stevedore

Manage dynamic plugins for Python applications

stevedore Permissive license Apache-2.0 Active v5.9.0 released 2026-07-02

Install

stevedore on PyPI

pip

pip install stevedore

uv

uv add stevedore

poetry

poetry add stevedore

Package facts

License	Apache-2.0 (permissive)
Python support	supports the current Python release (>=3.11)
Install friction	low — pure-Python wheel
Runtime dependencies	none
Maintenance	actively maintained — 42 days since the last release
First released	2012-06-19
Popularity	one of the top 1,000 most-downloaded packages on PyPI (30-day window, as of 2026-08-13)
Known vulnerabilities	none known (OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-13)

Evidence: stevedore-5.9.0-py3-none-any.whl

Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleIntended Audience :: DevelopersOperating System :: POSIX :: LinuxProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Typing :: Typed

About stevedore

from the package's own PyPI description — quoted content, verbatim

=========================================================== stevedore -- Manage dynamic plugins for Python applications ===========================================================

.. image:: https://governance.openstack.org/tc/badges/stevedore.svg

.. image:: https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/stevedore.svg :target: https://pypi.org/project/stevedore/ :alt: Latest Version

.. image:: https://img.shields.io/pypi/dm/stevedore.svg :target: https://pypi.org/project/stevedore/ :alt: Downloads

Python makes loading code dynamically easy, allowing you to configure and extend your application by discovering and loading extensions ("plugins") at runtime. Many applications implement their own library for doing this, using __import__ or importlib. stevedore avoids creating yet another extension mechanism by building on top of setuptools entry points_. The code for managing entry points tends to be repetitive, though, so stevedore provides manager classes for implementing common patterns for using dynamically loaded extensions.

.. _setuptools entry points: http://setuptools.readthedocs.io/en/latest/pkg_resources.html?#entry-points

Free software: Apache license *...

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AI interpretation — verify before relying

AI-generated interpretation of the package facts above; every digit, version, license, or vulnerability id it cites is grounded in the facts already shown on this page

stevedore manages dynamic plugin loading for Python applications by wrapping setuptools entry points, providing manager classes to implement common patterns for discovering and loading extensions at runtime.

Low install friction with no runtime dependencies and a pure-Python wheel distribution. Active maintenance with a release 42 days ago; supports Python 3.11–3.14.

Apache-2.0 permissive license allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, making it suitable for most projects.

Usage

pip install stevedore

from stevedore import driver
mgr = driver.DriverManager(
    namespace='my_app.plugins',
    name='my_plugin',
    invoke_on_load=True,
)
plugin = mgr.driver

Requires Python 3.11 or later.

Verdict: stevedore is a production-stable, actively maintained plugin management library with zero security vulnerabilities, no dependencies, and permissive licensing. It is well-suited for applications needing extensibility via setuptools entry points.

Needs verification

Whether the entry point namespace and plugin names are user-defined or follow a specific convention.
Performance characteristics when managing large numbers of plugins or frequent dynamic loading.

python plugin managementdynamic extension loadingsetuptools entry points wrapperruntime plugin discoveryapplication plugin systemextensible python applicationsentry point manager