pyusb
Easy USB access for Python
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need to interact with USB devices from Python and are willing to install the required libusb system library. PyUSB is stable, permissively licensed, has no Python dependencies, and is widely used in hardware automation and embedded systems work. The aging maintenance status is not a blocker for established use cases, but verify that your specific USB devices are supported before committing to it.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires libusb 1.0 (or libusb 0.1/OpenUSB) installed on the system; on Windows, the libusb DLL must be manually installed or packaged with your application.
- Installation is straightforward via pip with no runtime dependencies.
- The package is aging (583 days since last release) but remains in production/stable status with an active repository and recent commits.
License · maintenance · safety
permissive license (permissive) — Licensed under BSD (permissive), which allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions beyond attribution.
last release 2025-01-08 (583 days) · last repo commit 2026-02-12 · 2,308 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 4,723,139 downloads/mo, #2,244 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pyusb
import pyusb
devices = pyusb.core.find(find_all=True)
for dev in devices:
print(dev)- Whether the aging maintenance status (583 days since release) affects stability or security posture for new USB device types.
- Specific performance characteristics when enumerating or communicating with large numbers of USB devices.
- Compatibility with specific USB device types and protocols beyond the documented backends.
What it is and what it does
PyUSB is a Python library that abstracts USB communication on the host machine, providing an API to enumerate, identify, and interact with USB devices. It wraps platform-specific USB backends (libusb 1.0 is recommended) and handles low-level USB protocol details, allowing developers to focus on device logic rather than system-level mechanics.
The library supports Python >= 3.9 and runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, BSD, and other POSIX systems. It has no Python runtime dependencies, making installation lightweight. However, it requires a native libusb library to be present on the system—a system-level dependency that varies by platform and must be installed separately before the package can function.
Use it for
- Enumerate and identify USB devices connected to the host, then read device metadata like vendor ID and product ID.
- Communicate with custom USB hardware (microcontrollers, test equipment, embedded devices) by sending and receiving data over endpoints.
- Build cross-platform tools that interact with USB peripherals without writing platform-specific code for each operating system.
- Debug USB device behavior by reading descriptors and monitoring USB traffic from Python.
- Integrate USB device control into larger Python applications for robotics, scientific instruments, or industrial automation.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need to interact with USB devices from Python and are willing to install the required libusb system library.
PyUSB is stable, permissively licensed, has no Python dependencies, and is widely used in hardware automation and embedded systems work. The aging maintenance status is not a blocker for established use cases, but verify that your specific USB devices are supported before committing to it.
Install
pyusb on PyPI
Before you install
Installation is straightforward via pip with no runtime dependencies. The package is aging (583 days since last release) but remains in production/stable status with an active repository and recent commits.
Requires libusb 1.0 (or libusb 0.1/OpenUSB) installed on the system; on Windows, the libusb DLL must be manually installed or packaged with your application.
License in practice
Licensed under BSD (permissive), which allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions beyond attribution.
Quickstart
pip install pyusb
import pyusb
devices = pyusb.core.find(find_all=True)
for dev in devices:
print(dev)Verify before relying
- Whether the aging maintenance status (583 days since release) affects stability or security posture for new USB device types.
- Specific performance characteristics when enumerating or communicating with large numbers of USB devices.
- Compatibility with specific USB device types and protocols beyond the documented backends.
Package facts
| License | permissive license permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.9.0 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Aging 583 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 4,723,139 / month, #2,244 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 :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: Information TechnologyIntended Audience :: ManufacturingIntended Audience :: Science/ResearchIntended Audience :: System AdministratorsIntended Audience :: Telecommunications IndustryLicense :: OSI Approved :: BSD LicenseNatural Language :: EnglishOperating System :: MacOS :: MacOS XOperating System :: Microsoft :: Windows :: Windows 10Operating System :: Microsoft :: Windows :: Windows 7Operating System :: Microsoft :: Windows :: Windows VistaOperating System :: POSIX :: BSD :: FreeBSDOperating System :: POSIX :: BSD :: NetBSDOperating System :: POSIX :: BSD :: OpenBSDOperating System :: POSIX :: LinuxOperating System :: POSIX :: SunOS/SolarisProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: IronPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: JythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Interface Engine/Protocol TranslatorTopic :: Software Development :: LibrariesTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTopic :: System :: Hardware :: Hardware Drivers |
Evidence: pyusb-1.3.1-py3-none-any.whl
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See also libusb-package · libusb1 · hidapi · binho-host-adapter · hid · libusbsio · brainstem · pylibftdi · PyVISA-py · pyu2f