---
id: pyzbar
version: "0.1.9"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: dormant
---

# pyzbar — Read one-dimensional barcodes and QR codes from Python 2 and 3.

License: permissive · Maintenance: dormant · Downloads: 2.8M/mo

## What it is and what it does

pyzbar is a Python wrapper around the zbar barcode-reading library that decodes one-dimensional barcodes and QR codes from images. It accepts image data in multiple formats and returns structured results including the decoded data, barcode type, bounding rectangle, polygon points, orientation, and quality score. The package is pure Python and works across Python 2.7 and Python 3.5 through 3.10.

The main use case is extracting barcode information from images in applications that need to read physical barcodes or QR codes. It provides both the decoded content and precise spatial information about where barcodes appear in an image, making it useful for inventory systems, document scanning, or any workflow that processes barcode-labeled items. The package has minimal runtime dependencies but requires the external zbar library to be installed on your system.

Use it for:

- Inventory or warehouse management systems that scan physical barcodes from photos or camera feeds
- Document processing pipelines that extract barcode data and location from scanned pages
- QR code extraction from images for ticketing, URL routing, or contact information
- Batch barcode reading from a directory of images with location-based filtering or validation
- Computer vision applications combining barcode detection with image processing workflows

## Worth the install?

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

Decodes one-dimensional barcodes and QR codes from images using the zbar library, returning decoded data and precise barcode locations.

Yes, if you need barcode or QR code reading and can install the zbar library. The package is stable and permissively licensed, but dormant since 2022 with no recent updates—acceptable for a mature wrapper around a stable external library, but verify zbar library support for your platform before committing. No known vulnerabilities.

## Install

pip install pyzbar
uv add pyzbar
poetry add pyzbar

## Installing pyzbar

Before you install: Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel. Dormant since March 2022; last commit October 2023. Requires the zbar shared library installed separately on non-Windows systems (brew or apt-get), but Windows wheels include zbar DLLs.

License in practice: MIT license (permissive) means you can use this freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions, though you must include the license notice.

Quickstart:

pip install pyzbar
from pyzbar.pyzbar import decode
results = decode(image_data)
for r in results:
    print(r.data, r.type, r.rect)

The zbar shared library must be installed separately: brew install zbar (macOS) or sudo apt-get install libzbar0 (Linux). Windows wheels include it. On Windows, Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013 may be required.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package is actively maintained or if dormancy signals abandonment risk for future Python versions
- Compatibility with Python versions beyond 3.10 (classifiers list only up to 3.10)
- Current zbar library version requirements and platform-specific installation complexity

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: dormant
- Downloads: 2.8M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

barcode decoding python, qr code reader, read barcodes from images, barcode location detection, code128 qrcode decoder, barcode-qrcode, image-processing, zbar-wrapper

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