lupa
Python wrapper around Lua and LuaJIT
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need to run Lua or LuaJIT code from Python for performance-critical sections. The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, uses a permissive license, and ships prebuilt wheels for common platforms. Install friction is moderate but manageable. Not necessary if you don't have a specific performance requirement that Lua's JIT compilation addresses.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.8 or later; compiled extension module requires appropriate C compiler or prebuilt wheel for your platform.
- Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; prebuilt binaries available for Python 3.8+ across Windows, macOS, and Linux architectures.
- Actively maintained with recent commits and stable status.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT style (permissive) — MIT-style permissive license allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; suitable for most projects.
last release 2026-04-15 (121 days) · last repo commit 2026-07-17 · 1,147 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 31,324,856 downloads/mo, #789 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
from lupa import LuaRuntime
lua = LuaRuntime()
result = lua.eval('1+1')
print(result)
lua_func = lua.eval('function(f, n) return f(n) end')
def py_add(n):
return n+1
print(lua_func(py_add, 2))- Performance characteristics compared to pure Python for typical workloads
- Memory overhead of maintaining separate Lua runtime state alongside Python
- Compatibility details with specific LuaJIT or Lua versions on edge-case platforms
What it is and what it does
Lupa is a Python wrapper that integrates Lua or LuaJIT runtimes directly into CPython processes. It allows you to execute Lua code from Python, call Python functions from Lua, and exchange objects between the two languages at runtime. The package is written in Cython and supports multiple Lua versions as well as LuaJIT where available.
The primary use case is leveraging Lua's speed—particularly LuaJIT's JIT compilation—for performance-critical sections of Python applications without the overhead of separate processes or heavy binary extension development. Lua is designed for embedding and has a small runtime footprint. Lupa frees the GIL when calling into Lua and supports threading across separate runtime instances, making it suitable for concurrent workloads that need raw computational speed alongside Python's ecosystem.
Use it for
- Embed fast, dynamically-compiled Lua code in Python for compute-intensive loops or algorithms where LuaJIT's speed matters.
- Write hot-path logic in Lua while keeping orchestration and I/O in Python, switching languages at runtime based on performance needs.
- Execute user-supplied Lua scripts safely within a Python application by isolating them in separate Lua runtime states.
- Prototype or iterate on performance-critical code in Lua without recompiling C extensions, then optimize in Python once stable.
- Call Python libraries and functions from Lua code, bridging the Lua ecosystem's limitations with Python's rich standard library.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need to run Lua or LuaJIT code from Python for performance-critical sections.
The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, uses a permissive license, and ships prebuilt wheels for common platforms. Install friction is moderate but manageable. Not necessary if you don't have a specific performance requirement that Lua's JIT compilation addresses.
Install
lupa on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; prebuilt binaries available for Python 3.8+ across Windows, macOS, and Linux architectures. Actively maintained with recent commits and stable status.
Requires Python 3.8 or later; compiled extension module requires appropriate C compiler or prebuilt wheel for your platform.
License in practice
MIT-style permissive license allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; suitable for most projects.
Quickstart
from lupa import LuaRuntime
lua = LuaRuntime()
result = lua.eval('1+1')
print(result)
lua_func = lua.eval('function(f, n) return f(n) end')
def py_add(n):
return n+1
print(lua_func(py_add, 2))Verify before relying
- Performance characteristics compared to pure Python for typical workloads
- Memory overhead of maintaining separate Lua runtime state alongside Python
- Compatibility details with specific LuaJIT or Lua versions on edge-case platforms
Package facts
| License | MIT style permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.8 |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 121 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 31,324,856 / month, #789 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 :: Information TechnologyOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: CythonProgramming Language :: LuaProgramming Language :: Other Scripting EnginesProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Topic :: Software Development |
Evidence: lupa-2.8-cp310-abi3-win32.whl; lupa-2.8-cp310-abi3-win_arm64.whl; lupa-2.8-cp310-cp310-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; lupa-2.8-cp310-cp310-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; lupa-2.8-cp310-cp310-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; lupa-2.8-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl; lupa-2.8-cp311-cp311-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; lupa-2.8-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; lupa-2.8-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; lupa-2.8-cp311-cp311-win_amd64.whl; lupa-2.8-cp312-abi3-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl; lupa-2.8-cp312-abi3-manylinux2010_i686.manylinux_2_12_i686.manylinux_2_28_i686.whl; lupa-2.8-cp312-abi3-manylinux2014_armv7l.manylinux_2_17_armv7l.manylinux_2_31_armv7l.whl; lupa-2.8-cp312-abi3-manylinux2014_ppc64le.manylinux_2_17_ppc64le.manylinux_2_28_ppc64le.whl; lupa-2.8-cp312-abi3-manylinux_2_34_riscv64.manylinux_2_39_riscv64.whl; lupa-2.8-cp312-abi3-musllinux_1_2_aarch64.whl; lupa-2.8-cp312-abi3-musllinux_1_2_armv7l.whl; lupa-2.8-cp312-abi3-musllinux_1_2_i686.whl; lupa-2.8-cp312-abi3-musllinux_1_2_ppc64le.whl; lupa-2.8-cp312-abi3-musllinux_1_2_riscv64.whl
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