Comparison between Python Launcher for Windows and Unix

[oleksis]

Feature	Python Launcher for Windows	Python Launcher for Unix
Platform	Windows	Unix-like operating systems
Selecting Python version	Based on shebang lines, file extensions, command-line options, using environment variables or configuration files (.ini)	Based on shebang lines, using PY_PYTHON environment variables, specifying a specific version or in the the PATH environment variable
Virtual environments	Can be used	Can be used
Conda environments	Not supported	Can be used
Interactive mode	Available	Available
Launching scripts	From command line or file explorer	From command line
Cross-platform support	Not applicable	Yes
Install Python on demand	Available (via installer)12	Not available

Footnotes

1. https://docs.python.org/3/using/windows.html#install-on-demand Python Launcher for Windows has the additional feature of being able to install Python on demand via its installer, which is not available in Python Launcher for Unix. This allows users to easily install Python if it is not already installed on their system ↩

2. https://gist.github.com/oleksis/c22ed90daa922c1a072d2593a7f8d5b4#python-launcher-for-windows-installer Python Launcher for Windows Installer ↩