PyMuPDFb
MuPDF shared libraries for PyMuPDF.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need PDF processing in Python and accept the AGPL license terms. PyMuPDFb is actively maintained, widely deployed (4201745 monthly downloads), has no known vulnerabilities, and offers substantial performance advantages. Install friction is moderate but manageable via pre-built wheels on standard platforms. Verify your license compliance before using in proprietary applications.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Medium install friction due to platform-specific wheel distribution (macOS x86_64/arm64, Linux x86_64/aarch64/musllinux, Windows x86/x86_64).
- Pre-built wheels available; source compilation required on unsupported platforms.
- Active maintenance with recent commits and 10474 repository stars.
License · maintenance · safety
GNU AFFERO GPL 3.0 (agpl) — Licensed under GNU AFFERO GPL 3.0. Derivative works and network-distributed modifications must be released under the same license; proprietary use requires a commercial license or separate unlock.
last release 2024-09-02 (711 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-13 · 10,474 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 4,201,745 downloads/mo, #2,363 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pymupdf
import pymupdf
doc = pymupdf.open("document.pdf")
for page in doc:
print(page.get_text())- Whether pymupdfb can be used standalone or only as a dependency of pymupdf
- Exact performance benchmarks claimed in description but not independently verified
- Whether all listed output formats are available in base pymupdfb or require optional packages
What it is and what it does
PyMuPDFb is the compiled binary distribution of MuPDF's C rendering engine, packaged as a dependency for PyMuPDF. It provides the low-level PDF processing primitives—text extraction with font and position metadata, page rendering to images, annotation handling, and document manipulation—without requiring system-level PDF libraries or mandatory Python dependencies. The package ships pre-built wheels for major platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux on x86_64 and ARM architectures), reducing installation friction for most users.
PyMuPDFb is typically installed as a transitive dependency when you install pymupdf. It enables high-performance document processing suitable for data extraction pipelines, AI/LLM workflows, and batch document conversion. The AGPL license means derivative works must be released under the same terms unless a commercial license is obtained.
Use it for
- Extract text and layout metadata from PDFs for data pipelines and AI workflows
- Render PDF pages to images at arbitrary DPI for document preview or archival systems
- Detect and extract tables from PDFs and convert them to Markdown or structured data
- Merge, split, and reorder pages across multiple PDF documents in batch workflows
- Apply annotations, redactions, and form-field updates to PDFs programmatically
- Convert documents to PDF with full fidelity using optional extensions
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need PDF processing in Python and accept the AGPL license terms.
PyMuPDFb is actively maintained, widely deployed (4201745 monthly downloads), has no known vulnerabilities, and offers substantial performance advantages. Install friction is moderate but manageable via pre-built wheels on standard platforms. Verify your license compliance before using in proprietary applications.
Install
pymupdfb on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to platform-specific wheel distribution (macOS x86_64/arm64, Linux x86_64/aarch64/musllinux, Windows x86/x86_64). Pre-built wheels available; source compilation required on unsupported platforms. Active maintenance with recent commits and 10474 repository stars.
License in practice
Licensed under GNU AFFERO GPL 3.0. Derivative works and network-distributed modifications must be released under the same license; proprietary use requires a commercial license or separate unlock.
Quickstart
pip install pymupdf
import pymupdf
doc = pymupdf.open("document.pdf")
for page in doc:
print(page.get_text())Verify before relying
- Whether pymupdfb can be used standalone or only as a dependency of pymupdf
- Exact performance benchmarks claimed in description but not independently verified
- Whether all listed output formats are available in base pymupdfb or require optional packages
Package facts
| License | GNU AFFERO GPL 3.0 agpl |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.8 |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 711 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 4,201,745 / month, #2,363 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/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: Information TechnologyOperating System :: MacOSOperating System :: Microsoft :: WindowsOperating System :: POSIX :: LinuxProgramming Language :: CProgramming Language :: C++Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonTopic :: Multimedia :: GraphicsTopic :: Software Development :: LibrariesTopic :: Utilities |
Evidence: PyMuPDFb-1.24.10-py3-none-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; PyMuPDFb-1.24.10-py3-none-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; PyMuPDFb-1.24.10-py3-none-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.whl; PyMuPDFb-1.24.10-py3-none-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.whl; PyMuPDFb-1.24.10-py3-none-musllinux_1_2_x86_64.whl; PyMuPDFb-1.24.10-py3-none-win32.whl; PyMuPDFb-1.24.10-py3-none-win_amd64.whl
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See also pymupdf · pymupdf-fonts · pymupdf-layout · pymupdfpro · pymupdf4llm · pymupdf-stubs · unPDF · pdftext · pdf-oxide · aspose-words