How to fix How to fix 'pip: command not found' in Python in Python

PythonINTERMEDIATEMEDIUM

This error means pip is not installed or not in your system PATH. pip is the Python package manager and must be installed to manage packages.

What this error means

pip is a command-line tool installed as part of Python or separately. When you type 'pip' in your terminal, the operating system searches your PATH directories for an executable named 'pip'. If pip is not installed or not in PATH, the command is not found.

Typical symptoms

Typing 'pip install' returns 'command not found'
Works with 'python -m pip' but not 'pip'
Error appears on fresh system or new virtual environment
Works on one Python installation but not another
pip3 works but pip does not
Terminal shows 'pip: command not found' or 'command not found: pip'
which pip returns nothing

Common causes

Python installed without pip
pip not in system PATH
Using wrong Python installation
Virtual environment not activated
pip script not executable on Unix/Mac
Using Python 2 (which used easy_install instead)
Installing Python from source without including pip

How to fix this error

1Verify the root cause

Review the error message above and identify which cause applies to your situation. Run additional diagnostics if needed.

2Apply the appropriate fix

Follow the corresponding solution from the causes section above.

3Retry the installation

Once you've addressed the root cause, try running 'pip install' again.

Related errors

Official resources & further reading

📚Python Official Documentation
📖
pip installation guide(Official Docs)
💬
SO: pip command not found(Stack Overflow)
📖
Python packaging tool recommendations(Official Docs)