mleidel/tkgui

Compare tkinter GUI packages for python

tkinter GUI demos

Comparing various tkinter GUI packages

• staight tkinter (tkdemo.py)
• ttkthemes ThemedTK (tkdemottk.py)
• ttkbootstrap (tkdemoBoots.py)
• awthemes (tkawdark.py)
• Sun Valley ttk (tkdemoSV.py)

Here I have prepared a python3 program with a handful of typical widgets. The same program is used to showcase the straight tkinter GUI style, and four other GUI packages written for python/tkinter.

The premier GUI libraries for Python would be GTK3 and QT. Both of these are more difficult to learn than tkinter. GTK does not work well outside of Linux.

In my opinion tkinter works for the programmer who needs to write a solid GUI application, but not necessarily an enterprise level application.

The tkinter package (“Tk interface”) is the standard Python interface to the Tcl/Tk GUI toolkit. Both Tk and tkinter are available on most Unix platforms, including macOS, as well as on Windows systems. Python/tkinter programs work almost flawlessly (without alteration) across different OS.

ttkbootstrap has more modern-familiar features than the other modules here. The ttkthemes module is older, and has some very attractive themes. Although not particularly attractive, the "vista" ttktheme is extremely similar to the Windows 10/11 light theme.

To try these demos you'll need to have tkinter installed with Python3.x. The 'requirements.txt' file has the other libraries you'll need.

Note: my demo program is only for displaying widgets, and switching between themes.

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Learn more ...

tkinter - Python interface to Tcl/Tk <=> https://docs.python.org/3/library/tkinter.html
ttkbootstrap - ttkbootstrap <=> https://ttkbootstrap.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
Style guide - ttkbootstrap <=> https://ttkbootstrap.readthedocs.io/en/latest/styleguide/
Definitions - ttkbootstrap <=> https://ttkbootstrap.readthedocs.io/en/latest/themes/definitions/
ttkbootstrap - PyPI <=> https://pypi.org/project/ttkbootstrap/
ttkthemes v3.2.2 documentation <=> https://ttkthemes.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
List of ttk Themes <=> https://wiki.tcl-lang.org/page/List+of+ttk+Themes
Sun Valley visual styles <=> https://github.com/rdbende/Sun-Valley-ttk-theme
awthemes <=> https://wiki.tcl-lang.org/page/awthemes