Whoosh-Reloaded
Fast, pure-Python full text indexing, search, and spell checking library.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need pure-Python full-text search without external dependencies. The low install friction, active maintenance, and permissive license make it a solid choice for applications where compilation is undesirable or simplicity is valued over maximum performance. Verify that the fork's API stability and security update cadence meet your project's needs.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low install friction with a single lightweight runtime dependency (cached-property).
- The package is actively maintained by Sygil-Dev Organization with recent commits, though the original Whoosh project is no longer maintained.
License · maintenance · safety
Two-clause BSD license (permissive) — Licensed under the two-clause BSD license (permissive), allowing use in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.
last release 2024-02-02 (924 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-14 · 236 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 81,571 downloads/mo, #14,216 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install Whoosh-Reloaded
from whoosh.fields import Schema, TEXT
from whoosh.index import create_in
schema = Schema(title=TEXT, content=TEXT)
ix = create_in("indexdir", schema)
writer = ix.writer()
writer.add_document(title="Example", content="Sample document")
writer.commit()- Whether the fork maintains full backward compatibility with the original Whoosh API
- Performance characteristics compared to other pure-Python search solutions
- Scope and frequency of security updates from the Sygil-Dev maintainers
What it is and what it does
Whoosh-Reloaded is a maintained fork of the original Whoosh full-text search library, providing pure-Python indexing and retrieval without requiring compilation or binary dependencies. It offers a Pythonic API for building search functionality into applications, with features including fielded indexing, pluggable scoring algorithms (including BM25F), a powerful query language, and a pure-Python spell-checker. The library is designed for situations where a pure-Python solution is preferable to avoid build complexity, or where an easy-to-use interface matters more than raw speed.
The package depends only on cached-property at runtime, keeping dependencies minimal. It supports Python 2.7 and Python 3.4 through 3.12, though the fork was first released in February 2024. The original Whoosh was created for Houdini's help system and is now maintained by the Sygil-Dev Organization after the original project became unmaintained.
Use it for
- Add search functionality to web applications or documentation systems without installing Elasticsearch or Solr
- Build a pure-Python research platform for text indexing and retrieval experiments
- Implement spell-checking features in applications where a pure-Python solution avoids compilation
- Index and search document collections in embedded or offline applications
- Prototype search features before committing to a heavier search infrastructure
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need pure-Python full-text search without external dependencies.
The low install friction, active maintenance, and permissive license make it a solid choice for applications where compilation is undesirable or simplicity is valued over maximum performance. Verify that the fork's API stability and security update cadence meet your project's needs.
Install
whoosh-reloaded on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a single lightweight runtime dependency (cached-property). The package is actively maintained by Sygil-Dev Organization with recent commits, though the original Whoosh project is no longer maintained.
License in practice
Licensed under the two-clause BSD license (permissive), allowing use in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install Whoosh-Reloaded
from whoosh.fields import Schema, TEXT
from whoosh.index import create_in
schema = Schema(title=TEXT, content=TEXT)
ix = create_in("indexdir", schema)
writer = ix.writer()
writer.add_document(title="Example", content="Sample document")
writer.commit()Verify before relying
- Whether the fork maintains full backward compatibility with the original Whoosh API
- Performance characteristics compared to other pure-Python search solutions
- Scope and frequency of security updates from the Sygil-Dev maintainers
Package facts
| License | Two-clause BSD license permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagecached-property |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 924 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 81,571 / month, #14,216 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/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: BSD LicenseNatural Language :: EnglishOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTopic :: Text Processing :: Indexing |
Evidence: Whoosh_Reloaded-2.7.5-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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See also Whoosh · django-haystack · pagefind · llama-index-retrievers-bm25 · symspellpy · redisvl · typesense · gensim · modelsearch · llama-index-cli