---
id: plyvel
version: "1.5.1"
license: BSD License
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: aging
---

# plyvel — Plyvel, a fast and feature-rich Python interface to LevelDB

License: permissive · Maintenance: aging · Downloads: 2.3M/mo

## What it is and what it does

Plyvel wraps LevelDB, a high-performance embedded key-value storage engine, and exposes it through a Python API. It is designed for applications that need fast, persistent storage of key-value pairs without the overhead of a separate database server. The package is built with Cython and requires compilation against LevelDB headers, which adds installation friction on platforms without prebuilt wheels.

The library is classified as Production/Stable and has been in active use since its first release in 2012. It supports a rich feature set including iterators, snapshots, and batch operations. The aging maintenance status reflects that the last release was over a year ago, though the repository remains active and no security vulnerabilities are recorded. It is suitable for applications requiring embedded, high-speed key-value storage, such as caching layers, local indices, or data processing pipelines.

Use it for:

- Building a high-performance local cache or index for a data processing application.
- Storing application state or configuration in a persistent, queryable key-value store.
- Implementing a time-series or log storage backend for monitoring or analytics.
- Prototyping or running a small-scale database without deploying a separate database service.

## Worth the install?

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

Plyvel is a Python interface to LevelDB, a fast key-value storage library. It provides read and write access to LevelDB databases with a Pythonic API.

Yes, if you need embedded key-value storage with high performance and are comfortable with C++ compilation requirements. The package is stable and production-ready, with no known vulnerabilities. The aging maintenance status is not a blocker—the repository is still active. Install friction is moderate but manageable with prebuilt wheels on common platforms.

## Install

pip install plyvel
uv add plyvel
poetry add plyvel

## Installing plyvel

Before you install: Medium install friction due to C++ compilation requirements (Cython-based bindings). The package is aging but stable; last release was 2024-01-15 and the repository remains active with recent commits as of 2025-09-03. Prebuilt wheels are available for multiple Python versions on Linux x86_64.

License in practice: BSD License (permissive) places no significant restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in proprietary or open-source projects.

Quickstart:

pip install plyvel

import plyvel
db = plyvel.DB(b'/tmp/testdb', create_if_missing=True)
db.put(b'key', b'value')
print(db.get(b'key'))

Requires LevelDB development headers and a C++ compiler; prebuilt wheels available for Linux x86_64, but other platforms may require compilation.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package supports the latest Python versions or has known incompatibilities.
- Performance characteristics and typical throughput compared to other embedded key-value stores.
- Whether the aging maintenance status indicates planned deprecation or stable long-term support.

## Package facts

- License: BSD License (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: aging
- Downloads: 2.3M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

leveldb python interface, key-value store python, embedded database python, fast key-value storage, leveldb bindings, persistent key-value database, nosql embedded database, embedded-database, key-value-store, leveldb

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