winrt-Windows.Foundation
Python projection of Windows Runtime (WinRT) APIs
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you are building a Python application on Windows that needs WinRT API access and are willing to accept platform-specific installation and aging maintenance status. The MIT license and lack of known vulnerabilities are positive signals. Install only if you are targeting Windows; this package is not cross-platform.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Windows-only; requires Python 3.9 or later and a compatible CPU architecture.
- Medium install friction due to platform-specific wheels for Windows only across multiple CPU architectures.
- Aging maintenance status with last commit 2025-12-11, though no reported vulnerabilities and the repository remains active.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, making this suitable for most projects that can run on Windows.
last release 2025-06-06 (434 days) · last repo commit 2025-12-11 · 196 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 363,329 downloads/mo, #7,223 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install winrt-Windows.Foundation winrt-runtime
from winrt.windows.foundation import Uri
uri = Uri("https://example.com")- Whether the package is actively maintained or in maintenance-only mode given the aging status.
- Real-world stability and completeness of Foundation API coverage compared to the full Windows SDK.
- Performance characteristics and overhead of the Python projection layer.
What it is and what it does
winrt-Windows.Foundation is a Python projection of the Windows Runtime Foundation namespace, part of the larger PyWinRT ecosystem. It exposes core WinRT types and interfaces as Python classes and functions, allowing developers to interact with Windows system APIs directly from Python without C++ interop boilerplate.
The package is one of several modular bindings generated from the Windows SDK; you install only the namespaces you need. It depends on winrt-runtime, which provides the underlying WinRT projection infrastructure. Installation is platform-specific (Windows only, with separate wheels for Python 3.9 through 3.14 and multiple CPU architectures), and it requires Python 3.9 or later.
Use it for
- Build cross-namespace WinRT applications by importing Foundation types alongside other winrt-* packages.
- Access core WinRT abstractions needed by higher-level Windows APIs in Python.
- Develop Windows desktop applications in Python that rely on async/await patterns and WinRT event callbacks.
- Prototype or script Windows system integration tasks that require Foundation-level types as prerequisites.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you are building a Python application on Windows that needs WinRT API access and are willing to accept platform-specific installation and aging maintenance status.
The MIT license and lack of known vulnerabilities are positive signals. Install only if you are targeting Windows; this package is not cross-platform.
Install
winrt-windows-foundation on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to platform-specific wheels for Windows only across multiple CPU architectures. Aging maintenance status with last commit 2025-12-11, though no reported vulnerabilities and the repository remains active.
Windows-only; requires Python 3.9 or later and a compatible CPU architecture.
License in practice
MIT license permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, making this suitable for most projects that can run on Windows.
Quickstart
pip install winrt-Windows.Foundation winrt-runtime
from winrt.windows.foundation import Uri
uri = Uri("https://example.com")Verify before relying
- Whether the package is actively maintained or in maintenance-only mode given the aging status.
- Real-world stability and completeness of Foundation API coverage compared to the full Windows SDK.
- Performance characteristics and overhead of the Python projection layer.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.9 |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagewinrt-runtime |
| Maintenance | Aging 434 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 363,329 / month, #7,223 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Intended Audience :: DevelopersOperating System :: Microsoft :: WindowsProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPython |
Evidence: winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp310-cp310-win32.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp310-cp310-win_arm64.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp311-cp311-win32.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp311-cp311-win_amd64.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp311-cp311-win_arm64.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp312-cp312-win32.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp312-cp312-win_amd64.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp312-cp312-win_arm64.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp313-cp313-win32.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp313-cp313-win_amd64.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp313-cp313-win_arm64.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp314-cp314-win32.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp314-cp314-win_amd64.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp314-cp314-win_arm64.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp39-cp39-win32.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp39-cp39-win_amd64.whl; winrt_windows_foundation-3.2.1-cp39-cp39-win_arm64.whl
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See also winrt-runtime · winrt-Windows.Foundation.Collections · winrt-Windows.Globalization · winrt-Windows.Storage.Streams · winrt-Windows.Devices.Bluetooth.Advertisement · winrt-Windows.Devices.Bluetooth.GenericAttributeProfile · winrt-Windows.Devices.Bluetooth · winrt-Windows.Media.Ocr · winrt-Windows.Graphics.Imaging · winrt-Windows.Devices.Radios