learn it
- Its immediate-mode, GPU-rendered look differs from typical Python GUI frameworks
- Requires Python 3.8 64-bit or newer per the README
Iced
- The README states that Iced is currently experimental software
- The latest release is listed without binaries, so you build from source or through Rust tooling
- Documentation and learning resources are mainly external (book, docs.rs, examples), and the README excerpt does not show setup steps
Getting started
Dear PyGui
Install Dear PyGui
pip install dearpyguiAlternative for systems where pip points to Python 3
pip3 install dearpyguiIced
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/iced-rs/icedFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Dear PyGui and Iced?
Dear PyGui: A Python toolkit for building fast graphical desktop interfaces, built on Dear ImGui. Iced: A Rust library for building desktop and web graphical interfaces, modeled on the Elm architecture. Dear PyGui suits python developers who want a desktop gui for a script or internal tool, while Iced suits rust developers building a desktop gui application.
Are Dear PyGui and Iced free?
Dear PyGui: Free and open source. Iced: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Dear PyGui or Iced?
Dear PyGui is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Iced is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Dear PyGui or Iced more popular?
Iced has more GitHub stars (31.9k) than Dear PyGui (15.7k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Dear PyGui and Iced?
Other options people compare them with include Kivy, Dear ImGui, NiceGUI, Material, Ratatui.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.