PyDrive
Google Drive API made easy.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
No. The project is archived and abandoned since 2016-10-24 with no maintenance. While it has low install friction and no known vulnerabilities, the lack of updates means it will not work reliably with current Google Drive API versions or modern Python releases. Start a new project with an actively maintained alternative or use the underlying API library directly.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires a client_secrets.json file from Google API Console and local web server access for OAuth2 authentication flow.
- Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies, but the project is archived and abandoned since 2016 with no maintenance.
- Use only if you accept the risk of unpatched issues and no future updates.
License · maintenance · safety
LICENSE (unclear) — License treatment is unclear; the raw LICENSE file exists but SPDX classification is unavailable. Review the repository's LICENSE file directly before use to confirm terms.
last release 2016-10-24 (3581 days) · last repo commit 2021-06-24 · 1,311 stars · archived
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 401,974 downloads/mo, #6,921 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
from pydrive.auth import GoogleAuth
from pydrive.drive import GoogleDrive
gauth = GoogleAuth()
gauth.LocalWebserverAuth()
drive = GoogleDrive(gauth)
file_list = drive.ListFile({'q': "'root' in parents"}).GetList()- Whether the package works with current Google Drive API versions and modern Python releases.
- Compatibility with recent google-api-python-client versions and any breaking changes.
- Whether OAuth2 flow still functions with current Google authentication requirements.
What it is and what it does
PyDrive is a wrapper around the Google Drive API that abstracts away much of the boilerplate needed to authenticate and interact with Google Drive from Python. It handles OAuth2 setup in a few lines, wraps Drive resources into object-oriented classes, and provides convenience methods for common tasks like file upload, download, and listing with automatic pagination.
The package has been abandoned since its last release on 2016-10-24 and is no longer maintained. While it has no runtime dependencies and installs easily, the underlying Google API client library and Google's authentication requirements have evolved significantly since then. Any new project should carefully evaluate whether this package will work with current Google Drive API versions and modern Python environments before committing to it.
Use it for
- Automate file uploads and downloads to Google Drive from a Python script without writing extensive API boilerplate.
- List and iterate through Google Drive files with automatic pagination handling.
- Set up OAuth2 authentication to Google Drive in a small Python application with minimal configuration.
- Manage file metadata and perform batch operations on Google Drive files programmatically.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
No.
The project is archived and abandoned since 2016-10-24 with no maintenance. While it has low install friction and no known vulnerabilities, the lack of updates means it will not work reliably with current Google Drive API versions or modern Python releases. Start a new project with an actively maintained alternative or use the underlying API library directly.
Install
pydrive on PyPI
Before you install
Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies, but the project is archived and abandoned since 2016 with no maintenance. Use only if you accept the risk of unpatched issues and no future updates.
Requires a client_secrets.json file from Google API Console and local web server access for OAuth2 authentication flow.
License in practice
License treatment is unclear; the raw LICENSE file exists but SPDX classification is unavailable. Review the repository's LICENSE file directly before use to confirm terms.
Quickstart
from pydrive.auth import GoogleAuth
from pydrive.drive import GoogleDrive
gauth = GoogleAuth()
gauth.LocalWebserverAuth()
drive = GoogleDrive(gauth)
file_list = drive.ListFile({'q': "'root' in parents"}).GetList()Verify before relying
- Whether the package works with current Google Drive API versions and modern Python releases.
- Compatibility with recent google-api-python-client versions and any breaking changes.
- Whether OAuth2 flow still functions with current Google authentication requirements.
Package facts
| License | LICENSE unclear |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 3,581 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | repository archived |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 401,974 / month, #6,921 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
Evidence: PyDrive-1.3.1-py2-none-any.whl
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See also egnyte · PyDrive2 · googledrivedownloader · google-api-python-client · webdavclient3 · storage3 · aiogoogle · python-documentcloud · google-auth-oauthlib · pyghidra