---
id: python-calamine
version: "0.8.2"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# python-calamine — Python binding for Rust's library for reading excel and odf file - calamine

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 6.3M/mo

## What it is and what it does

python-calamine is a Python wrapper around the Rust calamine library that reads Excel (.xlsx) and ODF spreadsheet files. It provides a simple API to load workbooks, list sheet names, and extract sheet data as Python lists or use it with pandas. The package is built with PyO3 and maturin, delivered as precompiled wheels for most platforms.

The library skips empty rows and columns at the start of data by default but allows you to disable this behavior. It integrates with pandas 2.2 and above, which have built-in support for it. With zero runtime dependencies and active maintenance, it's designed as a fast, lightweight alternative to pure-Python spreadsheet readers.

Use it for:

- Extract data from Excel files into Python for data analysis or processing pipelines
- Batch read multiple sheets from a workbook and convert to pandas DataFrames
- Parse ODF spreadsheets in automated workflows without external dependencies
- Load spreadsheet data in applications where performance matters (compiled Rust backend)
- Integrate with pandas workflows using pandas' native calamine support

## Worth the install?

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

Reads Excel and ODF spreadsheet files via a Python binding to the Rust calamine library, returning sheet data as Python lists or compatible with pandas.

Yes. The package is actively maintained, has no security vulnerabilities, carries a permissive MIT license, and offers a fast compiled alternative to pure-Python Excel readers. Install friction is manageable with prebuilt wheels for common platforms. Suitable for any project needing to read Excel or ODF files in Python 3.10+.

## Install

pip install python-calamine
uv add python-calamine
poetry add python-calamine

## Installing python-calamine

Before you install: Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; prebuilt binaries available for common platforms (macOS, Linux, Windows, multiple architectures including ARM). Active maintenance with recent releases; no runtime dependencies to manage.

License in practice: MIT license permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; suitable for most projects.

Quickstart:

pip install python-calamine

from python_calamine import CalamineWorkbook

workbook = CalamineWorkbook.from_path("file.xlsx")
sheet = workbook.get_sheet_by_name("Sheet1")
data = sheet.to_python()

Requires Python 3.10 or later; Rust toolchain needed only for development/building from source.

Verify before relying:

- Performance characteristics compared to other Excel readers (openpyxl, xlrd) on large files
- Support for Excel formulas, formatting, or only cell values
- Memory efficiency for very large spreadsheets
- ODF format coverage and limitations

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 6.3M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

read excel files python, xlsx odf parser, spreadsheet data extraction, fast excel reader, calamine python binding, excel to python list, odf file reader, spreadsheet-io, rust-binding, data-extraction

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