PyICU-binary
Python extension wrapping the ICU C++ API
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes-with-conditions. PyICU-binary is worth installing if you need ICU functionality and want to avoid compilation overhead, and if you are using Python 3.6–3.9 on macOS or Linux with manylinux_2_24 support. However, the package is abandoned (no releases since 2021-09-14), so verify that prebuilt wheels exist for your Python version and platform before committing. Do not use for new projects requiring ongoing maintenance.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- ICU C++ libraries must be installed on the system; on macOS, use Homebrew and configure pkg-config; on Linux, install libicu-dev or equivalent; prebuilt wheels only available for Python 3.6–3.9.
- Medium install friction due to platform-specific wheels; prebuilt binaries available for macOS and Linux (manylinux_2_24) but no releases since 2021-09-14.
- Package is marked abandoned with no activity in 1795 days, raising concerns about compatibility with current Python versions and system libraries.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license is permissive and imposes no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in proprietary or open-source projects.
last release 2021-09-14 (1795 days)
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 434,897 downloads/mo, #6,685 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install PyICU-binary
import icu
locale = icu.Locale('en_US')
collator = icu.Collator.createInstance(locale)- Whether prebuilt wheels support Python versions beyond 3.9 (wheels shown only up to cp39)
- Compatibility with modern ICU library versions and current operating system releases
- Whether abandoned status affects security or stability for production use
- Runtime behavior and API stability given lack of maintenance since 2021
What it is and what it does
PyICU-binary is a Python wrapper around the ICU (International Components for Unicode) C++ libraries, which implement Unicode standards, text processing, and internationalization features. It allows Python developers to access ICU capabilities for locale-aware operations, text collation, normalization, and character encoding without building from source. The package provides precompiled wheels for common platforms, reducing installation complexity compared to building from source.
The package has no runtime dependencies beyond the underlying ICU C++ libraries, which must be present on the system. It supports both CPython and PyPy and is classified as production-stable, though it has not been actively maintained since 2021-09-14. Users on macOS need to ensure ICU is discoverable via pkg-config, and Linux users require the manylinux_2_24 environment or compatible system libraries.
Use it for
- Build multilingual applications that need locale-aware text sorting and collation without writing C++ code
- Process Unicode text with proper normalization and character property detection across different languages
- Access CLDR data for date, time, number, and currency formatting in multiple locales
- Perform case conversion and text transformation operations that respect Unicode rules and language conventions
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes-with-conditions.
PyICU-binary is worth installing if you need ICU functionality and want to avoid compilation overhead, and if you are using Python 3.6–3.9 on macOS or Linux with manylinux_2_24 support. However, the package is abandoned (no releases since 2021-09-14), so verify that prebuilt wheels exist for your Python version and platform before committing. Do not use for new projects requiring ongoing maintenance.
Install
pyicu-binary on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to platform-specific wheels; prebuilt binaries available for macOS and Linux (manylinux_2_24) but no releases since 2021-09-14. Package is marked abandoned with no activity in 1795 days, raising concerns about compatibility with current Python versions and system libraries.
ICU C++ libraries must be installed on the system; on macOS, use Homebrew and configure pkg-config; on Linux, install libicu-dev or equivalent; prebuilt wheels only available for Python 3.6–3.9.
License in practice
MIT license is permissive and imposes no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in proprietary or open-source projects.
Quickstart
pip install PyICU-binary
import icu
locale = icu.Locale('en_US')
collator = icu.Collator.createInstance(locale)Verify before relying
- Whether prebuilt wheels support Python versions beyond 3.9 (wheels shown only up to cp39)
- Compatibility with modern ICU library versions and current operating system releases
- Whether abandoned status affects security or stability for production use
- Runtime behavior and API stability given lack of maintenance since 2021
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 1,795 days since the last release |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 434,897 / month, #6,685 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI ApprovedOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: C++Programming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: Software Development :: InternationalizationTopic :: Software Development :: Localization |
Evidence: PyICU_binary-2.7.4-cp36-cp36m-macosx_10_15_x86_64.macosx_10_9_intel.macosx_10_9_x86_64.macosx_10_10_intel.macosx_10_10_x86_64.whl; PyICU_binary-2.7.4-cp36-cp36m-manylinux_2_24_i686.whl; PyICU_binary-2.7.4-cp36-cp36m-manylinux_2_24_x86_64.whl; PyICU_binary-2.7.4-cp37-cp37m-macosx_10_15_x86_64.macosx_10_9_intel.macosx_10_9_x86_64.macosx_10_10_intel.macosx_10_10_x86_64.whl; PyICU_binary-2.7.4-cp37-cp37m-manylinux_2_24_i686.whl; PyICU_binary-2.7.4-cp37-cp37m-manylinux_2_24_x86_64.whl; PyICU_binary-2.7.4-cp38-cp38-macosx_10_15_x86_64.macosx_10_9_intel.macosx_10_9_x86_64.macosx_10_10_intel.macosx_10_10_x86_64.whl; PyICU_binary-2.7.4-cp38-cp38-manylinux_2_24_i686.whl; PyICU_binary-2.7.4-cp38-cp38-manylinux_2_24_x86_64.whl; PyICU_binary-2.7.4-cp39-cp39-macosx_11_0_x86_64.macosx_10_9_intel.macosx_10_9_x86_64.macosx_10_10_intel.macosx_10_10_x86_64.whl; PyICU_binary-2.7.4-cp39-cp39-manylinux_2_24_i686.whl; PyICU_binary-2.7.4-cp39-cp39-manylinux_2_24_x86_64.whl; PyICU_binary-2.7.4-pp37-pypy37_pp73-manylinux_2_24_i686.whl; PyICU_binary-2.7.4-pp37-pypy37_pp73-manylinux_2_24_x86_64.whl
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