Tired of Pip and Venv? Try UV Instead

What if there was a single, fast, all-in-one tool that could do it all?

👉 Meet UV — a blazing-fast Python package manager built in Rust by the folks behind the popular linter Ruff. UV aims to replace pip, venv, pip-tools, and even pipx — all through one intuitive interface.

The Traditional Workflow: Too Many Moving Parts

Here’s what starting a typical Python project often looks like:

1. Create a project folder
2. cd into it
3. Run python -m venv .venv to create a virtual environment
4. Activate the virtual environment
5. Run pip install to add packages like Flask or Requests
6. Create your code file (main.py)
7. Freeze dependencies into a requirements.txt
8. Share the project? The other person repeats all of this again.

Enter UV: The Streamlined Workflow

1. Project Setup Made Simple

Just run:

uv init my_project

2. Virtual Environments: Automated & Invisible

You don’t need to manually create or activate environments. When you install your first package, UV:

• Creates a .venv folder automatically
• Isolates your environment
• Installs everything super fast (thanks, Rust!)

3. Adding & Managing Dependencies

Want to add packages?

uv add flask requests

UV updates your pyproject.toml and generates a uv.lock file — ensuring exact reproducibility across machines. You also get:

• uv remove <package> to uninstall
• uv sync to recreate the exact environment from uv.lock

4. Running Code Without Activation

No need to activate the environment:

uv run main.py

Even if .venv is missing, UV will recreate it, install everything, and run your script — in one shot.

5. Visualize Your Dependency Tree

Want to see which packages depend on what?

uv tree

This gives you a clean, hierarchical view of your project dependencies.

Installing CLI Tools (Like pipx, but Better)

UV can also handle command-line tools like ruff, httpie, etc.

• Install globally: uv tool install ruff
• Run temporarily: uv tool run ruff check . or shortcut: uvx ruff check .
• Uninstall: uv tool uninstall ruff
• Upgrade: uv tool upgrade or uv tool upgrade --all
• List tools: uv tool list

No polluting global Python, no version clashes, and it’s fast.

Why Switch to UV?

• Speed: Written in Rust. UV is much faster than pip & friends.
• All-in-One: Replace 4 tools (pip, venv, pip-tools, pipx) with 1.
• Smart Caching: Packages are stored once, reused everywhere.
• Zero Manual Activation: Environment is auto-handled.
• Reproducibility: Lock files guarantee same environment for everyone.
• Beginner-Friendly: Great for newcomers — fewer commands, less confusion.

Migrating from an Existing Project?

Already have a project with requirements.txt?

1. Run uv init inside your existing folder
2. Then:

uv add -r requirements.txt

Boom — you're on UV, with lock files and all.

You can also ease in by using:

uv pip install <package>

This works like pip, but faster. Just note: this won’t create pyproject.toml or lock files — so you’ll miss out on UV’s core power.

Final Thoughts

UV is more than just faster tooling. It’s a rethinking of the Python development experience. From auto environments to lock files, to smart caching and CLI tool management — UV takes the complexity out of the equation.

If you’re tired of juggling tools, waiting for installs, or explaining venv to a newbie — UV might just be your new best friend.

👉 Try it out: https://github.com/astral-sh/uv