---
id: h5py
version: "3.16.0"
license: BSD-3-Clause
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# h5py — Read and write HDF5 files from Python

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

## Install

pip install h5py
uv add h5py
poetry add h5py

## Description

The h5py package provides both a high- and low-level interface to the HDF5
library from Python. The low-level interface is intended to be a complete
wrapping of the HDF5 API, while the high-level component supports  access to
HDF5 files, datasets and groups using established Python and NumPy concepts.

A strong emphasis on automatic conversion between Python (Numpy) datatypes and
data structures and their HDF5 equivalents vastly simplifies the process of
reading and writing data from Python.

Wheels are provided for several popular platforms, with an included copy of
the HDF5 library (usually the latest version when h5py is released).

You can also `build h5py from source
<https://docs.h5py.org/en/stable/build.html#source-installation>`_
with any HDF5 stable release from version 1.10.4 onwards, although naturally new
HDF5 versions released after this version of h5py may not work.
Odd-numbered minor versions of HDF5 (e.g. 1.13) are experimental, and may not
be supported.

## AI interpretation — verify before relying

h5py provides Python bindings to read and write HDF5 files, offering both high-level NumPy-friendly access and low-level HDF5 API wrapping for scientific data storage and retrieval.

Verdict: h5py is a stable, actively maintained library for HDF5 file I/O with strong NumPy integration and permissive licensing. Medium install friction is offset by comprehensive wheel coverage and no known vulnerabilities. Suitable for scientific and data-intensive applications.

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/h5py) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/h5py/)