lifetimes review
A focused, open-source toolkit for repeat-purchase CLV modeling in Python.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
lifetimes is an open-source Python library for data scientists, analysts, and developers who need to analyze repeat-purchase behavior and estimate customer lifetime value from transactional data. It supports customer lifetime value calculation, frequency, recency, and customer-age summaries, along with predictive purchase modeling. The product is designed for teams building CLV analysis in Python rather than selecting a hosted application.
Its main strength is the concentration of established customer-purchase analysis tools in one library. BG/NBD and related models support purchase prediction, while Gamma-Gamma modeling addresses monetary value. Users can calculate customer probability-alive, estimate expected future purchases, generate RFM summaries, and create calibration and holdout datasets. Purchase-behavior visualization adds a way to inspect model inputs and outputs. The published category specifications identify predictive CLV, profitability metrics, and a configurable forecast horizon, making lifetimes a fit for focused modeling workflows built around transaction history.
The key qualification is project status. The official repository identifies lifetimes as archived, says it will not receive new features or issue responses, and points to PyMC-Marketing as a successor project. That makes lifetimes most suitable for lightweight, Python-based CLV work where its existing model set matches the requirement and the team can manage a library-centered workflow. Organizations seeking an actively maintained project, a hosted product, or broader platform coverage should consider the successor direction instead.
lifetimes pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Supports BG/NBD, Gamma-Gamma, RFM, and probability-alive analysis
- Predicts expected future purchases from transactional data
- Includes calibration, holdout, and purchase-behavior visualization tools
- Where it doesn't
- The repository is archived
- It will not receive new features or issue responses
- It is a Python library rather than a hosted application
lifetimes fact sheet, pricing and score →
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update