Hugging Face Hub - AI Model Hubs Tool
Overview
Hugging Face Hub (huggingface_hub) is the official Python client for the Hugging Face Hub. It provides a programmatic interface to browse, download, and upload models, datasets, and other repository assets hosted on the Hub. The library exposes high-level conveniences—hf_hub_download, snapshot_download, push_to_hub, Repository class, and the HfApi client—so projects and scripts can integrate Hub workflows (model discovery, caching, versioned artifacts, metadata management) without manual Git or HTTP plumbing. The client supports both Git-based repository operations (cloning, commits, LFS-managed large files) and REST interactions (listing models/datasets, reading model cards, managing access tokens). It integrates cleanly with Transformers, Diffusers, and Datasets ecosystems by providing stable download/caching primitives and utilities for pushing model weights, config files, and README/model card updates. According to the GitHub repository, the project is Apache-2.0 licensed and under active maintenance, with frequent commits and contributions from a broad open-source community.
GitHub Statistics
- Stars: 3,238
- Forks: 897
- Contributors: 287
- License: Apache-2.0
- Primary Language: Python
- Last Updated: 2026-01-09T13:13:40Z
- Latest Release: v1.3.0
According to the GitHub repository, huggingface_hub has 3,238 stars, 897 forks, and 287 contributors, and is licensed under Apache-2.0. The latest commit was recorded on 2026-01-09, indicating ongoing maintenance. The contributor count and frequent commits suggest an active community and healthy PR/issue throughput. Broad usage across Hugging Face libraries and many downstream projects further indicates stable API surfaces and community-driven feature additions.
Installation
Install via pip:
pip install huggingface_hubpip install --upgrade huggingface_hubgit lfs install # recommended for large model files Key Features
- hf_hub_download and snapshot_download for reproducible, cached model and dataset artifact downloads
- HfApi client for programmatic listing, creating, and managing models and datasets
- push_to_hub and upload_folder to push model files, config, and model cards to a Hub repo
- Repository class to clone, commit, and manage repo contents including Git LFS integration
- Utilities for building and parsing model cards, metadata, tags, and license files
- Token-based authentication via huggingface_hub.login to manage private repositories and access
- Compatibility helpers for Transformers, Diffusers, and Datasets ecosystems
Community
The project has a sizable open-source community (3,238 stars, 897 forks, 287 contributors) and is actively maintained. Community support is available via GitHub issues/PRs and Hugging Face forums, with frequent contributions and rapid iteration on features and bug fixes.
Key Information
- Category: Model Hubs
- Type: AI Model Hubs Tool