---
id: apple-compress
version: "0.2.3"
license: unclear
license_treatment: unclear
maintenance: active
---

# apple-compress — Python bindings for Apple's libcompression.

License: unclear · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 245.7K/mo

## What it is and what it does

apple-compress wraps Apple's native libcompression library for use in Python, exposing both a library API and a command-line tool. It supports multiple compression formats including LZFSE (Apple's proprietary algorithm), LZFSE in iBoot-compatible mode, and zlib. The package is built on bindings originally developed for the Asahi Linux project.

The library is intended for developers who need to compress or decompress data using Apple's algorithms, either programmatically or via command line. It runs only on Unix-like systems and requires Python 3.8 or higher. With just two runtime dependencies (click for CLI and loguru for logging), it has minimal footprint.

Use it for:

- Compress firmware or system images using Apple's LZFSE algorithm on macOS or Unix systems.
- Decompress iBoot-compatible LZFSE data in Python scripts for Apple device development workflows.
- Build CLI tools for batch compression/decompression of data using native Apple compression formats.
- Integrate Apple compression into Python-based build or deployment pipelines on Unix systems.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Python bindings for Apple's libcompression library, providing both a programmatic API and a CLI tool for compressing and decompressing data using Apple's native compression algorithms.

Yes, if you are on a Unix-like system and need to work with Apple's compression algorithms. The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and low install friction. However, verify the license terms in the repository first, and confirm it meets your OS and Python version requirements (3.8+, Unix-like only).

## Install

pip install apple-compress
uv add apple-compress
poetry add apple-compress

## Installing apple-compress

Before you install: Low install friction with a pure-wheel distribution. Actively maintained as of August 2026, though the package is relatively young (first released December 2023). Depends only on click and loguru, both stable and lightweight.

License in practice: License status is unclear—no SPDX identifier or raw license text is available in the package metadata. Before installing in a commercial or copyleft-sensitive context, verify the actual license terms in the repository.

Quickstart:

pip install apple-compress

from apple_compress import compress, decompress

compressed = compress(b'data', algorithm='lzfse')
original = decompress(compressed)

Requires an Apple/Unix-like OS system; will not work on Windows. Requires Python 3.8 or higher.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package works on all Unix-like systems or only macOS specifically.
- Performance characteristics and compression ratio compared to standard zlib or other alternatives.
- Whether the iBoot-compatible LZFSE variant is suitable for general-purpose use or only firmware contexts.

## Package facts

- License: not declared (unclear)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 245.7K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

apple libcompression bindings, lzfse compression python, macos compression library, apple compression cli, data compression macos, zlib lzfse compression, compression, macos-native, cli-tool

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