How to check python version?

How do I check my Python version?

Short answer: Open a terminal and run python --version, or python3 --version on macOS and Linux. The answer looks like Python 3.15.2. On Windows, py list shows every version you have installed. Inside a script, import sys and print(sys.version) tell you which version is running your code. The latest release is Python 3.15.2, from October 25, 2026: if yours is older, see how to update Python.

You can have several versions of Python installed at the same time, so the useful question is not only which version you have, but which one runs when you type python, which one your editor uses and which one your project needs. This guide answers the three.

On Windows, python --version answers directly. On macOS, plain python does not exist, so you use python3. From Python, sys.version_info gives the version as numbers you can compare.

Check your Python version at a glance

python -V with a capital V does the same as python --version. python -VV adds build details, such as the compiler and the date.

Check the Python version on Windows

Open PowerShell, Windows Terminal or CMD from the Start menu and run:

python --version

To see every version installed:

• With the Python install manager, the tool that python.org recommends today, run py list.
• With the older Python launcher that came with the python.org installer, run py -0.

To run a specific version, use py -V:3.14 --version with the install manager.

To find out which file runs when you type python, use where.exe python in PowerShell, or where python in CMD. In PowerShell, plain where is a shortcut for another command and prints nothing.

If you get Python was not found; run without arguments to install from the Microsoft Store, Windows is running its own shortcut instead of Python. Install Python first, or turn off the two App Installer entries for python.exe and python3.exe in Settings > Apps > Advanced app settings > App execution aliases.

Check the Python version on macOS

Open the Terminal app (press Cmd + Space and type Terminal) and run:

python3 --version

macOS no longer includes a python command, so python --version answers command not found: python. That does not mean Python is missing: use python3.

To see every python3 on your PATH, and which one comes first:

which -a python3

If you installed a specific version with Homebrew, call it by its full name, for example python3.15 --version.

Check the Python version on Linux

Open a terminal and run:

python3 --version

Many distributions, such as Ubuntu, only include python3. To see the versioned commands installed on your system:

ls /usr/bin/python3*

Check the Python version from a script

Your code can read the version of the Python that runs it:

import sys
print(sys.version)           # 3.15.2 (main, ...) as text
print(sys.version_info[:3])  # (3, 15, 2) as numbers
print(sys.executable)        # the path of the Python running this file

sys.version_info is the one to use in conditions, because you can compare it with a tuple:

import sys
 
if sys.version_info < (3, 10):
    sys.exit("This program needs Python 3.10 or newer")

platform.python_version() also returns the version as text, such as '3.15.2'.

Check the version in VS Code, Jupyter and virtual environments

• VS Code: the version of the selected interpreter appears in the status bar when you open a Python file. To change it, open the Command Palette and run Python: Select Interpreter.
• Jupyter Notebook: run import sys; print(sys.version) in a cell. It shows the kernel's Python, which can be different from the one in your terminal.
• Virtual environment: activate it and run python --version. Inside it, python is always the version you created it with.
• pyenv: pyenv version shows the active version and pyenv versions lists them all.

Check your Python version with AI

An AI assistant such as ChatGPT, Claude or GitHub Copilot is useful when the version you see is not the one you expected. These three prompts are ready to copy.

1. Understand which Python you are using

I'm on [Windows 11 / macOS 15 / Ubuntu 24.04].
python --version shows [Python 3.12.4] and python3 --version shows [Python 3.15.2].
This is the output of [where.exe python / which -a python3]:
[paste the output]
Explain which Python runs with each command and which one I should use for a new project.

2. Check if your version works with a project

My Python version is [3.15.2]. This is my project's requirements.txt or pyproject.toml:
[paste it]
Tell me if any package or setting needs a different Python version,
and what to change if it does.

3. Make your script check the version

Write a short Python check for the start of my script that stops with a clear message
if the Python version is older than [3.11], and explain why it uses sys.version_info.

Check the answer against the output of python --version on your own computer before you change anything.

What the version number means

A Python version has three numbers, for example 3.15.2:

Python 3.15 is the newest minor version, and 3.14 and 3.13 still receive fixes. If your terminal shows Python 2.7, you are running an old system Python: use python3, or install a current version.

Common errors when you check your Python version

Related guides

• How to update Python
• How to update Python in the terminal
• How to install Python
• What is pyenv and how to install it
• How to exit Python in the terminal