How to Install Django in Python (Windows, Mac & Linux)

If you’ve been hearing about Django and want to start building web apps with Python, you’re in the right place. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to install Django step-by-step — on Windows, Mac, or Linux — from scratch.

I’ll also show you how to run your first Django project, install a specific version, and fix the most common errors beginners run into.

By the end, you’ll have Django fully installed and a development server running on your machine in under 10 minutes.

What Is Django (And Why Should You Use It)?

Django is a free, open-source Python web framework that lets you build web applications fast. It’s what Instagram, Mozilla, and Pinterest were originally built on — so it’s battle-tested for large-scale apps.

Here’s why Django is worth learning in 2026:

• Batteries included — It comes with authentication, an admin panel, ORM, URL routing, and templating right out of the box
• Django 5.2 is the current LTS — Released in April 2025, it’s supported with security updates until at least April 2028
• Huge community — Tons of packages, tutorials, and Stack Overflow answers to help when you get stuck
• Fast to prototype — You can go from idea to working app in hours

What You Need Before Installing Django

Before we start, make sure you have the following:

• Python 3.10 or higher — Django 5.2 officially supports Python 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, and 3.13
• pip — Python’s package installer (comes bundled with Python 3.4+)
• A terminal or command prompt — CMD, PowerShell, Terminal, or VS Code’s integrated terminal works fine

Not sure which Python version you have? Run this:

python --version

You can refer to the screenshot below to see the output.

Or on Mac/Linux:

python3 --version

If you see Python 3.10 or above, you’re good to go.

The Right Way to Install Django (Use a Virtual Environment)

Before I show you the commands, let me tell you about the single most common beginner mistake: installing Django globally.

If you install Django system-wide without a virtual environment, you’ll run into version conflicts when you start working on multiple projects. Project A might need Django 4.2, Project B needs Django 5.2 — without a virtual environment, you can’t have both.

A virtual environment is just an isolated folder that holds the Python packages for one specific project. It keeps everything clean and separate.

💡 My rule of thumb: Every Django project gets its own virtual environment, no exceptions.

How to Install Django on Windows 10/11 (With Virtual Environment)

Step 1 — Check if Python Is Installed

Open Command Prompt (search cmd in the Start menu) and run:

python --version

If you get something like Python 3.13.2, you’re set. If not, download Python from python.org and during installation, check the box that says “Add Python to PATH” — this is important.

Step 2 — Create a Virtual Environment

Navigate to the folder where you want your Django project to live, then run:

python -m venv myenv

This creates a folder called myenv containing an isolated Python environment. You can name it anything — I usually name it venv or env.

Step 3 — Activate the Virtual Environment

Using Command Prompt:

myenv\Scripts\activate

Using PowerShell:

myenv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

⚠️ PowerShell Error Fix: If PowerShell gives you an error about execution policies, run this first:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

Then try activating again.

Once activated, your terminal prompt will change to show the environment name in parentheses, like this:

(myenv) C:\Users\YourName\myproject>

That prefix tells you the virtual environment is active. Any package you install now goes into myenv only — not your whole system.

Step 4 — Install Django

Now install Django using pip:

python -m pip install Django

This installs the latest stable version of Django (5.2.x as of this writing).

Step 5 — Verify the Installation

Check that Django installed correctly:

python -m django --version

You can refer to the screenshot below to see the output.

You should see something like:

5.2.1

That’s it — Django is installed on your Windows machine!

How to Install Django on Mac

Let me explain to you how to install Django on Mac.

Step 1 — Check Python Is Installed

Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities → Terminal) and run:

python3 --version

If Python isn’t installed, the easiest way on Mac is via Homebrew:

brew install python3

No Homebrew? Install it from brew.sh first.

Step 2 — Create and Activate a Virtual Environment

python3 -m venv myenv
source myenv/bin/activate

Once activated, your terminal prompt will show the environment name:

(myenv) your-mac:myproject yourname$

Step 3 — Install Django

python3 -m pip install Django

Step 4 — Verify

python3 -m django --version

Output: 5.2.1 (or similar)

💡 Note for Mac users: Always use python3 and pip3 on Mac instead of python and pip, unless you’ve set up aliases in your shell config.

How to Install Django on Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

Here is how you can install Django on Linux.

Step 1 — Update Your Package List

sudo apt update

Step 2 — Install Python and pip if needed

Most Linux distributions come with Python pre-installed. Double check:

python3 --version
pip3 --version

If pip isn’t available:

sudo apt install python3-pip

Step 3 — Create and Activate a Virtual Environment

python3 -m venv myenv
source myenv/bin/activate

Step 4 — Install Django

pip install Django

You can refer to the screenshot below to see the output.

Step 5 — Verify

python -m django --version

How to Install a Specific Version of Django

Sometimes you need a specific Django version, maybe you’re following an older tutorial, working on a legacy project, or a client has a version requirement. Here’s how to do it:

Install a specific version:

pip install Django==5.1.4

Install from a requirements.txt file (common in team projects):

pip install -r requirements.txt

Check available Django versions:

pip index versions Django

This is useful when you want to see which patch releases are available before pinning a version.

