numcodecs
A Python package providing buffer compression and transformation codecs for use in data storage and communication applications.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. Numcodecs is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, uses a permissive MIT license, and ranks in the top 5000 PyPI packages by download volume. Medium install friction is acceptable for a compiled library. Install it if you need flexible buffer compression or data transformation codecs in storage or communication applications.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.11 or later; numpy and typing_extensions are runtime dependencies.
- Medium install friction due to compiled wheels for multiple Python versions and platforms.
- Active maintenance with recent commits; last release 266 days ago and repository shows ongoing development.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license permits free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, making it suitable for both open-source and commercial projects.
last release 2025-11-21 (266 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-03 · 149 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 9,611,399 downloads/mo, #1,518 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install numcodecs
import numcodecs
codec = numcodecs.Blosc(cname='zstd', clevel=5)
compressed = codec.encode(data)
decompressed = codec.decode(compressed)- Specific compression algorithms and codecs available beyond what the fact sheet describes
- Performance characteristics or compression ratio benchmarks for different codec types
- Integration patterns with zarr or other storage systems mentioned in repository URL
What it is and what it does
Numcodecs is a Python library for encoding and decoding data buffers using various compression and transformation algorithms. It sits between raw data and storage or transmission layers, allowing you to compress arrays and binary data efficiently. The package wraps multiple codec implementations and provides a consistent interface for applying them.
Typically used in data science and storage applications where you need to reduce data size or apply reversible transformations before persisting or transmitting arrays. It depends on numpy for array handling and typing_extensions for type hints, and supports modern Python versions from 3.11 onward. The library is actively maintained and available as precompiled wheels for common platforms.
Use it for
- Compress large numerical arrays before writing to disk in data pipelines
- Apply reversible data transformations in zarr-based storage systems
- Reduce network bandwidth when transmitting binary data between services
- Implement custom codec chains for specialized data encoding workflows
- Integrate compression into HDF5 or other hierarchical data formats
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
Numcodecs is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, uses a permissive MIT license, and ranks in the top 5000 PyPI packages by download volume. Medium install friction is acceptable for a compiled library. Install it if you need flexible buffer compression or data transformation codecs in storage or communication applications.
Install
numcodecs on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to compiled wheels for multiple Python versions and platforms. Active maintenance with recent commits; last release 266 days ago and repository shows ongoing development.
Requires Python 3.11 or later; numpy and typing_extensions are runtime dependencies.
License in practice
MIT license permits free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, making it suitable for both open-source and commercial projects.
Quickstart
pip install numcodecs
import numcodecs
codec = numcodecs.Blosc(cname='zstd', clevel=5)
compressed = codec.encode(data)
decompressed = codec.decode(compressed)Verify before relying
- Specific compression algorithms and codecs available beyond what the fact sheet describes
- Performance characteristics or compression ratio benchmarks for different codec types
- Integration patterns with zarr or other storage systems mentioned in repository URL
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.11 |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 2 packagesnumpytyping_extensions |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 266 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 9,611,399 / month, #1,518 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 4 - BetaIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: Information TechnologyIntended Audience :: Science/ResearchOperating System :: UnixProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules |
Evidence: numcodecs-0.16.5-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp311-cp311-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp311-cp311-win_amd64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp312-cp312-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp312-cp312-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp312-cp312-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp312-cp312-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp312-cp312-win_amd64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp313-cp313-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp313-cp313-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp313-cp313-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp313-cp313-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp313-cp313-win_amd64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp314-cp314-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp314-cp314-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp314-cp314-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp314-cp314-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; numcodecs-0.16.5-cp314-cp314-win_amd64.whl
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