paramiko
SSH2 protocol library
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need low-level SSH control or an embedded SSH server. Paramiko is production-stable, actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and installs with low friction. However, if your goal is simply running remote commands or transferring files, use Fabric instead—the maintainers explicitly recommend it for those common cases. Be aware of the LGPL-2.1 copyleft license if you're building proprietary software.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.9 or later.
- SSH server connectivity and valid credentials needed for client examples.
- Low friction installation with a pure-Python wheel distribution.
License · maintenance · safety
LGPL-2.1 (copyleft) — Licensed under LGPL-2.1 (copyleft). Use in proprietary software requires careful review of your distribution model and linking practices; static linking or bundling may trigger copyleft obligations.
last release 2026-05-09 (97 days) · last repo commit 2026-05-09 · 9,826 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 159,875,224 downloads/mo, #257 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install paramiko
import paramiko
client = paramiko.SSHClient()
client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())
client.connect('example.com', username='user', password='pass')
stdin, stdout, stderr = client.exec_command('ls')
print(stdout.read().decode())
client.close()- Whether cryptography's C/Rust extensions impact installation on specific platforms or architectures
- Performance characteristics compared to other SSH libraries for high-concurrency workloads
What it is and what it does
Paramiko is a pure-Python implementation of the SSHv2 protocol that lets you build SSH clients and servers directly in Python code. It sits below higher-level tools like Fabric and is intended for developers who need low-level SSH control or want to run an SSH server within a Python application. The library handles SSH authentication, key exchange, and channel management, relying on cryptography for the underlying cryptographic operations.
The package is production-stable and actively maintained, with support for modern Python versions (3.9 through 3.13). It has four runtime dependencies—bcrypt, cryptography, invoke, and pynacl—all of which have precompiled wheels available, keeping installation friction low. Direct use of Paramiko is recommended only when you need primitives that higher-level SSH libraries don't expose; for common tasks like running remote commands or transferring files, the maintainers recommend using Fabric instead.
Use it for
- Building custom SSH clients that need fine-grained control over authentication, key exchange, or channel behavior
- Running an embedded SSH server within a Python application for remote administration or automation
- Implementing SSH-based automation that requires low-level protocol manipulation or non-standard workflows
- Integrating SSH functionality into Python tools where a full external SSH binary is not available or desired
- Testing SSH protocol implementations or building SSH protocol analysis tools
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need low-level SSH control or an embedded SSH server.
Paramiko is production-stable, actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and installs with low friction. However, if your goal is simply running remote commands or transferring files, use Fabric instead—the maintainers explicitly recommend it for those common cases. Be aware of the LGPL-2.1 copyleft license if you're building proprietary software.
Install
paramiko on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction installation with a pure-Python wheel distribution. Actively maintained with a recent release and no known vulnerabilities. Depends on cryptography and related crypto libraries, which have precompiled binaries available.
Requires Python 3.9 or later. SSH server connectivity and valid credentials needed for client examples.
License in practice
Licensed under LGPL-2.1 (copyleft). Use in proprietary software requires careful review of your distribution model and linking practices; static linking or bundling may trigger copyleft obligations.
Quickstart
pip install paramiko
import paramiko
client = paramiko.SSHClient()
client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())
client.connect('example.com', username='user', password='pass')
stdin, stdout, stderr = client.exec_command('ls')
print(stdout.read().decode())
client.close()Verify before relying
- Whether cryptography's C/Rust extensions impact installation on specific platforms or architectures
- Performance characteristics compared to other SSH libraries for high-concurrency workloads
Package facts
| License | LGPL-2.1 copyleft |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.9 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 4 packagesbcryptcryptographyinvokepynacl |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 97 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 159,875,224 / month, #257 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 :: DevelopersOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: InternetTopic :: Security :: Cryptography |
Evidence: paramiko-5.0.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also fabric · fabric2 · mock-ssh-server · proxmoxer · scp · jumpssh · ssh2-python · sshtunnel · netmiko · fs.sshfs