UV is a Rust-built Python package manager that's 10-100x faster than pip/poetry/conda, combining virtual environment creation and dependency management in one tool while maintaining compatibility with existing Python standards.
The evolution in Python has been closely linked to improvements in package management, from manual installations to modern tools like pip and poetry. Yet, as projects become more and more complex, conventional tools struggle to keep up with the demands for speed and efficiency.
UV is a modern, high-performance, cutting-edge Python package and project manager developed in Rust. It represents a new generation of Python package managers as it serves as a replacement for traditional Python package management tools like pip and poetry. It combines the functionality of tools like pip, poetry, and virtualenv and streamlines tasks like dependency management, script execution, and project building offering significant improvement in speed and reliability.
It is designed to address common challenges in the Python ecosystem such as lengthy installation times, dependency conflicts, and complexity of managing environments. UV accomplishes this by implementing an innovative architecture and effectively, delivering 10 to 100 times faster speed than the conventional package managers.
Its key features include support for editable installations, Git and URL-based dependencies, constraint files, custom package indexes, and more. UV's standards-compliant virtual environments integrate smoothly with other tools, eliminating the need for lock-in or extensive customization. It is cross-platform, compatible with Linux, Windows, and macOS, and has undergone rigorous testing against the PyPI index.
curl, pip, orpipx with no need for Python or Rust to be pre-installed.pip, pipx, poetry, pyenv, into one solution.Installing UV is quick and straightforward. You can choose installers or install it directly from PyPl.
Before using UV, it is necessary to add its path to the environment variables. On Linux and macOS, you can update the PATH environment variable by running the following command in the terminal:
export PATH="/path/to/uv:$PATH"
For Windows, to add directory to the PATH environment variable for both user systems, search for “Environment Variables” in the search bar. Locate the PATH variable under either User Variables or System Variables, click Edit and then select New and input the desired path.
%USERPROFILE%\.local\bin
With pip:
pip install uv
With pipx:
pipx install uv
With Homebrew:
brew install uv
With Pacman:
pacman -S uv
After the installation, run the uv command in the terminal to verify that it has been installed correctly.
Creating a virtual environment with uv is very simple. Use the following command with the desired name to create it.
uv venv
To activate the virtual environment, run the following commands:
source .venv/bin/activate
.venv\Scripts\activate
To install packages for the virtual environment, follow a familiar process as shown below:
uv pip install flask use this command to install the Flask Frameworkuv pip install -r requirements.txt use this command to install all the dependencies listen in the requirements.txt file.uv pip install -e use this to install the current project in editable mode, allowing changes to be reflected without reinstalling.uv pip install "package @ ." use this to install the current project from the local diskuv pip install "flask[dotenv]" use this to install Flask along with the additional "dotenv" functionality.To initialize a new project with UV, first create a directory for your new project by running the command mkdir “project_name” and then navigate into it using the cd command. After creating the project directory, you can initialize the project with uv by running a command uv init. This will create necessary files like requirements.txt or other configuration files required for your project.
Once the project is initialized, you can install any required dependencies by running uv pip install -r requirements.txt. Then set up any necessary project files, depending on the framework you’re using.
Finally, once your project is set up, you can start it by running uv.
UV simplifies the process of creating virtual environments and installing dependencies with a single command, uv add.
For Example:
When the uv add command is executed for the first time, UV creates a new virtual environment in the current directory and installs the specified dependencies. For subsequent commands, UV reuses the existing environment and installs or updates the requested packages, making dependency management efficient.
Every time you run the uv add command, UV also resolves dependencies. Using its modern dependency resolver, UV analyses the entire dependency graph to identify a compatible set of package versions that fulfil all requirements. The resolver accounts for factors such as version constraints, Python version compatibility, and platform-specific requirements to determine the best set of packages to install.
After running the uv add command, UV updates both the pyproject.toml and uv.lock files. Here’s an example of a pyproject.toml file after installing Scikit-learn and XG-Boost:
To remove a dependency, you can use the uv remove command. This uninstalls the specified package along with any dependencies it introduced.
This streamlined approach to managing dependencies ensures an efficient and conflict-free environment.
After Installation of necessary dependencies, you can start writing Python scripts as usual. UV provides different ways to run Python code.
To run a script directly, you can use the uv run command after your script name instead of the traditional python script.py syntax:
$ uv run hello.py
UV simplifies working with Python packages that provide command-line tools, such as “black” for code formatting, flake8 for testing and mypy for type checking. If offers two interfaces for managing these tools.
Running tools with uv tool run :
This interface allows you to execute command-line tools directly. When you run a command like uv tool run <tool>, UV creates a temporary virtual environment in its cache, installs the specified tool, and executes it from that cached environment.
Using the uvx command:
Similarly, when you run a command via uvx, UV sets up a temporary virtual environment, installs the required tool, and runs it without polluting your project's primary virtual environment.
