Does uv install pip in a virtual environment by default?

No. uv virtual environments are created without pip because uv replaces pip's role for installing and resolving packages. Run `uv pip install pip` to add pip to an existing venv, or `uv venv --seed` to create a new one that includes it. In a project with a lockfile, `uv sync` uninstalls pip again unless you track it with `uv add --dev pip`.

How do I add pip to an existing uv virtual environment?

Run `uv pip install pip` from the project root with the venv already created. uv installs pip into `.venv/` so commands like `pip list` and Jupyter's `%pip` magic work. The next `uv sync` or `uv run --exact` uninstalls it, along with anything pip installed, because those commands prune packages missing from the lockfile. Run `uv add --dev pip` to make it stick.

Why would I need pip inside a uv-managed project?

Some tools call pip as a subprocess and assume it is on the venv's `PATH`. The most common case is Jupyter's `%pip install` magic command, which runs `pip` from the active kernel's environment. Older build tools and notebook-based teaching material also expect pip. For everything else, uv's own commands are the better choice.

How do I activate a uv-created virtual environment?

On macOS or Linux, run `source .venv/bin/activate`. On Windows, run `.venv\Scripts\activate`. After activation, `pip list` and `python` resolve to the venv's binaries. Activation is optional with uv because `uv run ` executes inside the venv automatically without changing the shell's state.

How to use pip in a uv virtual environment

by Tim Hopper · Markdown

uv Virtual Environments verified with uv 0.12 verified with pip 26.2

Only add pip to uv environments when specifically needed for compatibility with tools that directly call pip. For regular package management, continue using uv commands (uv add/uv sync), which offer better performance and reliability.

When working with uv, you might occasionally need access to pip in your virtual environments, particularly when using tools that rely on pip directly, such as Jupyter’s %pip magic command.

Add pip to a uv virtual environment

uv creates virtual environments without pip. If .venv already exists, install pip into it:

uv pip install pip

uv pip install targets the .venv in the current directory (or the one named by $VIRTUAL_ENV). The --system flag and UV_SYSTEM_PYTHON=1 bypass that venv and aim at the system interpreter, which is usually externally managed and refuses the install.

For a fresh environment, seed pip at creation time:

uv venv --seed

uv venv --seed errors out when a .venv is already there. Add --clear to replace it, which discards everything currently installed.

Keep pip through the next uv sync

In a project with a pyproject.toml and a uv.lock, uv sync removes every package the lockfile does not list. That includes pip and anything pip installed:

$ uv sync
Resolved 5 packages in 1ms
Uninstalled 2 packages in 21ms
 - pip==26.2
 - six==1.17.0

uv run --exact prunes the same way. Plain uv run does not, so pip survives until the next explicit sync.

To keep pip permanently, let the lockfile own it:

uv add --dev pip

pip is then a tracked dev dependency, and uv sync reinstalls it instead of deleting it.

Run pip commands

uv run executes inside the environment with no activation step:

uv run pip list

To use bare pip instead, activate the environment first:

source .venv/bin/activate
pip list

Learn More

uv: A Complete Guide covers what uv does, how fast it is, the core workflows, and recent releases.

Last updated on August 1, 2026

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