pip download: Fetch Packages Without Installing

Download distributions for offline installs without touching the environment.

pip download fetches packages and their dependencies into a directory without installing them - the basis for offline and air-gapped CI installs.

What it does

Resolves dependencies and downloads matching distributions (wheels and/or sdists) into a directory. You can target a different platform and Python version than the host.

Common usage

Terminal

pip download -d ./wheels requests
pip download -d ./wheels -r requirements.txt
pip download --only-binary=:all: \
  --platform manylinux2014_x86_64 \
  --python-version 311 \
  -d ./wheels numpy

Common CI error: sdist build when cross-targeting

When you pass --platform or --python-version, pip cannot build source distributions, so it errors unless every dependency has a matching wheel. Add --only-binary=:all: and ensure wheels exist.

Terminal

# Failure:
# ERROR: When restricting platform and interpreter
# version, you must only download wheels.

# Fix:
pip download --only-binary=:all: \
  --platform manylinux2014_x86_64 \
  --python-version 311 -d ./wheels numpy

Related guides

pip install --only-binary: Force Wheels, Skip BuildsHow pip install --only-binary forces wheel-only installs to avoid slow, fragile source builds in CI, the :all… pip wheel: Build Wheels for Your DependenciesHow pip wheel builds wheel archives for a project and its dependencies, why CI uses it to pre-build a wheelho… pip install -r: Install from requirements.txt in CIHow pip install -r installs every dependency from a requirements file, the flags that make it reproducible in…