pi-heif
Python interface for libheif library
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need to read HEIF/HEIC files in Python and accept LGPLv3 copyleft terms. The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and precompiled wheels make installation straightforward. Verify that LGPLv3 licensing is compatible with your project before committing.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires pillow as a runtime dependency; HEIF decoding depends on the underlying libheif library availability on your system.
- Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; prebuilt binaries are available for CPython 3.10, 3.11, 3.12 on macOS (Intel and ARM), Windows, and Linux (manylinux and musllinux), reducing build complexity.
- Repository is active with recent commits.
License · maintenance · safety
BSD-3-Clause (copyleft) — Licensed under LGPLv3 (copyleft), which requires that derivative works and modifications remain under the same license; static linking may trigger additional obligations. Verify compatibility with your project's license before use.
last release 2026-06-10 (65 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-11 · 302 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 9,550,183 downloads/mo, #1,527 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
from pi_heif import register_heif_opener
import pillow
register_heif_opener()
# Then use pillow's standard image operations on HEIC files- Whether LGPLv3 copyleft obligations apply to static vs. dynamic linking in your deployment context.
- Performance characteristics and memory usage when decoding large or high-bit-depth HEIF files.
- Compatibility with specific HEIF encoder variants or proprietary extensions beyond the standard.
What it is and what it does
pi-heif is a lightweight Python wrapper around libheif that adds HEIF/HEIC image decoding to pillow. It is a more permissively-licensed variant focused on read-only operations: it decodes HEIF images but does not support save operations. The package integrates as a pillow plugin, allowing decoded image data to be accessed as NumPy arrays or pillow images.
The package supports color depths from 8 to 12 bits, HDR-to-8-bit conversion, and access to depth images embedded in HEIF containers. It requires only pillow as a runtime dependency and is available as precompiled wheels for CPython 3.10, 3.11, 3.12 across macOS (Intel and ARM), Windows, and Linux platforms, reducing installation friction compared to source builds.
Use it for
- Convert HEIC photos from iOS devices to other formats using pillow's standard image operations.
- Extract depth maps from HEIF files for computational photography or 3D reconstruction workflows.
- Process high-bit-depth HEIF images (10/12-bit) as NumPy arrays for scientific or image processing pipelines.
- Integrate HEIF support into image processing pipelines that already use pillow without rewriting image-loading code.
- Batch decode HEIC files to standard formats in automated image workflows or media asset management systems.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need to read HEIF/HEIC files in Python and accept LGPLv3 copyleft terms.
The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and precompiled wheels make installation straightforward. Verify that LGPLv3 licensing is compatible with your project before committing.
Install
pi-heif on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; prebuilt binaries are available for CPython 3.10, 3.11, 3.12 on macOS (Intel and ARM), Windows, and Linux (manylinux and musllinux), reducing build complexity. Repository is active with recent commits.
Requires pillow as a runtime dependency; HEIF decoding depends on the underlying libheif library availability on your system.
License in practice
Licensed under LGPLv3 (copyleft), which requires that derivative works and modifications remain under the same license; static linking may trigger additional obligations. Verify compatibility with your project's license before use.
Quickstart
from pi_heif import register_heif_opener
import pillow
register_heif_opener()
# Then use pillow's standard image operations on HEIC filesVerify before relying
- Whether LGPLv3 copyleft obligations apply to static vs. dynamic linking in your deployment context.
- Performance characteristics and memory usage when decoding large or high-bit-depth HEIF files.
- Compatibility with specific HEIF encoder variants or proprietary extensions beyond the standard.
Package facts
| License | BSD-3-Clause copyleft |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.9 |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagepillow |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 65 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 9,550,183 / month, #1,527 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 :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: GNU Lesser General Public License v3 (LGPLv3)Operating System :: MacOS :: MacOS XOperating System :: Microsoft :: WindowsOperating System :: POSIX :: LinuxProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: Multimedia :: GraphicsTopic :: Multimedia :: Graphics :: Graphics ConversionTopic :: Software DevelopmentTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries |
Evidence: pi_heif-1.4.0-cp310-cp310-macosx_10_15_x86_64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp310-cp310-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_26_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_27_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_2_aarch64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_2_x86_64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_15_x86_64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp311-cp311-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_26_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_27_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_aarch64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_x86_64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp311-cp311-win_amd64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp312-cp312-macosx_10_15_x86_64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp312-cp312-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp312-cp312-manylinux_2_26_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp312-cp312-manylinux_2_27_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp312-cp312-musllinux_1_2_aarch64.whl; pi_heif-1.4.0-cp312-cp312-musllinux_1_2_x86_64.whl
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See also pillow-heif · pyheif · imagesize · pillow-avif-plugin · Willow · pilgram · pillow · loadimg · piexif · pilkit