---
id: psycopg2-binary
version: "2.9.12"
license: LGPL with exceptions
license_treatment: copyleft
maintenance: active
---

# psycopg2-binary — psycopg2 - Python-PostgreSQL Database Adapter

License: copyleft · Maintenance: active · Popularity: top 1,000 on PyPI

## Install

pip install psycopg2-binary
uv add psycopg2-binary
poetry add psycopg2-binary

## Description

Psycopg is the most popular PostgreSQL database adapter for the Python
programming language.  Its main features are the complete implementation of
the Python DB API 2.0 specification and the thread safety (several threads can
share the same connection).  It was designed for heavily multi-threaded
applications that create and destroy lots of cursors and make a large number
of concurrent "INSERT"s or "UPDATE"s.

Psycopg 2 is mostly implemented in C as a libpq wrapper, resulting in being
both efficient and secure.  It features client-side and server-side cursors,
asynchronous communication and notifications, "COPY TO/COPY FROM" support.
Many Python types are supported out-of-the-box and adapted to matching
PostgreSQL data types; adaptation can be extended and customized thanks to a
flexible objects adaptation system.

Psycopg 2 is both Unicode and Python 3 friendly.

.. Note::

    The psycopg2 package is still widely used and actively maintained, but it
    is not expected to receive new features.

    `Psycopg 3`__ is the evolution of psycopg2 and is where `new features are
    being developed`__: if you are starting a new project you should probably
    start from 3!

    .....

## AI interpretation — verify before relying

psycopg2-binary is a PostgreSQL database adapter for Python that implements the DB API 2.0 specification, offering thread-safe connections, client/server-side cursors, and automatic type mapping between Python and PostgreSQL.

Verdict: psycopg2-binary is a mature, actively maintained PostgreSQL adapter (last release 115 days ago) with no known vulnerabilities and broad platform support. The binary distribution trades production-grade optimization for zero-compilation convenience; LGPL licensing requires attention to derivative-work obligations. Suitable for development and small-to-medium deployments.

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