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Race uv against pip on a cold cache install

Same packages, same box, cold cache: pip took 7.07 seconds, uv took 0.50 seconds.

Originally posted · Published here , tested on Python 3.13.5, pip 25.1.1, uv 0.13.6 on Linux · 4 sources

Same packages, same box, cold cache: pip took 7.07 seconds, uv took 0.50 seconds. I ran this test on 2 November 2026 with Python 3.13.5, pip 25.1.1, and uv 0.13.6 on a single Linux box.

Install uv

The fastest way is the standalone installer [1]:

bash
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

Or install it as a Python tool:

bash
pipx install uv

You should see uv available on your path.

Use uv in place of pip

The pip interface supports common pip workflows, with differences documented in the compatibility guide [2][4]. Point it at your venv's Python:

bash
uv pip install --python .venv/bin/python -r requirements.txt

You should see the packages installed into .venv. Measure the elapsed time on your own setup.

Race them yourself

Warning: the commands below delete and recreate the .venv folder. Run these in a disposable benchmark directory, not in an existing project with a venv you want to keep.

Create a fresh venv and time pip with no cache:

bash
python3 -m venv .venv && time .venv/bin/pip install --no-cache-dir requests flask pandas

Remove the venv and race uv:

bash
rm -rf .venv
python3 -m venv .venv && time uv pip install --no-cache --python .venv/bin/python requests flask pandas

Run each two or three times. In my test:

Runpip (s)uv (s)Ratio
17.070.5014.1x
26.370.4314.8x
36.280.5511.4x

Your numbers will depend on your network and the packages you install. The point is to measure on your own setup.

What changed

The only difference between the pip and uv commands:

text
Before: .venv/bin/pip install --no-cache-dir requests flask pandas
After:  uv pip install --no-cache --python .venv/bin/python requests flask pandas

uv is free and open source under Apache 2.0 or MIT, developed by Astral [3].

Repeat the comparison with the packages you actually use.

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Questions about this guide

Does this result predict every install?

No. These timings cover the recorded packages on one Linux machine. Package selection, network conditions and cache state affect results.

Can I use uv as a drop-in replacement?

uv supports common pip workflows, but it does not implement every pip option or read pip configuration files. Check the compatibility guide before switching.

Sources

  1. uv installation docsdocs.astral.sh
  2. uv pip interface docsdocs.astral.sh
  3. uv repogithub.com
  4. uv pip compatibilitydocs.astral.sh

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