---
id: pyscrypt
version: "1.6.2"
license: License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# pyscrypt — Pure-Python Implementation of the scrypt password-based key derivation function and scrypt file format library

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 246.7K/mo

## What it is and what it does

pyscrypt is a pure-Python reference implementation of the scrypt password-based key derivation function (PBKDF). It provides two main capabilities: hashing passwords with configurable work factors (N, r, p parameters) to produce cryptographic keys, and reading/writing files encrypted with the scrypt file format. The package has no external dependencies and supports both Python 2 and 3, though it is intentionally slow—the documentation explicitly states it is 'not meant to be fast, more of a reference solution.' The scrypt algorithm itself is CPU and memory intensive by design, making brute-force password attacks computationally expensive.

The package includes a ScryptFile class for transparent file encryption/decryption and a hash function for key derivation. It comes with test cases that can be validated against the command-line scrypt utility. However, the project has been abandoned since 2015, with the maintainer noting that faster C-wrapper implementations exist for production use. For most real-world applications requiring scrypt, a maintained C-based library would be preferable.

Use it for:

- Hashing user passwords for authentication systems where you need a slow, memory-hard key derivation function.
- Encrypting sensitive files using the scrypt file format for compatibility with the command-line scrypt utility.
- Educational or reference purposes to understand how scrypt works without external C dependencies.
- Legacy system maintenance where existing code depends on pyscrypt's pure-Python implementation.
- Scenarios where you cannot use compiled C extensions and need scrypt functionality despite performance trade-offs.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

A pure-Python implementation of the scrypt password-based key derivation function that hashes passwords and encrypts/decrypts files using the scrypt algorithm.

No, unless you have a specific legacy dependency or educational need. The package is abandoned (last release 2015), explicitly slow by design, and the maintainer recommends C-wrappers for production use. For new projects, use a maintained scrypt library or bcrypt/argon2 instead. The lack of maintenance and known performance limitations make it unsuitable for most modern applications.

## Install

pip install pyscrypt
uv add pyscrypt
poetry add pyscrypt

## Installing pyscrypt

Before you install: High install friction: the package is abandoned (last release 2015-02-03, last commit 2022-07-02) with no external dependencies but relies on pure Python, making it slow by design. The maintainer explicitly notes it is 'not meant to be fast, more of a reference solution.' Consider a maintained C-wrapper alternative for production use.

License in practice: MIT license (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely in commercial and open-source projects with minimal restrictions, provided you include the license notice.

Quickstart:

import pyscrypt

# Hash a password
hashed = pyscrypt.hash(password=b"correct horse battery staple",
                       salt=b"seasalt",
                       N=1024, r=1, p=1, dkLen=32)

# Encrypt a file
with pyscrypt.ScryptFile('file.scrypt', b'password', 1024, 1, 1) as f:
    f.write(b"Hello World")

Python 3 requires password and salt as byte objects (b"..."), not strings. ScryptFile mode must be 'rb' or 'wb'.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the pure-Python implementation is suitable for your security requirements or if a C-wrapper is necessary for production.
- Current compatibility with modern Python versions beyond the 2.x/3.x support stated in documentation.
- Whether the reference implementation has been audited for cryptographic correctness.

## Package facts

- License: License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: high
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 246.7K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

scrypt password hashing, key derivation function python, password-based encryption, scrypt file encryption, pbkdf scrypt implementation, pure python cryptography, scrypt file format, reference-implementation, abandoned, pure-python

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/pyscrypt) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/pyscrypt/)