---
id: python-igraph
version: "1.0.0"
license: GNU General Public License (GPL)
license_treatment: copyleft
maintenance: active
---

# python-igraph — High performance graph data structures and algorithms (legacy package)

License: copyleft · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 596.7K/mo

## What it is and what it does

python-igraph is a Python wrapper around the igraph C library, providing high-performance data structures and algorithms for working with graphs and networks. It is designed for complex network research and analysis, supporting operations like centrality calculations, community detection, and graph traversal. The package includes optional plotting capabilities via Cairo libraries (pycairo or cairocffi recommended).

This package is deprecated and no longer maintained as of Sep 1, 2022; the maintainers recommend using the igraph package directly instead. While the repository remains active and receives occasional syncs, new features and bug fixes go into igraph. If you are starting a new project, you should use igraph; python-igraph is only appropriate for maintaining existing code or when legacy compatibility is required.

Use it for:

- Analyze social network structures, compute centrality measures, and detect communities in large graphs
- Perform graph algorithms like shortest path, spanning trees, and connectivity analysis on network data
- Generate publication-quality visualizations of network graphs using Cairo rendering
- Research complex networks in biology, physics, or information science with high-performance graph operations
- Migrate or maintain legacy code that depends on the python-igraph API

## Worth the install?

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

Python interface to the igraph graph library for network analysis and complex graph algorithms; this is a legacy package superseded by the igraph package.

No, unless you are maintaining existing code that depends on python-igraph. The package is deprecated and no longer updated as of Sep 1, 2022. For new projects, use the igraph package instead. The deprecation notice is explicit in the package description, and the maintainers have redirected users to the replacement.

## Install

pip install python-igraph
uv add python-igraph
poetry add python-igraph

## Installing python-igraph

Before you install: Low install friction with a pure Python wheel, but the package is deprecated as of Sep 1, 2022 and no longer receives updates. The underlying igraph dependency is actively maintained, but this wrapper is in legacy status.

License in practice: Licensed under GNU General Public License (GPL), a copyleft license requiring that derivative works and modifications be released under the same terms. Consider this constraint if you plan to distribute code that uses this package.

Quickstart:

pip install python-igraph
import igraph
g = igraph.Graph.Famous("Zachary")
print(g.summary())

The igraph runtime dependency must be installed; Cairo bindings (pycairo or cairocffi) are optional but recommended for graph plotting functionality.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the igraph runtime dependency is pre-installed or auto-installed with this package
- Current status of the igraph package as a replacement and whether it is a drop-in substitute

## Package facts

- License: GNU General Public License (GPL) (copyleft)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 596.7K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

graph network analysis python, igraph python bindings, complex network research, graph algorithms library, network data structures, graph theory computation, network visualization, deprecated, graph-algorithms, network-analysis

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