How to Install Pip for Blender's Bundled Python and Use It to Install Packages?

First of all, pip is not part of Python so it doesn't come by default with Blender.

It has to be installed for Blender's bundled Python even if you already have pip for some other version of Python on your system.
For this get the get-pip.py file from the pip documentation

You'll find the blender python binary at:

/blender-path/2.xx/python/bin/python 

Use this binary to run the get-pip.py. If you have it saved in your home directory the command to use should look something like this:

$ /path/to/blender/blender-path/2.xx/python/bin/python3 ~/get-pip.py 

You should now have pip installed for blender. You use it with blenders python too and you have to point to the pip that was installed for blenders python. Both are in blenders folder tree and you use them like this:

$ /blender-path/2.xx/python/bin/python /blender-version/2.xx/python/local/lib/python3.5/dist-packages/pip install scipy 

This installs scipy for your blenders python. Of course you have to adjust names according to the version you use, but it worked for me for 2.77.

I just tried to do this again and with a recent build I did not have to point to he installed pip, calling blenders python was enough, my command looked like:

/path/to/blenderspython/python pip install module 

blender-2.8: pip is already included so the only step to do this for blender-2.8 is:

$ /path/to/blenderspython/pip install module 

Pip can be installed into blender's bundled python using a package that is already in blender's bundled python, called 'ensurepip'. I did this on linux, using a direct download of blender from the site, rather than a linux distro packaged version. Open a terminal in this location /path-to-blender-download/blender-2.xxetc/2.80/python. Then run this command from the terminal, (not the blender console, not from a python session):

 bin/python3.6m lib/python3.6/ensurepip 

this tells the blender python to run the ensurepip package. This installed pip into blender-2.80etc/2.80/python/bin. So then using that version of pip:

bin/pip3 install --target lib/python3.6 packageName 

So that then installs packageName into blender's bundled python, using a version of pip that is now in blender's bundled python.

The target option can be used with pip from another source on your system, to tell it to install the package into blender's python instead of the system python. For that to work, the system pip needs to be a compatible version to the blender python. The above method ensures they are compatible.

Since PIP is included with Blender from ~2.8 onward you can install things via pip directly from the Blender scripting workspace eg

#For Blender 2.92: #You have to have admininistor priviledges so for Windows users #JUST THIS ONCE open Blender by R-clicking on it in the start menu and select"Run as Administrator" #Open up the System Console (under the Window menu) #Then paste and run the following into the scripting workspace and run it # After it has run, then close and reopen Blender normally # You can then then use the module as normal with # import MODULE #--- FROM HERE ---# import subprocess import sys import os # path to python.exe python_exe = os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'bin', 'python.exe') # upgrade pip subprocess.call([python_exe, "-m", "ensurepip"]) subprocess.call([python_exe, "-m", "pip", "install", "--upgrade", "pip"]) # install required packages subprocess.call([python_exe, "-m", "pip", "install", "PACKAGE_TO_INSTALL"]) print("DONE") ``` 

Using pip by blender --python-expr

# Get pip: equl to /blender-path/2.xx/python/bin/python3.7m -m ensurepip blender -b --python-expr "__import__('ensurepip')._bootstrap()" # Update pip toolchain blender -b --python-expr "__import__('pip._internal')._internal.main(['install', '-U', 'pip', 'setuptools', 'wheel'])" # pip install numpy (or any package) blender -b --python-expr "__import__('pip._internal')._internal.main(['install', 'numpy'])" ``` 

For Blender 2.93.5, this is what worked for me:

Note: I'm on Linux (Manjaro), adjust accordingly. Also, I download and use Blender directly from its folder, along with its shipped version of Python. More on that below**.

Installing pip and packages:

Ensure pip is installed, using ensurepip - more on ensurepip

./path/to/blender-2.93.5-linux-x64/2.93/python/bin/python3.9 -m ensurepip

Note: ensurepip has an --upgrade flag, but I like upgrading the traditional way; see next step. What about that -m flag?

