aiofile
Asynchronous file operations.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, low install friction, and fills a genuine need for non-blocking file I/O in asyncio applications. The automatic backend selection and permissive license make it a straightforward choice for async Python projects that perform file operations. The only caveat is the Python 3.11+ requirement and the special-file limitation on Linux native backends, both of which are documented and manageable.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.11 or later.
- Native Linux backends cannot operate on special files (/proc/, /sys/); use thread-based context for those.
- Low friction: pure Python wheel with a single compiled dependency (caio).
License · maintenance · safety
Apache-2.0 (permissive) — Apache-2.0 (permissive): you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely in commercial and private projects, provided you include the license notice.
last release 2026-08-04 (10 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-04 · 584 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 75,369,476 downloads/mo, #448 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
import asyncio
from aiofile import async_open
async def main():
async with async_open('file.txt', 'w+') as afp:
await afp.write('Hello world')
afp.seek(0)
print(await afp.read())
asyncio.run(main())- Whether the pure Python fallback backend provides acceptable performance for your workload compared to native backends.
- Specific performance characteristics of each backend (io_uring vs libaio vs thread-based) under your typical file sizes and concurrency patterns.
What it is and what it does
AIOFile wraps asyncio-compatible file operations around caio, an async I/O abstraction layer. Instead of blocking the event loop during file reads and writes, it delegates I/O to a backend chosen at runtime: Linux io_uring or libaio if available, a thread pool on POSIX systems, or pure Python threads as a fallback. The package provides two interfaces: a high-level `async_open` that mimics Python's built-in file object with async methods (read, write, readline, iteration), and a low-level `AIOFile` class for fine-grained control over offsets and concurrent operations on a single descriptor.
The main constraint is that native Linux backends cannot operate on special files (procfs, sysfs, pipes); for those, you must explicitly use a thread-based context. Requires Python 3.11 or later. The package is useful for I/O-bound asyncio applications where you need to read or write files without stalling the event loop—typical scenarios include web servers handling file uploads, batch processors reading large datasets, or any async application that performs file operations.
Use it for
- Async web servers or APIs that read/write files (uploads, downloads, logs) without blocking the event loop.
- Batch processing pipelines that read large files concurrently using multiple async tasks.
- Reading or writing to special files (e.g., /proc/cpuinfo) by explicitly selecting a thread-based context.
- Computing multiple hashes or checksums of a single file in parallel using the clone helper.
- Line-by-line async iteration over text files in concurrent tasks without internal buffering overhead.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, low install friction, and fills a genuine need for non-blocking file I/O in asyncio applications. The automatic backend selection and permissive license make it a straightforward choice for async Python projects that perform file operations. The only caveat is the Python 3.11+ requirement and the special-file limitation on Linux native backends, both of which are documented and manageable.
Install
aiofile on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with a single compiled dependency (caio). Actively maintained with a recent release (10 days old) and 584 repository stars.
Requires Python 3.11 or later. Native Linux backends cannot operate on special files (/proc/, /sys/); use thread-based context for those.
License in practice
Apache-2.0 (permissive): you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely in commercial and private projects, provided you include the license notice.
Quickstart
import asyncio
from aiofile import async_open
async def main():
async with async_open('file.txt', 'w+') as afp:
await afp.write('Hello world')
afp.seek(0)
print(await afp.read())
asyncio.run(main())Verify before relying
- Whether the pure Python fallback backend provides acceptable performance for your workload compared to native backends.
- Specific performance characteristics of each backend (io_uring vs libaio vs thread-based) under your typical file sizes and concurrency patterns.
Package facts
| License | Apache-2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.11 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagecaio |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 10 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 75,369,476 / month, #448 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: EducationIntended Audience :: End Users/DesktopLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseNatural Language :: EnglishNatural Language :: RussianOperating System :: MacOS :: MacOS XOperating System :: POSIX :: LinuxProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonTopic :: Software Development :: LibrariesTopic :: SystemTopic :: System :: Operating System |
Evidence: aiofile-3.12.3-py3-none-any.whl
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See also aiocsv · aiopath · caio · FlowIO · aiofiles · aiorwlock · aioserial · aiotractive · harfile · aioshutil