pip-autoremove
Remove a package and its unused dependencies
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, with conditions. The tool is simple, has low install friction, and solves a real problem for environment cleanup. However, it is abandoned (last release 2021-09-17, no active maintenance), so use it only if you accept that bugs or compatibility issues with newer pip versions will not be fixed. For active projects requiring ongoing support, consider whether a maintained alternative or manual dependency tracking is preferable.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low install friction with pip and setuptools as only runtime dependencies.
- However, the package is abandoned—last release was 2021-09-17 and last commit 2023-06-29, with no active maintenance despite 628 repository stars.
License · maintenance · safety
Apache License 2.0 (permissive) — Licensed under Apache License 2.0 (permissive), which allows use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, making it safe to use in most projects without licensing concerns.
last release 2021-09-17 (1792 days) · last repo commit 2023-06-29 · 628 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 259,898 downloads/mo, #8,403 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
$ pip install pip-autoremove
$ pip-autoremove Flask -y
This uninstalls Flask and any of its dependencies that no other installed package depends on.- Whether the tool correctly identifies shared dependencies across multiple packages in complex environments.
- Compatibility with modern pip versions and Python 3.10+ (classifiers list Python 3 but do not specify upper bounds).
- Whether the dependency-graph logic handles optional dependencies and extras correctly.
What it is and what it does
pip-autoremove is a command-line utility that extends pip's uninstall functionality by automatically detecting and removing unused dependencies when you uninstall a package. When you uninstall a package, pip normally leaves its dependencies behind; this tool walks the dependency tree and removes only those dependencies that are not required by any other installed package. It supports listing unused dependencies without uninstalling them, listing leaf packages (packages not used by others), and batch removal of multiple packages at once.
The tool depends on pip and setuptools for its core functionality. It was last updated in 2021 and is no longer actively maintained, though it remains functional for basic use cases. The codebase supports Python 2.6, 2.7, 3.x, and PyPy according to its classifiers, though real-world compatibility with modern Python versions is unverified.
Use it for
- Clean up a development environment after uninstalling a major package like Flask or Django that brought in many transitive dependencies.
- Identify and remove leaf packages (packages not used by any other installed package) to reduce environment bloat.
- Batch-uninstall multiple packages and their orphaned dependencies in a single command rather than manually tracking what to remove.
- List unused dependencies before uninstalling to review what would be removed without actually performing the uninstall.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, with conditions.
The tool is simple, has low install friction, and solves a real problem for environment cleanup. However, it is abandoned (last release 2021-09-17, no active maintenance), so use it only if you accept that bugs or compatibility issues with newer pip versions will not be fixed. For active projects requiring ongoing support, consider whether a maintained alternative or manual dependency tracking is preferable.
Install
pip-autoremove on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with pip and setuptools as only runtime dependencies. However, the package is abandoned—last release was 2021-09-17 and last commit 2023-06-29, with no active maintenance despite 628 repository stars.
License in practice
Licensed under Apache License 2.0 (permissive), which allows use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, making it safe to use in most projects without licensing concerns.
Quickstart
$ pip install pip-autoremove
$ pip-autoremove Flask -y
This uninstalls Flask and any of its dependencies that no other installed package depends on.Verify before relying
- Whether the tool correctly identifies shared dependencies across multiple packages in complex environments.
- Compatibility with modern pip versions and Python 3.10+ (classifiers list Python 3 but do not specify upper bounds).
- Whether the dependency-graph logic handles optional dependencies and extras correctly.
Package facts
| License | Apache License 2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 2 packagespipsetuptools |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 1,792 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 259,898 / month, #8,403 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 4 - BetaIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 2.6Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPy |
Evidence: pip_autoremove-0.10.0-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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