Motor
A deprecated async Python driver for MongoDB, built for asyncio and Tornado applications.
What is Motor?
Motor is an asynchronous Python driver for MongoDB that provides non-blocking database access for asyncio and Tornado applications. It presents a coroutine-based API that allows developers to perform MongoDB operations without blocking the event loop. The project is now deprecated in favor of the official PyMongo Async API, with migration recommended.
Python developers building high-performance, scalable applications using asyncio or Tornado frameworks who need asynchronous MongoDB database access.
Motor was the go-to solution for async MongoDB operations in Python before the official PyMongo Async API, offering full MongoDB feature support with high throughput capabilities and seamless integration with popular async frameworks.
Overview
Motor - the async Python driver for MongoDB and Tornado or asyncio
Use Cases
Best For
- Building high-throughput web applications with Tornado that need MongoDB access
- Creating asyncio-based services requiring non-blocking database operations
- Developing scalable sensor systems or IoT platforms with async Python
- Migrating existing Motor applications to the PyMongo Async API
- Processing tens of thousands of requests per second with MongoDB
- Learning async database patterns in Python before transitioning to official drivers
Not Ideal For
- New projects seeking the official and actively maintained async MongoDB driver
- Teams that require long-term vendor support and continuous feature updates
- Applications built on synchronous web frameworks like Flask or Django without async tooling
Pros & Cons
Pros
Provides a coroutine-based API that enables high-throughput operations, processing tens of thousands of requests per second without blocking the event loop, as highlighted in user testimonials.
Designed specifically for asyncio and Tornado, allowing smooth integration into async Python applications with minimal setup.
Optimized for environments with massive request volumes, maximizing CPU utilization and reducing infrastructure costs, evidenced by its use in scalable sensor systems and high-load web apps.
Offers full access to MongoDB's feature set asynchronously, with optional dependencies for authentication, encryption, and compression via extras like 'gssapi' or 'aws'.
Cons
Motor is no longer actively developed, with no new features and only bug fixes until final support ends in 2027, forcing users to migrate to PyMongo Async API for future-proofing.
Exclusively tied to asyncio and Tornado, making it incompatible with synchronous Python applications or other async frameworks without significant workarounds.
Existing users must transition to PyMongo Async API, requiring code changes and learning new patterns, which adds maintenance burden during the deprecation period.
Frequently Asked Questions
Found a gem we're missing?
Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.