pystac-core
Core functionality for PySTAC without extensions. Most users will want to use pystac, not this package
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need to work directly with STAC catalogs in Python and either want a minimal core dependency footprint or are building custom extensions. No, if you are a typical user of STAC data—install the main pystac package instead, which includes extensions and is recommended for most use cases. The core package is production-ready, actively maintained, and carries no known vulnerabilities.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.10 or later.
- Low friction installation with a single runtime dependency (python-dateutil).
- Active maintenance with a recent release 18 days ago and ongoing commits.
License · maintenance · safety
Apache-2.0 (permissive) — Apache-2.0 permissive license allows broad use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, suitable for both open-source and commercial projects.
last release 2026-07-27 (18 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-10 · 454 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 3,992,866 downloads/mo, #2,406 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pystac-core
import pystac
# Create or load a STAC catalog
catalog = pystac.Catalog(id='my-catalog', description='My STAC catalog')- Whether optional dependencies (jsonschema, orjson, urllib3, jinja2) are required for typical workflows or truly optional for core use.
- Performance characteristics when handling large catalogs or deeply nested STAC structures.
- Compatibility guarantees with different STAC specification versions beyond the current implementation.
What it is and what it does
PySTAC Core is the base library for working with the STAC specification, a standardized format for organizing and describing geospatial and temporal assets. It provides Python classes and methods to construct, parse, and manipulate STAC catalogs, collections, and items—the core data structures that describe where imagery and other raster data live, when they were captured, and how to access them. The library depends only on python-dateutil for date handling, keeping the core lightweight; optional dependencies add JSON validation, faster serialization, network retry logic, and Jupyter display support.
Most users will want the main pystac package instead, which includes extension implementations; this core package is for those building custom extensions or needing a minimal STAC foundation. The library follows semantic versioning and has recently moved extension implementations into separate packages so they can evolve independently of the core API.
Use it for
- Build a custom STAC catalog to organize and describe a collection of satellite or aerial imagery with metadata.
- Parse and traverse existing STAC catalogs to discover and access geospatial assets programmatically.
- Develop a STAC extension or specialized tool that needs the core catalog and item structures without bundled extensions.
- Validate STAC JSON structures against the specification (with optional jsonschema dependency).
- Integrate STAC metadata into a geospatial data pipeline or web service.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need to work directly with STAC catalogs in Python and either want a minimal core dependency footprint or are building custom extensions.
No, if you are a typical user of STAC data—install the main pystac package instead, which includes extensions and is recommended for most use cases. The core package is production-ready, actively maintained, and carries no known vulnerabilities.
Install
pystac-core on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction installation with a single runtime dependency (python-dateutil). Active maintenance with a recent release 18 days ago and ongoing commits. Supports current Python versions (3.10–3.13).
Requires Python 3.10 or later.
License in practice
Apache-2.0 permissive license allows broad use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, suitable for both open-source and commercial projects.
Quickstart
pip install pystac-core
import pystac
# Create or load a STAC catalog
catalog = pystac.Catalog(id='my-catalog', description='My STAC catalog')Verify before relying
- Whether optional dependencies (jsonschema, orjson, urllib3, jinja2) are required for typical workflows or truly optional for core use.
- Performance characteristics when handling large catalogs or deeply nested STAC structures.
- Compatibility guarantees with different STAC specification versions beyond the current implementation.
Package facts
| License | Apache-2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagepython-dateutil |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 18 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 3,992,866 / month, #2,406 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_core-1.15.2-py3-none-any.whl
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See also pystac · pystac-client · planetary-computer · stactools-met-office-deterministic · odc-stac · stac-fastapi-types · stac-fastapi-api · pystac-ext-projection · pypgstac · stac-fastapi-extensions