Python Project Management Primer Revisited
uv as a holistic tool to manage Python projects
Six months ago, the article “Python Project Management Primer” was published, covering in detail how Python virtual environments work, the importance of .lock files, managing Python runtime versions, choosing dependency managers, and structuring projects effectively. However, I believe it’s worth revisiting that article, as new tools have since matured that can be valuable for both project and dependency management.
uv
uv1 (successor of rye) is a Python package and project manager written in Rust by Astral, the company behind the popular Python linting and formatting tool ruff.
Why Now
With recent releases, uv has introduced full support for different dependency groups (0.4.27) and functionality to display outdated packages (uv tree --outdated, 0.5.0), which, in my opinion, were important missing pieces for standard developer workflow.
Advantages of UV Over Existing Tools
Beyond its renowned speed, uv offers a range of enhancements for Python project management:
Unified Toolset: uv can replace Poetry, pyenv, and pipx, consolidating your toolset and enhancing the developer experience (DX).
PEP Adherence: Unlike some other tools (e.g., Poetry, which lacks full support for PEP 621 and 735), uv strictly follows PEP guidelines, ensuring compatibility and future-proofing.
Workspace Support: uv introduces workspaces inspired by Rust’s cargo, improving structure and manageability for larger projects.
Astral’s DX Commitment: Astral extends uv with integrations like Python Docker images, distroless Docker images with uv, and GitHub Actions for uv-setup, simplifying CI/CD and easing the developer’s maintenance workload.
UV API/Documentation Overview
Notes regarding certain commands/groups:
uv tool: Replaces pipx, enabling installation of Python tools in isolated environments.
uv python: A substitute for pyenv, managing Python versions with ease.
uv pip: Compatible with pip, allowing integration for projects still using pip while benefiting from uv’s features.
uv tree: Displays and analyzes the project’s dependency tree.
uv sync: The primary command, akin to poetry install, which ensures all dependencies are installed and aligned with the lockfile.
The rest of the API closely matches Poetry, making it intuitive and familiar to use. Astral offers thorough documentation—a highly appreciated resource. Key documentation sections for new users include:
One of the key advantages of uv as a holistic tool for Python project management, with good documentation, is that it eliminates the need for supplementary resources like articles or guides on integrating separate tools such as Poetry, pipx, and pyenv (as we covered in “Python Project Management Primer”).
Concerns
One potential concern with adopting uv as a tool from Astral is the uncertainty surrounding its long-term stability and business model. Astral is currently venture-funded, which could lead to shifts in its operational approach once initial funding depletes. This uncertainty raises questions about whether uv might eventually adopt a restrictive or proprietary license model, similar to other VC-backed open-source projects that have pivoted to increase profitability. Additionally, uv relies heavily on Rust, a language less familiar to many Python developers. This choice, while technically sound, could narrow the pool of potential maintainers, limiting community support and increasing risk if Astral’s involvement lessens.
Hopes
As predicting the future is challenging, engineers sometimes have to take leaps of faith, committing to a tool with the hope that it will continue to be improved, maintained, and remain under a stable, open license. My hope is that Astral successfully develops business models that don’t involve changing the licenses of uv or ruff. However, even if a license change occurs, the Python community retains the option to fork the project. Given uv’s strong adherence to PEP standards, its maintenance and development could feasibly be continued by the open-source community.
Looking at Poetry
My previous workflow for managing Python projects relied on a combination of Poetry, pipx, and pyenv, with Poetry as the core and most complex component. While this toolchain was likely the best option before uv reached maturity, some concerns arose around its long-term viability for maintaining large projects. Though there are uncertainties about uv and ruff’s future due to Astral’s venture funding and potential monetization needs, I’m equally concerned about Poetry’s pace of updates and ongoing feature development.
The creator of Poetry no longer appears actively involved in its development, having shifted focus to new projects. Active development in Poetry also appears limited, particularly when examining recent release activity (see Figures 1 and 2). Since the end of February, there have been few, if any, feature updates, with almost a year passing without substantial changes. In contrast, uv has shown a markedly faster pace of development (see Figures 3 and 4). While adopting uv has its risks, relying on Poetry for large projects may introduce different but equally concerning challenges for long-term maintenance.
Conclusions
uv is emerging as a powerful open-source tool for managing Python projects, showcasing rapid development and nearing maturity. With recent releases, including 0.4.27 and 0.5.0, which filled in key missing pieces, uv has become a comprehensive and highly effective replacement for tools like Poetry, pyenv, and pipx. It offers a seamless, PEP-compliant experience well-suited to modern Python development workflows.
While there are potential uncertainties surrounding Astral’s long-term intentions—given its venture-funded model and the possibility of future licensing shifts—I’m optimistic about uv’s open-source foundation and believe the Python community is well-positioned to support and, if necessary, fork and maintain the project should it come to that. For now, I’m excited to start integrating uv into my workflow for larger projects.