Developers find the debugging phase quite challenging and frustrating at times, i.e., they face difficulty in diagnosing and resolving problems found in the code. However, with Python, it is few basic functions can assist you in debugging.

Here is our list of the best Python Debugging tools:

1. Sentry One of the best error tracking and debugging tools that allow developers to diagnose and fix python problems quickly.
2. Pycharm An IDE-based debugging tool used to check and fix Python-related problems faster. It is very popular due to its support, flexibility, and excellent capabilities.
3. Pyringe Another Python debugger tool that inspects different Python codes into live processes to get a clear idea of their current state.
4. PDB A source code debugging tool for remote servers. It is designed for an environment that does not support a GUI-based debugger.
5. PyScripter Another Python IDE platform that offers various features to test and debug python code. It allows developers to write and run Python code in a browser.
6. Glitchtip A free error tracking and debugging tool that provides instant alerts to users on detecting any error.
7. Icecream A free Python debugging tool used by developers to assist in debugging Python projects. It can be installed through pip.
8. Pyshield A graphical Python debugging tool that allows developers to edit, debug and publish encrypted Python scripts.
9. PySnooper One of the best user-friendly Python debugging tools used to detect and resolve errors in complex and legacy Python projects.

Python is known to be a top programming language that uses simple syntax. Thus, making it easier for developers to read and understand the code. Further, the programming language is used on a server to build desktop GUI applications, create web pages, and develop web-based applications.

Here, we will discuss some popular third-party tools that will assist you in debugging python and expand your debugging abilities. But, before that, let’s look at some essential factors that one must consider when selecting Python Debug Tools.

Methodology for selecting the Best NBest Python Debug Tools

Most developers get frustrated in the debugging phase, especially if they have no means to identify and fix code bugs. But thankfully, there are many debugging solutions in the market that can reduce your stress and address your code bugs in real-time. Investing in the right tools is essential or else debugging Python programs can become stressful. Here, we have listed a few methodologies that you must keep in mind when selecting the best Python debugging tool.

• Check if it has built-in code checkers for development tools
• Check if your selected tool offers a code verification system that makes it possible to write status codes in debug messaging
• Can you collect debug messages using your selected tool?
• Does it support integration with issue trackers?
• Any free trials or demo sessions are available?
• Does it allow inserting multiple commands?
• Is it an open-source tool that can be customized as per your preference?
• Does your tool allow direct interaction with the development environment?
• Check if it allows running multiple tests before the launch to discover hidden errors
• Check if it supports bug reporting and alert features.
• Can you test remote hosts or virtual machines with the selected tool?
• Can you run PEP8 checks?
• Does your tool provide performance monitoring and error tracking functionalities?
• Does it offer testing systems that automatically integrate with CI/CD pipeline?

What should you look for in Python Debug Tools?

Most people use python to run web-based applications that involve writing thousands of codes. To avoid making any mistakes in the code, developers opt for debugging tools that help run several tests before the launch. With the help of these tests, developers can discover hidden errors that would have affected your performance. 

But when selecting one for your project there are various things a developer must cross-check. Look if the provided tools provide bug reporting and alert features, performance monitoring, error tracking, and support integration, and do they interface directly with your development environment?

You must also check if they are open-source and available for free or in premium packages. To make it easier for you, we have listed some of the free and premium Python debugging tools considering various aspects. Follow and compare the list before coming to any conclusion.

The Best Python Debug Tools

Being one of the popular programming languages, most developers use it for various purposes. Hence, it is essential to debug Python projects for better results and smooth operations.

Below we have listed some of the top Python debug tools and their features to choose from. Have a look at the Python debuggers and make a call for yourself.

1. Sentry

Sentry is one of the best error tracking and performance monitoring tools and is trusted by many experts. With the help of Sentry, developers can quickly diagnose and fix python problems. Further, it supports the slack trace feature making it easier for clients to discover bugs in the code and stimulate the development environment.

Key Features

• Stack tracing
• Event log reader
• Detects error
• Identify areas that reproduce errors

With the help of its excellent features, companies can break down reported problems faster. 

Its performance monitoring capabilities further allow developers to identify areas that reproduce errors and spot unusual readouts quickly.

It is free to use but supports premium features. The free tool allows you to access only basic functions and supports limited user capacity. If you upgrade the popular tool and opt for the Team package, you get to access more error detection algorithms. Similarly, the business package includes more error insights.

Try the free trial for both paid packages and use the platform for error monitoring of your development projects.

Pricing: Offers a free version with basic features and limited user capacity. The Team package costs $26/month and the Business package costs $80/month.

