uv vs PDM

uv—Visit PDM—Visit

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

vs

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

• uv fits best

  Modern all-in-one Python project management

• PDM fits best

  Teams needing workspaces and private indexes

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Side by side

Feature	uv —/10 Visit ↗	PDM —/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	—	—
Ranking	#1 in Python Package Managers	#3 in Python Package Managers
Best for	Modern all-in-one Python project management	Teams needing workspaces and private indexes
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Docs	Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features uv 1/5 · PDM 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	Universal lockfiles support consistent resolution across macOS, Linux, and Windows Combines environments, Python versions, workspaces, builds, and publishing Supports private indexes, Git and local dependencies, caching, and offline operation	Lockfiles support reproducible dependency synchronization Private index configuration includes authentication Builds and publishes wheels and source distributions
Cons	Its broad scope may be more than users seeking only pip-compatible installation need Cargo-style workspaces are useful mainly for multi-package repositories Additional architectures and operating systems have separate support tiers	Workspace support is documented as experimental Its focus is limited to Python packaging workflows Centralized caching may require cache configuration for best fit
Our verdict	uv is an open-source Python package and project manager from Astral, written in Rust. It is aimed at individual developers and teams that want one tool for dependency resolution, project and virtual-environment management, Python version… Read the review →	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 →

Strengths and trade-offs

• uv — where it wins

  • Universal lockfiles support consistent resolution across macOS, Linux, and Windows
  • Combines environments, Python versions, workspaces, builds, and publishing
  • Supports private indexes, Git and local dependencies, caching, and offline operation

  Where it doesn't

  • Its broad scope may be more than users seeking only pip-compatible installation need
  • Cargo-style workspaces are useful mainly for multi-package repositories
  • Additional architectures and operating systems have separate support tiers

• 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

• uv—/10 · Free plan

  An open-source toolkit for managing modern Python projects from dependencies to publishing.

  Visit uvFull verdict →
• PDM—/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit PDMFull verdict →