Tornado (web server)

Python web server and application framework

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)

The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guidelines for products and services. Please help to demonstrate the notability of the topic by citing reliable secondary sources that are independent of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention. If notability cannot be shown, the article is likely to be merged, redirected, or deleted.
Find sources: "Tornado" web server – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral. Please help improve it by replacing them with more appropriate citations to reliable, independent sources. (March 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

(Learn how and when to remove this message)

Tornado

Original author(s)| FriendFeed
Developer(s)| Ben Darnell, Meta, Bret Taylor
Initial release| 2009; 16 years ago (2009)
Stable release|

6.5.1[1] / 22 May 2025; 2 months ago (22 May 2025)

Repository| github.com/tornadoweb/tornado
Written in| Python
Operating system| Cross-platform
Available in| English
Type| Web server
License| Apache licence 2.0
Website| www.tornadoweb.org

Tornado is a scalable, non-blocking web server and web application framework written in Python.[2] It was developed for use by FriendFeed; the company was acquired by Facebook in 2009 and Tornado was open-sourced soon after.[3]

## Performance

[edit]

Tornado is noted for its high performance. Its design enables handling a large number of concurrent connections (i.e., tries to solve the "C10k problem").

## Modules

[edit]

* An asynchronous MongoDB driver called Motor.
* CouchDB drivers called corduroy and trombi.
* Asynchronous driver for PostgreSQL wrapping psycopg called Momoko

## Example

[edit]

The following code shows a simple web application that displays "Hello World!" when visited:[4]

import asyncio

import tornado.web

class MainHandler(tornado.web.RequestHandler):
def get(self):
self.write("Hello, world")

def make_app():
return tornado.web.Application([(r"/", MainHandler),])

async def main():
app = make_app()
app.listen(8888)
await asyncio.Event().wait()

if __name__ == "__main__":
asyncio.run(main())

## See also

[edit]

* Free and open-source software portal

* Django (web framework)
* FastAPI
* Flask (web framework)
* Jam.py
* Pylons project
* Web2py
* Comparison of web server software

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Release 6.5.1". 22 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
2. ^ "Home - tornado - GitHub". GitHub. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
3. ^ "Facebook open-sources real-time FriendFeed facet". CNet. Archived from the original on 2012-01-30. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
4. ^ "Hello, world". Retrieved 2022-09-14.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Python web frameworks

* CherryPy
* CubicWeb
* Django
* FastAPI
* Flask
* Grok
* Nevow
* Pylons
* Pyramid
* Quixote
* Tornado
* TurboGears
* TwistedWeb
* web2py
* Zope 2
* more...

* Comparison

* v
* t
* e

Web frameworks

* Comparison

.NET|

* ASP.NET
* Core
* AJAX
* Dynamic Data
* MVC
* Razor
* Web Forms
* Blazor
* DNN
* BFC
* MonoRail
* Umbraco
* WebSharper

C++|

* CppCMS
* Drogon
* Wt

ColdFusion|

* ColdBox Platform

Common Lisp|

* CL-HTTP

Haskell|

* Servant
* Snap
* Yesod

Java|

* AppFuse
* Grails
* GWT
* ICEfaces
* JHipster
* JWt
* Mojarra
* Play
* Remote Application Platform
* Seam
* Sling
* Spring
* Stripes
* Struts
* Tapestry
* Vaadin
* Vert.x
* Wicket
* WaveMaker
* ZK

JavaScript|

* Angular/AngularJS
* Backbone.js
* Closure
* Dojo Toolkit
* Ember.js
* Express.js
* Ext JS
* Fastify
* htmx
* jQuery
* Knockout.js
* Meteor
* MooTools
* NestJS
* Next.js
* Nuxt.js
* Node.js
* OpenUI5
* Prototype
* React
* Remix
* Sencha Touch
* SproutCore
* Svelte
* Vue.js

