---
id: types-six
version: "1.17.0.20260724"
license: Apache-2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# types-six — Typing stubs for six

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 5.6M/mo

## What it is and what it does

types-six is a type stub package that provides type annotations for the six library, a Python 2 and 3 compatibility utility. It allows static type checkers like mypy and pyright to understand and validate code that uses six's functions and classes. The stubs are maintained as part of the typeshed project and are kept in sync with six version 1.17.*.

This is a development-time tool, not a runtime dependency. You install it so your type checker can verify that your code correctly uses six's API. It has no runtime dependencies and installs as a pure Python wheel, making it lightweight and friction-free to add to a project.

Use it for:

- Enable mypy or pyright to type-check code that imports and uses six for Python 2/3 compatibility.
- Catch type errors in six API calls during development without running the code.
- Provide IDE autocomplete and type hints for six functions when editing code.
- Validate legacy codebases that still rely on six for cross-version support.

## Worth the install?

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

Provides type hints for the six Python 2/3 compatibility library, enabling type checkers like mypy and pyright to validate code that uses six.

Yes, if you use six and run a type checker. It's lightweight, actively maintained, has no runtime overhead, and solves the concrete problem of type-checking six-based code. Skip it only if you don't use type checkers or don't use six.

## Install

pip install types-six
uv add types-six
poetry add types-six

## Installing types-six

Before you install: Low friction; a pure stub package with no runtime dependencies. Actively maintained as part of typeshed, with recent releases and no known vulnerabilities.

License in practice: Apache-2.0 permissive license; you can use this in commercial and open-source projects without restriction.

Quickstart:

pip install types-six

# Then use in your project with mypy or pyright:
# mypy will automatically discover the stubs when you import six

Requires Python 3.10 or later.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the stubs cover all six 1.17.* APIs or only a subset.
- Whether this package is required or optional when using six with type checkers.

## Package facts

- License: Apache-2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 5.6M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

type stubs for six, six typing annotations, mypy six compatibility, pyright six types, python 2 3 compatibility types, type-stubs, typing

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