httpcore

A minimal low-level HTTP client.

httpcore Permissive license BSD-3-Clause AGING ★ 548 v1.0.9 released 2025-04-24

Install

httpcore on PyPI

pip

pip install httpcore

uv

uv add httpcore

poetry

poetry add httpcore

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 — certifi, h11
Maintenance	aging — 476 days since the last release
Last repo commit	2026-01-08
First released	2019-04-04
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: httpcore-1.0.9-py3-none-any.whl

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

About httpcore

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

HTTP Core

Test Suite (image) Package version (image)

> Do one thing, and do it well.

The HTTP Core package provides a minimal low-level HTTP client, which does one thing only. Sending HTTP requests.

It does not provide any high level model abstractions over the API, does not handle redirects, multipart uploads, building authentication headers, transparent HTTP caching, URL parsing, session cookie handling, content or charset decoding, handling JSON, environment based configuration defaults, or any of that Jazz.

Some things HTTP Core does do:

Sending HTTP requests.
Thread-safe / task-safe connection pooling.
HTTP(S) proxy & SOCKS proxy support.
Supports HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2.
Provides both sync and async interfaces.
Async backend support for asyncio and trio.

Requirements

Python 3.8+

Installation

For HTTP/1.1 only support, install with:

$ pip install httpcore

There are also a number of optional extras available...

```shell $ pip install...

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

httpcore is a minimal, low-level HTTP client library that handles only the core task of sending HTTP requests with connection pooling, proxy support, and both sync and async interfaces for HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2.

Low install friction with just two runtime dependencies (certifi and h11). The package is in aging maintenance status—last release was 476 days ago (April 24, 2025)—but the repository remains active with recent commits and no archival.

BSD-3-Clause is a permissive license that allows commercial use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, requiring only that the license and copyright notice be included.

Usage

pip install httpcore

import httpcore

http = httpcore.ConnectionPool()
response = http.request("GET", "https://www.example.com/")
print(response.status)

Requires Python 3.8 or later. Async support requires optional extras (asyncio or trio).

Verdict: httpcore is a stable, well-maintained foundation library in the top 100 PyPI packages with no known vulnerabilities and permissive licensing. Its minimal dependency footprint and clear separation of concerns make it suitable as a low-level HTTP building block, though it is intentionally not a full-featured client—most users should prefer higher-level libraries built atop it.

Needs verification

Whether the 476-day gap since last release reflects genuine stability or insufficient maintenance attention for emerging Python versions or HTTP standards.
Performance characteristics and throughput compared to alternative low-level HTTP clients in real-world proxy or high-concurrency scenarios.

low-level http clienthttp connection poolingasync http requestshttp proxy supporthttp/2 client libraryminimal http clientthread-safe connection pool