# Starlette vs FastAPI: what FastAPI actually adds

DevFeed: [Starlette vs FastAPI: what FastAPI actually adds](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/starlette-vs-fastapi-what-fastapi-actually-adds-20058.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.honeybadger.io/blog/starlette-vs-fastapi/>)

Author: Farhan Hasin Chowdhury

Published: 2026-07-20T07:00:00Z

Content type: comparison

Language: en

Sources: [Honeybadger](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/honeybadger.md>)

Topics: [FastAPI](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/fastapi.md>), [Pydantic](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/pydantic.md>), [ASGI](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/asgi.md>), [OpenAPI Specification](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/openapi.md>), [Dependency injection](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/dependency-injection.md>), [Python](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/python.md>), [WebSocket](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/websocket.md>), [Cross-origin resource sharing (CORS)](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/cors.md>)

Tags: [cors](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cors.md>), [data-validation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/data-validation.md>), [dependency-injection](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/dependency-injection.md>), [fastapi](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/fastapi.md>), [frameworks](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/frameworks.md>), [openapi](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/openapi.md>), [python](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/python.md>), [python-articles](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/python-articles.md>), [starlette](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/starlette.md>), [websocket](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/websocket.md>)

## AI overview

This comparison explains how FastAPI builds on Starlette and Pydantic. Starlette provides the ASGI-based HTTP layer, while Pydantic handles typed data validation; FastAPI adds type-driven parameter parsing, dependency injection, and automatic OpenAPI documentation. It also discusses when using raw Starlette may be preferable.

## Source excerpt

FastAPI is built on Starlette, but most developers never look at what's underneath. Learn what FastAPI actually adds on top of Starlette and Pydantic, what comes straight from Starlette, and when dropping down to raw Starlette makes more sense than pulling in the full stack.