pynvim
Python client for Neovim
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. Pynvim is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and low install friction. Install it if you need to write Python plugins for Neovim, automate the editor from Python, or embed Neovim in a Python application. The permissive Apache 2.0 license poses no restrictions. The main gotcha is understanding the socket/child-process connection model and the dictionary copy behavior documented in the known issues.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires a running Neovim instance accessible via socket or child process; start Neovim with `nvim --listen /tmp/nvim.sock` before connecting.
- Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel distribution.
- The package is actively maintained with recent commits and no known vulnerabilities.
License · maintenance · safety
Apache (permissive) — Licensed under Apache License 2.0 (permissive), allowing use in commercial and proprietary projects with minimal restrictions.
last release 2025-09-07 (341 days) · last repo commit 2026-04-10 · 1,703 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 424,135 downloads/mo, #6,766 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
import pynvim
nvim = pynvim.attach('socket', path='/tmp/nvim.sock')
buffer = nvim.current.buffer
buffer[0] = 'replace first line'- Whether the package's async/thread-safety features are production-ready for concurrent plugin workloads.
- Performance characteristics when handling large buffers or frequent API calls across the msgpack-rpc boundary.
What it is and what it does
Pynvim bridges Python and Neovim by providing a client library that connects to Neovim instances via msgpack-rpc. It enables two main use patterns: writing remote plugins that handle Neovim function calls asynchronously without blocking the editor, and scripting Neovim from Python code (either embedded or via a socket connection). The library exposes Neovim's API through Python objects representing buffers, windows, and the editor state, and adds extensions like access to vimL functions via `nvim.funcs`, Lua integration, and thread-safe async requests.
The package depends on msgpack for serialization, greenlet for async support, and typing-extensions for type hints. It supports both connecting to running Neovim instances and embedding Neovim as a subprocess within a Python application. A known limitation is that Vimscript dictionaries are returned as copies rather than references, requiring the entire dictionary to be reassigned after modification.
Use it for
- Write asynchronous Python remote plugins for Neovim that respond to editor events without blocking.
- Automate Neovim from Python scripts or applications by connecting to a running editor instance.
- Embed Neovim as a headless subprocess within a Python application for programmatic text editing.
- Access and manipulate Neovim buffers, windows, and settings from Python code via the msgpack-rpc API.
- Call vimL and Lua functions from Python plugins using the extended API.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
Pynvim is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and low install friction. Install it if you need to write Python plugins for Neovim, automate the editor from Python, or embed Neovim in a Python application. The permissive Apache 2.0 license poses no restrictions. The main gotcha is understanding the socket/child-process connection model and the dictionary copy behavior documented in the known issues.
Install
pynvim on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel distribution. The package is actively maintained with recent commits and no known vulnerabilities. Requires Python 3.7 or later, though the description notes 3.10+ support.
Requires a running Neovim instance accessible via socket or child process; start Neovim with `nvim --listen /tmp/nvim.sock` before connecting.
License in practice
Licensed under Apache License 2.0 (permissive), allowing use in commercial and proprietary projects with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
import pynvim
nvim = pynvim.attach('socket', path='/tmp/nvim.sock')
buffer = nvim.current.buffer
buffer[0] = 'replace first line'Verify before relying
- Whether the package's async/thread-safety features are production-ready for concurrent plugin workloads.
- Performance characteristics when handling large buffers or frequent API calls across the msgpack-rpc boundary.
Package facts
| License | Apache permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.7 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 3 packagesmsgpackgreenlettyping-extensions |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 341 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 424,135 / month, #6,766 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
Evidence: pynvim-0.6.0-py3-none-any.whl
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