---
id: pwinput
version: "1.0.3"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: dormant
---

# pwinput — A cross-platform Python module that displays **** for password input. Works on Windows, unlike getpass. Formerly called stdiomask.

License: permissive · Maintenance: dormant · Downloads: 88.2K/mo

## What it is and what it does

pwinput is a lightweight cross-platform module that improves password input by displaying mask characters (typically asterisks) as the user types, addressing a limitation of Python's standard library getpass module. The standard getpass shows nothing as you type; pwinput lets you see visual feedback with a configurable mask character, making it clearer that input is being received.

The module has no runtime dependencies and offers a simple API: call pwinput.pwinput() to prompt for a password with asterisk masking, or customize the prompt text and mask character as needed. It is intended as a drop-in replacement for getpass in scenarios where visual feedback during password entry is desired, particularly on Windows where getpass behavior differs from Unix-like systems.

Use it for:

- Interactive CLI tools that need to collect passwords with visual confirmation that input is being registered
- Cross-platform applications requiring consistent password prompting behavior across Windows and Unix-like systems
- Custom authentication dialogs where standard getpass feedback is insufficient for user experience
- Testing or debugging scenarios where seeing mask characters helps verify input capture
- Accessibility improvements in terminal applications where visual feedback aids users with certain input preferences

## Worth the install?

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

Displays mask characters (like asterisks) as the user types a password, providing visual feedback that standard library getpass does not offer.

Yes, if you need masked password input in a terminal application and can tolerate dormant maintenance. The package is simple, dependency-free, and solves a real getpass limitation. However, the high install friction (source distribution only) and lack of updates since early 2023 mean you should verify it works on your target Python version before relying on it in production.

## Install

pip install pwinput
uv add pwinput
poetry add pwinput

## Installing pwinput

Before you install: High install friction due to source distribution only. Maintenance is dormant—last release was over a year ago and no commits since March 2024—though the repository remains active and unarchived.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive and places no restrictions on use, modification, or redistribution in proprietary or open-source projects.

Quickstart:

pip install pwinput

import pwinput
password = pwinput.pwinput()  # Shows * for each typed character
password = pwinput.pwinput(prompt='PW: ', mask='X')  # Custom prompt and mask

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package works reliably on all modern Python versions despite classifiers listing only up to 3.9
- Current status of Windows-specific password input behavior compared to standard getpass
- Whether high install friction (source-only distribution) impacts usability in automated deployments

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: high
- Maintenance: dormant
- Downloads: 88.2K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

password input with mask characters, masked password entry, asterisk password display, cross-platform password prompt, getpass alternative with feedback, terminal password masking, password input visual feedback, password-input, terminal-ui, cross-platform

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