appdirs

A small Python module for determining appropriate platform-specific dirs, e.g. a "user data dir".

appdirs Permissive license MIT Abandoned ★ 1,079 v1.4.4 released 2020-05-11

Install

appdirs on PyPI

pip

pip install appdirs

uv

uv add appdirs

poetry

poetry add appdirs

Package facts

License	MIT (permissive)
Python support	not specified
Install friction	low — pure-Python wheel
Runtime dependencies	none
Maintenance	abandoned — 2,285 days since the last release
Last repo commit	2023-02-10
First released	2010-09-02
Popularity	one of the top 1,000 most-downloaded packages on PyPI (30-day window, as of 2026-08-13)
Known vulnerabilities	none known (OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-13)

Evidence: appdirs-1.4.4-py2.py3-none-any.whl

Keywords: application, directory, log, cache, user

Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules

About appdirs

from the package's own PyPI description — quoted content, verbatim

.. image:: https://secure.travis-ci.org/ActiveState/appdirs.png :target: http://travis-ci.org/ActiveState/appdirs

the problem

What directory should your app use for storing user data? If running on Mac OS X, you should use::

~/Library/Application Support/&lt;AppName&gt;

If on Windows (at least English Win XP) that should be::

C:\Documents and Settings\&lt;User&gt;\Application Data\Local Settings\&lt;AppAuthor&gt;\&lt;AppName&gt;

or possibly::

C:\Documents and Settings\&lt;User&gt;\Application Data\&lt;AppAuthor&gt;\&lt;AppName&gt;

for roaming profiles <http://bit.ly/9yl3b6>_ but that is another story.

On Linux (and other Unices) the dir, according to the XDG spec <http://standards.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html>_, is::

~/.local/share/&lt;AppName&gt;

`appdirs` to the rescue

This kind of thing is what the appdirs module is for. appdirs will help you choose an appropriate:

user data dir (user_data_dir)
user config dir (user_config_dir)
user cache dir (user_cache_dir)
site data dir (site_data_dir)
site config dir (site_config_dir)
user log dir (user_log_dir)

and also:

is a single...

Read as markdown · JSON record · Source repository · Homepage

AI interpretation — verify before relying

AI-generated interpretation of the package facts above; every digit, version, license, or vulnerability id it cites is grounded in the facts already shown on this page

appdirs determines the appropriate platform-specific directories for storing application data, configuration, cache, and logs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, following OS conventions and standards like XDG.

Installation is frictionless with no runtime dependencies and a pure-Python wheel distribution. However, the package is abandoned—last release was 2020-05-11 and the repository shows no commits since 2023-02-10, though it remains archived and stable.

MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, making it safe for commercial and open-source projects alike.

Usage

pip install appdirs
from appdirs import user_data_dir, user_cache_dir
data_path = user_data_dir("MyApp", "MyAuthor")
cache_path = user_cache_dir("MyApp", "MyAuthor")

Verdict: appdirs is a stable, production-ready utility with zero dependencies and no known vulnerabilities, but it is abandoned—no updates since 2020. It remains suitable for straightforward cross-platform directory resolution, though you should monitor for any future Python compatibility issues and consider alternatives if active maintenance becomes critical for your project.

Needs verification

Whether the package has been tested against Python 3.9+ despite classifiers only listing through 3.8
Whether any known issues exist with modern Windows or macOS directory structures not reflected in the CVE record

platform-specific app directoriesuser data directory cross-platformapplication config cache pathsxdg base directory specos-appropriate app storagecross-platform app dirsuser cache log directory