---
id: osfclient
version: "0.0.5"
license: BSD3
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: dormant
---

# osfclient — An OSF command-line library

License: permissive · Maintenance: dormant · Downloads: 75.7K/mo

## What it is and what it does

osfclient bridges your local filesystem and the Open Science Framework, a web platform for collaborative research. It provides both a Python library for programmatic access and a command-line interface for managing files in OSF projects—uploading datasets, downloading research outputs, and syncing project files without leaving the terminal.

The package depends on requests for HTTP communication, tqdm for progress bars during transfers, and six for Python 2/3 compatibility. It is classified as Alpha (Development Status 3) and has been dormant since early 2021, with the last commit in October 2023. The codebase supports Python 2.7 through 3.9 according to its classifiers, though no active maintenance means newer Python versions are untested.

Use it for:

- Download large research datasets associated with published papers directly from OSF projects via the command line.
- Automate file uploads to OSF projects as part of a research workflow or data management pipeline.
- Clone an entire OSF project's file tree locally to keep a synchronized copy of collaborative research outputs.
- Retrieve individual files or directories from OSF without using the web interface, useful in headless or scripted environments.
- Set up a local project folder linked to an OSF project for team collaboration on shared research data.

## Worth the install?

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

osfclient is a Python library and command-line tool for uploading and downloading files to and from Open Science Framework projects.

Yes, if you actively use OSF and need command-line or programmatic file access. The low install friction and permissive license make it a safe choice. However, be aware the project is dormant—no active maintenance since 2021, so compatibility with Python versions beyond 3.9 and recent dependency updates is unverified. Suitable for established workflows; risky for new projects expecting ongoing support.

## Install

pip install osfclient
uv add osfclient
poetry add osfclient

## Installing osfclient

Before you install: Installation is straightforward with low friction. The package is dormant as of 2023 (last commit October 2023, latest release February 2021), so expect no active maintenance or updates to address new Python versions or dependency issues.

License in practice: BSD3 (permissive) license means you can use, modify, and distribute osfclient freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install osfclient

from osfclient.api import OSFProject

# Command-line usage:
# osf init  # setup local folder for existing project
# osf ls    # list files
# osf clone # fetch all files

Requires OSF project ID and optional authentication (username/password or Personal Access Token via environment variables or .osfcli.config file).

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package works reliably with Python versions beyond 3.9 despite being dormant since 2021.
- Current state of compatibility with modern versions of requests, tqdm, and six dependencies.
- Whether the OSF API itself has changed in ways that break the client since the last release.

## Package facts

- License: BSD3 (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: dormant
- Downloads: 75.7K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

osf file upload download, open science framework client, research data repository sync, osf project file management, scientific collaboration data sharing, osf command line tool, research project file storage, research-data, cli-tool, osf-integration

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