shiv
A command line utility for building fully self contained Python zipapps.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. shiv is actively maintained, has low install friction, no security vulnerabilities, and solves a real distribution problem for Python CLI tools and applications. Install it if you need to package Python applications as standalone executables; skip it if your users already have Python environments or if your dependencies include platform-specific C extensions that must work across multiple architectures.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.6+; zipapps with C extensions may not be cross-platform compatible (e.g., a .pyz built on macOS may only run on macOS).
- Low friction installation via pip with a pure-wheel distribution.
- The package is actively maintained (last commit 2026-05-22) and supports current Python versions (3.8+).
License · maintenance · safety
BSD License (permissive) — BSD License (permissive) means you can use shiv freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions, requiring only license attribution.
last release 2024-11-01 (651 days) · last repo commit 2026-05-22 · 1,945 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 425,118 downloads/mo, #6,761 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install shiv
shiv -c flake8 -o ~/bin/flake8 flake8
~/bin/flake8 --version- Whether the generated zipapps work reliably with all dependency types (pure Python vs. C extensions) in production environments.
- Performance overhead of zipapp extraction into ~/.shiv on repeated invocations.
- Compatibility guarantees with future Python versions beyond 3.11.
What it is and what it does
shiv is a command-line tool that packages a Python application and all its dependencies into a single executable zipapp file (a .pyz file), following PEP 441. Instead of requiring users to install Python and then use pip to fetch dependencies, you distribute one self-contained binary that runs immediately. It accepts almost all pip install options, so you can specify versions, extras, and sources just as you would with pip.
The tool is designed for developers who want to distribute Python CLI tools or applications without forcing end-users to manage Python environments. You specify a console script entry point (like flake8) and shiv bundles everything needed to run it. The generated zipapp extracts itself into ~/.shiv (or a custom SHIV_ROOT) on first run. A key limitation: zipapps with native C extensions may not work across different operating systems or architectures—a .pyz built on macOS typically only runs on macOS.
Use it for
- Package a CLI tool like flake8 into a single executable that users can download and run without installing Python.
- Distribute internal company tools as standalone binaries that don't require dependency management on target machines.
- Create a Python REPL bundle with preloaded libraries (e.g., boto) that users can invoke interactively without setup.
- Build cross-platform Python applications where all dependencies are pure Python and architecture-independent.
- Simplify CI/CD pipelines by generating immutable, self-contained application artifacts instead of managing virtual environments.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
shiv is actively maintained, has low install friction, no security vulnerabilities, and solves a real distribution problem for Python CLI tools and applications. Install it if you need to package Python applications as standalone executables; skip it if your users already have Python environments or if your dependencies include platform-specific C extensions that must work across multiple architectures.
Install
shiv on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction installation via pip with a pure-wheel distribution. The package is actively maintained (last commit 2026-05-22) and supports current Python versions (3.8+). Runtime dependencies are lightweight and widely available (click, pip, setuptools, importlib-resources).
Requires Python 3.6+; zipapps with C extensions may not be cross-platform compatible (e.g., a .pyz built on macOS may only run on macOS).
License in practice
BSD License (permissive) means you can use shiv freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions, requiring only license attribution.
Quickstart
pip install shiv
shiv -c flake8 -o ~/bin/flake8 flake8
~/bin/flake8 --versionVerify before relying
- Whether the generated zipapps work reliably with all dependency types (pure Python vs. C extensions) in production environments.
- Performance overhead of zipapp extraction into ~/.shiv on repeated invocations.
- Compatibility guarantees with future Python versions beyond 3.11.
Package facts
| License | BSD License permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.6 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 4 packagesclickpipsetuptoolsimportlib-resources |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 651 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 425,118 / month, #6,761 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | License :: OSI Approved :: BSD LicenseProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9 |
Evidence: shiv-1.0.8-py2.py3-none-any.whl
Tags
Let your AI agent find packages like this
Example. Real query, live index.
You found this page by searching. An agent finds it by wishing: SkillFed indexes 14,416 PyPI packages by what they can do, searchable in plain language.
wish › “python zipapp builder”
- shivshiv builds self-contained Python zipapps (PEP 441) that bundle an…
- py-builder-signing-sdkGenerates cryptographically signed HTTP headers for Polymarket…
- grafana-foundation-sdkProvides Python types, builders, and tools for programmatically…
Give your agent the search over MCP, or paste the wish link into any chat.
More Build Tools packages
Provides reusable utilities for Python packaging interoperability, including version handling, specifiers, markers, requirements, tags, and metadata parsing according to standards like PEP 440 and PEP 425.
Wraps any iterable to display a real-time progress bar in the terminal or Jupyter notebook, showing iteration count, elapsed time, and estimated time remaining.
pip is the standard installer for Python packages, enabling you to download and install packages from the Python Package Index and other indexes into your Python environment.
Hatchling is a standards-compliant Python build backend that handles packaging, metadata, and distribution of Python projects when configured in a project's pyproject.toml file.
Generates Python gRPC service stubs and message classes from Protocol Buffer definitions, enabling developers to build gRPC clients and servers.
pre-commit is a framework for installing and running git hooks written in any language before commits are made, automating code quality and validation checks across multi-language projects.
Install it if your team needs consistent, automated validation at commit time.
See also pex · whey · delvewheel · relenv · johnnydep · source-distribution · pyinstaller · pyinstxtractor-ng · pytailwindcss · poetry-core