pypandoc
Thin wrapper for pandoc.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. Pypandoc is a stable, actively maintained wrapper with no Python dependencies, permissive licensing, and broad platform support. Install it if you need to convert between document formats from Python code. The only gotcha is that pandoc itself must be available on your system—either pre-installed or via the pypandoc_binary companion package.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Pandoc must be installed separately on your system (or use pypandoc_binary package which includes it).
- Set PYPANDOC_PANDOC environment variable if pandoc is not in PATH.
- Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license (permissive): you can use, modify, and distribute pypandoc freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.
last release 2026-03-14 (153 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-12 · 1,151 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 8,787,688 downloads/mo, #1,594 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pypandoc
import pypandoc
# Convert Markdown file to reStructuredText
output = pypandoc.convert_file('somefile.md', 'rst')
# Or convert a string
output = pypandoc.convert_text('# Title', 'html', format='md')- Performance characteristics when converting large files or batch operations
- Compatibility with all pandoc output formats (odt, docx, epub, pdf) on all supported platforms
What it is and what it does
Pypandoc is a thin Python wrapper around pandoc, the widely-used universal document converter. It lets you call pandoc's conversion capabilities directly from Python code without shelling out or managing subprocess calls yourself. You can convert between dozens of document formats—Markdown, HTML, DOCX, PDF, reStructuredText, EPUB, and many others—by passing input as files, file patterns, or strings, and optionally writing output to a file.
The package has no Python runtime dependencies and installs as a pure wheel, making it lightweight to add to any project. Pandoc itself must be available on your system (either pre-installed or via the companion pypandoc_binary package), but pypandoc handles locating it automatically or via an environment variable. It supports modern Python versions (3.7 through 3.15) and has been actively maintained since 2011.
Use it for
- Convert Markdown documentation to HTML or DOCX for sharing with non-technical stakeholders
- Batch-convert multiple document files from one format to another in an automated pipeline
- Generate PDF reports from Markdown templates in a web application or data processing workflow
- Transform reStructuredText to HTML as part of a documentation build system
- Apply pandoc filters (like pandoc-citeproc) to add citations or other processing to converted documents
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
Pypandoc is a stable, actively maintained wrapper with no Python dependencies, permissive licensing, and broad platform support. Install it if you need to convert between document formats from Python code. The only gotcha is that pandoc itself must be available on your system—either pre-installed or via the pypandoc_binary companion package.
Install
pypandoc on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies. Actively maintained with recent commits and a stable release history since 2011. Supports Python 3.7 through 3.15.
Pandoc must be installed separately on your system (or use pypandoc_binary package which includes it). Set PYPANDOC_PANDOC environment variable if pandoc is not in PATH.
License in practice
MIT license (permissive): you can use, modify, and distribute pypandoc freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install pypandoc
import pypandoc
# Convert Markdown file to reStructuredText
output = pypandoc.convert_file('somefile.md', 'rst')
# Or convert a string
output = pypandoc.convert_text('# Title', 'html', format='md')Verify before relying
- Performance characteristics when converting large files or batch operations
- Compatibility with all pandoc output formats (odt, docx, epub, pdf) on all supported platforms
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.7 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 153 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 8,787,688 / month, #1,594 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 4 - BetaEnvironment :: ConsoleIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: System AdministratorsLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: POSIXProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.15Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: Text ProcessingTopic :: Text Processing :: Filters |
Evidence: pypandoc-1.17-py3-none-any.whl
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See also pyandoc · pypandoc-binary · panflute · pandoc · pandocfilters · PyLaTeX · markitdown · docling · setuptools-markdown · docx2pdf