pyscreenshot
python screenshot
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need Wayland support or flexible backend selection; otherwise no. For most projects, Pillow's ImageGrab is sufficient and actively maintained. Install pyscreenshot only if you have a specific requirement the description mentions—Wayland compatibility, backend switching, or subprocessing—that Pillow does not meet. Dormant maintenance is acceptable for a stable utility, but verify your backend needs first.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires a display server or Wayland session; headless environments without X11 or Wayland may not work.
- Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel and four runtime dependencies.
- Maintenance is dormant—last commit was 2023-11-04—but the repository remains active and the package is stable for its use case.
License · maintenance · safety
BSD (permissive) — BSD license is permissive, allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; attribution is required but no copyleft obligations apply.
last release 2023-03-12 (1251 days) · last repo commit 2023-11-04 · 512 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 235,553 downloads/mo, #8,999 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pyscreenshot
import pyscreenshot
img = pyscreenshot.grab()
img.save('screenshot.png')- Whether the package's Wayland support is production-ready or experimental.
- Performance characteristics compared to Pillow's ImageGrab on modern systems.
- Which backend methods are recommended for different operating systems and display servers.
What it is and what it does
pyscreenshot is a screenshot capture library that copies screen contents into Pillow images. It was originally created to fill a gap when PIL's ImageGrab only worked on Windows, but now serves as an alternative with additional features: flexible backend selection, Wayland support, and optional subprocessing. The package supports Python 3.9, 3.10, and 3.11, and works across Windows, Linux, and macOS.
The library depends on EasyProcess, entrypoint2, mss, and jeepney to handle subprocess management, backend discovery, and platform-specific capture methods. It is marked obsolete for most use cases since Pillow now supports all major platforms, but remains useful when you need specific backend control, Wayland compatibility, or performance optimization through subprocessing.
Use it for
- Automated testing that requires visual verification of UI state across different display servers.
- Building screenshot tools that need to support both X11 and Wayland on Linux.
- Capturing screenshots in subprocesses to isolate display server interactions.
- Cross-platform applications that need consistent screenshot behavior on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Benchmarking or comparing performance of different screenshot backends.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need Wayland support or flexible backend selection; otherwise no.
For most projects, Pillow's ImageGrab is sufficient and actively maintained. Install pyscreenshot only if you have a specific requirement the description mentions—Wayland compatibility, backend switching, or subprocessing—that Pillow does not meet. Dormant maintenance is acceptable for a stable utility, but verify your backend needs first.
Install
pyscreenshot on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel and four runtime dependencies. Maintenance is dormant—last commit was 2023-11-04—but the repository remains active and the package is stable for its use case.
Requires a display server or Wayland session; headless environments without X11 or Wayland may not work.
License in practice
BSD license is permissive, allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; attribution is required but no copyleft obligations apply.
Quickstart
pip install pyscreenshot
import pyscreenshot
img = pyscreenshot.grab()
img.save('screenshot.png')Verify before relying
- Whether the package's Wayland support is production-ready or experimental.
- Performance characteristics compared to Pillow's ImageGrab on modern systems.
- Which backend methods are recommended for different operating systems and display servers.
Package facts
| License | BSD permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.4 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 4 packagesEasyProcessentrypoint2mssjeepney |
| Maintenance | Dormant 1,251 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 235,553 / month, #8,999 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | License :: OSI Approved :: BSD LicenseNatural Language :: EnglishOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9 |
Evidence: pyscreenshot-3.1-py3-none-any.whl
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