Perl|

* Catalyst
* Dancer
* Maypole
* Mojolicious
* WebGUI

PHP|

* CakePHP
* CodeIgniter
* Drupal
* eZ Publish
* Fat-Free
* Flow
* FuelPHP
* Grav
* Gyroscope
* Horde
* Joomla!
* Laminas
* Laravel
* li₃
* Midgard
* MODX
* Phalcon
* PHP-Fusion
* PHP-Nuke
* Pop PHP
* PRADO
* ProcessWire
* Qcodo
* Silverstripe
* Symfony
* TYPO3
* WordPress
* XOOPS
* Yii

Python|

* BlueBream
* CherryPy
* CubicWeb
* Django
* FastAPI
* Flask
* Grok
* Nevow
* Pyjs
* Pylons
* Pyramid
* Quixote
* Tornado
* TurboGears
* web2py
* Zope 2
* more...

Ruby|

* Merb
* Padrino
* Ruby on Rails
* Sinatra

Rust|

* Rocket

Scala|

* Lift
* Play
* Scalatra

Smalltalk|

* AIDA/Web
* Seaside

Other languages|

* Application Express (PL/SQL)
* Grails (Groovy)
* OpenACS (Tcl)
* Phoenix (Elixir)
* Shiny (web framework) (R)
* SproutCore (JavaScript-Ruby)
* Yaws (Erlang)

* v
* t
* e

Web server software

Comparisons

Most popular|

* Apache
* Nginx
* IIS
* IIS Express

Other|

* AOLserver
* Caddy
* Caudium
* Cherokee
* GlassFish
* Gunicorn
* H2O
* Hiawatha
* iPlanet
* Jetty
* JEUS
* Jexus
* JOnAS
* Lighttpd
* LiteSpeed Web Server
* Mongoose
* Mongrel2
* Monkey
* NaviServer
* NetWeaver
* OpenResty
* Passenger
* Paste
* POCO
* Puma
* Resin
* Roxen
* thttpd
* Tomcat
* Tornado
* Traffic Server
* Twisted
* WebLogic
* WEBrick
* WebSphere
* WildFly
* Yaws
* Zope

Discontinued|

* Boa
* CERN httpd
* Mongrel
* NCSA HTTPd
* Xitami
* Zeus

* v
* t
* e

Meta Platforms

Products
and services|

| Facebook|

* Service
* Features
* Beacon
* Bluetooth Beacon
* Credits
* Dating
* EdgeRank
* Feed
* Gaming
* Graph Search
* Instant Articles
* Like button
* Live
* Lookalike audience
* Onion address
* Platform
* Connect
* Reels
* Safety Check
* Stories
* Watch
* list of original programs
* Zero

|

Instagram|

* Hyperlapse
* IGTV
* List of most-followed accounts
* List of most-liked pictures
* Threads

Hardware|

* Portal
* Meta Quest
* Quest 1
* Quest 2
* Quest 3
* Pro
* Touch
* Ray-Ban Stories

Other|

* Express Wi-Fi
* Free Basics
* Messenger
* Kids
* Rooms
* Mapillary
* Meta AI
* Meta Horizon OS
* Meta Superintelligence Labs
* Supernatural
* WhatsApp
* Workplace

Former|

* Atlas Solutions
* FriendFeed
* Giphy
* Home
* HTC First
* M
* Oculus Go
* Oculus Rift
* CV1
* S
* Onavo
* Paper
* Slingshot
* tbh
* Wirehog

People|

| Founders|

* Mark Zuckerberg (28% equity)
* Dustin Moskovitz (7%)
* Eduardo Saverin (5%, formerly)
* Chris Hughes (1%, formerly)
* Andrew McCollum

|

Board|

| Current|

* Mark Zuckerberg
* Marc Andreessen
* John D. Arnold
* Patrick Collison
* John Elkann
* Drew Houston
* Nancy Killefer
* Robert M. Kimmitt
* Dina Powell
* Hock Tan
* Dana White
* Tony Xu

|

Former|

* Sheryl Sandberg
* Peter Thiel

Executive
officers|

| Current|

* Mark Zuckerberg (Chairman and CEO)
* Javier Olivan (COO)
* Andrew Bosworth (CTO)
* Chris Cox (CPO)
* Nick Clegg (President of Global Affairs)
* Jennifer Newstead (Chief Legal Officer)

|

Former|

* Sean Parker (4%, formerly)
* Owen Van Natta
* Gideon Yu
* Adam D'Angelo
* Chris Kelly
* Bret Taylor
* Sheryl Sandberg
* Mike Schroepfer
* David Wehner
* David Ebersman
* Marne Levine
* Alex Stamos

