petl
A Python package for extracting, transforming and loading tables of data.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. petl is a solid, actively maintained library with zero dependencies, permissive licensing, and no known vulnerabilities. It fills a niche for straightforward ETL tasks, data cleaning, and pipeline automation. Install it if you need composable, readable data transformations without framework overhead.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low install friction with no runtime dependencies.
- Actively maintained with a recent release 9 days ago and steady community engagement (1315 GitHub stars).
License · maintenance · safety
MIT License (permissive) — MIT License permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution in both open-source and commercial projects with minimal restrictions.
last release 2026-08-05 (9 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-05 · 1,315 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 1,157,811 downloads/mo, #4,289 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install petl
import petl as etl
table = [{'id': 1, 'name': 'Alice'}, {'id': 2, 'name': 'Bob'}]
result = etl.wrap(table).cut('name').convert('name', str.upper)- Whether the package supports streaming or lazy evaluation for very large datasets
- Performance characteristics and typical use-case boundaries
- Complete list of supported data sources and formats beyond those in the excerpt
What it is and what it does
petl is a Python library for building data pipelines using a declarative, chainable API. It lets you extract data from various sources, apply transformations (filtering, joining, aggregating, reshaping), and load results into different destinations. The library emphasizes composability: you build pipelines by chaining method calls, making complex transformations readable and maintainable.
The package works across Python 2.7 and Python 3.6 through 3.13. With no runtime dependencies, it installs cleanly and integrates easily into existing projects. It is actively maintained with recent releases and a stable community, making it suitable for ETL workflows where you need flexibility without the overhead of heavier frameworks.
Use it for
- Build data pipelines that read from files, filter and reshape rows, then write to a database
- Join and aggregate data from multiple sources for reporting or analytics
- Clean and normalize tabular data before feeding it into downstream workflows
- Extract and transform subsets of large tables without loading everything into memory
- Automate recurring data import and transformation tasks in batch jobs
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
petl is a solid, actively maintained library with zero dependencies, permissive licensing, and no known vulnerabilities. It fills a niche for straightforward ETL tasks, data cleaning, and pipeline automation. Install it if you need composable, readable data transformations without framework overhead.
Install
petl on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with no runtime dependencies. Actively maintained with a recent release 9 days ago and steady community engagement (1315 GitHub stars).
License in practice
MIT License permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution in both open-source and commercial projects with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install petl
import petl as etl
table = [{'id': 1, 'name': 'Alice'}, {'id': 2, 'name': 'Bob'}]
result = etl.wrap(table).cut('name').convert('name', str.upper)Verify before relying
- Whether the package supports streaming or lazy evaluation for very large datasets
- Performance characteristics and typical use-case boundaries
- Complete list of supported data sources and formats beyond those in the excerpt
Package facts
| License | MIT License permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release !=3.0.*,!=3.1.*,!=3.2.*,!=3.3.*,>=2.7 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 9 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 1,157,811 / month, #4,289 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Intended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules |
Evidence: petl-1.7.23-py3-none-any.whl
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