venv vs virtualenv vs Poetry vs uv: Choose Fast

venv vs virtualenv vs Poetry vs uv is not a bike-shed—it defines your dependency management contract. Pick the wrong tool and you get slow CI, missing lock files, and installs that drift between machines. This guide compares what each tool actually does (env creation, resolution, locking, publishing) so a team can standardize on one workflow with clear criteria. Quick comparison Tool Creates env Resolves dependencies Lock file Publishing Speed venv Yes No No No Medium virtualenv Yes No No No Med