Why Django + HTMX Is Unbelievable

By Sherif Atitebi | April 26, 2025

I’ve been working in web development for years now, and I’ve tried some of the major frontend and backend stack out there. React, Vue, Angular. REST APIs, GraphQL. You name it. But I’ve got to be honest—nothing has impressed me lately quite like Django paired with HTMX.

This combo is quietly powerful. It doesn’t shout like some of the flashy JavaScript frameworks, but it gets the job done in a way that feels clean, fast, and sane.

Let me tell you why I think Django + HTMX is such an unbelievable pairing.

1. You Don’t Need an API for Everything

With most modern frontend frameworks, you end up building an entire REST or GraphQL API just to show some dynamic content. It’s boilerplate. It’s extra work. And for a lot of projects, it’s overkill.

With Django and HTMX, you skip that whole mess. You write a view, render a template, return HTML. That’s it. HTMX handles the AJAX call behind the scenes, swaps in the HTML on the page, and you're done. You stay in your comfort zone—writing Python and HTML—not jumping between five different layers of your stack.

2. It Feels Like Web Development Again

There’s something refreshing about returning to server-rendered HTML. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the power of SPA frameworks. But too often they feel like you’re building a desktop app in the browser. You’re managing state, writing reducers, gluing everything together with client-side routing.

With Django and HTMX, the web feels like the web again. Click a button, make a request, update the page. All with real hyperlinks and forms. It’s simple. It’s natural. And it works.

3. Progressive Enhancement Done Right

HTMX lets you sprinkle interactivity where you need it—without rewriting your whole app. Want to add infinite scroll? Inline editing? Modal forms? You can do it all with just a few lines of HTML attributes.

The best part? If HTMX isn’t supported, your app still works. You’re not betting everything on JavaScript. You’re progressively enhancing a solid foundation.

4. Less JavaScript, Fewer Headaches

I like JavaScript, but I don’t want my entire app to depend on a 100,000-line JavaScript bundle just to do basic things. Django and HTMX let me write just enough JS—usually none at all.

That means less complexity, fewer bugs, and less time chasing down weird frontend state issues. It also means better performance, especially on lower-end devices.

5. It’s Just Fast to Build With

This is probably the biggest reason I love Django + HTMX: it’s fast. Not just fast to run, but fast to build. I can prototype a new feature in hours instead of days. The development loop is tight. The mental overhead is low. I’m writing real features instead of wiring up boilerplate.

For small teams, solo developers, or anyone who just wants to ship more and fight less, that speed matters.

Final Thoughts

I’m not saying Django + HTMX is perfect for every project. If you’re building a complex, real-time dashboard or something that truly needs the power of a frontend framework, go for it. But for most web apps—especially internal tools, admin panels, dashboards, or content-driven sites—this combo is seriously hard to beat.

It’s simple. It’s powerful. It gets out of your way.

Django gives you the backend muscle. HTMX gives you the frontend agility. Together, they make web development feel joyful again.

And that’s why, for me, Django + HTMX is unbelievable.