Polars or Pandas? Choosing the Best Python Library for Data Analytics

Explore the performance edge of Polars vs. the versatility of Pandas in Python data analytics. Discover which library suits your data needs best.

Data analytics is crucial for making decisions today. With so much data in every industry, it's important to have good tools for handling and analyzing it. That's where Pandas and now Polars come in.

These two powerful Python libraries are designed to help with data analytics. In this article, I'll compare Polars and Pandas in detail, looking at their performance, ease of use, functionality, and more, to help you choose the right one for your needs.

Pandas has been around the block a few times and you could say Polars is the new kid on the block. I have a love and hate relationship with Pandas, always have and probably always will. It’s incredibly useful in Data Analytics and this is why I still use it in the classroom.

It took me some getting used to as in the beginning I was overwhelmed with the syntax and just using it in general, along with that it can be somewhat slow on really large datasets but it’s still the most widely use library for Analytics out there.

In the article today I show you guys a quick benchmark I used for testing these two out against each other. I create a dummy dataset with over 64 million rows of data and run a speed test on them.

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The results should surprise you! Let’s just say Polars took the cake on this test. At the bottom of the article I have linked a video I made for you guys that includes a few real world scenarios using real stock market data.

I’m gearing up for the mini series into data analytics, the goal of this new mini series is to get you started with Pandas as a beginner, and over the course of a couple months have you taking on advanced tasks with your data!

Buckle up and let’s get going, stay tuned as in my free article next week I will share the roadmap you as my readers can expect as this all plays out. Please do let me know in the comments (or a DM) your thoughts on these articles and anything you would like to see going forward.

I’m listening. ~ Josh

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Understanding Polars and Pandas