You can, with eyes open. Under Semantic Versioning, a 0.y.z version means anything may change at any time and the public API should not be treated as stable. Budget for breaking changes, pin the exact version, and keep the library behind a thin wrapper so a change touches one place.
What the version number promises
The Semantic Versioning specification describes the 0.y.z range as initial development, where the public API is not stable. Many projects stay on 0.x for years, and some are widely used and carefully maintained. The number tells you what the authors promise, not how good the code is.
The OpenSSF guide to evaluating open source software also advises caution with version strings that signal instability, such as a leading zero or alpha and beta labels. It is a flag to look closer, not a ban.
When 0.x is acceptable
- The feature is experimental or easy to cut
- The library is small and your usage covers a handful of calls
- The maintainers publish a changelog and have a record of shipping fixes
- You have tests that describe the behavior you rely on
When to avoid it
- The feature is a customer commitment with a fixed date
- The library handles authentication, cryptography, or untrusted input
- Only one person maintains it and releases are rare
- You would have no time to adapt if the interface changed
Practical rules for a team that proceeds
- Pin exactly. Do not allow ranges that float across 0.x minor versions, because under the spec a minor bump can contain breaking changes at this stage.
- Wrap the library. Expose your own interface and keep imports in one module.
- Test the behavior you rely on. Write those tests at the wrapper boundary.
- Read every release note. Put update review on the calendar rather than hoping it is routine.
- Plan a recheck. Set a date to see whether the library has reached 1.0 or whether a more stable alternative exists.
How to explain it on the roadmap
Add a line to the feature's risk notes: dependency X is at 0.x, expected churn is moderate, the mitigation is a wrapper plus pinned version, and the recheck is on a named date. This sets expectations early and avoids the argument later about why an update took longer than a patch.
Security angle
Instability and security interact. Fast changing APIs make updates costly, and costly updates get postponed, which leaves known vulnerabilities in place longer. A wrapper and tests lower the cost of updating, which is the real defense.
Quick check
Is 0.x the same as beta?
Not exactly. It means the API is not promised stable. Some 0.x libraries are mature in practice.
Do pinned versions stop vulnerability fixes?
Only if you never update. Pin for reproducibility, then update deliberately and often.
Safeguard's dependency scanning and policy gates can flag pre-1.0 components in a build, and the free scan at gold.safeguard.sh/scan shows what you depend on.
Sources
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