Website Link: https://sentry.io/signup/ 

2. Pycharm

Pycharm is an IDE-featured python debugging tool built on open-source principles and embraces the keyboard-centric approach. Most developers look forward to Pycharm for its support, flexibility, and excellent capabilities that help in error checking and fixing Python problems faster. 

Key Features

• Integrated debugger and test runner
• Supports integration with major VCS, IPython Notebook, and several built-in database tools
• Supports JavaScript, TypeScript, Cython, SQL, HTML/CSS, AngularJS, Node.js, etc.
• Debug and Deployment
• Tests remote hosts or virtual machines
• Web development frameworks
• Automated smart refactorings
• Runs PEP8 checks

The IDE features supported by the tool keep control of the code quality with PEP8 checks, automated smart refactorings, and other inspection features available. Designed by programmers, the platform comprises various tools that aid productivity and overall project development.

It is suitable for all modern web development frameworks, including Pyramid, web2py, Django, Flask, Google App Engine, etc., and supports integration with IPython Notebook.

Further, it is available as a free Community version and paid Professional version. The premium versions of Pycharm support JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and SQL. As a result, with the help of Pycharm, you can perform a wide range of tasks.

Pricing: The Pycharm Community edition is open-source and absolutely free while the PyCharm Professional edition comes with additional features and costs $199/year for just the IDE and $649 for the all-product pack.

Website Link: https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/download/download-thanks.html?platform=windows

3. Pyringe

Pyringe is another python debugger that helps inject different Python codes into live processes to get a clear idea of their current state. With the help of Pyringe’s advanced features, you can debug issues faster.

Key Features

• Inspect codes during live sessions
• Debugs issues quickly
• Works best with version 7.4 onwards
• Updates about the issues in real-time
• List threads and tracebacks
• Inspect locals or globals of running functions

Further, you do not need to stop a program to inspect data with Pyringe. Inspect all the codes in real-time and fix the registered problems. It is a free tool that also allows you to list threads and inspect locals or globals of running functions.

It also supports ringdown analysis of simulated GW data and parameterized tests of General Relativity. If you are looking for a debug tool that will help inspect codes even in live sessions, look no further.

Pricing: It is an absolutely free software tool.

Website Link: https://github.com/google/pyringe

4. PDB

PDB is a part of Python’s standard library which supports line-oriented command interpreters and basic debugger function modules. It is best suitable for an environment that does not support a GUI-based debugger.

Key Features

• Allows inspecting stack frames and source code listings
• Discover and fix bugs faster
• Supports modifying the Pdb class
• Admins have access to stop the program any time to debug it
• Post-mortem debugging
• Run an auditing event without arguments
• Supports insertion of multiple commands

In simple terms, PBD is one of the interactive source code debugging tools for remote servers. All you require is to insert pdb, pdb.set_trace () commands to start debugging. All the scripts run normally and stop only at places where you have inserted a breakpoint. 

Additionally, it supports viewing stack traces, source code listing, and stepping through code apart from breakpoint insertion.

Pricing: It is an absolutely free software tool.

Website Link: https://github.com/python/cpython/tree/3.10/Lib/pdb.py 

5. PyScripter

PyScripter is another open-source Python Integrated Development Environment platform based on Unicode that provides debugging and development. It comprises various features but is one of the lightweight tools that supports Python source files and enables developers to write and run Python code in a browser.

Key Features

• Open-source IDE solution
• Free and supports persistent configurable options
• PyScripter is based on Unicode
• supports built-in parameterized code templates
• Supports integration with tools like PyLint
• It helps detect and replace codes faster
• Highlight syntax for files in different formats

It is also used to highlight syntax for files in different formats, including HTML, XML, and CSS. 

PyScripter is a choice for many companies because it is open-source, easily configurable, and supports built-in parameterized code templates. You can also integrate with other tools such as PyLint.

You don’t have to wait too long for detecting errors as it helps find and replace codes quickly. PyScripter is free and supports configurable IDE options.

Pricing: It is a free software tool.

Website Link: https://github.com/pyscripter/pyscripter 

6. Glitchtip

Glitchtip is an open-source error tracking tool that collects errors in real-time and organizes reports into a fixable format. It is better compared to other alternate solutions as it is open-source and maintains a larger user community.

Key Features

• Supports sentry integration
• Supports hosted or self-hosted features
• Free, open-source tool that provides performance monitoring
• Supports reporting errors and aggregation
• Supports large user community

Additionally, it is easy monitoring software that provides instant alerts to users on detecting any error. It is an all-in-one error tracking solution compatible with Sentry client SDKs.

Developers can run the tool and host it locally because it is open-source. If you are a small company or hold low-budget projects, we recommend going for Glitchtip. However, it supports businesses of all sizes.

