uv pip list

List installed packages in table format.

uv pip list displays installed packages in a human-readable format. It is similar to pip list but offers additional output formats and faster performance.

Usage

# List all packages
uv pip list

# List in JSON format
uv pip list --format json

# List outdated packages
uv pip list --outdated

# List editable packages only
uv pip list --editable

Arguments

Filtering Options

-e, --editable

Show only editable packages.

uv pip list --editable

--exclude-editable

Exclude editable packages from output.

uv pip list --exclude-editable

--exclude · package[]

Exclude specific packages from output.

uv pip list --exclude setuptools --exclude wheel

--outdated

List outdated packages with available updates.

Shows both installed and latest versions.

uv pip list --outdated

Output Format

--format · string

Output format: columns, freeze, or json.

• columns: Human-readable table (default)
• freeze: pip freeze format
• json: Machine-readable JSON

Default: columns

uv pip list --format json
uv pip list --format freeze

Python Environment

-p, --python · string

Python interpreter from which to list packages.

By default, lists from virtual environment or system Python if no venv is found.

uv pip list --python 3.11
uv pip list --python /path/to/python

Environment: UV_PYTHON

--system

List packages from system Python, ignoring virtual environments.

uv pip list --system

Environment: UV_SYSTEM_PYTHON

-t, --target · path

List packages from a --target directory.

uv pip list --target ./libs

--prefix · path

List packages from a --prefix directory.

uv pip list --prefix /opt/myapp

Validation

--strict

Validate the environment, detecting packages with missing dependencies.

uv pip list --strict

Index Options

--index · url[]

Package indexes to check for updates (for --outdated).

uv pip list --outdated --index https://pypi.org/simple

Environment: UV_INDEX

--default-index · url

Default package index (for --outdated).

uv pip list --outdated --default-index https://private.pypi.org/simple

Environment: UV_DEFAULT_INDEX

-i, --index-url · url

Deprecated: Use --default-index instead.

Environment: UV_INDEX_URL

--extra-index-url · url[]

Deprecated: Use --index instead.

Environment: UV_EXTRA_INDEX_URL

-f, --find-links · path|url[]

Additional locations to search for packages (for --outdated).

uv pip list --outdated --find-links ./wheels

Environment: UV_FIND_LINKS

--no-index

Ignore package indexes (for --outdated).

uv pip list --outdated --no-index --find-links ./wheels

--index-strategy · string

Index selection strategy: first-index, unsafe-first-match, or unsafe-best-match.

Default: first-index

Environment: UV_INDEX_STRATEGY

--keyring-provider · string

Keyring provider for authentication: disabled, subprocess.

Default: disabled

Environment: UV_KEYRING_PROVIDER

Version Constraints

--exclude-newer · date

Exclude packages uploaded after the specified date (for --outdated).

uv pip list --outdated --exclude-newer 2024-01-01

Environment: UV_EXCLUDE_NEWER

--exclude-newer-package · package=date[]

Exclude specific packages uploaded after dates (for --outdated).

uv pip list --outdated --exclude-newer-package "numpy=2024-01-01"

--prerelease · string

Pre-release handling (for --outdated): disallow, allow, if-necessary, explicit, or if-necessary-or-explicit.

Default: if-necessary-or-explicit

Environment: UV_PRERELEASE

Cache Options

--refresh

Refresh all cached data (for --outdated).

uv pip list --outdated --refresh

--refresh-package · package[]

Refresh cached data for specific packages (for --outdated).

uv pip list --outdated --refresh-package numpy

Output Formats

Columns (Default)

Human-readable table format:

Package               Version
--------------------- ---------
certifi               2024.2.2
charset-normalizer    3.3.2
idna                  3.6
requests              2.31.0
urllib3               2.2.1

Freeze Format

Same as uv pip freeze:

certifi==2024.2.2
charset-normalizer==3.3.2
idna==3.6
requests==2.31.0
urllib3==2.2.1

JSON Format

Machine-readable JSON:

[
  {
    "name": "certifi",
    "version": "2024.2.2"
  },
  {
    "name": "charset-normalizer",
    "version": "3.3.2"
  },
  {
    "name": "requests",
    "version": "2.31.0",
    "editable_project_location": "/path/to/requests"
  }
]

Outdated Format

With --outdated, shows available updates:

Package     Version  Latest   Type
----------- -------- -------- -----
requests    2.30.0   2.31.0   wheel
numpy       1.24.0   1.26.0   wheel

Examples

Basic Usage

# List all packages
uv pip list

# List with line numbers
uv pip list | nl

# Count packages
uv pip list --format freeze | wc -l

Filter Output

# Show only editable packages
uv pip list --editable

# Exclude editable packages
uv pip list --exclude-editable

# Exclude specific packages
uv pip list --exclude pip --exclude setuptools

Different Formats

# Human-readable table
uv pip list

# Freeze format
uv pip list --format freeze

# JSON format
uv pip list --format json

# Pretty-print JSON
uv pip list --format json | jq

Check for Updates

# List outdated packages
uv pip list --outdated

# Outdated in JSON
uv pip list --outdated --format json

# With custom index
uv pip list --outdated --index https://private.pypi.org/simple

Specific Environment

# From specific Python
uv pip list --python 3.11

# From system Python
uv pip list --system

# From target directory
uv pip list --target ./libs

Process with Tools

# Search for package
uv pip list --format freeze | grep requests

# Export to JSON file
uv pip list --format json > packages.json

# Count outdated packages
uv pip list --outdated --format freeze | wc -l

# Check for specific outdated package
uv pip list --outdated --format freeze | grep numpy

Use Cases

Audit Installed Packages

# View all packages
uv pip list

# Check for outdated dependencies
uv pip list --outdated

Generate Reports

# JSON report for tooling
uv pip list --format json > packages.json

# Freeze format for requirements
uv pip list --format freeze > requirements.txt

Compare Environments

# Export both environments
uv pip list --format json > local.json
uv pip list --python /path/to/prod/python --format json > prod.json

# Compare with jq
jq -s '.[0] - .[1]' local.json prod.json

CI/CD Health Checks

# Check for outdated packages in CI
if uv pip list --outdated --format freeze | grep -q .; then
  echo "Outdated packages found"
  uv pip list --outdated
fi

Find Development Packages

# List editable installs (usually dev packages)
uv pip list --editable

Differences from pip list

uv pip list is largely compatible with pip list:

# pip command
pip list

# Equivalent uv command
uv pip list

Key Differences

1. Performance: uv is faster, especially for --outdated
2. Default format: Both use columns by default
3. JSON schema: Slightly different structure
4. Index options: uv uses --index instead of --extra-index-url

Unsupported pip Options

Most pip list options are supported. Notable exceptions:

• --uptodate: Not implemented (inverse of --outdated)
• --user: Use --system or virtual environments
• Some legacy pip list behaviors

Comparison with uv pip freeze

Feature	uv pip list	uv pip freeze
Default format	Table (columns)	requirements.txt
Formats	columns, freeze, json	Text only
Use case	Viewing/inspection	Reproducible installs
Outdated check	Yes	No
Editables	Shows installed	Shows source paths

# For viewing
uv pip list

# For requirements files
uv pip freeze > requirements.txt

# List can also output freeze format
uv pip list --format freeze > requirements.txt

Related Commands

• uv pip freeze - Output in requirements format
• uv pip show - Show package details
• uv pip install - Install packages