Oversight
Board|

| Members|

* Catalina Botero Marino, Co-Chair (2020–)
* Jamal Greene, Co-Chair (2020–)
* Michael W. McConnell, Co-Chair (2020–)
* Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Co-Chair (2020–)
* Afia Asantewaa Asare-Kyei (2020–)
* Evelyn Aswad (2020–)
* Endy Bayuni (2020–)
* Katherine Chen (2020–)
* Nighat Dad (2020–)
* Tawakkol Karman (2020–)
* Maina Kiai (2020–)
* Sudhir Krishnaswamy (2020–)
* Ronaldo Lemos (2020–)
* Julie Owono (2020–)
* Emi Palmor (2020–)
* Alan Rusbridger (2020–)
* András Sajó (2020–)
* John Samples (2020–)
* Nicolas Suzor (2020–)
* Suzanne Nossel (2021–)
* Khaled Mansour (2022–)
* Pamela San Martin (2022–)
* Paolo Carozza (2022–)
* Kenji Yoshino (2023–)

|

Board of
Trustees|

* Stephen Neal, Chair (2021–)
* Kristina Arriaga (2020–)
* Cherine Chalaby (2020–)
* Wanda Felton (2020–)
* Kate O'Regan (2020–)
* Robert Post (2020–)

Former
members|

* Pamela S. Karlan (Board Member, 2020–2021)
* Paul G. Haaga Jr. (Board of Trustees Chair, 2020–2021)

Notable
employees|

| Current|

* Lars Rasmussen (Graph Search director)
* Naomi Gleit (VP of social good)
* Nicola Mendelsohn (head of Global Business Group)
* Adam Mosseri (head of Instagram)
* Thomas Reardon (Reality Labs director)

|

Former|

* Blake Ross (Director of Product)
* Ted Ullyot (VP, General Counsel, and Secretary)
* Hugo Barra (VP of Reality Labs)
* John Carmack (CTO of Reality Labs)
* Matt Cohler
* Charlie Cheever
* Randi Zuckerberg
* Yishan Wong
* George Hotz
* Joe Lockhart
* Andrei Alexandrescu (research scientist)
* Chamath Palihapitiya (VP of User Growth)
* Elliot Schrage (VP of Global Communications, Marketing and Public Policy)
* Frances Haugen (Product Manager of Civic Integrity Team)

Open source|

* Apache Cassandra
* Apache Hive
* Apache Thrift
* Buck
* FQL
* Hack
* HHVM
* HipHop for PHP
* Infer
* MyRocks
* Open Compute Project
* Phabricator
* React
* React Native
* RocksDB
* Scribe
* Telecom Infra Project
* Tornado

Mass media|

* The Facebook Effect
* The Accidental Billionaires
* The Social Network
* The Great Hack
* Careless People

Concepts|

* Activity stream
* Social graph
* Friending and following
* Reblogging
* Fan-gating
* Facebook diplomacy
* Facebook like button

Business|

* History of Facebook
* Timeline of Instagram
* Timeline of WhatsApp
* Acquisitions
* f8 conference
* IPO
* Censorship
* Criticism
* Cambridge Analytica data scandal
* 2020 ad boycotts
* 2021 company files leak
* Privacy
* Content management
* Litigation
* Young v. Facebook, Inc. (2011)
* Fraley v. Facebook, Inc. (2016)
* Force v. Facebook, Inc. (2019)
* Facebook, Inc. v. Duguid (2021)
* Federal Trade Commission v. Meta Platforms, Inc. (ongoing)
* unionization

Lists|

* Most-followed Facebook pages

Related|

* Priscilla Chan (wife of Mark Zuckerberg)
* Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
* Aquila Internet relay drone
* Willow Village
* WaveGroup Sound
* 2021 Facebook outage

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template