magika
A tool to determine the content type of a file with deep learning
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. Magika is actively maintained, has low install friction, carries no security vulnerabilities, and uses a permissive license. It solves a real problem (accurate file type detection) with a well-engineered approach. Install it if you need reliable file type identification beyond simple extension or magic-byte checks; skip it only if your use case is limited to a handful of well-known formats where simpler tools suffice.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- onnxruntime must be available; the package includes platform-specific compiled wheels for common architectures, with a pure-Python fallback for unsupported platforms.
- Low friction install with only two runtime dependencies (click and onnxruntime).
- Active maintenance with recent commits and a large repository following (17950 stars).
License · maintenance · safety
Apache-2.0 (permissive) — Licensed under Apache-2.0 (permissive), allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions. Suitable for most projects without license compatibility concerns.
last release 2026-05-04 (102 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-07 · 17,950 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 15,165,486 downloads/mo, #1,196 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install magika
from magika import Magika
m = Magika()
res = m.identify_bytes(b'function log(msg) {console.log(msg);}')
print(res.output.label) # outputs: javascript- Whether the ~100M training samples and 200+ content types mentioned in the description are current for version 1.0.3.
- Performance characteristics (millisecond detection times) on typical hardware configurations.
- Exact list of all 200+ supported file formats and their detection accuracy breakdown.
What it is and what it does
Magika is an AI-powered file type detection tool that uses a lightweight deep learning model to identify file content types by analyzing file bytes rather than relying on file extensions or magic numbers alone. It works as both a standalone command-line tool and a Python library, making it suitable for integration into larger systems or use as a utility.
The package wraps a custom-trained neural network model (a few MBs in size) that has been trained on approximately 100M samples across 200+ content types, covering both binary and textual formats. It provides structured output including the detected label, description, MIME type, file extensions, and a confidence score. The tool supports multiple output formats (plain text, JSON, JSONL) and can process files from disk, stdin, or byte streams in Python code.
Use it for
- Validate uploaded file types in web applications without trusting user-supplied extensions or MIME type headers.
- Automatically categorize and organize files in bulk processing pipelines by their actual content rather than filename.
- Detect potentially malicious files disguised with incorrect extensions during security scanning workflows.
- Build content-aware indexing systems that need accurate file type information for search or filtering.
- Replace or supplement traditional file magic number detection in tools that need higher accuracy on modern formats.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
Magika is actively maintained, has low install friction, carries no security vulnerabilities, and uses a permissive license. It solves a real problem (accurate file type detection) with a well-engineered approach. Install it if you need reliable file type identification beyond simple extension or magic-byte checks; skip it only if your use case is limited to a handful of well-known formats where simpler tools suffice.
Install
magika on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction install with only two runtime dependencies (click and onnxruntime). Active maintenance with recent commits and a large repository following (17950 stars). Supports Python 3.8 through 3.14, distributed as a pre-built wheel.
onnxruntime must be available; the package includes platform-specific compiled wheels for common architectures, with a pure-Python fallback for unsupported platforms.
License in practice
Licensed under Apache-2.0 (permissive), allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions. Suitable for most projects without license compatibility concerns.
Quickstart
pip install magika
from magika import Magika
m = Magika()
res = m.identify_bytes(b'function log(msg) {console.log(msg);}')
print(res.output.label) # outputs: javascriptVerify before relying
- Whether the ~100M training samples and 200+ content types mentioned in the description are current for version 1.0.3.
- Performance characteristics (millisecond detection times) on typical hardware configurations.
- Exact list of all 200+ supported file formats and their detection accuracy breakdown.
Package facts
| License | Apache-2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.8 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 2 packagesclickonnxruntime |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 102 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 15,165,486 / month, #1,196 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 :: ConsoleIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: Science/ResearchIntended Audience :: System AdministratorsLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseOperating System :: MacOSOperating System :: Microsoft :: WindowsOperating System :: UnixProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Artificial IntelligenceTopic :: SecurityTopic :: Software DevelopmentTyping :: Typed |
Evidence: magika-1.0.3-py3-none-any.whl
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See also filetype · cigam · python-magic-bin · puremagic · python-magic · libmagic · file-magic · tika · zope.contenttype · tinytag