---
id: pylsqpack
version: "0.3.24"
license: BSD-3-Clause
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# pylsqpack — Python wrapper for the ls-qpack QPACK library

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 3.2M/mo

## What it is and what it does

pylsqpack is a Python binding for the ls-qpack C library, providing native QPACK compression and decompression for HTTP/3 headers. QPACK is the header compression scheme specified for HTTP/3, and this package exposes Decoder and Encoder objects that allow Python applications to compress headers for transmission or decompress received headers.

The package is compiled to native code for multiple platforms and architectures, making it suitable for HTTP/3 protocol implementations, proxies, and testing tools. It has no runtime dependencies beyond Python itself and supports Python 3.10 through 3.14. The library is actively maintained and carries a permissive BSD-3-Clause license.

Use it for:

- Building HTTP/3 clients or servers that need to compress and decompress header frames.
- Testing HTTP/3 protocol implementations with correct QPACK encoding and decoding.
- Integrating QPACK support into proxy or gateway applications handling HTTP/3 traffic.
- Protocol analysis tools that need to parse or generate HTTP/3 header compression.
- Benchmarking or comparing QPACK compression efficiency in network applications.

## Worth the install?

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

pylsqpack provides Python Decoder and Encoder objects for reading and writing HTTP/3 headers compressed with QPACK, wrapping the ls-qpack C library.

Yes, if you are building or testing HTTP/3 protocol support. The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, carries a permissive license, and provides a straightforward binding to a well-established QPACK implementation. Install friction is moderate due to compiled wheels, but pre-built binaries are available for common platforms. Not necessary for standard HTTP/1.1 or HTTP/2 applications.

## Install

pip install pylsqpack
uv add pylsqpack
poetry add pylsqpack

## Installing pylsqpack

Before you install: Medium install friction due to compiled wheels for multiple platforms and architectures. Actively maintained with recent releases; requires Python 3.10 or later.

License in practice: BSD-3-Clause is permissive; you may use, modify, and distribute this package freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install pylsqpack

from pylsqpack import Decoder, Encoder

decoder = Decoder()
encoded_data = b'...'
headers = decoder.feed_data(encoded_data)

encoder = Encoder()
compressed = encoder.encode(headers)

Requires Python 3.10 or later; compiled wheels available for common platforms (x86_64, ARM, i686, Windows).

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package is actively used in production HTTP/3 implementations or primarily for protocol testing.
- Performance characteristics and compression ratio compared to alternative QPACK implementations.
- API stability guarantees and backward compatibility policy across minor versions.

## Package facts

- License: BSD-3-Clause (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 3.2M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

HTTP/3 header compression, QPACK encoder decoder, HTTP/3 QPACK library, header compression Python, ls-qpack wrapper, HTTP/3 protocol support, QPACK implementation, http3, qpack, protocol

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