Saving Models with joblib and pickle
Learners will serialise a trained pipeline with both joblib and pickle, load it back, and verify predictions are identical to confirm successful round-trip.
Saving Models with joblib and pickle is a free Machine Learning Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 1 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Machine Learning Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.
Why Model Persistence Matters
Training a machine learning model is expensive: it can take minutes to hours and consumes significant compute. Model persistence saves the fitted model to disk so you can reload it instantly for inference without retraining. This is the bridge between the data science notebook and a production system — the serialised model file is the deployable artefact that data engineers package and serve.
What Gets Saved in a Model File?
When you serialise a fitted sklearn model or pipeline, the file captures: all fitted parameters (e.g., scaler mean and variance, tree structure, logistic regression coefficients), hyperparameter settings, and the Python class definition reference. It does NOT include the training data. Loading the file reconstructs a Python object ready to call predict immediately.
Saving with joblib.dump
joblib is the recommended serialisation tool for sklearn objects. It handles large NumPy arrays efficiently using memory mapping and supports transparent compression. The standard workflow is: train the model, dump it to a .joblib file, then load it in a separate script or service for inference.
import joblib
from sklearn.pipeline import Pipeline
from sklearn.preprocessing import StandardScaler
from sklearn.linear_model import LogisticRegression
from sklearn.datasets import load_breast_cancer
X, y = load_breast_cancer(return_X_y=True)
pipe = Pipeline([
('scaler', StandardScaler()),
('clf', LogisticRegression(C=1.0, max_iter=300))
])
pipe.fit(X, y)
# Save
joblib.dump(pipe, '/tmp/cancer_model.joblib')
print('Model saved to /tmp/cancer_model.joblib')Loading with joblib.load
joblib.load deserialises the file and returns the exact fitted pipeline object. The loaded model has all of the same attributes — named_steps, fitted scaler parameters, classifier coefficients — as the original. You can immediately call predict, predict_proba, or score without any additional setup.
import joblib
from sklearn.datasets import load_breast_cancer
from sklearn.model_selection import train_test_split
X, y = load_breast_cancer(return_X_y=True)
X_train, X_test, y_train, y_test = train_test_split(X, y, random_state=0)
# Load in a fresh context
model = joblib.load('/tmp/cancer_model.joblib')
predictions = model.predict(X_test[:5])
print('Predictions:', predictions)
print('Test accuracy:', model.score(X_test, y_test).round(4))Using pickle for Serialisation
Python's standard library pickle module also serialises sklearn objects. Open files in binary mode ('wb' for write, 'rb' for read). The pickle.HIGHEST_PROTOCOL constant uses the most efficient available protocol. For small models or scripting contexts, pickle is perfectly adequate.
import pickle
from sklearn.linear_model import LogisticRegression
from sklearn.datasets import load_iris
X, y = load_iris(return_X_y=True)
model = LogisticRegression().fit(X, y)
# Save
with open('/tmp/iris_model.pkl', 'wb') as f:
pickle.dump(model, f, protocol=pickle.HIGHEST_PROTOCOL)
# Load
with open('/tmp/iris_model.pkl', 'rb') as f:
loaded = pickle.load(f)
print('Score:', loaded.score(X, y).round(4))
print('Coefficients shape:', loaded.coef_.shape)Comparing joblib vs pickle File Sizes
For a large model like a RandomForest with 1000 trees, joblib's memory-mapped NumPy array storage is more efficient. The difference becomes especially pronounced when the model contains large parameter matrices. For small models (LogReg, SVM), the size difference is negligible.
import joblib
import pickle
import os
from sklearn.ensemble import RandomForestClassifier
from sklearn.datasets import make_classification
X, y = make_classification(n_samples=1000, n_features=20, random_state=0)
rf = RandomForestClassifier(n_estimators=100, random_state=0).fit(X, y)
# joblib
joblib.dump(rf, '/tmp/rf_model.joblib')
# pickle
with open('/tmp/rf_model.pkl', 'wb') as f:
pickle.dump(rf, f)
print(f'joblib size: {os.path.getsize("/tmp/rf_model.joblib"):,} bytes')
print(f'pickle size: {os.path.getsize("/tmp/rf_model.pkl"):,} bytes')Compression with joblib
Use joblib.dump(model, path, compress=3) to compress the file using zlib. Compression levels range from 1 (fast, larger) to 9 (slow, smallest). Level 3 is a practical default. For LZ4 compression (faster than zlib): compress=('lz4', 1). Load time slightly increases for compressed files but the network transfer and storage savings are often worth it.
