GStars
    motdotla

    motdotla/dotenv

    Loads environment variables from .env for nodejs projects.

    backend
    configuration-file
    dotenv
    env
    environment-variables
    javascript
    JavaScript
    BSD-2-Clause
    20.6K stars
    983 forks
    100 GitHub watchers
    Updated Nov 10, 2026
    View on GitHub

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    Where it stands

    Rank, growth pace and release cadence relative to everything GStars tracks.

    The project lists 110 contributors on GitHub.

    Use Cases & Benefits

    • Loads environment variables from a .env file into process.env for Node.js projects.
    • Provides a zero-dependency, simple way to separate configuration from code following the Twelve-Factor App methodology.
    • Use for managing environment-specific configuration in local development setups.
    • Use for securely handling multiline secrets like private keys within environment variables.
    • Use for customizing environment variable loading with multiple .env files or custom paths.

    Should you depend on it?

    License terms, project hygiene and risks, from GitHub metadata and GStars' snapshots.

    License

    BSD 2-Clause

    Permissive: commercial use, modification and redistribution are allowed with attribution.

    Community files

    • README: present
    • Contributing guide: present

    Watch-outs

    • No GitHub releases; pin a commit or tag instead of a release.

    General guidance from repository metadata, not legal advice. How we score

    From the README

    🎉 announcing dotenvx. run anywhere, multi-environment, encrypted envs.

    Special thanks to our sponsors

    Tuple, the premier screen sharing app for developers on macOS and Windows.

    Dotenv is a zero-dependency module that loads environment variables from a .env file into process.env. Storing configuration in the environment separate from code is based on The Twelve-Factor App methodology.

    Excerpt from the motdotla/dotenv README on GitHub (BSD-2-Clause license). © its authors.Read the full README on GitHub

    Daily snapshots

    Stars gained per day, and how forks and open issues moved, from GStars' daily snapshots

    Forks

    983+29

    Open issues

    1-1

    Compared with peers in Backend

    Fastest-growing repositories GStars tracks in this cohort for the week of Nov 8, by 7-day star growth

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