ripgrep
ripgrep is a line-oriented search tool that recursively searches the current directory for a regex pattern while respecting gitignore rules. ripgrep has first class support on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need to integrate fast regex search into Python and are comfortable with the platform-specific wheel constraints. The package is actively maintained, has no runtime dependencies, uses permissive licensing, and wraps a well-established tool. Install friction is moderate due to platform-specific wheels; verify that your platform (macOS ARM64 or manylinux 2.39 x86_64) is supported or that you can build from source before committing.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python >=3.8.
- Platform-specific wheels available for macOS ARM64 and manylinux 2.39 x86_64; other platforms may require building from source.
- Medium install friction due to platform-specific wheels (macOS ARM64, manylinux 2.39 x86_64).
License · maintenance · safety
Unlicense OR MIT (permissive) — Dual-licensed under Unlicense or MIT (permissive). Either license permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, making this safe for most projects.
last release 2026-05-24 (82 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-04 · 67,331 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 414,843 downloads/mo, #6,829 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install ripgrep
import ripgrep
# Use ripgrep's command-line interface via subprocess or the package's exposed API- What Python API does this package expose beyond wrapping the ripgrep binary—is it a thin CLI wrapper or does it provide programmatic search functions?
- Does the package bundle the ripgrep binary or require it to be installed separately on the system?
- What is the actual scope of the Python interface—can it be used for programmatic searches or only for invoking the command-line tool?
What it is and what it does
This package provides Python access to ripgrep, a Rust-based line search tool optimized for speed and code search workflows. It recursively searches directories for regex patterns while automatically respecting .gitignore rules and filtering hidden and binary files (behavior can be disabled with flags). ripgrep is designed as a faster alternative to grep, The Silver Searcher, and ack, with support for file-type filtering, Unicode, PCRE2 regex engines, and multiple text encodings.
The package wraps ripgrep for use from Python, making it available to developers who want to integrate fast pattern searching into Python applications or scripts. With no runtime dependencies and active maintenance, it targets modern Python versions (3.8+) across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Use it for
- Integrate fast code search into Python development tools or IDE plugins that need to find patterns across large codebases.
- Build log analysis or audit scripts that search through large text files while respecting project ignore rules.
- Create custom search utilities that need to filter by file type (e.g., search only Python or JavaScript files) with better performance than standard grep.
- Automate text processing workflows that require regex matching across directory trees while respecting version control ignore files.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need to integrate fast regex search into Python and are comfortable with the platform-specific wheel constraints.
The package is actively maintained, has no runtime dependencies, uses permissive licensing, and wraps a well-established tool. Install friction is moderate due to platform-specific wheels; verify that your platform (macOS ARM64 or manylinux 2.39 x86_64) is supported or that you can build from source before committing.
Install
ripgrep on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to platform-specific wheels (macOS ARM64, manylinux 2.39 x86_64). Active maintenance with recent release (82 days ago) and strong repository signals (67331 stars). No runtime dependencies.
Requires Python >=3.8. Platform-specific wheels available for macOS ARM64 and manylinux 2.39 x86_64; other platforms may require building from source.
License in practice
Dual-licensed under Unlicense or MIT (permissive). Either license permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, making this safe for most projects.
Quickstart
pip install ripgrep
import ripgrep
# Use ripgrep's command-line interface via subprocess or the package's exposed APIVerify before relying
- What Python API does this package expose beyond wrapping the ripgrep binary—is it a thin CLI wrapper or does it provide programmatic search functions?
- Does the package bundle the ripgrep binary or require it to be installed separately on the system?
- What is the actual scope of the Python interface—can it be used for programmatic searches or only for invoking the command-line tool?
Package facts
| License | Unlicense OR MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.8 |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 82 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 414,843 / month, #6,829 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyProgramming Language :: Rust |
Evidence: ripgrep-15.1.0-py3-none-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; ripgrep-15.1.0-py3-none-manylinux_2_39_x86_64.whl
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See also ripgrepy · ignore-python · git-filter-repo · igittigitt · gitignorefile · gitmatch · gitignorant · tensor-grep · grep-ast · rebulk