PyPDF3
Pure Python PDF toolkit
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
No, unless you have legacy code already using PyPDF3 or a specific constraint preventing use of maintained alternatives. The package is abandoned, unmaintained since 2022, and its repository is archived. While it has no known vulnerabilities and works for basic tasks, the lack of ongoing support means no fixes for edge cases, modern PDF formats, or Python version incompatibilities. Evaluate actively maintained PDF libraries instead.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- No external dependencies, but package is unmaintained since 2022; test thoroughly with your target PDF files before production use.
- High install friction due to source distribution.
- Package is abandoned as of 2022-02-03 with no maintenance since then; the repository is archived.
License · maintenance · safety
permissive license (permissive) — BSD License (permissive) allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, though the abandoned status means no ongoing legal or security updates.
last release 2022-02-03 (1653 days) · last repo commit 2024-07-11 · 74 stars · archived
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 75,634 downloads/mo, #14,694 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install PyPDF3==1.0.6
from PyPDF3 import PdfFileReader, PdfFileWriter
with open('input.pdf', 'rb') as f:
reader = PdfFileReader(f)
writer = PdfFileWriter()
writer.addPage(reader.getPage(0))
with open('output.pdf', 'wb') as out:
writer.write(out)- Whether PyPDF3 handles modern PDF specifications and edge cases reliably given its abandoned status since 2022
- Known compatibility issues or regressions with recent Python versions beyond the unspecified support declaration
- Whether in-memory StringIO manipulation still works as intended or has bitrotted
What it is and what it does
PyPDF3 is a pure-Python PDF manipulation library that lets you read, split, merge, crop, and encrypt PDF files without installing system libraries or external tools. It works entirely in memory using StringIO objects, making it suitable for web applications that need to generate or modify PDFs on the fly.
The package has been abandoned since February 2022 and its repository is now archived. While it carries a Production/Stable classifier and has no known security vulnerabilities, the lack of maintenance means it will not receive bug fixes, security patches, or updates for modern PDF specifications. It remains functional for basic PDF operations on older or simpler documents, but newer projects should evaluate actively maintained alternatives.
Use it for
- Extract metadata (title, author) from PDF files in a web service without external dependencies
- Split multi-page PDFs into individual pages or merge pages from multiple documents
- Encrypt or decrypt PDF files programmatically in memory for secure document handling
- Crop or resize PDF pages before serving them to users in a web application
- Generate simple PDF reports by combining pages from template documents
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
No, unless you have legacy code already using PyPDF3 or a specific constraint preventing use of maintained alternatives.
The package is abandoned, unmaintained since 2022, and its repository is archived. While it has no known vulnerabilities and works for basic tasks, the lack of ongoing support means no fixes for edge cases, modern PDF formats, or Python version incompatibilities. Evaluate actively maintained PDF libraries instead.
Install
pypdf3 on PyPI
Before you install
High install friction due to source distribution. Package is abandoned as of 2022-02-03 with no maintenance since then; the repository is archived. Use only if no active alternative exists.
No external dependencies, but package is unmaintained since 2022; test thoroughly with your target PDF files before production use.
License in practice
BSD License (permissive) allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, though the abandoned status means no ongoing legal or security updates.
Quickstart
pip install PyPDF3==1.0.6
from PyPDF3 import PdfFileReader, PdfFileWriter
with open('input.pdf', 'rb') as f:
reader = PdfFileReader(f)
writer = PdfFileWriter()
writer.addPage(reader.getPage(0))
with open('output.pdf', 'wb') as out:
writer.write(out)Verify before relying
- Whether PyPDF3 handles modern PDF specifications and edge cases reliably given its abandoned status since 2022
- Known compatibility issues or regressions with recent Python versions beyond the unspecified support declaration
- Whether in-memory StringIO manipulation still works as intended or has bitrotted
Package facts
| License | permissive license permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | High. Source build required |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 1,653 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | repository archived |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 75,634 / month, #14,694 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 :: BSD LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 3Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules |
Evidence: PyPDF3-1.0.6.tar.gz
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See also borb · PyPDF4 · pypdf · PyPDF2 · pikepdf · pypdftk · convertapi · pdftotext · pdfrw · pdfrw2