starlette-compress
Compression middleware for Starlette - supporting ZStd, Brotli, and GZip
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, uses a permissive license, and offers a straightforward drop-in middleware for Starlette/FastAPI with more compression options and better defaults than the built-in alternative. Low install friction and broad Python version support make it a practical choice for any Starlette or FastAPI project needing response compression.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low install friction with four runtime dependencies (brotli, brotlicffi, starlette, zstandard).
- Actively maintained with a release 27 days ago and recent commits.
- Supports Python 3.9 through 3.14.
License · maintenance · safety
0BSD (permissive) — Licensed under 0BSD (Zero-Clause BSD), a permissive public domain dedication with no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution.
last release 2026-07-18 (27 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-14 · 3 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 1,114,521 downloads/mo, #4,351 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install starlette-compress
from starlette.applications import Starlette
from starlette.middleware import Middleware
from starlette_compress import CompressMiddleware
middleware = [Middleware(CompressMiddleware)]
app = Starlette(routes=..., middleware=middleware)- Performance impact compared to Starlette's built-in GZipMiddleware under typical production loads
- Whether all four runtime dependencies (brotli, brotlicffi, starlette, zstandard) are always required or conditionally installed
What it is and what it does
starlette-compress is a middleware layer for Starlette and FastAPI applications that automatically compresses HTTP responses using one of three algorithms: ZStd, Brotli, or GZip. It sits between your application and the client, intercepting responses and reducing their size before transmission. The middleware applies sensible defaults—compressing responses 500 bytes or larger, using compression level 4 for all algorithms—while remaining configurable for different minimum sizes, compression levels, and content types.
The package handles both standard request-response flows and streaming scenarios like Server-Sent Events (SSE), where it flushes the compressor after each message to maintain low latency. It works with asyncio and trio backends, supports modern Python versions (3.9 through 3.14), and requires four runtime dependencies: starlette itself, plus brotli, brotlicffi, and zstandard for the respective compression algorithms.
Use it for
- Reduce bandwidth on Starlette or FastAPI APIs by automatically compressing JSON, HTML, and text responses
- Add ZStd or Brotli compression to applications that only have GZip available in Starlette's built-in middleware
- Compress Server-Sent Events (SSE) streams with per-message flushing to maintain real-time delivery
- Tune compression levels per algorithm to balance file size reduction against CPU cost for specific workloads
- Manage compression for custom content types or opt out of compression for specific response types
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, uses a permissive license, and offers a straightforward drop-in middleware for Starlette/FastAPI with more compression options and better defaults than the built-in alternative. Low install friction and broad Python version support make it a practical choice for any Starlette or FastAPI project needing response compression.
Install
starlette-compress on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with four runtime dependencies (brotli, brotlicffi, starlette, zstandard). Actively maintained with a release 27 days ago and recent commits. Supports Python 3.9 through 3.14.
License in practice
Licensed under 0BSD (Zero-Clause BSD), a permissive public domain dedication with no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution.
Quickstart
pip install starlette-compress
from starlette.applications import Starlette
from starlette.middleware import Middleware
from starlette_compress import CompressMiddleware
middleware = [Middleware(CompressMiddleware)]
app = Starlette(routes=..., middleware=middleware)Verify before relying
- Performance impact compared to Starlette's built-in GZipMiddleware under typical production loads
- Whether all four runtime dependencies (brotli, brotlicffi, starlette, zstandard) are always required or conditionally installed
Package facts
| License | 0BSD permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.9 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 4 packagesbrotlibrotlicffistarlettezstandard |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 27 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 1,114,521 / month, #4,351 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/StableEnvironment :: Web EnvironmentFramework :: AnyIOFramework :: AsyncIOFramework :: FastAPIFramework :: TrioIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: Zero-Clause BSD (0BSD)Operating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Internet :: WWW/HTTP :: Dynamic ContentTopic :: Internet :: WWW/HTTP :: WSGI :: MiddlewareTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTyping :: Typed |
Evidence: starlette_compress-1.8.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also brotli-asgi · starlette-cramjam · starlette-context · Flask-Compress · starlette · Secweb · starlette-csrf · fastapi-events · starsessions · whitenoise