django-dotenv
foreman reads from .env. manage.py doesn't. Let's fix that.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if your Django project uses Python 3.5–3.8 and corresponding Django versions from that era. The package is simple, dependency-free, and solves a real problem. No, if you are using modern Python or Django versions, because the package is abandoned and untested on those releases. Verify compatibility with your exact versions before installing.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires dotenv module to be available; conflicts with python-dotenv if both are installed.
- Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies.
- However, the package is abandoned—last release was in 2017 and last commit in 2021—so it will not receive bug fixes or security updates.
License · maintenance · safety
permissive license (permissive) — Licensed under MIT (permissive), so you can use, modify, and distribute it freely with minimal restrictions.
last release 2017-12-11 (3168 days) · last repo commit 2021-11-29 · 577 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 239,863 downloads/mo, #8,914 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install django-dotenv
# In manage.py:
import dotenv
if __name__ == "__main__":
dotenv.read_dotenv()
# ... rest of manage.py- Whether the package works reliably with Django versions and Python releases beyond those tested (3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8).
- Compatibility implications if both django-dotenv and the similarly-named python-dotenv package are installed together.
What it is and what it does
django-dotenv adds a single function call to load environment variables from a .env file before Django initializes. You add dotenv.read_dotenv() at the top of manage.py or wsgi.py, and the package reads your .env file and populates os.environ, letting you follow 12-factor app principles without editing Django's core files. It has no runtime dependencies and works by wrapping the standard dotenv module.
The package is marked production-stable but abandoned: the last release was in 2017 and the repository's final commit was in 2021. It was tested on Python 3.5, 3.6, 3.7 and 3.8. Because it has not been updated since then, compatibility with modern Django or Python versions is unknown and unsupported.
Use it for
- Load database credentials and API keys from .env during local Django development without committing secrets to version control.
- Configure Django settings via environment variables in Docker containers or cloud deployments.
- Set up WSGI applications to read .env files automatically on startup without modifying application code.
- Manage different environment configurations by switching .env files at deployment time.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if your Django project uses Python 3.5–3.8 and corresponding Django versions from that era.
The package is simple, dependency-free, and solves a real problem. No, if you are using modern Python or Django versions, because the package is abandoned and untested on those releases. Verify compatibility with your exact versions before installing.
Install
django-dotenv on PyPI
Before you install
Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies. However, the package is abandoned—last release was in 2017 and last commit in 2021—so it will not receive bug fixes or security updates.
Requires dotenv module to be available; conflicts with python-dotenv if both are installed.
License in practice
Licensed under MIT (permissive), so you can use, modify, and distribute it freely with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install django-dotenv
# In manage.py:
import dotenv
if __name__ == "__main__":
dotenv.read_dotenv()
# ... rest of manage.pyVerify before relying
- Whether the package works reliably with Django versions and Python releases beyond those tested (3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8).
- Compatibility implications if both django-dotenv and the similarly-named python-dotenv package are installed together.
Package facts
| License | permissive license permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 3,168 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 239,863 / month, #8,914 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: Web EnvironmentFramework :: DjangoIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.6Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.2Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4Topic :: Internet :: WWW/HTTP |
Evidence: django_dotenv-1.4.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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See also django-configurations · python-dotenv · load-dotenv · dotenv · poetry-dotenv-plugin · pytest-dotenv · dj-static · django-split-settings · dotenv-linter · pydantic-settings