uv vs pip: Python Packaging and Dependency Management (Overview)

uv vs pip: Python Packaging and Dependency Management Rodrigo Girão Serrão 01:52

When it comes to Python package managers, the choice often comes down to uv vs pip. You may choose pip for out-of-the-box availability, broad compatibility, and reliable ecosystem support. In contrast, uv is worth considering if you prioritize fast installs, reproducible environments, and clean uninstall behavior, or if you want to streamline workflows for new projects.

In this video course, you’ll compare both tools. To keep this comparison meaningful, you’ll focus on the overlapping features, primarily package installation and dependency management.

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00:00 Hey there, I’m Rodrigo, and in this course I’m going to help you figure out whether you should use uv or pip for your packaging and dependency management needs.

00:10 So in this course, it’s assumed that you know what uv and pip are for, and this course will not teach you how to use these tools.

00:18 Instead, we’ll be taking a look at their differences and similarities so that you can make an informed decision when deciding whether you should use one or the other.

00:29 Now, the format of this course will also be very specific. You’re going to be presented with pieces of information about uv and pip, comparing the two tools, and then based on that information, you can establish a criteria that helps you decide whether you should use uv or pip. As an example,

00:48 uv and pip can both be used to install packages and to manage your dependencies, but uv has other features. uv allows you to manage virtual environments, to do project management, to install and manage the Python installations themselves, among other things.

01:06 So based on this information, you could already determine that you want to use uv if what you’re looking for is an all-in-one tool. But if that’s not what you’re looking for, if the only thing you need is a tool to install packages and manage dependencies, then you might still be able to use either uv or pip, depending on the importance you give to the criteria you’re going to learn about next.

01:35 So with this in mind, in the next lesson, you’re going to take a look at a high-level overview between the differences and similarities of uv and pip for their shared subset of features, which is package installation and dependency management.

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