---
id: brotlicffi
version: "1.2.0.1"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# brotlicffi — Python CFFI bindings to the Brotli library

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 4.3M/mo

## What it is and what it does

BrotliCFFI is a Python wrapper around the Brotli compression algorithm, implemented using CFFI (C Foreign Function Interface) rather than C extensions. It provides both one-shot compression/decompression functions and streaming APIs for incremental processing. The package is designed as a drop-in alternative to the native Brotli C bindings, with identical API compatibility, making it particularly useful for PyPy and other non-CPython implementations where C extensions are impractical.

The library depends only on cffi and wraps the reference Brotli encoder/decoder from Google. It supports modern Python versions (3.8 through 3.14, including free-threaded builds) and multiple platforms. Recent versions include security-focused features like output buffer limits to mitigate decompression bombs, and explicit exception handling for concurrent access to compressor/decompressor objects.

Use it for:

- Decompress Brotli-encoded HTTP responses in web clients or servers running PyPy or alternative Python implementations.
- Streaming compression of large files or network data using the Compressor/Decompressor classes with incremental processing.
- Cross-implementation Python projects that need Brotli support on both CPython and PyPy using conditional dependencies.
- Protect against maliciously crafted compressed data by setting output_buffer_limit on decompression operations.
- Build HTTP middleware or reverse proxies that handle Brotli content encoding on platforms where C extensions are unavailable.

## Worth the install?

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

Provides Python CFFI bindings to the Brotli compression library, enabling Brotli compression and decompression from Python code with an API compatible with the C bindings.

Yes, if you need Brotli compression on PyPy or other non-CPython implementations, or if you prefer CFFI-based bindings over C extensions. On CPython, the native Brotli package is typically preferred for performance, but this package is a solid alternative with active maintenance, no known vulnerabilities, and permissive licensing. Install friction is moderate but manageable with pre-built wheels for common platforms.

## Install

pip install brotlicffi
uv add brotlicffi
poetry add brotlicffi

## Installing brotlicffi

Before you install: Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; pre-built binaries available for common platforms (CPython 3.8+, PyPy 3.11) and architectures (x86_64, aarch64, ARM, Windows). Actively maintained with recent release (162 days old) and ongoing repository activity.

License in practice: MIT license on the Python bindings themselves; the underlying Brotli library is Apache 2.0. Both are permissive, allowing commercial and private use without restriction.

Quickstart:

pip install brotlicffi

import brotlicffi
data = brotlicffi.decompress(compressed_data)

Requires Python 3.8 or later; PyPy support available via CFFI bindings as an alternative to the C implementation.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the output_buffer_limit parameter (added in 1.2.0.0) is documented and how to use it effectively for security.
- Performance characteristics compared to the native Brotli C bindings on CPython.
- Thread safety guarantees beyond the documented exception for concurrent Compressor/Decompressor sharing.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 4.3M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

brotli compression python, cffi bindings compression, brotli decompression library, streaming compression python, pypy brotli support, compression, cffi, pypy-compatible

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