---
id: fcache
version: "0.6.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: dormant
---

# fcache — a dictionary-like, file-based cache module for Python

License: permissive · Maintenance: dormant · Downloads: 3.0M/mo

## What it is and what it does

fcache is a lightweight, file-based cache module that wraps Python's shelve interface into a simple dictionary-like API. It stores cached key-value pairs directly to disk, making it useful for applications that need persistent caching without setting up a separate database server. The package supports standard dictionary operations (get, set, delete, iteration) and can be used as a context manager. It includes an optional write buffer to batch disk writes and reduce I/O overhead.

The module is designed for straightforward use cases where you need to cache data across application restarts. It depends only on platformdirs for cross-platform cache directory discovery, keeping the dependency footprint minimal. The package supports Python 3.9 through 3.13 and is classified as production-stable, though development has been dormant since its last release.

Use it for:

- Cache application configuration or computed results to disk for reuse across program restarts
- Store temporary data in a simple key-value format without managing a separate database
- Build a lightweight session store for small-to-medium workloads that don't require a full cache server
- Persist memoized function results to disk for offline-capable applications

## Worth the install?

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

fcache provides a dictionary-like file-based cache that persists data to disk, with an optional write buffer and Shelf compatibility for simple key-value storage without a database.

Yes, if you need simple file-based caching without external dependencies. The low install friction, permissive MIT license, and stable API make it suitable for small-to-medium projects. However, the dormant maintenance status means you should verify that the package meets your performance and concurrency requirements before adopting it in production; consider alternatives if you need active support or expect heavy use.

## Install

pip install fcache
uv add fcache
poetry add fcache

## Installing fcache

Before you install: Installation is straightforward with low friction; the package has one runtime dependency (platformdirs) and is distributed as a pure Python wheel. Maintenance is dormant—last commit was 2024-11-19 but no releases in 633 days—so expect no active bug fixes or feature updates.

License in practice: fcache is released under the MIT License, a permissive open-source license that allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, making it safe to adopt in most projects.

Quickstart:

pip install fcache

from fcache.cache import FileCache

mycache = FileCache('myapp')
mycache['key'] = 'value'
print(mycache['key'])

Requires Python 3.9 or later; platformdirs must be installed (handled automatically by pip).

Verify before relying:

- Whether the write buffer implementation is suitable for high-concurrency or high-throughput scenarios
- Performance characteristics compared to other file-based cache solutions
- Whether dormant status means the package is stable or at risk of incompatibility with future Python versions

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: dormant
- Downloads: 3.0M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

file-based cache python, persistent dictionary storage, disk cache key-value, simple file cache, shelf-compatible cache, python cache to disk, lightweight persistence, caching, persistence, file-storage

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