zodbpickle
Fork of Python 3 pickle module
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you work with ZODB or need to deserialize Python 2 pickles in Python 3. The package is actively maintained, has no security vulnerabilities, and solves a real compatibility problem. Install friction is moderate due to C compilation, but wheels are available for common platforms. Verify ZPL-2.1 license compatibility with your project first.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.10 or later; compiled C extensions must build for your platform.
- Pickle module security warning: never unpickle untrusted data.
- Medium install friction due to compiled C extensions across multiple platforms (macOS x86/ARM, Linux i686/aarch64/x86_64, Windows).
License · maintenance · safety
ZPL-2.1 (unclear) — Licensed under ZPL-2.1 (Zope Public License 2.1), but license treatment is marked unclear in the fact sheet—verify compatibility with your project's licensing requirements before use.
last release 2026-05-04 (102 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-14 · 18 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 220,204 downloads/mo, #9,309 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
from zodbpickle import pickle
# Load Python 2 pickle on Python 3
data = pickle.loads(b"S'\\xff'\np0\n.", encoding='bytes')
# Or use explicit implementation choice
from zodbpickle import fastpickle # always C
from zodbpickle import slowpickle # always Python- Exact scope of ZPL-2.1 license compatibility with common project licenses
- Performance characteristics of fastpickle vs slowpickle for typical workloads
- Whether noload() operation is actively used by ZODB or legacy-only
What it is and what it does
zodbpickle is a fork of Python's pickle module designed to bridge serialization between Python 2 and 3 codebases, particularly for ZODB (Zope Object Database) applications. It adds support for protocol 3 opcodes under Python 2 and restores the noload() operation removed in Python 3, which ZODB uses to retrieve persistent references without loading objects into memory.
The package handles the tricky cross-version problem where Python 2 strings and Python 3 bytes have different semantics: it provides encoding options (like errors='bytes') to let you control whether legacy pickles deserialize as bytes or strings. It also offers a choice between fast C-based and slow pure-Python implementations, useful for debugging or when C extensions aren't available. No runtime dependencies means it integrates cleanly into existing projects.
Use it for
- Migrating ZODB databases from Python 2 to Python 3 while preserving pickled object compatibility
- Loading legacy Python 2 pickles in Python 3 applications with correct string/bytes handling
- Optimizing ZODB cache behavior by using noload() to inspect persistent references without object instantiation
- Comparing pickle behavior between C and pure-Python implementations during debugging
- Building cross-version serialization layers where standard pickle doesn't handle protocol 3 or legacy opcodes
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you work with ZODB or need to deserialize Python 2 pickles in Python 3.
The package is actively maintained, has no security vulnerabilities, and solves a real compatibility problem. Install friction is moderate due to C compilation, but wheels are available for common platforms. Verify ZPL-2.1 license compatibility with your project first.
Install
zodbpickle on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to compiled C extensions across multiple platforms (macOS x86/ARM, Linux i686/aarch64/x86_64, Windows). Active maintenance with recent release (102 days ago) and support for current Python versions including 3.14.
Requires Python 3.10 or later; compiled C extensions must build for your platform. Pickle module security warning: never unpickle untrusted data.
License in practice
Licensed under ZPL-2.1 (Zope Public License 2.1), but license treatment is marked unclear in the fact sheet—verify compatibility with your project's licensing requirements before use.
Quickstart
from zodbpickle import pickle
# Load Python 2 pickle on Python 3
data = pickle.loads(b"S'\\xff'\np0\n.", encoding='bytes')
# Or use explicit implementation choice
from zodbpickle import fastpickle # always C
from zodbpickle import slowpickle # always PythonVerify before relying
- Exact scope of ZPL-2.1 license compatibility with common project licenses
- Performance characteristics of fastpickle vs slowpickle for typical workloads
- Whether noload() operation is actively used by ZODB or legacy-only
Package facts
| License | ZPL-2.1 unclear |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 102 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 220,204 / month, #9,309 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/StableFramework :: ZODBIntended Audience :: DevelopersOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: DatabaseTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules |
Evidence: zodbpickle-4.4-cp310-cp310-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp310-cp310-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp310-cp310-manylinux1_i686.manylinux2014_i686.manylinux_2_17_i686.manylinux_2_5_i686.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp310-cp310-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp310-cp310-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp311-cp311-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp311-cp311-manylinux1_i686.manylinux2014_i686.manylinux_2_17_i686.manylinux_2_5_i686.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp311-cp311-win_amd64.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp311-cp311-win_arm64.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp312-cp312-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp312-cp312-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp312-cp312-manylinux1_i686.manylinux2014_i686.manylinux_2_17_i686.manylinux_2_5_i686.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp312-cp312-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp312-cp312-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp312-cp312-win_amd64.whl; zodbpickle-4.4-cp312-cp312-win_arm64.whl
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