---
id: couchdb
version: "1.2"
license: BSD
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# CouchDB — Python library for working with CouchDB

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 300.2K/mo

## What it is and what it does

CouchDB-Python is a client library for working with CouchDB, a document-oriented database. It provides four main modules: a basic client library, a design document manager, an object-mapping layer that bridges CouchDB documents and Python objects, and a view server for writing view functions in Python. The package also includes command-line utilities for dumping and loading databases, and for triggering replication.

However, this package has been unmaintained since 2019 and its repository is archived. The original maintainer explicitly recommends an alternative and is no longer addressing issues or bug reports. It should be considered for legacy systems only, not for new projects.

Use it for:

- Querying and updating documents in an existing CouchDB instance from Python code
- Automating database administration tasks like snapshots and replication via command-line tools
- Mapping CouchDB documents to Python objects for application logic in older codebases
- Writing custom view functions in Python instead of JavaScript for CouchDB design documents

## Worth the install?

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

A Python client library for interacting with CouchDB databases, providing document CRUD operations, design document management, object-to-document mapping, and command-line tools for database administration.

No, unless you are maintaining legacy code already using this library. The package is abandoned (last release 2018-02-09, last commit 2019-03-26, repository archived), and the maintainer explicitly recommends alternatives for new work. No known vulnerabilities exist, but lack of maintenance means security issues and compatibility problems will not be addressed.

## Install

pip install couchdb
uv add couchdb
poetry add couchdb

## Installing CouchDB

Before you install: Installation is low-friction (pure Python wheel), but the package is abandoned as of 2019 with no active maintenance. The maintainer explicitly recommends considering an alternative. Use only if you are committed to maintaining a fork or working with legacy systems.

License in practice: BSD license is permissive and imposes no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in proprietary or open-source projects.

Quickstart:

pip install CouchDB==1.2

from couchdb import Server

server = Server('http://localhost/')
db = server['mydb']
doc = db['docid']
print(doc)

Requires a running CouchDB server (0.10.x or later) accessible at the specified URL; Python 2.7 or 3.4+ as stated in package metadata.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package remains compatible with modern CouchDB server versions beyond 0.10.x
- Current state of simplejson optional dependency and whether it is still beneficial
- Whether Python 3.4 and 3.5 support claims remain valid given the 2019 abandonment date

## Package facts

- License: BSD (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 300.2K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

couchdb python client, document database library, nosql database interface, couchdb mapping orm, database dump and load tools, python couchdb driver, design document management, abandoned, legacy-only, nosql

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/couchdb) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/couchdb/)