---
id: dulwich
version: "1.2.12"
license: Apache-2.0 OR GPL-2.0-or-later
license_treatment: unclear
maintenance: active
---

# dulwich — Python Git Library

License: unclear · Maintenance: active · Popularity: top 1,000 on PyPI

## Install

pip install dulwich
uv add dulwich
poetry add dulwich

## Description

Dulwich
=======

This is the Dulwich project.

It aims to provide an interface to git repos (both local and remote) that
doesn't call out to git directly but instead uses pure Python.

**Main website**: <https://www.dulwich.io/>

**License**: Apache License, version 2 or GNU General Public License, version 2 or later.

SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 OR GPL-2.0-or-later

The project is named after the part of London that Mr. and Mrs. Git live in
the particular Monty Python sketch.

Differences with other Python Git libraries
-------------------------------------------

Unlike other Python Git libraries, Dulwich is available as a standalone
package that doesn't depend on git (like GitPython) being installed or any
native code (like pygit2).

This comes at the cost of speed, but makes it easier to deploy in environments
where git isn't available or where it's important to have a pure Python
implementation.

To improve performance, Dulwich includes optional Rust bindings that can be
used to speed up low-level operations.

Installation
------------

By default, Dulwich' setup.py will attempt to build and install the optional Rust
extensions. The reason for this is that they...

## AI interpretation — verify before relying

Dulwich provides a pure-Python interface to Git repositories without requiring git or native code to be installed, supporting both local and remote repo operations through lower-level and high-level APIs.

Verdict: Dulwich is a mature, actively maintained library with no known vulnerabilities and low install friction. Its dual license and unclear treatment warrant verification before use in proprietary or GPL-sensitive contexts, but the pure-Python design and broad Python version support (3.10–3.14, PyPy) make it reliable for Git integration where native dependencies are undesirable.

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