httpcore
A minimal low-level HTTP client.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you are building a library or service that needs a reusable, low-level HTTP transport layer. No, if you are writing a typical application—use httpx or requests instead. The package is stable (1.0.9 with no known vulnerabilities), has low install friction, and is actively maintained, but it is explicitly not intended for direct end-user application use.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.8 or later.
- Async support requires optional extras (asyncio or trio).
- Low friction installation with only two runtime dependencies (certifi and h11).
License · maintenance · safety
BSD-3-Clause (permissive) — BSD-3-Clause is a permissive license with minimal restrictions, allowing commercial and private use with only attribution and liability disclaimers required.
last release 2025-04-24 (477 days) · last repo commit 2026-01-08 · 548 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 783,609,098 downloads/mo, #36 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
import httpcore
http = httpcore.ConnectionPool()
response = http.request("GET", "https://www.example.com/")
print(response.status)
print(response.content)- Whether the aging maintenance status reflects planned stability or reduced active development.
- Performance characteristics compared to higher-level HTTP clients for typical workloads.
- Whether the 477 days since last release (1.0.9) indicates a stable API or slower update cadence going forward.
What it is and what it does
httpcore is a deliberately minimal HTTP client that handles only the core networking task: sending HTTP requests over the wire. It provides connection pooling, proxy support (HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS), and dual sync/async interfaces with support for asyncio and trio backends. The package explicitly does not provide high-level abstractions like redirect handling, authentication headers, session management, JSON encoding, or URL parsing—those are left to higher-level libraries.
The package is designed as a foundation layer for other HTTP client libraries to build on top of, rather than as a direct replacement for requests or httpx. It's most useful when you need precise control over low-level HTTP behavior, are building a proxy service, or are implementing a custom HTTP client. It has only two core runtime dependencies (certifi for SSL certificates and h11 for HTTP/1.1 protocol handling), making it lightweight to embed in other projects.
Use it for
- Building a custom HTTP client library or proxy service that needs fine-grained control over connection pooling and protocol handling.
- Implementing HTTP/2 support in applications where higher-level clients are insufficient or too opinionated.
- Creating services that need both sync and async HTTP capabilities without the overhead of higher-level abstractions.
- Embedding a minimal HTTP transport layer in frameworks or tools where dependency footprint matters.
- Testing or debugging HTTP protocol behavior at the connection and request level.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you are building a library or service that needs a reusable, low-level HTTP transport layer.
No, if you are writing a typical application—use httpx or requests instead. The package is stable (1.0.9 with no known vulnerabilities), has low install friction, and is actively maintained, but it is explicitly not intended for direct end-user application use.
Install
httpcore on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction installation with only two runtime dependencies (certifi and h11). The package is actively maintained with a recent release (1.0.9 on April 24th, 2025) that resolved a security advisory. Status is aging but the repository remains active with commits as recent as January 8th, 2026.
Requires Python 3.8 or later. Async support requires optional extras (asyncio or trio).
License in practice
BSD-3-Clause is a permissive license with minimal restrictions, allowing commercial and private use with only attribution and liability disclaimers required.
Quickstart
import httpcore
http = httpcore.ConnectionPool()
response = http.request("GET", "https://www.example.com/")
print(response.status)
print(response.content)Verify before relying
- Whether the aging maintenance status reflects planned stability or reduced active development.
- Performance characteristics compared to higher-level HTTP clients for typical workloads.
- Whether the 477 days since last release (1.0.9) indicates a stable API or slower update cadence going forward.
Package facts
| License | BSD-3-Clause permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.8 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 2 packagescertifih11 |
| Maintenance | Aging 477 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 783,609,098 / month, #36 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 3 - AlphaEnvironment :: Web EnvironmentFramework :: AsyncIOFramework :: TrioIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: BSD LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Internet :: WWW/HTTP |
Evidence: httpcore-1.0.9-py3-none-any.whl
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See also httpcore2 · httpx2 · httpx-socks · python-socks · Sickle · qbittorrent-api