---
id: honcho
version: "2.0.0"
license: unclear
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: aging
---

# honcho — Honcho: a Python clone of Foreman. For managing Procfile-based applications.

License: permissive · Maintenance: aging · Downloads: 2.2M/mo

## What it is and what it does

Honcho is a Python implementation of Foreman, a tool for managing Procfile-based applications. It reads a Procfile (a text file defining named processes) and a .env file (for environment configuration), then starts and coordinates all those processes together from a single command. This is particularly useful in development environments where you need to run multiple services—a web server, a background worker, a database, a cache layer—all at once without opening separate terminal windows.

The package depends on backports.entry-points-selectable and colorama for colored console output. It supports Python 3.8 through 3.13 and runs on both CPython and PyPy. With over 2 million monthly downloads and a position in the top 5000 PyPI packages, Honcho is a stable, widely-used tool for local development workflows following the 12-factor app methodology.

Use it for:

- Start a web server, Redis cache, and background job worker together during local development with a single honcho start command
- Manage environment variables across multiple processes using a .env file instead of setting them individually in each shell
- Replicate production-like process management locally before deploying to Heroku or similar platforms that use Procfiles
- Coordinate startup and logging of microservices or multi-tier applications during development without Docker
- Simplify onboarding by letting new developers run the entire stack with one command instead of manual process startup

## Worth the install?

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

Honcho runs and manages multiple processes defined in a Procfile, coordinating their startup, logging, and environment configuration from a single command.

Yes. Honcho is a lightweight, permissively licensed tool with low install friction and no known vulnerabilities. It solves a real problem—coordinating multiple local processes—and is widely used and maintained. The aging maintenance status (677 days since last release) is not a blocker for a stable, mature tool with recent repository activity. Install it if you manage multi-process development environments.

## Install

pip install honcho
uv add honcho
poetry add honcho

## Installing honcho

Before you install: Low friction: pure Python wheel with only two lightweight runtime dependencies (backports.entry-points-selectable and colorama). Maintenance is aging—last release was 677 days ago—but the repository remains active with recent commits and no archived status.

License in practice: MIT license (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute Honcho freely with minimal restrictions, making it suitable for both open-source and commercial projects.

Quickstart:

pip install honcho

# Create a Procfile with process definitions:
# web: python app.py
# worker: python worker.py

# Create a .env file for environment variables:
# PORT=5000
# DEBUG=true

# Run all processes:
honcho start

Verify before relying:

- Whether Honcho's process management works equally well on Windows, macOS, and Linux despite OS-independent classifier
- Performance characteristics when managing many processes (10+) simultaneously
- How Honcho handles graceful shutdown and signal propagation to child processes

## Package facts

- License: not declared (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: aging
- Downloads: 2.2M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

procfile process manager, run multiple processes locally, foreman python clone, manage development services, procfile runner, local process orchestration, environment-based app launcher, process-management, development-tools, procfile

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