websocket-client

websocket-client gives you fine-grained control over WebSocket connections with both high-level (WebSocketApp) and low-level (WebSocket) APIs. The low-level API is particularly useful when you need precise control over frame handling, ping/pong behavior, and connection lifecycle. It handles the WebSocket protocol correctly and reliably in production environments.

Resource management requires discipline - you must manually close connections and handle reconnection logic yourself. The library doesn't pool connections or provide built-in exponential backoff, so you'll write that yourself or wrap it. Timeout configuration is straightforward with explicit parameters, and it behaves predictably under load once you've tuned timeouts appropriately. The trace logging via enableTrace() is basic but functional for debugging connection issues.

Error handling surfaces underlying socket exceptions directly, which is good for observability but means you need comprehensive exception handling. The API has been stable across versions with minimal breaking changes, which is excellent for production systems. Performance is solid with low overhead, though memory usage can creep up if you're not careful about message buffering on long-lived connections.

websocket-client has been my go-to for WebSocket connections in Python projects. The library offers both high-level (WebSocketApp) and low-level APIs, making it flexible for different needs. The documentation is decent with working examples for common patterns like reconnection logic and custom headers. I particularly appreciate how straightforward it is to get a basic connection running - literally three lines of code for simple use cases.

Error messages are generally clear, especially for connection issues and SSL problems. When things go wrong, the exceptions are specific enough to quickly identify whether it's authentication, network, or protocol-related. Debugging is relatively painless since you can enable trace logging to see the raw WebSocket frames.

The main learning curve comes from understanding WebSocket lifecycle management - when to use run_forever() vs manual recv() loops, and how to properly handle reconnections. The examples cover basic scenarios well, but more complex patterns like handling backpressure or managing multiple connections require reading through GitHub issues. Community support is solid with maintainers responding to issues regularly, though Stack Overflow content is somewhat limited compared to larger libraries.

websocket-client gets the job done for basic WebSocket connections, but the developer experience feels dated compared to modern Python libraries. The API works at both high-level (WebSocketApp) and low-level (create_connection) abstractions, which is flexible, but documentation often leaves you reading source code to understand behavior. Error messages are generic Python exceptions without helpful context about connection state or what went wrong during handshake failures.

Type hints are completely absent, making IDE autocomplete nearly useless and forcing constant doc lookups. The getting-started examples are sparse—you'll find basic connection code but little guidance on reconnection logic, proper cleanup, or handling edge cases. I've spent more time than I'd like debugging silent connection drops because the library doesn't provide clear hooks for monitoring connection health.

For simple scripts or prototypes, it works fine. But for production applications requiring robust WebSocket handling, you'll end up writing significant wrapper code around it to get proper error handling, typing, and reconnection logic. The library feels like it hasn't evolved much with modern Python conventions.