What is Kivy? - GeeksforGeeks (2024)

Read

Courses

Practice

Improve

Kivy is an opensource multi-platform GUI development library for Python and can run on iOS, Android, Windows, OS X, and GNU/Linux. It helps develop applications that make use of innovative, multi-touch UI. The fundamental idea behind Kivy is to enable the developer to build an app once and use it across all devices, making the code reusable and deployable, allowing for quick and easy interaction design and rapid prototyping.

This easy to use framework contains all the elements for building an application such as:

  • Extensive input support for input devices such as mouse, keyboard, TUIO, and OS-specific multi-touch events
  • A graphic library using only OpenGL ES 2
  • A wide range of widgets built with multi-touch support
  • An intermediate language Kv language, used to design custom widgets easily

So does this mean you should learn Kivy?

Let’s create a list of advantages and disadvantages and see what Kivy can do and what it can not and then you can decide for yourself, whether it’s worth your time or not.

Advantages

  • Based on Python, which is the extremely powerful given it’s library rich nature.
  • Write code once and use it across all devices.
  • Easy to use widgets built with multi-touch support.
  • Performs better than HTML5 cross-platform alternatives.

Disadvantages

  • Non-native looking User Interface.
  • Bigger package size (because Python interpreter needs to be included).
  • Lack of community support (Kivy Community isn’t particularly large).
  • Lack of good examples and documentation.
  • Better and more community rich alternates available if only focusing on Mobile Cross-platform devices i.e React Native.

Don't miss your chance to ride the wave of the data revolution! Every industry is scaling new heights by tapping into the power of data. Sharpen your skills and become a part of the hottest trend in the 21st century.

Dive into the future of technology - explore the Complete Machine Learning and Data Science Program by GeeksforGeeks and stay ahead of the curve.


Last Updated : 30 Jan, 2020

Like Article

Save Article

Share your thoughts in the comments

Please Login to comment...

What is Kivy? - GeeksforGeeks (2024)

FAQs

What is Kivy? - GeeksforGeeks? ›

Kivy is an opensource Python library that allows you to develop multi-platform graphical user interface applications on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, and Raspberry-Pi.

What is Kivy used for? ›

Kivy is a free and open source Python framework for developing mobile apps and other multitouch application software with a natural user interface (NUI). It is distributed under the terms of the MIT License, and can run on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Is Kivy worth learning? ›

Kivyy: Is It Good For Mobile Apps? Kivy is a free Python open-source library. You can use it to develop cross-platform applications with Python. It helps web development companies build graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that run consistently on platforms like Android, Windows, Java, etc.

Is Kivy a GUI? ›

00:25 Kivy is a GUI framework which is truly cross-platform, offering a consistent user experience across Windows, macOS, and Linux. In this course, you'll see how to make use of the Kivy framework and Python to create GUI applications that you can package across multiple operating systems.

Is Kivy the same as Python? ›

Kivy – Cross-platform Python GUIs

Kivy an open-source Python library for developing cross-platform GUI applications. It allows you to write pure-Python graphical applications that run on the main desktop platforms (Windows, Linux, and macOS) and on iOS & Android.

Do people still use Kivy? ›

Companies and individuals are using Kivy for their projects every day. Kivy is kept open source thanks to its contributors and backers.

What are the disadvantages of Kivy? ›

Disadvantages
  • It has a non-native User Interface.
  • It has a more extensive package size (because the Python interpreter needs to be included).
  • It lacks community support.
  • Lack of good documentation and examples.
Mar 26, 2024

Which is better tkinter or Kivy? ›

For simple programs, tkinter is a lot more straightforward and easier to get started with. Plus its library is built into the standard python installation package. Kivy offers more flexibility and is more complicated, but it also has support for mobile (android + IOS).

Is Kivy the best GUI for Python? ›

PyQT is most powerful thing, Kivy is more about mobile, Tk ans PyQT is much better for desktop apps development. Your 'dependancies' matter. Which is to say, your choice for a GUI toolkit 'depends' upon several factors.

Should I learn Kivy or Flutter? ›

In Flutter will be used Dart language and not python. This is at all other. This is because Kivy uses some bridge scheme for compiling the code, so it is comparatively slower to develop applications in it.

What companies use Kivy? ›

Companies Currently Using Kivy
Company NameWebsiteTop Level Industry
Dover Corporationdovercorporation.comManufacturing
Intellisense Systems Inc.intellisenseinc.comManufacturing
Karkinos Healthcarekarkinos.inHealthcare
Mitutoyo Research & Development America Inc.mitutoyo-rda.comConstruction
2 more rows

Can Kivy make mobile apps? ›

These libraries are all major players in the Python mobile space. However, there are some benefits you'll see if you choose to create mobile applications with Kivy. Not only will your application look the same on all platforms, but you also won't need to compile your code after every change.

Which is better Kivy or Pygame? ›

While Pygame specializes in creating video games, Kivy is widely used for developing multi-touch applications. Pygame provides an easier learning curve, making it ideal for beginners and educational purposes. Kivy, however, has a steeper learning curve due to its advanced capabilities.

Can I use Kivy on Anaconda? ›

Installation using Conda¶

Do not use pip to install kivy if you're using Anaconda, unless you're installing from source.

What is the best GUI for Python? ›

In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the top 10 Python GUI libraries and their key characteristics.
  1. PyQt5. PyQt5 is a standout GUI framework in the Python ecosystem. ...
  2. Tkinter. Tkinter is another highly regarded Python library for GUI. ...
  3. Kivy. ...
  4. wxPython. ...
  5. PySimpleGUI. ...
  6. Libavg. ...
  7. PyForms. ...
  8. PySide2.
Aug 4, 2023

Does Kivy have a designer? ›

The Kivy UI Designer allows for codeless customisation and resizing, allowing you to change the colour, font, size and more with just a click and once again all the code will be generated for you. We can see an example of how simple it is to customize Kivy widgets below.

Who uses Kivy? ›

Customers of Kivy
CustomersEmployee RangeCity
Mass Genics0 - 9Duluth
STX Next250 - 499Poznan
Revelo250 - 499Sao Paulo
Usemos Linux250 - 499Buenos Aires
6 more rows

Is Kivy good for making games? ›

While Pygame specializes in creating video games, Kivy is widely used for developing multi-touch applications. Pygame provides an easier learning curve, making it ideal for beginners and educational purposes. Kivy, however, has a steeper learning curve due to its advanced capabilities.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Patricia Veum II

Last Updated:

Views: 6167

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (64 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Patricia Veum II

Birthday: 1994-12-16

Address: 2064 Little Summit, Goldieton, MS 97651-0862

Phone: +6873952696715

Job: Principal Officer

Hobby: Rafting, Cabaret, Candle making, Jigsaw puzzles, Inline skating, Magic, Graffiti

Introduction: My name is Patricia Veum II, I am a vast, combative, smiling, famous, inexpensive, zealous, sparkling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.