Cython

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Freedom report

Three barsScore 6.5

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely3 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

Cython is ranked #7 of 28 in code transpilers on Freedom251. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. There is a free plan.

Cython plans and pricing

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Cython Free Freely available under the open source Apache 2.0 License cython.org · 30 Sept 2026

Compared on code transpilers

Free plan: Yes
Syntax-version conversion: No
Intermediate output: No
CLI access: Yes
API access: Yes
Conversion mode: source-to-source

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The record

What it does: Cython is an optimising static compiler for Python and the extended Cython language, used to write C extensions for Python.
Generated code: Cython translates source code into C or C++ code that can be compiled as Python extension modules.
Static typing: Optional static type declarations can help generate more efficient C code from Python-like code.
C and C++: Cython lets Python code call C or C++ code and supports declaring C or C++ types.
Debugging: Cython supports combined source-level debugging across Python, Cython and C code.
Data and libraries: The project describes using Cython with multidimensional NumPy arrays and integrating with existing low-level libraries and applications.
Installation: The documentation recommends installing Cython with pip and says some scientific Python distributions, including Anaconda and Sage, bundle it.
Build requirement: Cython requires a C compiler; the installation guide gives compiler guidance for Linux, macOS and Windows.
Python compatibility: The homepage says generated code compiles with major C and C++ compilers for CPython 3.8 and later, and describes PyPy support as mostly usable.
Experimental support: The homepage says support for the CPython Limited API and free-threading CPython is available in Cython 3.1 but considered experimental.
Support channels: The homepage directs users with questions to the Cython users mailing list and links a separate core developer mailing list.
Intended use: The project identifies wrapping external C libraries, embedding CPython in existing applications and speeding up Python code with fast C modules as use cases.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Code Transpilers in 2026#7 of 28

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Sources

cython.org· checked 30 Sept 2026
docs.cython.org/en/latest/src/quickstart/overview.html· checked 30 Sept 2026
docs.cython.org/en/latest/src/quickstart/install.html· checked 30 Sept 2026