httpcore2
A minimal low-level HTTP client.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you are building another HTTP client library or a specialized service that needs low-level HTTP handling with connection pooling and proxy support. No, if you are writing a typical application—use a higher-level client library like httpx2 instead. The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and carries a permissive license.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.10 or later; optional extras (asyncio, trio, http2, socks) require additional dependencies.
- Low install friction with only two runtime dependencies (h11 and truststore).
- Actively maintained with a release 5 days old and recent fixes to HTTP/2 handling and connection pool behavior.
License · maintenance · safety
BSD-3-Clause (permissive) — BSD-3-Clause is a permissive license; you can use this package in commercial and proprietary projects with minimal restrictions.
last release 2026-08-09 (5 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-13 · 911 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 55,327,575 downloads/mo, #538 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install httpcore2
import httpcore2
http = httpcore2.ConnectionPool()
response = http.request("GET", "https://www.example.com/")
print(response.status)- Whether the package is suitable for production use in high-concurrency scenarios beyond the stated thread-safe/task-safe guarantees.
- Performance characteristics compared to other low-level HTTP clients in terms of throughput and latency.
What it is and what it does
HTTPCore 2 is a minimal, low-level HTTP client that does one thing: send HTTP requests. It intentionally omits high-level abstractions like automatic redirects, session management, authentication headers, JSON handling, and content decoding—leaving those concerns to libraries built on top of it. The package provides thread-safe and task-safe connection pooling, supports both HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2, offers sync and async interfaces (with asyncio and trio backends), and handles HTTP(S) and SOCKS proxies.
It is designed as a reusable foundation for other HTTP client libraries rather than for direct end-user use. The clear separation between networking code and client logic makes it easier to understand and reason about in isolation. It depends only on h11 (for HTTP/1.1 framing) and truststore (for SSL verification using the OS trust store), with optional extras for HTTP/2, async backends, and SOCKS support.
Use it for
- Building a proxy service or gateway that needs low-level HTTP request handling without high-level abstractions.
- Creating a custom HTTP client library that layers domain-specific logic on top of a minimal, stable foundation.
- Writing async applications that need connection pooling and HTTP/2 support with explicit control over request handling.
- Implementing SOCKS proxy clients or applications requiring both HTTP(S) and SOCKS proxy support.
- Testing or debugging HTTP interactions where you need fine-grained control over requests and responses.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you are building another HTTP client library or a specialized service that needs low-level HTTP handling with connection pooling and proxy support.
No, if you are writing a typical application—use a higher-level client library like httpx2 instead. The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and carries a permissive license.
Install
httpcore2 on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with only two runtime dependencies (h11 and truststore). Actively maintained with a release 5 days old and recent fixes to HTTP/2 handling and connection pool behavior.
Requires Python 3.10 or later; optional extras (asyncio, trio, http2, socks) require additional dependencies.
License in practice
BSD-3-Clause is a permissive license; you can use this package in commercial and proprietary projects with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install httpcore2
import httpcore2
http = httpcore2.ConnectionPool()
response = http.request("GET", "https://www.example.com/")
print(response.status)Verify before relying
- Whether the package is suitable for production use in high-concurrency scenarios beyond the stated thread-safe/task-safe guarantees.
- Performance characteristics compared to other low-level HTTP clients in terms of throughput and latency.
Package facts
| License | BSD-3-Clause permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 2 packagesh11truststore |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 5 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 55,327,575 / month, #538 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: Web EnvironmentFramework :: AnyIOFramework :: 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 :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.15Topic :: Internet :: WWW/HTTP |
Evidence: httpcore2-2.10.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also httpcore · httpx-socks · connection_pool · python-socks · socksio · aiohttp_socks · asysocks · httpx-aiohttp