Further, it is a free tool that supports hosted or self-hosted options. The premium packages available with the tool come with various options, such as the small package that covers 100k events, the medium package that covers up to 500k events, and the large package that supports around 3 million events.

Pricing: It offers a free version when self-hosted. It also offers a commercial package for small, medium, and large businesses. The Small package supports up to 100k events and costs $15 per month. The Medium package supports up to 500k events and costs $50 per month. Finally, the Large package supports up to 3 million events and costs $250 per month.

Website Link: https://glitchtip.com/ 

7. Icecream

The print() function is often used by developers to assist in debugging Python projects, but in a few cases, developers look for its alternative. Icecream is one of the best alternative solutions for the print() function as it elaborates and provides more detailed information compared to the one provided by the original output function (the print() function).

Key Features

• Best alternative solution to the print() function.
• Offers more detailed information than the print() function.
• Performs detailed inspection of variables.
• Supports installation via Pip.
• Error Detection.
• Debugs Python codes and monitors performance.

It is a free and open-source Python debugging tool that is also used for detailed inspection of variables. You do not have to make much effort in order to install the tool. The Icecream debugger can be installed through pip. 

It might not sound like one of the perfect solutions, but comprises various debugging abilities required by developers to detect code errors and fix them.

Pricing: It is a free tool.

Website Link: https://github.com/gruns/icecream 

8. Pyshield

Pyshield is an IDE tool that supports Python and helps developers edit, debug and publish encrypted Python scripts. Further, it is used to build a standalone executable file.

Key Features

• Pyshield has a GUI Debugger
• Deploys Python scripts
• Runs encrypted Python scripts
• Allows publishing Python scripts in cross-platforms
• Supports editor that simulates Emacs python-mode
• Code Tree Browser
• Highlight syntax to reduce bugs
• Code block fold support
• Search references across multiple files and directories
• Pyshield is compatible with Windows XP, Windows 7, and Ubuntu i686

You can run the tool on Windows XP, Windows 7, and Ubuntu i686. It allows the publishing and running of encrypted python scripts on cross-platforms. Further, to reduce the chances of errors, it allows developers to highlight syntax.

It comprises an editor that simulates Emacs python-mode. Further, it supports various features, like Code block fold, Code Tree Browser, etc., that make it a good choice for debugging Python.

Pricing: Click here to get pricing details from the software vendors.

Website Link: https://pyshield.updatestar.com/en/edit

9. PySnooper

PySnooper is also a top choice of most developers for it simplifies debugging. The error tracking tool auto-generates logs on the examined source code lines and functions. As a result, you can view the values of local variables easily using this tool.

Key Features

• Multithreaded applications support
• Displays executed lines
• Customizable objects
• Free error tracking tool
• Auto generates logs
• Perform debugging in complex and legacy Python projects
• Truncate values to any digit
• Allows eliminating all machine-related data for better comparison

Further, it makes it easy to detect and resolve errors in complex and legacy Python projects. You do not have to set up anything extra to run the program. All you require is to add “pysnooper.snoop()” before any line in any function, and it will start tracking all the function performance.

You can also redirect the output to a specific file via this debugger.

Pricing: It is free and available on GitHub.

Website Link: https://github.com/cool-RR/PySnooper 

Conclusion

Python is preferred by most developers because it is highly readable and supports a straightforward syntax. It is one of the top programming languages used mostly to run an organization’s operations, build desktop GUI applications, and create and develop web-based applications. 

Hence, to make sure each operation and design work properly in the future, developers must run tests extensively before launching the final product. Although, the Python debugging process can be quite frustrating if you don’t have the right tools. 

So, we have listed several distinct tools for debugging Python that will make it easier for you to detect errors and resolve them. Each above-listed tool has different functions and features that make them unique and at the top of the list.

Compare each and every debugging tool before making your final move. These tools are one of the best ways that will help increase your debugging abilities. Hence, go through all of them.

While developing a project, it is essential to perform debugging as it will help highlight some of the main and hidden errors at the time of testing or during post-deployment. 

Further, the reports generated from the tools on finding bugs will save your time and enhance overall performance. As and when a bug will be noticed, the tools will immediately update you on it, and you can take the appropriate action for the same. 

Sentry, Pycharm, Pyringe, PDB, PyScripter, Glitchtip, Icecream, Pyshield, and PySnooper are some of the popular Python debuggers available in the market.

Most of the highlighted tools are open-source and available for free. Also, some of them can test every line of source code and display slow-performing snippets in the reports. 

Further, you can find a few debugging tools that allow developers to add more resources or refactor the code to deliver better performance and results.

Follow the above-listed tools and their features for debugging Python. Each one has its own role and features, compare and choose the one that suits your requirement and budget.