ImageIO
Read and write images and video across all major formats. Supports scientific and volumetric data.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. ImageIO is production-stable, actively maintained, has zero known vulnerabilities, minimal dependencies, and a permissive license. Install it if you need to read or write images and video in your Python application—the unified API and format support will save you from wrestling with multiple libraries or backend configuration.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.10 or later; optional backends (ffmpeg, tifffile, etc.) needed for specific formats beyond core Pillow support.
- Low friction: pure Python wheel, only two core runtime dependencies (NumPy and Pillow), actively maintained with a release 25 days ago, and runs on current Python versions (3.10+).
License · maintenance · safety
BSD-2-Clause (permissive) — BSD-2-Clause is permissive; you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely in commercial and open-source projects with minimal restrictions.
last release 2026-07-20 (25 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-05 · 1,712 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 43,906,767 downloads/mo, #639 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
import imageio.v3 as iio
im = iio.imread('image.png') # returns NumPy array
iio.imwrite('output.jpg', im) # write to file- Whether the 295+ supported formats claim includes all optional backends or only core Pillow formats.
- Performance characteristics when handling large volumetric datasets or high-resolution video streams.
What it is and what it does
ImageIO is a mature, production-stable library that abstracts away the complexity of reading and writing images and video across many file formats. It presents a simple, consistent API (imread, imwrite, imiter, improps, immeta, imopen) that handles format detection and backend selection automatically, returning data as NumPy arrays. The library uses a plugin architecture so that optional dependencies like imageio-ffmpeg or tifffile extend support for specialized formats without bloating the core install.
For typical use, you import imageio.v3, call imread() to load an image or video frame sequence into a NumPy array, manipulate it, and call imwrite() to save it in any supported format. It runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS, supports PyPy, and is designed for developers, educators, and researchers working with images, animations, volumetric medical data, and scientific formats.
Use it for
- Convert images between formats (PNG to JPEG, GIF to video) with automatic format detection.
- Load volumetric medical imaging data (TIFF stacks, DICOM) into NumPy arrays for analysis.
- Read and write video frames programmatically without managing ffmpeg directly.
- Process animated GIFs or video sequences frame-by-frame in scientific workflows.
- Build cross-platform image processing pipelines that work on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
ImageIO is production-stable, actively maintained, has zero known vulnerabilities, minimal dependencies, and a permissive license. Install it if you need to read or write images and video in your Python application—the unified API and format support will save you from wrestling with multiple libraries or backend configuration.
Install
imageio on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel, only two core runtime dependencies (NumPy and Pillow), actively maintained with a release 25 days ago, and runs on current Python versions (3.10+).
Requires Python 3.10 or later; optional backends (ffmpeg, tifffile, etc.) needed for specific formats beyond core Pillow support.
License in practice
BSD-2-Clause is permissive; you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely in commercial and open-source projects with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
import imageio.v3 as iio
im = iio.imread('image.png') # returns NumPy array
iio.imwrite('output.jpg', im) # write to fileVerify before relying
- Whether the 295+ supported formats claim includes all optional backends or only core Pillow formats.
- Performance characteristics when handling large volumetric datasets or high-resolution video streams.
Package facts
| License | BSD-2-Clause permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 2 packagesnumpypillow |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 25 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 43,906,767 / month, #639 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/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: EducationIntended Audience :: Science/ResearchOperating System :: MacOS :: MacOS XOperating System :: Microsoft :: WindowsOperating System :: POSIXProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14 |
Evidence: imageio-2.37.4-py3-none-any.whl
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See also imageio-ffmpeg · tifffile · PIMS · OpenImageIO · pynrrd · PyAVM · roifile · imagesize · fabio