Boost Your Python Projects: 6 Must-Have Libraries Every Developer Needs

PyPy

PyPy is a fast Python interpreter with a JIT compiler, offering on average 7.5× speed improvements over CPython. Compatibility with many popular frameworks has improved in version 5.9.

Version 5.9 adds support for NumPy and Pandas on Python 2.7, improves CFFI integration, and speeds up JSON parsing.

Download binaries from https://pypy.org/download.html (Windows, macOS, Linux) and source code at https://bitbucket.org/pypy/pypy.

CFFI

CFFI (C Foreign Function Interface) simplifies calling C libraries from Python, offering a more convenient alternative to ctypes.

Version 1.11 adds support for Python 3.7 betas, better Windows error handling, and new C types such as float/double complex and Unicode‑enabled char16_t/char32_t.

Install via pip: pip install cffi or download from https://pypi.python.org/pypi/cffi.

PyInstaller

PyInstaller packages Python applications into standalone executables, bundling required third‑party libraries.

Version 3.3 adds full support for Python 3.6, a more compatible bootloader for Windows, and extended support for libraries like Qt, GTK+, NumPy, and Django. Future cross‑platform packaging is planned.

Install with pip: pip install pyinstaller or download from https://pypi.python.org/pypi/PyInstaller/3.3; source code is on GitHub.

PBR

PBR (Python Build Reasonableness) automates common Setuptools tasks such as versioning, changelog generation, and Sphinx documentation.

Originally part of OpenStack, it is now independent and can be installed via pip: pip install pbr, with source on GitHub.

WxPython

WxPython provides Python bindings for the wxWidgets UI toolkit, enabling cross‑platform desktop applications on Windows, macOS, Linux, and other Unix‑like systems.

Version 4.0 (Phoenix) introduces performance improvements and a modern API, though migration from earlier versions requires code changes.

Install via pip: pip install wxpython or download from https://pypi.python.org/pypi/wxPython/4.0.0b2; source is on GitHub.

Mypy

Mypy adds optional static type checking to Python, improving code consistency and maintainability without runtime overhead.

Version 0.530 introduces protocol support, TypedDict types, and stricter per‑file checking options.

Install via pip: pip install mypy; source and releases are on GitHub.