---
id: tensorflow-cpu
version: "2.21.0"
license: Apache 2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# tensorflow-cpu — TensorFlow is an open source machine learning framework for everyone.

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 1.8M/mo

## What it is and what it does

TensorFlow CPU is an open-source machine learning framework designed for numerical computation and deep learning on CPU-based hardware. It provides a flexible architecture for building, training, and deploying models across desktops and servers, with a core API built around tensor operations and automatic differentiation. The package includes Keras as a high-level API for model construction and comes with support for scientific computing beyond machine learning.

The CPU variant trades GPU acceleration for simpler deployment and lower system requirements. It brings 20 runtime dependencies including numpy for array operations, keras for model building, protobuf for serialization, grpcio for distributed computing, and h5py for model persistence. Installation is straightforward via wheel distribution, though the dependency chain adds moderate friction. Active maintenance and widespread adoption make it a stable choice for learning, prototyping, and production inference on CPU systems.

Use it for:

- Train neural networks and deep learning models on CPU systems without GPU hardware.
- Build and deploy machine learning models for inference on edge devices or servers.
- Perform numerical computation and tensor operations for scientific research.
- Prototype machine learning workflows before scaling to GPU or TPU infrastructure.
- Develop and test models in environments where GPU drivers or CUDA are unavailable.

## Worth the install?

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

TensorFlow CPU provides a machine learning and numerical computation framework for building and training models on CPU-based systems, with support for Python 3.10 through 3.13.

Yes, if you need a machine learning framework for CPU-based work. TensorFlow CPU is production-stable, actively maintained, and permissively licensed. The 20 runtime dependencies add moderate install friction, but the ecosystem is mature and well-tested. Choose this over the GPU variant only if you lack GPU hardware or need simpler deployment; for performance-critical training, GPU acceleration is typically necessary.

## Install

pip install tensorflow-cpu
uv add tensorflow-cpu
poetry add tensorflow-cpu

## Installing tensorflow-cpu

Before you install: Medium install friction due to 20 runtime dependencies and wheel-based distribution across multiple Python versions (3.10–3.13) and platforms. Active maintenance with recent commits and strong community backing (197028 stars) suggests reliable ongoing support.

License in practice: Apache 2.0 permissive license allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, making it suitable for most projects that can accommodate attribution and license inclusion.

Quickstart:

pip install tensorflow-cpu==2.21.0

import tensorflow as tf
model = tf.keras.Sequential([tf.keras.layers.Dense(10)])

Requires Python >=3.10; 20 runtime dependencies (numpy, keras, protobuf, grpcio, h5py, and others) must resolve cleanly in your environment.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the CPU variant is suitable for your model size and training throughput requirements compared to GPU variants.
- Compatibility of all 20 runtime dependencies in your specific Python environment and OS version.

## Package facts

- License: Apache 2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 1.8M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

machine learning framework, deep learning library, numerical computation, tensorflow cpu, neural network training, scientific computing, tensor operations, deep-learning, numerical-computation, cpu-optimized

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