cx-Freeze

What it is and what it does

cx_Freeze is a tool that transforms Python scripts into standalone executables, eliminating the need for end users to have Python installed. It works across Windows, macOS, and Linux, preserving the original script's performance while bundling dependencies and the Python runtime into a single distributable binary.

The package integrates with setuptools and relies on platform-specific binary manipulation tools (patchelf, dmgbuild, lief) to handle the low-level work of creating native executables. It's designed for developers who need to ship Python applications as self-contained programs, particularly useful for service applications, command-line tools, or desktop software where users expect a traditional executable rather than a Python installation.

Use it for:

• Package a command-line tool written in Python as a single executable for distribution to users without Python.
• Create cross-platform desktop applications from Python code that run on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Build service executables that can be installed and run as system services or daemons.
• Distribute Python applications through standard package managers that expect native binaries.
• Protect source code by compiling Python scripts into executables that are harder to reverse-engineer than .py files.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

cx_Freeze converts Python scripts into standalone executables that run with the same performance as the original scripts, supporting cross-platform deployment.

Yes. cx_Freeze is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, uses a permissive license, and solves a real problem—shipping Python applications as standalone executables. It's well-suited if you need cross-platform executable generation. The 9 runtime dependencies and requirement for Python 3.10 or later are reasonable trade-offs for the functionality provided.

Install

cx-freeze on PyPI

pip install cx-freeze

uv add cx-freeze

poetry add cx-freeze

Installing cx-Freeze

Before you install

Low install friction with a pure-wheel distribution. Active maintenance with recent commits and a stable codebase. Requires Python 3.10 or later and pulls in 9 runtime dependencies including platform-specific tools like patchelf, dmgbuild, and lief for binary manipulation.

License in practice

Licensed under PSF-2.0 (Python Software Foundation License), a permissive license that allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, making it safe for most deployment scenarios.

Quickstart

pip install cx_Freeze

from cx_Freeze import setup

setup(
    name="myapp",
    version="0.0",
    description="My application",
    executables=[Executable("myapp.py")]
)

Requires Python 3.10 or later; platform-specific binary tools (patchelf on Linux, dmgbuild on macOS) must be available in the system environment.

Verify before relying

• Exact behavior differences between frozen executables and original scripts under specific conditions.
• Performance overhead or size characteristics of generated executables compared to alternatives.
• Compatibility with other packaging tools for migration scenarios.

Package facts

Evidence: cx_freeze-8.6.4-py3-none-any.whl

Keywords: cx-freeze, cxfreeze, cx_Freeze, freeze, python

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