import joblib
import os
from sklearn.ensemble import RandomForestClassifier
from sklearn.datasets import make_classification
X, y = make_classification(n_samples=1000, random_state=0)
rf = RandomForestClassifier(n_estimators=100, random_state=0).fit(X, y)
for level in [0, 3, 6, 9]:
path = f'/tmp/rf_compress_{level}.joblib'
joblib.dump(rf, path, compress=level)
size = os.path.getsize(path)
print(f'compress={level}: {size:,} bytes')Verifying Round-Trip Consistency
After loading, always verify that the loaded model produces identical predictions to the original. This guards against silent corruption, version mismatches, or incomplete file writes. Compare predictions with np.array_equal on the same input.
import joblib
import numpy as np
from sklearn.datasets import load_iris
from sklearn.pipeline import Pipeline
from sklearn.preprocessing import StandardScaler
from sklearn.linear_model import LogisticRegression
X, y = load_iris(return_X_y=True)
pipe = Pipeline([('sc', StandardScaler()), ('lr', LogisticRegression())]).fit(X, y)
original_preds = pipe.predict(X)
joblib.dump(pipe, '/tmp/verify_pipe.joblib')
loaded = joblib.load('/tmp/verify_pipe.joblib')
loaded_preds = loaded.predict(X)
if np.array_equal(original_preds, loaded_preds):
print('Round-trip PASSED: predictions are identical.')
else:
diff = (original_preds != loaded_preds).sum()
print(f'Round-trip FAILED: {diff} different predictions!')Version Pinning and Metadata
A model pickled with scikit-learn 1.2 may not load cleanly in scikit-learn 1.5 due to internal changes. Always store a metadata file alongside the model that records: sklearn version, Python version, training date, dataset version, and key metrics. This is your model card — the governance document that explains what the model is and how it was produced.
import json
import sklearn
import sys
from datetime import datetime
metadata = {
'model_file': 'cancer_model.joblib',
'sklearn_version': sklearn.__version__,
'python_version': sys.version.split()[0],
'training_date': datetime.utcnow().isoformat(),
'dataset': 'breast_cancer',
'test_accuracy': 0.9789,
'features': 30,
'algorithm': 'LogisticRegression'
}
with open('/tmp/cancer_model_metadata.json', 'w') as f:
json.dump(metadata, f, indent=2)
print(json.dumps(metadata, indent=2))Security: Never Load Untrusted Pickle Files
Critical security warning: both pickle and joblib can execute arbitrary Python code when loading. Never load a model file from an untrusted source — it could be a malicious payload disguised as a model. For models shared across organisations, consider safer formats: ONNX (Open Neural Network Exchange) is a standardised, inspectable format supported by most frameworks.
File Naming Conventions
Good naming conventions embed key information into the filename: algorithm, dataset, date, and metric. This makes the model registry self-documenting and prevents accidentally loading the wrong model version in production.
from datetime import date
from sklearn.metrics import accuracy_score
import joblib
# Example naming convention
dataset = 'breast_cancer'
algorithm = 'logreg'
test_acc = 0.9789
today = date.today().strftime('%Y%m%d')
filename = f'{dataset}_{algorithm}_{today}_acc{int(test_acc*100)}.joblib'
print('Model filename:', filename)
# e.g.: breast_cancer_logreg_20260620_acc97.joblib
# Load the model we saved earlier (demo)
model = joblib.load('/tmp/cancer_model.joblib')
print('Loaded OK')Quick Check
Test your understanding of model serialisation with joblib and pickle from this lesson.
Lesson Recap
In this lesson you learned: joblib.dump and joblib.load serialise and restore fitted sklearn models efficiently, pickle works too but joblib is preferred for models with large NumPy arrays due to memory mapping, and always store a metadata file alongside the model recording library versions, training date, and key metrics for governance. Next up we design a versioning naming convention and metadata sidecar to track multiple model versions in a model registry.
Frequently asked questions
Is the “Saving Models with joblib and pickle” lesson free?
Yes — the full text of “Saving Models with joblib and pickle” is free to read here on the web, and the Machine Learning Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the Machine Learning Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.
What will I learn in “Saving Models with joblib and pickle”?
Learners will serialise a trained pipeline with both joblib and pickle, load it back, and verify predictions are identical to confirm successful round-trip. You practise Machine Learning Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.
Do I need any experience to start Machine Learning Academy?
No prior experience is required. Machine Learning Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 1 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.
How long does the “Saving Models with joblib and pickle” lesson take?
Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.
Can I write and run code in this Machine Learning Academy lesson?
Yes. Every Machine Learning Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.