---
id: pickley
version: "4.6.1"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# pickley — Automate installation of standalone python CLIs

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 557.1K/mo

## What it is and what it does

Pickley is a CLI tool installer that manages standalone Python command-line applications from PyPI. It works zero-configuration out of the box—drop it in ~/.local/bin and install any PyPI package with console_scripts entry points. Unlike pipx, pickley automatically upgrades installed CLIs as you use them, keeping them current without manual intervention. It supports version pinning, pre-releases, git branches, and bundled installations through optional configuration.

The tool is portable: all installations happen in the same folder where pickley itself resides, making it ideal for user-local or system-wide CLI management. It uses click for its command interface and runez for utility functions. Supports modern Python versions (3.10 through 3.14) on macOS, Linux, and Unix systems.

Use it for:

- Keep tox, hatch, and other development tools automatically up-to-date without manual upgrades or version conflicts.
- Bootstrap a portable CLI toolkit in ~/.local/bin that self-maintains and works across different machines.
- Install and manage multiple Python CLIs with version constraints (e.g., 'tox<4') while staying on the latest compatible release.
- Define bundles to install related CLI tools together (e.g., a 'dev' bundle with tox, pipenv, and pre-commit).
- Run Python CLIs on-demand with auto-install, similar to uvx but with persistent self-upgrading.
- Use a custom PyPI server index for air-gapped or private package installations.

## Worth the install?

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

Installs and auto-upgrades standalone Python CLI tools from PyPI into a portable directory, similar to pipx but with automatic self-upgrading as you use them.

Yes. Pickley is actively maintained, has low install friction, carries no known vulnerabilities, and solves a real problem—keeping standalone Python CLIs up-to-date without manual work. It's well-suited for developers who want a portable, zero-config CLI manager. The auto-upgrade feature and bundling support add value over simpler alternatives. Install it if you regularly use multiple Python command-line tools.

## Install

pip install pickley
uv add pickley
poetry add pickley

## Installing pickley

Before you install: Low friction: pure Python wheel with only two runtime dependencies (click and runez). Actively maintained with a recent release; last commit 2026-05-11 and status marked active.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive; you can use, modify, and distribute pickley freely with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

# Bootstrap pickley to ~/.local/bin
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/codrsquad/pickley/main/src/pickley/bstrap.py | /usr/bin/python3 -

# Install a CLI tool
pickley install tox

# List installed tools
pickley list

Requires Python 3.10 or later; curl and a POSIX-like shell for the bootstrap one-liner.

Verify before relying:

- Whether auto-upgrade on use works reliably across all CLI tools or only those with specific entry-point structures.
- Performance impact of wrapper-based delivery vs. symlink delivery in real-world workflows.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 557.1K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

install python cli tools, standalone python executables, auto-upgrade cli packages, python tool installer, portable cli management, pip install wrapper, cli package manager, cli-installer, tool-management, auto-upgrade

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/pickley) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/pickley/)