Dear PyGui vs Kivy
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
Python framework for building cross-platform GUI apps, including mobile, desktop and embedded.
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 Kivy if you need…
- Python developers who want one codebase for desktop and mobile apps
- Developers prototyping touch-friendly interfaces quickly
- Projects that need multitouch input support
- Hobbyists targeting Raspberry Pi OS or other embedded Linux devices
Side-by-side
| Dear PyGui | Kivy | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Framework |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 15.7k | 19k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | C++ | Python |
| 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.
Kivy
Kivy is an open-source Python framework for making graphical apps that run on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS from one codebase. It is written in Python and Cython, built on OpenGL ES 2.0, and includes a widget library with multitouch support. People use it for quick interface prototyping and for shipping the same app across several platforms.
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
Kivy
- Python developers who want one codebase for desktop and mobile apps
- Developers prototyping touch-friendly interfaces quickly
- Projects that need multitouch input support
- Hobbyists targeting Raspberry Pi OS or other embedded Linux devices
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
Kivy
- One codebase targets Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS
- MIT licensed and actively developed with a large community
- Documentation, tutorials, API reference and bundled examples are provided
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)
Kivy
- People who need native-looking platform widgets, since Kivy draws its own widgets (inferred from its OpenGL-based design; the README does not discuss this directly)
- Developers who want to avoid Python entirely
- Teams needing a web-only app; Kivy targets desktop, mobile and embedded platforms
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
Kivy
- Installation details live on the external documentation site rather than in the README
- Mobile packaging relies on separate sibling projects such as Buildozer and Python for Android
- The README does not state a minimum Python version, so check the docs before starting
Getting started
Dear PyGui
Install Dear PyGui
pip install dearpyguiAlternative for systems where pip points to Python 3
pip3 install dearpyguiFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Dear PyGui and Kivy?
Dear PyGui: A Python toolkit for building fast graphical desktop interfaces, built on Dear ImGui. Kivy: Python framework for building cross-platform GUI apps, including mobile, desktop and embedded. Dear PyGui suits python developers who want a desktop gui for a script or internal tool, while Kivy suits python developers who want one codebase for desktop and mobile apps.
Are Dear PyGui and Kivy free?
Dear PyGui: Free and open source. Kivy: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Dear PyGui or Kivy?
Dear PyGui is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Kivy is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Dear PyGui or Kivy more popular?
Kivy has more GitHub stars (19k) 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 Kivy?
Other options people compare them with include Dear ImGui, Iced, NiceGUI, Material.
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.