Rich vs Textual
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 library for colorful, formatted text, tables and progress bars in the terminal.
Open source · MIT
A Python framework for building terminal and web-browser user interfaces.
The short answer
Choose Rich if you need…
- Python developers who write command-line scripts and want clearer output
- People building logging or debugging output for long-running Python programs
- Developers who want to show tables or progress bars in a terminal without building the layout by hand
- Learners who want to see how formatted terminal output works in Python
Choose Textual if you need…
- Python developers who want a terminal app with buttons, tables and forms
- Developers building internal tools or dashboards that run over SSH or in a terminal
- Teams that want to share a terminal app in the browser using textual serve
- Developers who want a testing framework for their UI code
Side-by-side
| Rich | Textual | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Framework |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 57.7k | 37.6k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Python | Python |
| Last code update | 5 months ago | 27 days ago |
What each one is
Rich
Rich is a Python library that makes terminal output easier to read. You call it from your own Python code to add color and style, and to render things like tables, progress bars, Markdown, syntax-highlighted code and tracebacks. The README says it works out of the box with a simple print-style interface.
Textual
Textual is a Python framework for building interactive user interfaces that run in a terminal window, and can also be served to a web browser. It provides ready-made widgets such as buttons, data tables, inputs and text areas, plus a layout system and themes. People use it to make text-based apps and dashboards with a simple Python API.
Best for
Rich
- Python developers who write command-line scripts and want clearer output
- People building logging or debugging output for long-running Python programs
- Developers who want to show tables or progress bars in a terminal without building the layout by hand
- Learners who want to see how formatted terminal output works in Python
Textual
- Python developers who want a terminal app with buttons, tables and forms
- Developers building internal tools or dashboards that run over SSH or in a terminal
- Teams that want to share a terminal app in the browser using textual serve
- Developers who want a testing framework for their UI code
Strengths
Rich
- Simple, familiar interface: rich's print has the same signature as Python's built-in print
- Covers many output types (tables, progress bars, Markdown, tracebacks) in one library
- Works on Linux, macOS and Windows and in Jupyter notebooks with no extra setup, per the README
Textual
- Simple Python API with predefined themes that look good by default
- Includes a testing framework and a dev console for debugging
- Same app can run in a terminal or a web browser
Not ideal for
Rich
- Non-Python projects, since the library is written for Python (the README requires Python 3.8 or later)
- Users who only need a finished application rather than a library to build into their own code
- Environments limited to the classic Windows terminal, where the README says color is limited to 16 colors
Textual
- Non-programmers, since apps are built by writing Python code
- Projects needing a native desktop or mobile GUI, since the README describes terminal and browser targets only
- Developers who need a non-Python language, since the framework is Python-specific
Trade-offs
Rich
- Color and emoji depend on the terminal; the README says the classic Windows terminal is limited to 16 colors
- The README excerpt is truncated, so some advanced features are not described here
- It is a library for developers, so it does nothing useful on its own without Python code
Textual
- Limited to what the terminal and browser targets allow; not a native GUI toolkit
- The README does not detail the web-serving limits or production hosting guidance
- Async support is optional but the framework is built on async internals, which may add learning curve
Getting started
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Rich and Textual?
Rich: A Python library for colorful, formatted text, tables and progress bars in the terminal. Textual: A Python framework for building terminal and web-browser user interfaces. Rich suits python developers who write command-line scripts and want clearer output, while Textual suits python developers who want a terminal app with buttons, tables and forms.
Are Rich and Textual free?
Rich: Free and open source. Textual: Free and open source.
Is Rich or Textual more popular?
Rich has more GitHub stars (57.7k) than Textual (37.6k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Rich and Textual?
Other options people compare them with include Shiki, Docling, Spectre.Console, Filament, Linguist.
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.