Last Updated on March 22, 2026
IPython is an enhanced interactive Python shell. It provides a rich toolkit to help you make the most out of using Python interactively.
IPython can be used as a replacement for the standard Python shell, or it can be used as a complete working environment for scientific computing (like Matlab or Mathematica) when paired with the standard Python scientific and numerical tools.
It supports dynamic object introspections, numbered input/output prompts, a macro system, session logging, session restoring, complete system shell access, verbose and colored traceback reports, auto-parentheses, auto-quoting, and is embeddable in other Python programs.
Key Features
- Powerful interactive shells (terminal and Qt-based).
- A browser-based notebook with support for code, rich text, mathematical expressions, inline plots and other rich media.
- Support for interactive data visualization and use of GUI toolkits.
- Flexible, embeddable interpreters to load into your own projects.
- Easy to use, high performance tools for parallel computing.
- Single program, multiple data (SPMD) parallelism.
- Multiple program, multiple data (MPMD) parallelism.
- Message passing using MPI.
- Task farming.
- Data parallel.
- Combinations of these approaches.
- Custom user-defined approaches.
Website: ipython.org
Support:
Developer: The IPython Development Team
License: BSD License
IPython is written in Python. Learn Python with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Open Source Python Shells | |
|---|---|
| IPython | Enhanced interactive Python shell |
| ptpython | Advanced Python Read-Eval-Print Loop |
| bpython | Fancy interface to the Python interpreter for Linux, BSD, OS X and Windows |
| IDLE | Integrated development environment for Python |
| DreamPie | Python shell which is designed to be reliable and fun |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
| Notebook software | |
|---|---|
| JupyterLab | The next generation user interface for Project Jupyter |
| RStudio | Integrated development environment (IDE) for R |
| Jupyter Notebook | Web-based notebook environment for interactive computing |
| Positron | Next-generation data science IDE |
| marimo | Reactive Python notebook |
| Apache Zeppelin | Multi-purpose notebook |
| IPython | Rich architecture for interactive computing |
| Polynote | Experimental polyglot notebook environment |
| nteract | Notebooks on your Desktop |
| Pluto | Simple reactive notebooks for Juli |
| Pretzel | Billed as a modern replacement for Jupyter Notebooks |
| Spark Notebook | Interactive and reactive data science using Scala and Spark |
| BeakerX | Kernels and extensions to the Jupyter interactive computing environment |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
 Explore our comprehensive directory of recommended free and open source software. Our carefully curated collection spans every major software category.This directory is part of our ongoing series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. It features hundreds of detailed reviews, along with open source alternatives to proprietary solutions from major corporations such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. You’ll also find interesting projects to try, hardware coverage, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. Discovered a useful open source Linux program that we haven’t covered yet? Let us know by completing this form. |