Install PyQt6 on Windows

Before you start coding you will first need to have a working installation of PyQt6 on your system. If you don't have PyQt6 set up yet, the following section will guide you through how to install PyQt6 on Windows step by step.

This guide is also available for macOS and Linux.

Note that the following instructions are only for installation of the GPL licensed version of PyQt. If you need to use PyQt in a non-GPL project you will need to purchase an alternative license from Riverbank Computing to release your software.

Prerequisites

Before installing PyQt6, make sure you have the following:

• Python 3.9 or later installed on your Windows machine. You can download the latest version from the official Python website.
• pip — the Python package installer, which is included by default with Python 3.4 and above.

To check that Python and pip are available, open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run:

python --version
pip --version

If both commands return version numbers, you're ready to install PyQt6.

Install PyQt6 on Windows Using pip

PyQt6 for Windows can be installed as for any other application or library. As of Qt 5.6, installers are available via PyPI, the Python Package Index. To install PyQt6 from Python 3, simply run the following command in your terminal or command prompt:

pip3 install pyqt6

After the installation is finished, you should be able to run python and import PyQt6.

Verify Your PyQt6 Installation

To confirm that PyQt6 has been installed correctly, open a Python shell and try importing the package:

import PyQt6.QtCore
print(PyQt6.QtCore.PYQT_VERSION_STR)

If no errors appear and a version number is printed, PyQt6 is ready to use on your Windows machine.

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Troubleshooting Common Installation Issues

If you run into problems installing PyQt6 on Windows, try the following:

• "pip is not recognized" — Make sure Python is added to your system PATH. You can re-run the Python installer and check the "Add Python to PATH" option.
• Permission errors — Try running Command Prompt as Administrator, or install with the --user flag: pip3 install --user pyqt6.
• Outdated pip — Upgrade pip before installing PyQt6: python -m pip install --upgrade pip.
• Conflicts with other Qt versions — If you have other PyQt or PySide versions installed, consider using a virtual environment to avoid conflicts:

python -m venv myenv
myenv\Scripts\activate
pip install pyqt6

Access Qt Designer and Qt Creator

Note that if you want access to Qt Designer or Qt Creator you will need to download this from the Qt downloads site.

Next Steps

Now that PyQt6 is installed on your Windows machine, you're ready to start building Python GUI applications. Check out our PyQt6 tutorials to create your first window, add widgets, and design complete desktop apps.