---
id: python-neo-lzf
version: "0.3.5"
license: BSD-3-Clause
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: aging
---

# python-neo-lzf — A fork of python-lzf with pre-built wheel files.

License: permissive · Maintenance: aging · Downloads: 83.1K/mo

## What it is and what it does

python-neo-lzf is a Python binding to the liblzf C compression library, offering two core functions: compress() to shrink bytes and decompress() to expand them. It is designed as a low-level tool for applications that need fast compression and decompression of small data blocks, with no runtime dependencies beyond Python itself.

The package is a fork that bundles pre-built wheels for Python 3.7–3.14 across multiple platforms (macOS, Linux variants, Windows), eliminating the need to compile C extensions at install time. Both compress() and decompress() can return None under specific conditions—compress() when data cannot fit within a size limit, and decompress() when the result does not match the expected size—so callers must handle these cases.

Use it for:

- Compress small network packets or message payloads where speed matters more than maximum compression ratio.
- Decompress liblzf-compressed data streams in applications that need to interoperate with C/C++ systems using liblzf.
- Cache compression in memory-constrained environments where fast encode/decode of small blocks is critical.
- Embedded data serialization where a lightweight, low-level compression binding is preferred over heavier libraries.

## Worth the install?

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

Provides fast compression and decompression of small data blocks using liblzf, a C library, through Python bindings with compress() and decompress() functions.

Yes, if you need fast compression for small data blocks and are comfortable with a low-level API that requires explicit size handling. The pre-built wheels and broad Python version support reduce friction. However, the aging maintenance status (232 days since last release, only 2 stars) and lack of active development signal suggest this is stable but not actively evolving—suitable for stable use cases, not for projects expecting ongoing feature work.

## Install

pip install python-neo-lzf
uv add python-neo-lzf
poetry add python-neo-lzf

## Installing python-neo-lzf

Before you install: Medium install friction due to compiled C extensions; however, pre-built wheels are available for Python 3.7–3.14 across macOS, Linux (including musllinux), and Windows architectures. Last release was 232 days ago; maintenance status is aging.

License in practice: BSD-3-Clause is permissive and places minimal restrictions on use, modification, and distribution in both commercial and open-source contexts.

Quickstart:

import python_neo_lzf

data = b'hello world'
compressed = python_neo_lzf.compress(data)
if compressed:
    decompressed = python_neo_lzf.decompress(compressed, len(data))
    print(decompressed)

compress() may return None if data cannot be compressed to fit within the default or specified max_length; decompress() requires knowing the expected uncompressed size in advance.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package is actively maintained beyond the aging status signal (last commit 2025-12-25, but only 2 repository stars).
- Performance benchmarks comparing this fork to the original python-lzf or other compression libraries.
- Specific use cases where the optional max_length constraint in compress() provides practical value.

## Package facts

- License: BSD-3-Clause (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: aging
- Downloads: 83.1K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

lzf compression python, fast data compression library, liblzf bindings, compress decompress bytes, low-level compression binding, small block compression, lzf python wrapper, compression, c-bindings, low-level

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