---
id: laszip
version: "0.3.0"
license: MIT License Copyright (c) 2023 Thomas Montaigu Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to… (full text in the JSON record)
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: aging
---

# laszip — Bindings for LASzip made with pybind11

License: permissive · Maintenance: aging · Downloads: 140.0K/mo

## What it is and what it does

laszip-python wraps the LASzip C++ library using pybind11, exposing LAS point cloud compression functionality to Python. LASzip is a standard compression format for LiDAR data, and this package's primary purpose is to provide integration within laspy, a popular Python library for reading and writing LAS files. The bindings are available as pre-compiled wheels for recent Python versions on common platforms, though building from source requires CMake and pybind11.

The package has no runtime dependencies beyond Python itself, making it lightweight to install on supported platforms. It is designed for developers working with LiDAR datasets who need to compress or decompress LAS files programmatically. The aging maintenance status (last release 226 days ago, 4 repository stars) suggests it is a specialized tool with a small user base, likely maintained primarily for laspy's needs rather than as a standalone product.

Use it for:

- Compress LAS point cloud files to reduce storage and transmission bandwidth in LiDAR workflows
- Decompress LASzip-encoded LAS files for analysis or visualization in Python
- Integrate LASzip compression into laspy-based data pipelines for geospatial or surveying applications
- Automate batch processing of LiDAR datasets with compression as part of a data ingestion pipeline

## Worth the install?

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

Provides Python bindings to LASzip, a compression library for LAS point cloud data, enabling efficient read and write of compressed LAS files from Python.

Yes, if you are using laspy and need LASzip compression support. The package is permissively licensed, has no runtime dependencies, and offers pre-built wheels for modern Python versions. However, the aging maintenance status (226 days since release, minimal repository activity) means you should verify that it still meets your compression needs and check whether laspy's own integration is sufficient before adopting it as a standalone tool.

## Install

pip install laszip
uv add laszip
poetry add laszip

## Installing laszip

Before you install: Medium install friction due to compiled C++ bindings; wheels are available for multiple Python versions on macOS, Linux, and Windows, but building from source requires pybind11 and CMake. The package is aging (226 days since last release) with minimal maintenance activity (4 repository stars).

License in practice: MIT License permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; you may use, modify, and distribute the package provided you retain the copyright notice and license text.

Quickstart:

pip install laszip

import laszip
# Use laszip bindings to compress/decompress LAS data via laspy integration

Requires Python >=3.9; building from source requires pybind11 and CMake to be installed and properly configured.

Verify before relying:

- Whether laszip can be used standalone or only through laspy integration
- Specific compression/decompression APIs available in the bindings
- Performance characteristics compared to other LAS compression approaches
- Whether the package is actively maintained or in maintenance-only mode

## Package facts

- License: MIT License Copyright (c) 2023 Thomas Montaigu Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to… (full text in the JSON record) (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: aging
- Downloads: 140.0K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

LAS point cloud compression, LASzip python bindings, lidar data compression, compressed LAS file handling, point cloud I/O, LASzip wrapper, lidar file format, lidar, geospatial, compression

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