How to Download and Install PyTorch
Daniel Hayes
Full-Stack Engineer · Leapcell

Key Takeaways
- PyTorch can be easily installed via pip or conda with official commands.
- Selecting the correct OS, package manager, and compute platform ensures proper installation.
- Verifying your setup with a simple Python test confirms successful installation.
Introduction
PyTorch is a leading open-source deep learning framework developed by Meta. It provides powerful tools like tensor operations, dynamic computation graphs, and GPU acceleration for tasks in computer vision, NLP, and more .
Step 1: Choose Your Installation Method 🎯
Visit the official “Get Started” page and select the options matching your system:
- PyTorch build: Typically the latest stable release (e.g., 2.7.0) .
- OS: Linux, macOS, or Windows.
- Package manager: Pip or Conda.
- Language: Python (most common).
- Compute platform: CPU-only, CUDA (GPU), or ROCm (AMD GPUs).
Then copy the generated install command.
Step 2: Install via Pip
Ensure Python 3.9+ and pip are installed. For pip:
CPU-only:
pip3 install torch torchvision torchaudio
With NVIDIA CUDA:
pip3 install torch torchvision torchaudio --index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cu<XX>
Replace <XX>
with your CUDA version (e.g. cu118
) .
Step 3: Install via Conda
Anaconda simplifies dependency handling:
CPU-only:
conda install pytorch torchvision torchaudio cpuonly -c pytorch
With CUDA:
conda install pytorch torchvision torchaudio cudatoolkit=<XX> -c pytorch
Step 4: Alternative Methods
-
Manual
.whl
file: Download directly fromdownload.pytorch.org/whl/cu118
, then install with:pip install torch‑<version>‑<scheme>.whl pip install torchvision torchaudio
Helpful if your connection breaks during pip fetch .
-
Build from source: Clone the PyTorch repo and use
python setup.py develop
after installing prerequisites like CUDA, cuDNN, cmake, ninja . -
Docker container:
docker pull pytorch/pytorch:latest docker run -it --rm --gpus all pytorch/pytorch:latest bash
Great for isolated setups .
Step 5: Verify Installation
Open Python and run:
import torch x = torch.rand(5, 3) print(x) print("CUDA available:", torch.cuda.is_available())
You should see a random tensor and a boolean confirmation for GPU access .
Helpful Video
Here’s a clear demonstration of installing PyTorch on Windows using pip:
Install PyTorch 2.0 on Windows | Pip | PyTorch 2.0
Troubleshooting Tips
- Virtual environments: Always activate venv or conda env before installing. Using the wrong shell can install PyTorch globally .
- Large downloads: If pip installation fails repeatedly, download the
.whl
file manually and install using pip for resumption support .
Summary Table
Step | What to Do |
---|---|
1 | Go to PyTorch website → select build, OS, package, language, compute |
2 | Use pip or conda with generated command |
3 | Manually install .whl , docker, or build from source if needed |
4 | Verify installation with a tensor and CUDA check |
FAQs
Use the official pip or conda commands from the PyTorch website.
Import torch in Python and run a tensor creation test.
Download the PyTorch .whl file manually and install with pip.
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