Autonomous drones / UAVs are a major area of development in modern world. One of the major programming languages that is being used to program an autonomous drone is Python programming language.
When it comes to autonomous drone programming using python, there are two major libraries that we use. They are Pymavlink and Dronekit-python libraries. In this article, we are taking a deep dive into both libraries to understand the true potentials of them.
both libraries are designed to interact and control unmanned vehicles; specially UAVs. These libraries are more compatible MAVLink-compatible flight controllers like Ardupilot or PX4 (pixhawk).
Pymavlink:
pymavlink is a Python library that provides low-level access to MAVLink (Micro Air Vehicle Link), a lightweight messaging protocol used for communication between drones, ground stations, and onboard computers. It allows you to send, receive, and process MAVLink messages directly, giving you full control over MAVLink-based drones like those running ArduPilot or PX4 firmware.
It Operates at a low level, meaning you’re working directly with MAVLink messages (e.g., HEARTBEAT, COMMAND_LONG, SET_POSITION_TARGET_LOCAL_NED). You need to understand the MAVLink protocol, message IDs, and parameter structures. This gives you fine-grained control but requires more effort to implement even basic functionality.
Dronekit-Python:
Dronekit is a higher-level Python API built on top of Pymavlink, designed to simplify drone programming by abstracting away much of the MAVLink protocol complexity. It’s aimed at developers who want to focus on drone behaviors rather than protocol details.
dronekit on the other hand, provides a high-level interface with pre-built functions and objects (e.g., Vehicle class) to handle common tasks like arming, taking off, or waypoint navigation. It hides the MAVLink plumbing, making it more beginner-friendly.
now let’s compare the both libraries in their different aspects.
Easier programming:
Pymavlink has a Steeper learning curve. You’ll need to refer to the MAVLink documentation (e.g., message definitions on mavlink.io) and handle message encoding/decoding yourself. It’s less intuitive for newcomers but powerful for those comfortable with protocols.
Meanwhile, Dronekit-python is much easier to pick up. The API is well-documented with tutorials, and the syntax is Pythonic and readable. It’s designed for rapid prototyping and abstracts away the nitty-gritty details.
Flexibility:
Pymavlink is extremely flexible because it gives you direct access to every MAVLink message and parameter supported by your flight controller. You can implement custom behaviors or work with less common MAVLink features that DroneKit might not expose.
on the other hand, dronekit is Less flexible because it’s built around a predefined set of abstractions. While it covers most common drone tasks (e.g., GPS navigation, telemetry), you’re limited to what the API supports. For anything outside its scope, you’d need to dig into Pymavlink anyway.
Features an facilities:
Pymavlink has following major features.
- Raw MAVLink message handling (send/receive any message).
- Support for custom MAVLink dialects.
- Lightweight—no extra overhead beyond the protocol itself.
- No built-in mission planning or high-level commands—you code everything manually.
Dronekit-python also has following major features.
- Built-in support for common tasks: arming, takeoff, landing, waypoint missions, and telemetry monitoring.
- Attributes like vehicle.location.
- global_frame or vehicle.battery.level for easy data access.
- Event listeners (e.g., on_attribute) for reactive programming.
- Integration with simulation tools like SITL (Software-in-the-Loop) out of the box.
General performance:
Pymavlink is a Lightweight and fast since it’s just a thin wrapper around MAVLink. No additional layers mean less overhead, which can matter in resource-constrained environments (e.g., Raspberry Pi on a drone).Meanwhile, DroneKit-Python is Slightly heavier due to its abstraction layer, but the difference is negligible for most applications unless you’re pushing the limits of a low-power system.
open source capabilities (community support):
Pymavlink is majorly maintained by the Ardupilot team, with a focus on being a reliable MAVLink implementation. Documentation is sparse, and support comes mostly from forums like discuss.ardupilot.org or Stack Overflow.
For DroneKit-Python, it is originally developed by 3DRobotics, it’s now community-maintained. It has better introductory docs and examples, but development has slowed since 3DR shifted focus away from drones. Still, it’s widely used and supported via forums.
conclusion:
By analyzing the previous data, we can come to following conclusions.
- DroneKit-Python is easier to use and best suited for high-level mission planning and basic drone automation. But it has less flexibility.
- pymavlink offers more control and flexibility, making it ideal for custom MAVLink implementations and real-time applications.
Now let’s see How to choose when it comes to AI-driven UAV operations:
If you are working on complex AI-driven obstacle avoidance or real-time drone interaction, pymavlink may be the better choice. However, if you are focused on autonomous navigation and predefined missions, DroneKit-Python can simplify development.
Here are sample code structures of both libraries for autonomous drone arming function:
Pymavlink Based:
from pymavlink import mavutil
# Connect to the vehicle
master = mavutil.mavlink_connection('udp:127.0.0.1:14550')
master.wait_heartbeat()
# Send arm command
master.mav.command_long_send(
master.target_system, master.target_component,
mavutil.mavlink.MAV_CMD_COMPONENT_ARM_DISARM,
0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0)
Dronekit-Python based:
from dronekit import connect
# Connect to the vehicle
vehicle = connect('udp:127.0.0.1:14550', wait_ready=True)
# Arm the vehicle
vehicle.armed = True
In practice, many developers use both: DroneKit for the bulk of their application and Pymavlink for edge cases where DroneKit falls short. Since DroneKit is built on Pymavlink, you can even mix them in the same project—use DroneKit’s vehicle.message_factory to send raw MAVLink messages when needed.