venvlink and pipenv

venvlink is very different tool than pipenv. (See also: python-virtual-environments).

Scopes

venvlink is a virtual environment management tool, where the main purpose is just to create links to activate scripts of virtual environments inside project folders.
pipenv is a dependency manager tool which replaces pip, and creates virtual environment automatically, mapping projects to their virtual environments. It is highly optimized for a 1:1 workflow (1 venv per project).

pipenv creates virtual environments automatically when running pipenv install in the project folder. The virtual environment name will be project's root directory plus a hash from the full path of the project's root, e.g. myproject-a83de32.
Creating virtual environments with venvlink is the same as creating virtual environments with python -m venv <project_name>. It is also possible to just create a link to existing virtual environment with venvlink.

Because pipenv follows 1:1 mapping between projects and virtual environments, you will always have as many virtual environments as projects started with pipenv. There is no way to reuse virtual environments.
With venvlink, it is possible to create as many links as you wish to same virtual environment; you can have only 6 virtual environments that serve 20 projects.

With pipenv it is possible to run python scripts without activating virtual environment with pipenv run ..., when command is ran in the project folder.
Another way activating venvs in pipenv is running pipenv shell inside project folder or one of it's subfolders.
Using virtual environments outside the project folder would looks something like this in pipenv: Let's say you have two dependent .py files in same folder and you want to run them in a virtual environment of myproj, the process would be
- cd into the project folder (myproj)
- pipenv shell to activate the virtual environment
- cd into the folder with the two .py files.
- Run the script(s)
With venvlink, one would activate the virtual environment using the activate script ("link") located in the project folder. The cwd can be anything when the activate script is ran.
With venvlink it is also possible to run the python executable directly with <venv_folder>/<venv_name>/Scipts/python.exe ..., if needed (as with when using venv without venvlink)
It is also possible to use pew with venvlink. (and activate virtual environments using pew workon myproject)
venvlink (0.5.0+) has support for automatically activating and deactivating virtual environments in Powershell using venvlink-autoenv.

With pipenv, there exists 1:1 mapping between virtual environments and projects; The project also can only use it's own virtual environment. Changing virtual environment is possible only by removing and recreating the virtual environment altogether.
With venvlink it is possible to point a project to new virtual environment just by python -m venvlink new_venv_name. It is possible to change a virtual environment really fast, and it can include changing the python version.
venvlink can also create links pointing to centralized virtual environments created with any other tool, such as pew.

Sometimes projects need to be relocated or the project path needs to be renamed slightly.

If project folder is renamed or relocated*, pipenv cannot find the virtual environment anymore. (see this and this)
If project folder is renamed or relocated withing the same computer, the activate scripts created with venvlink will continue working, since they are just one-way links to the real activate scripts.

^{* When using the the centralized folder for virtual environments with pipenv.}