pysimplegui

What it is and what it does

PySimpleGUI is a wrapper around tkinter (and optionally Qt, WxPython, or Remi) that abstracts away low-level GUI complexity into a simpler, list-based layout syntax. Instead of managing callbacks and widget hierarchies directly, you define your interface as nested lists of elements, then run an event loop that returns user actions and input values as simple dictionaries. It targets developers who want to build desktop applications quickly without learning traditional GUI frameworks.

The package supports modern Python versions (3.6 through 3.15) and has no external runtime dependencies beyond Python itself. It recently transitioned from a commercial product back to open-source under LGPLv3 after the commercial venture concluded in early 2025. The project maintains active development with frequent releases and extensive documentation.

Use it for:

• Build a simple data-entry form or dialog box without learning tkinter's widget API
• Prototype a desktop application rapidly for internal tools or automation scripts
• Create a GUI wrapper around a command-line Python script for non-technical users
• Add a graphical interface to a Raspberry Pi or microcontroller project using PSGMicroPython
• Develop educational applications where students need GUI experience without framework overhead

Worth the install?

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

PySimpleGUI wraps tkinter and other GUI libraries to simplify desktop application development with a compact, event-driven architecture that requires no prior GUI programming experience.

Yes, if you need a quick desktop GUI and want to avoid tkinter's verbosity. PySimpleGUI has low install friction, no dependencies, and active maintenance. The LGPLv3 license is permissive for most use cases as long as you're willing to share modifications. Avoid it if you need advanced styling, cross-platform polish, or web deployment—consider Qt or web frameworks instead.

Install

pysimplegui on PyPI

pip install pysimplegui

uv add pysimplegui

poetry add pysimplegui

Installing pysimplegui

Before you install

Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies. The project is actively maintained with a recent release and strong community engagement (13811 GitHub stars), though it transitioned from commercial to open-source in 2025.

License in practice

Licensed under LGPLv3 (copyleft). You may use and modify PySimpleGUI freely, but derivative works must also be licensed under LGPLv3 and source code must be made available to users.

Quickstart

pip install PySimpleGUI

import PySimpleGUI as sg
layout = [[sg.Text("What's your name?")],
          [sg.Input(key='-INPUT-')],
          [sg.Button('Ok'), sg.Button('Quit')]]
window = sg.Window('Window Title', layout)
while True:
    event, values = window.read()
    if event == sg.WINDOW_CLOSED or event == 'Quit':
        break
window.close()

Verify before relying

• Whether version 6 maintains full backward compatibility with version 4.60.5.1 after removing licensing components
• Current state of drag-and-drop support across Windows, Linux, and macOS platforms
• Whether PSGWeb (browser-based PySimpleGUI) is production-ready or experimental

Package facts

Evidence: pysimplegui-6.3-py3-none-any.whl

Keywords: GUI, UI, tkinter, Qt, WxPython, Remi, wrapper, simple, easy, beginner, novice, student, graphics, progressbar, progressmeter

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