PDM vs pip

PDM—Visit Ppip—Visit

PDM #3 in Python Package Managers —/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 5 features Visit PDM

vs

P pip #5 in Python Package Managers —/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 5 features Visit pip

• PDM fits best

  Teams needing workspaces and private indexes

• pip fits best

  Standard PyPI installation and dependency workflows

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. It never changes our verdict. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	PDM —/10 Visit ↗	Ppip —/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	—	—
Ranking	#3 in Python Package Managers	#5 in Python Package Managers
Best for	Teams needing workspaces and private indexes	Standard PyPI installation and dependency workflows
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Self-hosted
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features PDM 1/5 · pip 1/5
Lockfile support	✓	✓
Environment management	Not published	Not published
Package publishing	Not published	Not published
Private registry	Not published	Not published
Dependency groups	Not published	Not published
Specs
Supported platforms	Not published	Not published
Our review
Pros	Lockfiles support reproducible dependency synchronization Private index configuration includes authentication Builds and publishes wheels and source distributions	Installs packages from PyPI, private indexes, VCS URLs, and local projects Resolves dependencies and supports requirements and constraints files Supports caching, private-index authentication, and offline wheelhouses
Cons	Workspace support is documented as experimental Its focus is limited to Python packaging workflows Centralized caching may require cache configuration for best fit	The pylock.toml lock command is experimental Supported runtimes are CPython 3.10–3.15 and latest PyPy3 Its workflow is centered on command-line package installation
Our verdict	PDM is an open-source Python package and dependency manager for developers building applications and libraries. It combines dependency resolution, lockfile-based synchronization, virtual environment management, project metadata support,… Read the review →	pip is an open-source command-line package installer for Python projects that need to obtain, resolve, and install dependencies. It fits teams working with PyPI, private package indexes, version-control systems, local project directories,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• PDM — where it wins

  • Lockfiles support reproducible dependency synchronization
  • Private index configuration includes authentication
  • Builds and publishes wheels and source distributions

  Where it doesn't

  • Workspace support is documented as experimental
  • Its focus is limited to Python packaging workflows
  • Centralized caching may require cache configuration for best fit

• pip — where it wins

  • Installs packages from PyPI, private indexes, VCS URLs, and local projects
  • Resolves dependencies and supports requirements and constraints files
  • Supports caching, private-index authentication, and offline wheelhouses

  Where it doesn't

  • The pylock.toml lock command is experimental
  • Supported runtimes are CPython 3.10–3.15 and latest PyPy3
  • Its workflow is centered on command-line package installation

• PDM—/10 · Free plan

  A standards-focused manager for reproducible environments, workspaces, and private indexes.

  Visit PDMFull verdict →
• Ppip—/10 · Free plan

  A capable open-source choice for standard PyPI installs and dependency workflows.

  Visit pipFull verdict →