pystac
Python library for working with the SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog (STAC) specification
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. PySTAC is actively maintained, production-stable, permissively licensed, and widely adopted in geospatial data workflows. Install it if you work with satellite imagery, earth observation data, or need to organize and catalog geospatial assets according to the STAC standard. The core library has low install friction; add optional extras (validation, orjson, urllib3, jinja2) only if you need their specific features.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.10 or later; optional validation requires jsonschema, orjson serialization requires orjson, and network retry support requires urllib3.
- Installation is straightforward with low friction; the package is actively maintained with a recent release (18 days old) and supports current Python versions (3.10–3.13).
- The core library is pure Python, though optional extras like validation, orjson serialization, and Jupyter display are available.
License · maintenance · safety
Apache-2.0 (permissive) — Licensed under Apache-2.0 (permissive), so you can use, modify, and distribute PySTAC freely in commercial and private projects without copyleft obligations.
last release 2026-07-27 (18 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-10 · 454 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 4,588,083 downloads/mo, #2,279 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pystac
import pystac
# Read a STAC catalog
catalog = pystac.read_dict(stac_dict)
for item in catalog.get_items():
print(item.id)- Whether the 23 extension packages (pystac-ext-*) are all required for typical use or if most users only need a subset.
- Performance characteristics when working with large catalogs or deeply nested STAC structures.
- Compatibility with STAC specification versions beyond the current release.
What it is and what it does
PySTAC is a production-grade Python implementation of the SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog (STAC) specification, which is a standardized format for organizing and describing geospatial and temporal data assets. The library lets you create, read, validate, and manipulate STAC catalogs, collections, and items—the core data structures used to catalog satellite imagery, raster data, and other earth observation assets. It handles JSON serialization, metadata validation, and navigation of hierarchical catalog structures.
The package is built on pystac-core and includes 23 extension packages that add domain-specific metadata schemas for specialized data types (e.g., SAR, point clouds, data cubes, labels). Most users start with the core library and add extensions as needed. PySTAC is widely used in geospatial workflows to standardize how imagery and sensor data are described and discovered, making it easier to build data pipelines and search tools that work across different data providers.
Use it for
- Build or maintain a searchable catalog of satellite or aerial imagery with standardized metadata.
- Ingest and validate earth observation data into a STAC-compliant repository.
- Write tools that read STAC catalogs and extract assets for analysis or processing.
- Integrate geospatial data from multiple sources into a unified STAC collection.
- Automate metadata generation and catalog updates for remote sensing workflows.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
PySTAC is actively maintained, production-stable, permissively licensed, and widely adopted in geospatial data workflows. Install it if you work with satellite imagery, earth observation data, or need to organize and catalog geospatial assets according to the STAC standard. The core library has low install friction; add optional extras (validation, orjson, urllib3, jinja2) only if you need their specific features.
Install
pystac on PyPI
Before you install
Installation is straightforward with low friction; the package is actively maintained with a recent release (18 days old) and supports current Python versions (3.10–3.13). The core library is pure Python, though optional extras like validation, orjson serialization, and Jupyter display are available.
Requires Python 3.10 or later; optional validation requires jsonschema, orjson serialization requires orjson, and network retry support requires urllib3.
License in practice
Licensed under Apache-2.0 (permissive), so you can use, modify, and distribute PySTAC freely in commercial and private projects without copyleft obligations.
Quickstart
pip install pystac
import pystac
# Read a STAC catalog
catalog = pystac.read_dict(stac_dict)
for item in catalog.get_items():
print(item.id)Verify before relying
- Whether the 23 extension packages (pystac-ext-*) are all required for typical use or if most users only need a subset.
- Performance characteristics when working with large catalogs or deeply nested STAC structures.
- Compatibility with STAC specification versions beyond the current release.
Package facts
| License | Apache-2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 23 packagespystac-corepystac-ext-classificationpystac-ext-datacubepystac-ext-eopystac-ext-filepystac-ext-gridpystac-ext-item-assetspystac-ext-labelpystac-ext-mgrspystac-ext-mlmpystac-ext-pointcloudpystac-ext-projectionpystac-ext-rasterpystac-ext-renderpystac-ext-sarpystac-ext-satpystac-ext-scientificpystac-ext-storagepystac-ext-tablepystac-ext-timestampspystac-ext-versionpystac-ext-viewpystac-ext-xarray-assets |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 18 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 4,588,083 / month, #2,279 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 :: Apache Software LicenseNatural Language :: EnglishProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13 |
Evidence: pystac-1.15.2-py3-none-any.whl
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See also pystac-client · pystac-core · stactools-met-office-deterministic · pypgstac · odc-stac · pystac-ext-projection · stac-fastapi-types · planetary-computer · stac-fastapi-api · rio-stac