What it does
Most machine learning trains a model on a fixed dataset all at once. River does "online" learning instead: the model updates itself with each new piece of data as it arrives, which suits live data streams.
It includes many standard methods, such as linear models, decision trees, nearest-neighbour methods, anomaly detection, drift detection (noticing when data patterns change) and recommendation systems.
Who it's for
Data scientists and developers working with real-time or streaming data.
Can I use it without coding?
Developers only. It's a Python library used in your own code. New to this? Start here.
Can I run it?
- Cost
- FreeNothing to pay or sign up for.
- Runs on
- Mac, Windows, Linux
- Computer
- An ordinary computer is fine
- Privacy
- Runs on your own device: your data stays with you
- API key
- Not needed
Try it
Using Claude Code, Cursor or another AI coding assistant? Paste the prompt and it will walk you through the setup.New to this?
Before you install
- Only download from the official GitHub page. Copies with similar names exist for many popular projects.
- License (BSD-3-Clause): Permissive: free to use, change and share, including for business.
- More on staying safe