---
id: s3cmd
version: "2.4.0"
license: GNU GPL v2+
license_treatment: copyleft
maintenance: dormant
---

# s3cmd — Command line tool for managing Amazon S3 and CloudFront services

License: copyleft · Maintenance: dormant · Downloads: 1.6M/mo

## What it is and what it does

s3cmd is a standalone command-line client for Amazon S3 and CloudFront, designed for end users and system administrators who need to manage cloud storage from the shell. It lets you upload and download files, perform rsync-like backups, encrypt data with GPG, and manage CloudFront distributions—all without leaving the terminal. The tool depends on python-dateutil for date handling and python-magic for file type detection.

The package is classified as Production/Stable and supports Python 2.6 through 3.12, though it has not been actively maintained for over two years. It runs on macOS, Windows, and Unix-like systems, making it portable across common platforms. For users already invested in S3 workflows or needing a lightweight CLI alternative to AWS's own tools, it remains functional; however, the dormant maintenance status means no updates for recent AWS API changes or security improvements.

Use it for:

- Automated S3 backups from cron jobs using rsync-like sync commands without AWS CLI dependencies.
- Uploading or downloading files to S3 from shell scripts in CI/CD pipelines.
- Encrypting sensitive files with GPG before uploading them to S3 for secure archival.
- Managing CloudFront cache invalidation and distribution settings from the command line.
- Bulk file operations on S3 (copy, delete, list) for system administrators managing cloud storage.

## Worth the install?

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

s3cmd is a command-line tool for uploading, downloading, and managing files on Amazon S3 and CloudFront, with support for rsync-like backups and GPG encryption.

Yes, if you need a lightweight, self-contained S3 CLI and are comfortable with dormant maintenance. The low install friction and stable classifier make it usable for straightforward file transfer tasks. However, do not rely on it for new projects requiring active support—consider AWS CLI or boto3 instead if you need ongoing compatibility with AWS API changes.

## Install

pip install s3cmd
uv add s3cmd
poetry add s3cmd

## Installing s3cmd

Before you install: Installation is straightforward with low friction. The package is marked Production/Stable but has been dormant for 976 days since its last release, so expect no active maintenance or bug fixes.

License in practice: Licensed under GNU GPL v2+, a copyleft license. Any modifications or derivative works must be released under the same license terms.

Quickstart:

pip install s3cmd
s3cmd --configure
s3cmd put localfile.txt s3://mybucket/
s3cmd get s3://mybucket/remotefile.txt .

Requires AWS credentials to be configured via s3cmd --configure before use; also depends on python-dateutil and python-magic at runtime.

Verify before relying:

- Whether dormant status (976 days since last release) affects compatibility with current AWS S3 API changes or authentication methods.
- Whether python-magic system dependency (libmagic) is available on all target platforms without additional setup.
- Current state of CloudFront management features relative to AWS API evolution.

## Package facts

- License: GNU GPL v2+ (copyleft)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: dormant
- Downloads: 1.6M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

s3 command line tool, amazon s3 file transfer, s3 backup utility, cloudfront management cli, s3 sync and upload, gpg encrypted s3 backup, s3 file management, s3-storage, cloud-backup, cli-tool

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/s3cmd) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/s3cmd/)