Pipfile 〈BEST · 2025〉

However, the Python packaging ecosystem continues to evolve. The rise of pyproject.toml as the official standard has shifted recommendations for new projects. For libraries and new applications, many developers now prefer using Poetry or PDM with pyproject.toml —the format that provides a single source of truth for project metadata, build configuration, and dependencies.

: If you manage Python applications with multiple environments or care about reproducible builds, adopting Pipfile + Pipenv is a modern, secure, and productive upgrade from raw requirements.txt .

pipenv install requests

A Pipfile is the modern, recommended replacement for the traditional requirements.txt file in Python. Introduced by , it aims to bring the dependency management capabilities of other ecosystems (like Gemfile in Ruby or package.json in Node.js) into Python.

The Python Packaging Authority (PyPA) endorses Pipfile + Pipenv as a for application development. While newer tools like Poetry and PDM offer similar features, the Pipfile format remains the standard option tightly integrated with pip and PyPA tooling. Pipfile

[requires] python_version = "3.12"

This section defines where Pipenv should look for packages. By default, it points to the official Python Package Index (PyPI), but you can also add multiple sources, such as a private repository. However, the Python packaging ecosystem continues to evolve

[dev-packages] pytest = "*"

This section lists —packages required for your application to run in production. Pipenv supports several ways to specify dependencies: : If you manage Python applications with multiple

: