pypdf
A pure-python PDF library capable of splitting, merging, cropping, and transforming PDF files
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. pypdf is actively maintained (release 1 day old), has no known vulnerabilities, low install friction, and a permissive BSD-3-Clause license. It's a top-1000 PyPI package with strong community adoption. Install it if you need pure-Python PDF manipulation without external system dependencies.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.9 or later.
- For AES encryption/decryption, install with: pip install pypdf[crypto]
- Low friction: single runtime dependency (typing_extensions), pure Python wheel, and actively maintained with a release 1 day old.
License · maintenance · safety
BSD-3-Clause (permissive) — BSD-3-Clause (permissive): you can use, modify, and distribute pypdf freely in commercial and private projects, provided you include the license notice and disclaimer.
last release 2026-08-13 (1 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-13 · 10,154 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 129,364,007 downloads/mo, #292 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pypdf
from pypdf import PdfReader
reader = PdfReader("example.pdf")
page = reader.pages[0]
text = page.extract_text()- Performance characteristics when handling large PDFs or batch operations
- Completeness of text extraction across different PDF encodings and formats
- Specific limitations or edge cases in PDF transformation operations
What it is and what it does
pypdf is a mature, pure-Python PDF manipulation library that handles the full lifecycle of PDF operations—reading, writing, splitting, merging, and transforming pages. It extracts text and metadata from PDFs and supports encryption and decryption (with optional AES support). The library has a single runtime dependency (typing_extensions) and requires Python 3.9 or later.
Developers use pypdf when they need to programmatically work with PDF files without external system dependencies like Ghostscript or ImageMagick. It's suitable for batch processing, document automation, and PDF analysis tasks where a lightweight, pure-Python solution is preferred over heavier alternatives.
Use it for
- Extract text and metadata from PDF files for indexing, search, or data extraction pipelines
- Split large PDFs into individual pages or merge multiple PDFs into a single document
- Crop, rotate, or transform PDF pages for document preprocessing or reformatting
- Add passwords or encryption to PDFs for secure document distribution
- Automate PDF manipulation in server-side applications without system library dependencies
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
pypdf is actively maintained (release 1 day old), has no known vulnerabilities, low install friction, and a permissive BSD-3-Clause license. It's a top-1000 PyPI package with strong community adoption. Install it if you need pure-Python PDF manipulation without external system dependencies.
Install
pypdf on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: single runtime dependency (typing_extensions), pure Python wheel, and actively maintained with a release 1 day old. Status is active with recent commits.
Requires Python 3.9 or later. For AES encryption/decryption, install with: pip install pypdf[crypto]
License in practice
BSD-3-Clause (permissive): you can use, modify, and distribute pypdf freely in commercial and private projects, provided you include the license notice and disclaimer.
Quickstart
pip install pypdf
from pypdf import PdfReader
reader = PdfReader("example.pdf")
page = reader.pages[0]
text = page.extract_text()Verify before relying
- Performance characteristics when handling large PDFs or batch operations
- Completeness of text extraction across different PDF encodings and formats
- Specific limitations or edge cases in PDF transformation operations
Package facts
| License | BSD-3-Clause permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.9 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagetyping_extensions |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 1 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 129,364,007 / month, #292 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 :: DevelopersOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTyping :: Typed |
Evidence: pypdf-6.16.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also PyPDF2 · PyPDF3 · PyPDF4 · pikepdf · pdftext · fpdf2 · playa-pdf · pdfrw · pdfminer · pdfrw2