fsspec

File-system specification

fsspec License unclear Active ★ 1,341 v2026.7.0 released 2026-07-28

Install

fsspec on PyPI

pip

pip install fsspec

uv

uv add fsspec

poetry

poetry add fsspec

Package facts

License	not declared (unclear)
Python support	supports the current Python release (>=3.10)
Install friction	low — pure-Python wheel
Runtime dependencies	none
Maintenance	actively maintained — 16 days since the last release
Last repo commit	2026-07-30
First released	2019-01-02
Popularity	one of the 100 most-downloaded packages on PyPI (30-day window, as of 2026-08-13)
Known vulnerabilities	none known (OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-13)

Evidence: fsspec-2026.7.0-py3-none-any.whl

Keywords: file

Development Status :: 4 - BetaIntended Audience :: DevelopersOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14

About fsspec

from the package's own PyPI description — quoted content, verbatim

filesystem_spec

PyPI version (image) Anaconda-Server Badge (image) Build (image) Docs (image)

A specification for pythonic filesystems.

Install

pip install fsspec

would install the base fsspec. Various optionally supported features might require specification of custom extra require, e.g. pip install fsspec[ssh] will install dependencies for ssh backends support. Use pip install fsspec[full] for installation of all known extra dependencies.

Up-to-date package also provided through conda-forge distribution:

conda install -c conda-forge fsspec

Purpose

To produce a template or specification for a file-system interface, that specific implementations should follow, so that applications making use of them can rely on a common behaviour and not have to worry about the...

Read as markdown · JSON record · Source repository · Homepage · Docs

AI interpretation — verify before relying

AI-generated interpretation of the package facts above; every digit, version, license, or vulnerability id it cites is grounded in the facts already shown on this page

fsspec provides a unified, pythonic filesystem interface specification that abstracts away backend-specific details, allowing applications to work with local, cloud, and remote filesystems through a common API.

Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies in the base package. The project is actively maintained with a recent release (16 days old) and strong community engagement (1341 GitHub stars), though optional backends require extra dependencies specified via extras like `[ssh]` or `[full]`.

Usage

pip install fsspec

import fsspec
fs = fsspec.filesystem('file')
files = fs.ls('/tmp')

Requires Python 3.10 or later. Optional backends (s3, gcs, ssh, etc.) require additional dependencies installed via extras.

Verdict: fsspec is a mature, actively maintained specification library with zero known vulnerabilities and low install friction. Its top-100 popularity and broad Python version support (3.10–3.14) make it a reliable foundation for filesystem abstraction. The unclear license status warrants verification before use in proprietary contexts.

Needs verification

Exact license identifier and terms—meta.license_raw and meta.license_spdx are both null, leaving legal obligations unclear
Whether the base package alone meets typical use cases or if optional extras are required for most workflows

filesystem abstraction layerunified file system interfacecloud storage filesystemremote filesystem accesspythonic filesystem specs3 gcs local filesystemfilesystem backend agnostic