delvewheel
Self-contained wheels for Windows
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. delvewheel fills a critical gap for Windows wheel distribution. It is actively maintained, has low install friction, carries a permissive MIT license, and solves a real problem for anyone shipping compiled Python packages for Windows. The tool is stable (Production/Stable classifier), has no known vulnerabilities, and is popular (433256 monthly downloads, top 15000 packages) indicating real-world adoption.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.9+ to run; wheels being repaired can target Python 2.6+ on win32, win_amd64, or win_arm64.
- Low friction install with a single runtime dependency (pefile).
- Active maintenance with recent releases; last commit 2026-08-14 and 152 repository stars indicate ongoing support.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; you may redistribute the tool and wheels it produces under the same terms.
last release 2026-05-28 (78 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-14 · 152 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 433,256 downloads/mo, #6,702 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install delvewheel
delvewheel repair mywheel-0.0.1-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl
delvewheel show mywheel-0.0.1-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl- Whether delvewheel can repair Windows wheels from non-Windows build environments as the description suggests.
- Performance characteristics when processing large wheels with many DLL dependencies.
What it is and what it does
delvewheel is a command-line tool that solves the problem of distributing Python wheels for Windows when they depend on DLLs not guaranteed to be present on end-user machines. It inspects a wheel, identifies external DLL dependencies (excluding system libraries), copies those DLLs into the wheel, and patches the wheel so the DLLs load correctly at runtime. This approach mirrors auditwheel (Linux) and delocate (macOS).
The tool handles DLL name mangling to avoid DLL hell—a Windows problem where multiple versions of the same DLL can conflict. It supports fine-grained control via command-line options to include or exclude specific DLLs, search additional paths, and configure where vendored DLLs are stored within the wheel. It runs on Python 3.9+ and can repair wheels targeting Python 2.6 or later across win32, win_amd64, and win_arm64 architectures.
Use it for
- Package a compiled extension module with its required DLL dependencies for clean installation on Windows systems.
- Repair an existing wheel by automatically discovering and bundling external DLL dependencies into a self-contained distribution.
- Inspect a wheel to see which external DLLs it depends on before deciding whether to bundle them.
- Produce Windows wheels from a Linux or macOS build environment without needing a Windows machine.
- Manage DLL namespace conflicts by using name-mangling and selective exclusion options.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
delvewheel fills a critical gap for Windows wheel distribution. It is actively maintained, has low install friction, carries a permissive MIT license, and solves a real problem for anyone shipping compiled Python packages for Windows. The tool is stable (Production/Stable classifier), has no known vulnerabilities, and is popular (433256 monthly downloads, top 15000 packages) indicating real-world adoption.
Install
delvewheel on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction install with a single runtime dependency (pefile). Active maintenance with recent releases; last commit 2026-08-14 and 152 repository stars indicate ongoing support.
Requires Python 3.9+ to run; wheels being repaired can target Python 2.6+ on win32, win_amd64, or win_arm64.
License in practice
MIT license permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; you may redistribute the tool and wheels it produces under the same terms.
Quickstart
pip install delvewheel
delvewheel repair mywheel-0.0.1-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl
delvewheel show mywheel-0.0.1-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whlVerify before relying
- Whether delvewheel can repair Windows wheels from non-Windows build environments as the description suggests.
- Performance characteristics when processing large wheels with many DLL dependencies.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.9 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagepefile |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 78 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 433,256 / month, #6,702 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleOperating System :: Microsoft :: WindowsProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Software DevelopmentTopic :: Software Development :: Build ToolsTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules |
Evidence: delvewheel-1.13.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also editables · repairwheel · setuptools-dso · auditwheel · change-wheel-version · cibuildwheel · ray-haproxy · dllist · shiv · delocate