Python dependency management has long been… painful. If you've ever waited minutes for pip install or fought with environment inconsistencies, you know what I mean.
Enter uv — a blazing-fast Python package manager built in Rust, designed to be a drop-in replacement for pip, pip-tools, and even virtualenv.
If you care about speed, reliability, and reproducible environments — you should be using uv.
🚀 What Is uv?
uv is a packaging CLI for Python developed by Astral, focused on:
Lightning-fast dependency installs
Lockfile generation
uv pip compile)Isolated environment creation (no
virtualenvrequired)Full compatibility with existing
pipandpip-toolsworkflows
Think of it as the Rust-powered version of pip + pip-tools + virtualenv, all in one binary.
⚙️ How to Use uv
Install it:
curl -Ls https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | shTry it out with this reproducible benchmark:
Step 1: Create a requirements.txt file
pandas
httpx
sqlalchemy
polars
requests
psycopg[binary]Step 2: Benchmark with hyperfine
If you don’t already have it:
# macOS
brew install hyperfine
# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install hyperfine# Run the benchmark:
hyperfine -w 2 -r 5 'rm -rf venv-pip && python3 -m venv venv-pip && venv-pip/bin/pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt > /dev/null'
hyperfine -w 2 -r 5 'rm -rf venv-uv && uv venv venv-uv && UV_CACHE_DIR=$(mktemp -d) uv pip install -r requirements.txt --python venv-uv/bin/python > /dev/null'You’ll see uv run about 5–10x faster than pip — no magic, just Rust.
screenshot of the results from my personal Macbook Air (M3 Chip)
🔐 Why uv Is a Big Deal
Built in Rust → speed + safety
Drops into your existing project with zero config
Eliminates the need for
virtualenv,pip-tools, orvenvBetter DX for Python monorepos and CI pipelines
🧠 Why You Should Switch
You want faster CI/CD builds
You manage multiple environments and hate the overhead
You’re tired of
pipsilently doing the wrong thing
💬 Final Thoughts
Python tooling has lagged behind. uv is finally catching it up to modern expectations.
If you want:
One tool to manage environments, installs, and lockfiles
Ridiculous speed
Less frustration
Start using uv today.
It's not hype. It’s just better.
📚 Learn more:
GitHub: astral-sh/uv