untangle

Convert XML documents to Python objects for easy access.

EstablishedOpen SourceLow lock-in

Pricing

Free tier

Flat rate

Adoption

Stable

License

Open Source

Data freshness

Aging · Jun 8, 2026

Overview

What is untangle?

Untangle is a lightweight library that converts XML documents into Python objects, making it easier to work with XML data in Python applications. It simplifies the process of accessing and manipulating XML content by providing an intuitive object-oriented interface.

Key differentiator

Untangle stands out as a simple, dependency-free library that makes working with XML in Python straightforward and accessible.

Capability profile

Capability Radar

Ease of StartEcosystemValueMaturityFlexibilityScale Ready

Honest assessment

Strengths & Weaknesses

↑ Strengths

Converts XML to Python objects for easy access.medium

Lightweight and simple API.medium

No external dependencies.medium

↓ Weaknesses

Limited error handling for complex XML structureshigh

Untangle may fail or provide incomplete objects when encountering deeply nested or malformed XML.

Lack of advanced XML parsing featuresmedium

Does not support XPath queries, XSLT transformations, or DTD/DTD validation out-of-the-box.

Performance issues with large XML fileshigh

Untangle loads the entire XML into memory as objects, leading to high memory usage for large documents.

Small and less active community supportmedium

GitHub repository has minimal contributions and infrequent updates compared to more established libraries like lxml.

Fit analysis

Who is it for?

✓ Best for

Developers who need to parse and manipulate XML data within their Python projects.

Projects that require a lightweight solution for XML processing without external dependencies.

✕ Not a fit for

Applications requiring complex XML schema validation or transformation.

Scenarios where performance is critical and XML parsing needs to be highly optimized.

Cost structure

Pricing

Free Tier

Available

Open source — free to use

Starts at

$0

Model

Flat rate

Enterprise

None

Performance benchmarks

How Fast Is It?

Ecosystem

Relationships

Next step

Get Started with untangle

Step-by-step setup guide with code examples and common gotchas.

View Setup Guide →