maxminddb
Reader for the MaxMind DB format
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. The package is production-stable, actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, supports current Python versions (3.10+), and is widely used (top 5000 on PyPI). Install friction is manageable due to graceful fallback from C extension to pure Python. Use it if you need to query MaxMind DB files locally.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- You must obtain a MaxMind DB file (e.g., GeoLite2 databases) and decompress it with gunzip before use.
- Medium install friction due to optional C extension compilation, but the package gracefully falls back to pure Python if the build fails.
- Active maintenance with recent releases and no known vulnerabilities.
License · maintenance · safety
Apache-2.0 (permissive) — Apache-2.0 permissive license allows use in commercial and open-source projects with minimal restrictions; attribution required.
last release 2026-03-05 (162 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-10 · 225 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 21,223,146 downloads/mo, #1,007 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install maxminddb
import maxminddb
with maxminddb.open_database('GeoLite2-City.mmdb') as reader:
result = reader.get('152.216.7.110')
print(result)- Performance characteristics and lookup speed compared to direct file I/O or other geolocation libraries.
- Memory footprint when loading large databases into memory via Mode.MEMORY.
What it is and what it does
maxminddb is a Python reader for the MaxMind DB binary format, a file format designed to store geolocation and other data indexed by IP address subnets. The package provides a Reader interface that accepts a MaxMind DB file path and returns lookup results for IPv4 or IPv6 addresses. It offers multiple read modes—including memory-mapped access, in-memory loading, and file-based reading—and includes an optional C extension for performance; if compilation fails, the module automatically falls back to a pure Python implementation.
Typical usage involves opening a database file (such as the free GeoLite2 databases from MaxMind), then calling get() or get_with_prefix_len() to retrieve data for a given IP address. The package also supports iteration over the entire database and is thread-safe for concurrent reads, including support for Python 3.13+ free-threading.
Use it for
- Determine the country, city, or ASN of an incoming request by looking up its IP address in a GeoLite2 database.
- Build IP-based access control or geofencing rules by querying MaxMind DB files in a web application.
- Analyze traffic logs or network data by batch-looking up IP addresses against a MaxMind database.
- Serve geolocation metadata to clients based on their IP, without external API calls.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
The package is production-stable, actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, supports current Python versions (3.10+), and is widely used (top 5000 on PyPI). Install friction is manageable due to graceful fallback from C extension to pure Python. Use it if you need to query MaxMind DB files locally.
Install
maxminddb on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to optional C extension compilation, but the package gracefully falls back to pure Python if the build fails. Active maintenance with recent releases and no known vulnerabilities.
You must obtain a MaxMind DB file (e.g., GeoLite2 databases) and decompress it with gunzip before use.
License in practice
Apache-2.0 permissive license allows use in commercial and open-source projects with minimal restrictions; attribution required.
Quickstart
pip install maxminddb
import maxminddb
with maxminddb.open_database('GeoLite2-City.mmdb') as reader:
result = reader.get('152.216.7.110')
print(result)Verify before relying
- Performance characteristics and lookup speed compared to direct file I/O or other geolocation libraries.
- Memory footprint when loading large databases into memory via Mode.MEMORY.
Package facts
| License | Apache-2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 162 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 21,223,146 / month, #1,007 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 EnvironmentIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: System AdministratorsProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Topic :: InternetTopic :: Internet :: Proxy Servers |
Evidence: maxminddb-3.1.1-cp310-cp310-macosx_10_9_universal2.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp310-cp310-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp310-cp310-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp310-cp310-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp310-cp310-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_2_aarch64.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_2_x86_64.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp310-cp310-win32.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp310-cp310-win_arm64.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_9_universal2.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp311-cp311-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_aarch64.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_x86_64.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp311-cp311-win32.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp311-cp311-win_amd64.whl; maxminddb-3.1.1-cp311-cp311-win_arm64.whl
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See also maxminddb-geolite2 · mmdb-writer · geoip2fast · minfraud · geoip2 · geoip2-tools · IP2Location · types-maxminddb · ip3country · ipwhois