PyInstaller with Pandas creates over 500 MB exe

PyInstaller creates a big executable from conda packages and a small executable from pip packages. From this simple python code:

from pandas import DataFrame as df
print('h')

I obtain a 203MB executable using conda packages and a 30MB executable using pip packages. But conda is a nice replacement for pure virtualenv. I can develop with conda and Jupyter, create some script 'mycode.py' (I can download Jupyter notebook as py-file in myfolder).

But my final solution is next: If you do not have it, install Miniconda and from the Windows Start Menu open Anaconda Prompt;

    cd myfolder
    conda create -n exe python=3
    activate exe
    pip install pandas pyinstaller pypiwin32
    echo hiddenimports = ['pandas._libs.tslibs.timedeltas'] > %CONDA_PREFIX%\Lib\site-packages\PyInstaller\hooks\hook-pandas.py
    pyinstaller -F mycode.py

Where I create a new environment 'exe', pypiwin32 is needed for pyinstaller but is not installed automaticaly, and hook-pandas.py is needed to compile with pandas. Also, importing submodules does not help me optimize the size of the executable file. So I do not need this thing:

from pandas import DataFrame as df

but I can just use the usual code:

import pandas as pd

Also, some errors are possible along using the national letters in paths, so it is nice the english user account for development tools.

Here's a way to still be using conda and avoid mkl. Install numpy before installing pandas with this alternate command:
conda install -c conda-forge numpy

Avoids mkl, uses an OpenBLAS package in its place. Full explanation in this issue at conda/conda-forge/numpy-feedstock github repo.

This is probably because the Anaconda version of numpy is built using mkl.

If you want to reduce the size of the distributable, you could work with a seperate building virtual environment with the packages installed through pip instead of conda