PySide2

What it is and what it does

PySide2 is the official Python binding layer for Qt 5.12+, a mature cross-platform GUI framework. It exposes Qt's complete API surface to Python developers, allowing them to build desktop applications that run on Windows, macOS, and Linux with native look-and-feel on each platform. The package wraps C++ Qt classes through shiboken2, a code generator that creates Python-callable interfaces to the underlying framework.

The package is production-stable but abandoned: the last release was in January 2022, and there is no active maintenance. It supports Python 2.7 and 3.5–3.10 via prebuilt wheels, though building from source requires manual setup of Clang and LLVM. For new projects, the Qt for Python project has moved forward to PySide6, and this version should be considered for legacy application maintenance only.

Use it for:

• Build cross-platform desktop applications with native UI components on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Create data visualization and analysis tools that need a responsive graphical interface.
• Develop system administration or configuration utilities with Qt's rich widget set.
• Migrate or maintain existing PySide2 codebases that cannot yet upgrade to PySide6.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

PySide2 provides Python bindings to the Qt 5.12+ framework, enabling developers to build cross-platform desktop applications with a complete GUI toolkit.

No, for new projects. PySide2 is abandoned (last release January 2022, 1673 days ago) with no active maintenance. The Qt for Python project has moved to PySide6. Install only if maintaining existing PySide2 code or if you have specific Qt 5.12 compatibility constraints. The copyleft LGPL license also requires derivative works to be open-sourced or licensed commercially.

Install

pyside2 on PyPI

pip install pyside2

uv add pyside2

poetry add pyside2

Installing PySide2

Before you install

Medium install friction due to compiled C++ dependencies (shiboken2) and platform-specific wheels. The package is abandoned as of 1673 days since last release, with no active maintenance.

License in practice

PySide2 is licensed under LGPL (copyleft), meaning derivative works must also be open-sourced under compatible terms. Commercial licensing is available separately; see Qt Licensing page for details.

Quickstart

pip install PySide2

from PySide2.QtWidgets import QApplication, QLabel

app = QApplication([])
label = QLabel('Hello World')
label.show()
app.exec_()

Requires Qt 5.12 or higher; prebuilt wheels available for Python 2.7 and 3.5–3.10 on Windows, macOS, and Linux, but building from source requires Clang 6.0+ and LLVM_INSTALL_DIR environment variable setup.

Verify before relying

• Whether shiboken2 dependency is automatically installed and compatible with current Python versions beyond 3.10.
• Current security status and whether abandoned status affects vulnerability disclosure or patching.
• Compatibility with modern Qt versions beyond 5.12 and whether PyQt6 or PySide6 are recommended alternatives.

Package facts

Evidence: PySide2-5.15.2.1-5.15.2-cp27-cp27m-macosx_10_13_intel.whl; PySide2-5.15.2.1-5.15.2-cp27-cp27mu-manylinux1_x86_64.whl; PySide2-5.15.2.1-5.15.2-cp35.cp36.cp37.cp38.cp39.cp310-abi3-macosx_10_13_intel.whl; PySide2-5.15.2.1-5.15.2-cp35.cp36.cp37.cp38.cp39.cp310-abi3-manylinux1_x86_64.whl; PySide2-5.15.2.1-5.15.2-cp35.cp36.cp37.cp38.cp39.cp310-none-win32.whl; PySide2-5.15.2.1-5.15.2-cp35.cp36.cp37.cp38.cp39.cp310-none-win_amd64.whl

Keywords: Qt

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