This approach keeps your project’s dependencies clean while providing fast execution times, since the tools are managed separately in a cached environment rather than being installed directly into your project's environment.
Lock files uv.loc are an essential part of dependency management in UV. When you run uv add commands to install dependencies, UV automatically generates and updates a uv.lock file. The file serves several important functions like:
The management of the lock file is entirely automated, so manual edits are unnecessary. To ensure consistent environments for all collaborators, the “uv.lock” file should always be included in version control.
Lock files and requirements.txt serve similar purposes in tracking dependencies but differ in their details and use cases. Lock files contain detailed information about exact package versions and their complete dependency tree, ensuring consistent environments across development.
requirements.txt files are simpler, typically listing only direct dependencies, making it more suitable for deployment scenarios or for sharing code with users who may not be using UV. These files are often required for compatibility with external tools and services that do not recognize UV’s lock file format.
While lock files are indispensable for maintaining reliable build during development, requirements.txt is more appropriate when distributing or deploying in environments where UV-specific features are unavailable. Both formats complement each other in managing dependencies effectively.
PIP has been the standard tool managing Python packages and creating virtual environments. While it is effective, UV provides advantages that make it a compelling alternative. Here are some of them:
Speed: Developed with Rust, UV is much faster than PIP for package installation and dependency resolution, completing tasks in seconds that might take minutes in PIP.
Integrated Environment Management: Unlike virtualenv which focuses solely on environment creation, and PIP which manages package management, UV combines both the functionalities into a single tool, simplifying the development workflow.
UV maintains full compatibility with PIP’s ecosystem while addressing some of its limitations. It supports the same requirements.txt files and package indexes making the transition to UV simple and effortless
The key differences include:
Although PIP remains a reliable choice, UV’s modern design, enhanced performance, and integrated features provide developers with a more efficient and streamlined workflow. Its ability to integrate seamlessly into existing projects without disrupting current processes makes UV an excellent option.
Many developers who avoid using PIP and virtualenv often turn to Conda, and for good reasons:
However, even dedicated Conda users might find compelling reasons to explore UV. With its exceptionally fast package installation and dependency resolution, UV significantly reduces the time needed to set up environments compare to Conda’s often slower performance. UV’s lightweight design translates to lower memory usage and faster startup times. Additionally, UV integrates with existing Python packaging tools and standards, ensuring compatibility with broader Python ecosystems. For projects that don't require Conda's non-Python package management, UV provides a more streamlined, efficient solution that can significantly improve development workflows.
UV also promises many of the same benefits as Poetry like:
What sets UV apart, is its extraordinary speed and minimal resource usage. While Poetry is a major step forward compared to traditional tools, UV pushes the boundaries even further with its Rust based implementation. Additionally, UV’s compatibility with existing Python packaging standards allows it to work seamlessly alongside tools like pip. This offers flexibility that Poetry’s more rigid approach doesn’t always provide.
Migrating from PIP and virtualenv to UV is a simple process since UV maintains full compatibility with existing Python packaging standards.
If you have an existing project using virtualenv and pip, start generating a requirements.txt file from your current environment. This can be done by the following command:
$ pip freeze > requirements.txt
Next create a new UV project in the same directory and then install the dependencies from your requirements.txt file:
$ uv init .
After setting up your UV environment, you can replace the common pip and virtualenv commands with their UV equivalents:
$ uv pip install -r requirements.txt
Once the migration is complete, you can safely remove the old virtualenv directory and start using UV’s virtual environment management. The transition should be smooth, you can also use the pip commands through UV’s pip compatibility layer.
While UV offers a fast and efficient solution for Python package management, it does have some limitations.
One of the main challenges is its incomplete pip compatibility. Although UV supports a significant portion of the pip interface, it does not yet cover the entire feature set. Some of these limitations are due to the intentional design choices, while others are a result of UV being in its early stage of development. For a detailed comparison, you can also refer to the pip compatibility guide.
Another limitation is the platform-specific requirements.txt files. Similar to pip-compile, UV generates platform specific requirements.txt files, which can cause issues when trying to transfer them across different platforms or Python environments. This differs from tools like Poetry and PDM, which create platform-agnostic lock files (e.g., poetry.lock or pdm.lock). As a result, UV’s requirements.txt files may not be as portable across different environments as those generated by other tools.
UV presents a modern advancement in Python package management, offering a fast and efficient alternative to traditional tools like PIP and virtualenv. It has key advantages such as 10-100x faster performance, integration with Python packaging standards, a built-in virtual environment, efficient dependency resolution, and low memory footprint. UV greatly enhances the workflow.
Whether you are starting a new project or migrating, UV provides a robust solution that improves efficiency while maintaining compatibility with existing tools. With continuous advancements in Python ecosystems, UV demonstrates how modern technologies like Rust can enhance the development experience without compromising the simplicity that Python developers appreciate.
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