pygments

A generic syntax highlighter for code hosting, forums, wikis, and other applications

Vendor
Pygments
Also known as
pygments

What is pygments?

Pygments is an open-source syntax highlighter that supports 602+ languages and text formats. It provides multiple output formats (HTML, RTF, LaTeX, ANSI sequences) and can be used as both a command-line tool and a Python library.

Independently observed

pygments pricing

We don't have pygments's full plan breakdown yet (its pricing page resisted automated reading). Here's what we could confirm. Always check live pricing for exact numbers.

Pricing as of verify at live pricing ↗Independently observed
Open sourceFree tier

Free, open-source

Platform & deployment

Independently observed
Platforms
  • CLI
  • Web
Deployment
  • Cloud / SaaS
  • Self-hosted

pygments FAQ

Common questions about pygments, answered from independent, dated evidence.

What is Pygments?

Pygments is a syntax highlighting package written in Python. It applies color and formatting to source code to improve readability and visual presentation across different programming languages.

Source: https://pygments.org

Is Pygments free to use?

Yes, Pygments is open source software with no licensing or subscription costs. Users can freely download and integrate it into their projects at no expense.

Source: https://pygments.org

What programming language is Pygments written in?

Pygments is written in Python. This makes it naturally compatible with Python-based projects and development environments.

Source: https://pygments.org

Can Pygments be used in commercial applications?

Yes, open source projects like Pygments can generally be used in commercial contexts. The exact terms of use are governed by the project's open source license.

Source: https://pygments.org

Is Pygments suitable for production environments?

Yes, Pygments can be deployed in production systems and integrated into live applications. As a stable open source package, it is available for production use.

Source: https://pygments.org

Who typically uses Pygments?

Developers and projects requiring code syntax highlighting commonly use Pygments, including documentation generators, code editors, development utilities, and technical content platforms.

Source: https://pygments.org

What category of tool is Pygments?

Pygments is a developer tool specifically designed to provide syntax highlighting functionality. It helps teams and individuals improve code readability through visual formatting.

Source: https://pygments.org

pygments alternatives

Other developer tools we track, ranked by the same independent score.

Independent · unbought · dated

The Vioscale score: one lens on the evidence

Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for pygments, not the verdict.

Balanced composite 68 / 100
low · 41%
Signal contributions to the composite score
SignalScoreWeightContributionEvidence
Package Downloads1000.2828.0
Github Activity600.1810.9
Github Stars630.053.2
Release Cadence90.121.1
Security Posture00.140.0-
Stackoverflow Activity00.140.0-

Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.

All data & sourcesshow ↓

Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.

Activity

AttributeValueEvidence
Commits last 30d82mediumsource · 2026-07-31 · 65%

Adoption

AttributeValueEvidence
Github stars2,196highsource · 2026-07-31 · 90%
Package downloads weekly294,427,231highsource · 2026-07-31 · 85%

Content

AttributeValueEvidence
Faq[{"answer":"Pygments is a syntax highlighting package written in Python. It applies color and formatting to source code to improve readability and visual presentation across different programming languages.","source":"https://pygments.org","question":"What is Pygments?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Yes, Pygments is open source software with no licensing or subscription costs. Users can freely download and integrate it into their projects at no expense.","source":"https://pygments.org","question":"Is Pygments free to use?","confidence":1},{"answer":"Pygments is written in Python. This makes it naturally compatible with Python-based projects and development environments.","source":"https://pygments.org","question":"What programming language is Pygments written in?","confidence":1},{"answer":"Yes, open source projects like Pygments can generally be used in commercial contexts. The exact terms of use are governed by the project's open source license.","source":"https://pygments.org","question":"Can Pygments be used in commercial applications?","confidence":0.85},{"answer":"Yes, Pygments can be deployed in production systems and integrated into live applications. As a stable open source package, it is available for production use.","source":"https://pygments.org","question":"Is Pygments suitable for production environments?","confidence":0.85},{"answer":"Developers and projects requiring code syntax highlighting commonly use Pygments, including documentation generators, code editors, development utilities, and technical content platforms.","source":"https://pygments.org","question":"Who typically uses Pygments?","confidence":0.8},{"answer":"Pygments is a developer tool specifically designed to provide syntax highlighting functionality. It helps teams and individuals improve code readability through visual formatting.","source":"https://pygments.org","question":"What category of tool is Pygments?","confidence":0.95}]highsource · 2026-07-31 · 91%

Language

AttributeValueEvidence
PrimaryPythonhighsource · 2026-07-31 · 98%

License

AttributeValueEvidence
SpdxBSD-2-Clausehighsource · 2026-07-31 · 95%

Pricing

AttributeValueEvidence
Modelopen_sourcemediumsource · 2026-08-05 · 60%
Free tierYesmediumsource · 2026-08-05 · 60%
Price levelfreemediumsource · 2026-08-05 · 60%
TransparentYesmediumsource · 2026-08-05 · 60%

Release

AttributeValueEvidence
Cadence days164mediumsource · 2026-07-31 · 70%

Reliability

AttributeValueEvidence
Status pageYesmediumsource · 2026-08-05 · 60%