Upgrade pip:

./path/to/blender-2.93.5-linux-x64/2.93/python/bin/python3.9 -m pip install -U pip

Install your package using pip via Python:

./path/to/blender-2.93.5-linux-x64/2.93/python/bin/python3.9 -m pip install packagename

Or install your package using pip directly:

./path/to/blender-2.93.5-linux-x64/2.93/python/bin/pip3 install packagename

Note: change packagename to an actual package name you'd like to install.

*Also note: running pip, pip3 or pip3.9 is all the same, in this case; under this context; but not if running directly from python (only use pip, in that case.) If you open these three files up in an editor you'll see they are "shortcuts" for calling the pip module.

** I like keeping separate version copies of Blender and directly using the version of Python that ships with them. I don't use the Blender from my package manager, in other words. This keeps things self contained and I don't have to mess with pyenv/virtualenv for the separate blender version of python or pollute my main system setups etc. Partly why I needed to know how to use pip directly from Blender in the first place.

Aside:

If you use VS Code to edit your python scripts for Blender and have Pylance installed, you can add this to your settings.json or *.code-workspace file:

"python.analysis.extraPaths": [ "./path/to/blender-2.93.5-linux-x64/2.93/scripts/modules", "./path/to/blender-2.93.5-linux-x64/2.93/python/lib/python3.9/site-packages" ], 

Used to specify extra search paths for import resolution. source

This will turn off the warnings about not finding imports for bpy and pip installed packages, if any (adjust accordingly.)

Also, one might consider fake-bpy-module for code completions.

First make sure your Blender System Console is open by clicking menu Window > Toggle System Console so you can see installation progress.

Go to Scripting Tab and run the following script. It simply gets the path to your current python_exe file and installs the ensurepip module, which can install pip in a Python environment. pip is simply a thing that can install python packages such as NumPy.

import subprocess import sys import os python_exe = os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'bin', 'python.exe') subprocess.call([python_exe, '-m', 'ensurepip']) subprocess.call([python_exe, '-m', 'pip', 'install', '--upgrade', 'pip']) 

This can take a while, so check your console to see the progress. Once pip has been successfully installed, you can run this script to install any python package. In this example I install the SciPy library package:

import subprocess import sys import os python_exe = os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'bin', 'python.exe') subprocess.call([python_exe, '-m', 'pip', 'install', '--upgrade', 'scipy']) 

Replace scipy with any other library or package you need to install.

Handling Permissions Restrictions in Blender’s Python

Sometimes, the lib and site-packages folders may not be writable by the user due to permission restrictions.

C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender 4.4\4.4\python\lib C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender 4.4\4.4\python\lib\site-packages 

In such cases, the installation process will default to a different location, such as the user-specific directory (e.g., AppData on Windows). This can prevent the module from being installed correctly in Blender's Python environment, leading to issues when trying to import or use the installed module. Here's a workaround:

import subprocess import sys from pathlib import Path python_exe = str(sys.executable) lib = Path(python_exe).parent.parent / "lib" subprocess.call([python_exe, "-m", "ensurepip", "--user" ]) subprocess.call([python_exe, "-m", "pip", "install", "--upgrade", "pip" ]) subprocess.call([python_exe, "-m", "pip", "install", f"--target={str(lib)}", "scipy"]) 

Forcing Package Installation in Blender’s Python

If this issue persists because your operating system prevents writing to Blender's bundled lib directory, you can force the installation by running Command Prompt as Administrator. Once the elevated command prompt is open, run the Python executable from Blender's installation directly. To find the correct path to Blender’s Python, you can print the value of python_exe in Python:

import os, sys python_exe = os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'bin', 'python.exe') print(python_exe) 

This will display the exact path to the Python binary that comes with Blender. For example, in my case it is:

C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender 4.5\4.5\python\bin\python.exe 

You can then use this path in the administrator command prompt to install packages directly into Blender's Python environment. Run it with the following parameters:

-m pip install --ignore-installed --upgrade --force-reinstall <package-name> 

To install a package (for example, scipy) directly into Blender's bundled Python (bypassing user-site directories), make sure all Blender windows are completely closed, then run the following command:

"C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender 4.5\4.5\python\bin\python.exe" -m pip install --ignore-installed --upgrade --force-reinstall scipy