wget
pure python download utility
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
No. The package is abandoned since 2015-10-22 with no maintenance activity. High install friction (zip-only distribution), no runtime dependencies to mitigate compatibility issues, and no security updates mean it will likely fail on modern Python versions and TLS configurations. Use standard library urllib or third-party alternatives instead.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Package is abandoned since 2015-10-22 and may not work reliably with modern Python versions or SSL/TLS configurations.
- High install friction due to a zip-only distribution (wget-3.2.zip).
- Package is abandoned as of 2015-10-22 with no maintenance activity in years, so expect no bug fixes or updates.
License · maintenance · safety
Public Domain (permissive) — Public Domain license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution without attribution or warranty obligations.
last release 2015-10-22 (3949 days)
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 3,351,026 downloads/mo, #2,652 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install wget
import wget
filename = wget.download('http://example.com/file.mp3')
print(filename)- Whether the package works with Python versions released after 2015-10-22 without modification.
- Whether SSL certificate validation and modern TLS versions are properly supported.
- Whether the zip distribution format causes installation issues on modern pip versions.
What it is and what it does
wget is a minimal pure-Python HTTP file downloader that can be invoked as a command-line tool or imported as a library. It downloads files from URLs and saves them to disk, with optional progress bar display showing download percentage and byte counts. The library returns the filename of the downloaded file and supports customizable output paths and progress bar styles.
The package has no external runtime dependencies and was designed to work with both Python 2 and Python 3 as of its last release in 2015-10-22. It serves as a lightweight alternative to system wget for Python environments, but development stopped long ago, leaving it vulnerable to compatibility drift with modern Python releases and security standards.
Use it for
- Download a single file from a URL in a Python script with built-in progress feedback.
- Use as a command-line tool to fetch files when system wget is unavailable.
- Integrate file downloading into a pure-Python application without external dependencies.
- Retrieve files with custom output filenames or directories via the -o option.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
No.
The package is abandoned since 2015-10-22 with no maintenance activity. High install friction (zip-only distribution), no runtime dependencies to mitigate compatibility issues, and no security updates mean it will likely fail on modern Python versions and TLS configurations. Use standard library urllib or third-party alternatives instead.
Install
wget on PyPI
Before you install
High install friction due to a zip-only distribution (wget-3.2.zip). Package is abandoned as of 2015-10-22 with no maintenance activity in years, so expect no bug fixes or updates.
Package is abandoned since 2015-10-22 and may not work reliably with modern Python versions or SSL/TLS configurations.
License in practice
Public Domain license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution without attribution or warranty obligations.
Quickstart
pip install wget
import wget
filename = wget.download('http://example.com/file.mp3')
print(filename)Verify before relying
- Whether the package works with Python versions released after 2015-10-22 without modification.
- Whether SSL certificate validation and modern TLS versions are properly supported.
- Whether the zip distribution format causes installation issues on modern pip versions.
Package facts
| License | Public Domain permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | High. Source build required |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 3,949 days since the last release |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 3,351,026 / month, #2,652 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Environment :: ConsoleLicense :: Public DomainOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 3Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTopic :: System :: NetworkingTopic :: Utilities |
Evidence: wget-3.2.zip
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