How to Check Which Django Version Is Installed

There are two ways to check your Django version.

Option 1 — From the terminal:

python -m django --version

Option 2 — From inside Python:

python

Then in the Python shell:

>>> import django
>>> print(django.get_version())
5.2.1

How to Install Django in VS Code (Best Setup for Beginners)

VS Code is one of the most popular editors for Django development. Here’s how to set it up properly.

Step 1 — Open Your Project Folder in VS Code

code .

(If the code command isn’t available, open VS Code manually and use File → Open Folder.)

Step 2 — Open the Integrated Terminal

Go to Terminal → New Terminal from the menu bar.

Step 3 — Create and Activate Your Virtual Environment

python -m venv myenv

Windows:

myenv\Scripts\activate

Mac/Linux:

source myenv/bin/activate

Step 4 — Select the Python Interpreter in VS Code

Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac) and search for “Python: Select Interpreter”. Choose the one that points to your virtual environment — it’ll show something like ./myenv/Scripts/python.exe on Windows or ./myenv/bin/python on Mac/Linux.

This step is important. If you skip it, VS Code might use the wrong Python and flag Django imports as errors even when Django is installed.

Step 5 — Install Django

pip install Django

Useful VS Code Extensions for Django Development

• Python (by Microsoft) — essential, adds IntelliSense and linting
• Django (by Baptiste Darthenay) — adds template syntax highlighting
• Pylance — faster IntelliSense for Python

How to Install Django in PyCharm

PyCharm is another solid choice, especially if you work on larger projects. Both the free Community Edition and the paid Professional Edition support Django.

Community Edition Setup

Step 1 — Create a New Project

Open PyCharm, click New Project. In the project settings:

• Set your project location
• Under Python Interpreter, choose New environment using Virtualenv
• PyCharm will automatically create the virtual environment for you

Step 2 — Install Django via the Terminal

Open the built-in terminal (View → Tool Windows → Terminal) and run:

pip install Django

Step 3 — Verify

python -m django --version

Professional Edition (Extra Feature)

PyCharm Professional has a dedicated Django project template that auto-configures settings.py, manage.py, and the project structure for you. If you’re doing serious Django development, it’s worth considering — but the Community Edition is more than enough to get started.

💡 Tip: In PyCharm, you can also install packages through the GUI. Go to File → Settings → Project → Python Interpreter and click the + button to search for and install Django.

How to Create Your First Django Project and Run the Server

Now that Django is installed, let’s make sure everything actually works by creating a project and running the development server.

Make sure your virtual environment is still active, then run:

django-admin startproject myproject

Navigate into the newly created folder:

cd myproject

Run the development server:

python manage.py runserver

You should see output like this in your terminal:

Watching for file changes with StatReloader
Performing system checks...

System check identified no issues (0 silenced).

You have 18 unapplied migration(s). Your installation may be incomplete.
Run 'python manage.py migrate' to apply them.
May 06, 2026 - 12:00:00
Django version 5.2.1, using settings 'myproject.settings'
Starting development server at http://127.0.0.1:8000/
Quit the server with CTRL-BREAK.

Open your browser and go to: http://127.0.0.1:8000/

You should see the Django rocket launch page, a green rocket, and the message “The install worked successfully! Congratulations!”

If you see that page, Django is working perfectly.

Save Your Dependencies: The requirements.txt File

Once Django is installed and working, save your project dependencies to a file:

pip freeze > requirements.txt

Open requirements.txt and you’ll see something like:

asgiref==3.8.1
Django==5.2.1
sqlparse==0.5.3

This file lets anyone else (or you, on a different machine) recreate the same environment by running:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Get into the habit of updating this file every time you install a new package. It’ll save you a lot of headaches when working in teams or deploying to a server.

Common Django Installation Errors and How to Fix Them

These are the errors I see beginners run into most often. Here they are with exact fixes:

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s Next After Installing Django?

Now that Django is installed and running, here’s what I’d suggest doing next:

1. Create your first app — Run python manage.py startapp myapp inside your project
2. Learn the Django project structure — Understand what settings.py, urls.py, and manage.py do
3. Run migrations — Run python manage.py migrate to set up the default SQLite database tables
4. Create a superuser — Run python manage.py createsuperuser to access the built-in admin panel at http://127.0.0.1:8000/admin/
5. Build your first view — Define a URL, write a view function, and render an HTML template

Django’s official documentation at docs.djangoproject.com is genuinely excellent — I use it regularly even after years of working with Django. Start with the official tutorial called “Writing your first Django app” once you’re comfortable with the installation.

You may read:

• Use Django Built-In Login System
• Build a To-Do List API in Django Rest Framework
• Create a Notes Taking app in Django
• Retrieve GET Parameters from Django Requests

Bijay Kumar

Bijay Kumar is an experienced Python and AI professional who enjoys helping developers learn modern technologies through practical tutorials and examples. His expertise includes Python development, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, automation, and data analysis using libraries like Pandas, NumPy, TensorFlow, Matplotlib, SciPy, and Scikit-Learn. At PythonGuides.com, he shares in-depth guides designed for both beginners and experienced developers. More about us.

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