uvx — run Python tools without installing them

uvx invokes a tool without installing it. Running uvx ruff, for example, executes the Ruff command-line tool directly. The command is exactly equivalent to uv tool run, and is described in uv's own documentation as an alias for it. Tools invoked this way are placed in temporary, isolated environments rather than being added to a project or to the user's global environment.

• Equivalent to uv tool run
• Runs tools in ephemeral, isolated environments
• Comparable in role to pipx as described in uv's documentation

uvx is part of uv, which lists running and installing tools published as Python packages among its core features. In uv's feature breakdown, the tools section groups uvx / uv tool run with uv tool install, uv tool uninstall, uv tool list and uv tool update-shell. Where uvx runs a tool in a temporary environment, uv tool install places it user-wide.

The --from option allows a command to be invoked from a specific package when the command name and the package name differ. Versions can be requested by appending @<version> to the command, as in uvx [email protected] check. The same syntax applies to Python itself: uvx [email protected] will download Python 3.12 if it is not already installed.

• --from selects the package providing the command
• command@<version> requests a specific version
• Python versions are downloaded automatically when required

Astral's own tools document uvx as a quick way to get started. The ty documentation instructs users to run uvx ty check, which type-checks all Python files in the working directory or project by default. Ruff's installation page shows uvx [email protected] check for linting and uvx [email protected] format for formatting all files in the current directory. uv's own overview demonstrates uvx pycowsay 'hello world!', which resolves and installs the package into an ephemeral environment before running it.

• uvx ty check — run the ty type checker
• uvx [email protected] check — lint with a pinned Ruff version
• uvx [email protected] format — format with a pinned Ruff version
• uvx pycowsay 'hello world!' — example from the uv overview

uvx is distributed as part of uv, so installing uv makes the command available. uv can be installed with the standalone installer via curl on macOS and Linux or PowerShell on Windows, and is also published to PyPI, Homebrew, MacPorts, WinGet, Scoop, crates.io, Docker and GitHub Releases. uv supports macOS, Linux and Windows and is installable without Rust or Python via curl or pip. The uninstall instructions for uv refer to removing the uv, uvx and uvw binaries, confirming uvx ships as its own executable.

• Standalone installer for macOS, Linux and Windows
• Also available via pip/pipx, Homebrew, MacPorts, WinGet, Scoop, Cargo and Docker
• Ships alongside the uv and uvw binaries
• Documentation hosted at docs.astral.sh/uv