Choosing Between Free Threading and Async
- Track:
- Python Core, Internals, Extensions
- Type:
- Talk
- Level:
- intermediate
- Room:
- North Hall
- Start:
- 11:25 on 17 July 2025
- End:
- 11:55 on 17 July 2025
- Duration:
- 30 minutes
Abstract
With the GIL gone, do we still need async in Python? Starting with Python 3.13, PEP 703 removes the GIL, enabling true free threading and parallelism across multiple CPU cores. In this talk, we’ll explore how this change affects the decision between using threading or async programming for individual developers. We’ll discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and when to choose one over the other—whether you're handling CPU-bound tasks with threads or I/O-bound workloads with async. By the end of the session, you'll have a clear understanding of which model to use for your specific use case, empowering you to make more efficient decisions in your Python projects.