pynamodb
A Pythonic Interface to DynamoDB
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. PynamoDB is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, installs with minimal friction, and is widely used. It significantly reduces boilerplate for DynamoDB applications. Install it if you're building on DynamoDB and want a cleaner API than raw boto3; skip it only if you need very low-level control or are already committed to a different ORM.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires an active AWS DynamoDB table or a local DynamoDB instance; AWS credentials must be configured in your environment.
- Low friction: pure Python wheel with only two runtime dependencies (botocore and typing-extensions).
- Repository is actively maintained with recent commits and 2649 stars.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license is permissive; you can use, modify, and distribute PynamoDB freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.
last release 2025-06-02 (438 days) · last repo commit 2026-05-29 · 2,649 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 4,657,066 downloads/mo, #2,263 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pynamodb
from pynamodb.models import Model
from pynamodb.attributes import UnicodeAttribute
class UserModel(Model):
class Meta:
table_name = "dynamodb-user"
last_name = UnicodeAttribute(hash_key=True)
first_name = UnicodeAttribute(range_key=True)
user = UserModel("John", "Denver")
user.save()- Performance characteristics and throughput limits compared to direct boto3 calls.
- Compatibility with DynamoDB features added after the latest release date.
- Whether monthly download figures reflect production usage or include test/CI environments.
What it is and what it does
PynamoDB is an ORM-like library that wraps the AWS DynamoDB API to make it more developer-friendly. Instead of writing verbose API calls, you define models as Python classes with typed attributes, then use simple method calls to create tables, save items, query, and scan. It handles the low-level details of serialization, pagination, and batch operations automatically.
The library supports the full DynamoDB feature set: hash and range keys, global and local secondary indexes, streams, and complex filter expressions. It works with both AWS-hosted DynamoDB and local development instances. Dependencies are minimal (botocore for AWS communication and typing-extensions for type hints), and it supports Python 3.7 through 3.12, making it suitable for modern production applications.
Use it for
- Define and manage DynamoDB tables as Python classes without writing raw JSON schemas or verbose API calls.
- Query and filter DynamoDB items using Pythonic expressions instead of low-level attribute notation.
- Batch save, update, or delete multiple items with automatic pagination and error handling.
- Develop and test locally against DynamoDB Local by changing a single host configuration.
- Stream DynamoDB changes (new/old images) into application logic for real-time event processing.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
PynamoDB is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, installs with minimal friction, and is widely used. It significantly reduces boilerplate for DynamoDB applications. Install it if you're building on DynamoDB and want a cleaner API than raw boto3; skip it only if you need very low-level control or are already committed to a different ORM.
Install
pynamodb on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with only two runtime dependencies (botocore and typing-extensions). Repository is actively maintained with recent commits and 2649 stars.
Requires an active AWS DynamoDB table or a local DynamoDB instance; AWS credentials must be configured in your environment.
License in practice
MIT license is permissive; you can use, modify, and distribute PynamoDB freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install pynamodb
from pynamodb.models import Model
from pynamodb.attributes import UnicodeAttribute
class UserModel(Model):
class Meta:
table_name = "dynamodb-user"
last_name = UnicodeAttribute(hash_key=True)
first_name = UnicodeAttribute(range_key=True)
user = UserModel("John", "Denver")
user.save()Verify before relying
- Performance characteristics and throughput limits compared to direct boto3 calls.
- Compatibility with DynamoDB features added after the latest release date.
- Whether monthly download figures reflect production usage or include test/CI environments.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.7 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 2 packagesbotocoretyping-extensions |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 438 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 4,657,066 / month, #2,263 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 :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9 |
Evidence: pynamodb-6.1.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also pynamodb-attributes · pydynamodb · dynamodb-encryption-sdk · boto · amazon-dax-client · dynamo-json · dynamodb-json · aws-cdk.aws-dynamodb · pynautobot · pynetbox