Making pip installs a little less slow

Installing your Python application’s dependencies can be surprisingly slow.
Whether you’re running tests in CI, building a Docker image, or installing an application, downloading and installing dependencies can take a while.

So how do you speed up installation with pip?

In this article I’ll cover:

  • Avoiding the slow path of installing from source.
  • pip download speed, and the alternatives: Pipenv and Poetry.
  • A useful pip option that can, sometimes, speed up installation significantly.

Avoiding installs from source

When you install a Python package, there are two ways you can install it, typically: