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What is Python UV?

UV is a fast, modern Python package manager written in Rust. It’s designed as a drop-in replacement for pip, pip-tools, and other package managers, offering significantly better performance (10–100x faster than pip) while maintaining compatibility with the Python ecosystem.
Key Features:
  • Run Scripts — execute scripts within project environments
  • Python version management — install and switch between Python versions
  • Speed — 10–100x faster than pip
  • Dependency management — lock files and reproducible environments

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Installation

For more installation options, refer to the official documentation.

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Standalone installer

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

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PyPI

uv is also available on PyPI: 
pip install uv

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Shell Autocompletion

After installing UV, set up shell autocompletion for a better user experience. 
echo 'eval "$(uv generate-shell-completion bash)"' >> ~/.bashrc

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Tool Management and Verification

Verify the installed version: 
uv --version
Update UV to the latest version: 
uv self update
# or
pip install --upgrade uv

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Modern UV Project Workflow

This workflow uses uv to create and manage a new Python project from scratch.
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Create a new project directory
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mkdir my_uv_project
cd my_uv_project
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Initialize a new UV project
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The uv init command sets up a new UV project by creating standard metadata files such as pyproject.toml and .python-version.
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uv init
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The folder structure will look like this:
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my_uv_project/
├── .python-version
├── pyproject.toml
├── main.py
└── README.md
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(Optional) Create a virtual environment
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The uv venv command creates an isolated virtual environment named .venv within the project directory.
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uv venv
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To target a specific Python version (uv will auto-download it if not present):
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uv venv --python 3.12
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Install dependencies, lock, and sync
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Install packages with uv add. This updates pyproject.toml, resolves the dependency graph, and installs packages into the virtual environment.
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uv add requests ruff
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To lock and sync the environment:
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uv lock
uv sync
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Run scripts or tools
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Run Python scripts within the project’s virtual environment:
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uv run python main.py
uv run main.py
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Run installed tools directly:
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uv run ruff check .
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Export dependencies
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Export to a requirements.txt file:
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uv export -o requirements.txt
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Alternatively, compile from pyproject.toml:
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uv pip compile pyproject.toml -o requirements.txt

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Command Equivalency

For developers transitioning from pip and venv to uv:
pipuv
python -m venv .venvuv venv
pip install <package>uv add <package>
pip install -r requirements.txtuv add -r requirements.txt
pip freeze > requirements.txtuv export -o requirements.txt
pip listuv tree
pip uninstall <package>uv remove <package>

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Direct installation with uv pip install

uv also supports the traditional pip install interface: 
uv pip install <package>
uv pip install -r requirements.txt

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Managing Python Versions

uv will detect and use the system Python by default. You can also install and manage multiple Python versions: 
# Install the latest Python version
uv python install

# Install a specific Python version
uv python install 3.14

# Reinstall all previously installed Python versions
uv python install --reinstall

# View installed Python versions
uv python list

# Upgrade all installed Python versions
uv python upgrade

# Upgrade a specific Python version
uv python upgrade 3.13
After installation, uv automatically adds the installed Python version to your PATH: 
PS C:\Users\karchunt> python3.13
Python 3.13.7 (tags/v3.13.7:bcee1c3, Aug 14 2025, 14:15:11) [MSC v.1944 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
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