---
id: python-etcd
version: "0.4.5"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: dormant
---

# python-etcd — A python client for etcd

License: permissive · Maintenance: dormant · Downloads: 257.1K/mo

## What it is and what it does

python-etcd is a client library that lets Python code interact with etcd, a distributed key-value store commonly used for configuration management and service discovery in clustered systems. It provides methods to create, read, update, and delete keys, as well as watch for changes and implement distributed locks. The library also supports atomic compare-and-swap operations, TTL-based key expiration, and cluster introspection.

The package has no external runtime dependencies, making installation straightforward, but it is in dormant maintenance: the last release was 2017-03-02, and the codebase has not been updated since then. This means compatibility with modern etcd server versions and recent Python releases is uncertain, and any bugs or security issues discovered after that date are unlikely to be fixed.

Use it for:

- Read and write configuration values to etcd from Python applications in a distributed system.
- Implement distributed locks using etcd's atomic operations to coordinate work across multiple services.
- Watch etcd keys for changes and react to updates in real-time within a Python service.
- Query etcd cluster membership and leader information for cluster health monitoring.
- Store and retrieve application state in etcd with automatic expiration using TTL.

## Worth the install?

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

A Python client library for etcd, a distributed key-value store, enabling read, write, delete, and watch operations on etcd servers.

No. The package is dormant (last updated 2017-03-02) and has not been maintained for years. While it has no known vulnerabilities and carries a permissive MIT license, the lack of updates means compatibility with modern etcd servers and Python versions is highly uncertain. For new projects, seek a maintained etcd client; for legacy systems still running etcd 2.0.x with Python 2.7 or early Python 3, it may work but carries significant technical debt risk.

## Install

pip install python-etcd
uv add python-etcd
poetry add python-etcd

## Installing python-etcd

Before you install: High install friction: the package has no runtime dependencies but has not been updated since 2017-03-02. Maintenance status is dormant, though the repository remains active with 532 stars. Compatibility is stated for Python 2.7 and Python 3.3 or above, but support for modern versions is uncertain.

License in practice: MIT license (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely with minimal restrictions, provided you include the license notice.

Quickstart:

pip install python-etcd

import etcd

client = etcd.Client(host='127.0.0.1', port=4001)
client.write('/mykey', 'myvalue')
result = client.read('/mykey')
print(result.value)

Requires a running etcd server version 2.0.x or later. The package was last released 2017-03-02 and may not work reliably with recent etcd versions or modern Python releases.

Verify before relying:

- Whether this package works correctly with etcd server versions released after 2017.
- Whether this package is compatible with Python versions beyond 3.3.
- Current maintenance status and whether critical bugs or security issues are being addressed.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: high
- Maintenance: dormant
- Downloads: 257.1K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

etcd python client, distributed key-value store client, etcd key-value operations, python etcd api, etcd cluster management, distributed configuration management, etcd watch and lock, distributed-systems, key-value-store, dormant-maintenance

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