Difference between tuple and list in Python

In this article, you will learn the difference between tuple and list in Python. The difference between tuple and list is that tuple stores heterogeneous data while the list stores homogeneous data.

Python List

A list is a sequence of indexed and ordered values like an array. It is mutable, means we can change the order of elements in a list. So, we should use list if the contents of the sequence may change. It contains list of any type of data objects with comma separated and enclosed within an square bracket. Each element of list has an index, starting with 0 , 1 and so on. Here is the format of a list -

[expr1, expr2, ...]

The zero or more values of the list are enclosed within square brackets [...].

Example of Python list

>>> list = [23, 10, "Test", 13]
>>> print list
[23, 10, 'Test', 13]

Python Tuple

A tuple is a sequence. Python Tuples work exactly like a list except tuples are immutable, means it cannot be changed in place. The tuples are written inside parentheses. The tuple length is always fixed. To create a single element in a tuple, write that element in parenthesis with a comma.

tu1 = (60,)

tup1 = (22, 44, 55, 12 )

Difference Between Tuple and List in Python

List	Tuple
List is mutable. It can be changed or modified after its creation according to needs.	Tuple is immutable. It can't be changed or modified after its creation.
Iteration is slower and time consuming.	Iteration is comparatively faster and less time consuming. The processing is faster than list.
It consumes more memory.	It consumes less memory.
It is useful for performing operations, like - addition, deletion.	This data type is suitable for accessing elements.
It has many in-built methods.	It provides less in-built methods. We can use dir([object]) inbuilt function to get all the associated functions for list and tuple.
Lists play an effective role in small projects.	Tuple is easy to debug even in major projects.
Lists are commonly enclosed with the square bracket [].	Tuples are enclosed with parenthesis ().

Difference between list and tuple in python with examples

Syntax difference

The syntax of list and tuple is slightly different. Lists are created using square brackets [] and Tuples are created using parenthesis ().

list_num = [21,43,52,23]
tup_num = (52,53,13,23)

print(list_num)
print(tup_num)

Size comparison

Lists operation has larger size than that of tuple that's why it a bit slower. The following example demonstrates this -

list_num = [22,13,42,14,53,51]
tuple_num = (22,13,42,14,53,51)

print('list_num  = ',list_num.__sizeof__())
print('tuple_num = ',tuple_num.__sizeof__())

Output of the above code -