simple-settings
A simple way to manage your project settings.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, for stable projects with straightforward configuration needs and no requirement for active maintenance. The package is mature, has no dependencies, and works reliably for its intended purpose. However, avoid it if you need ongoing support for new Python versions, active bug fixes, or integration with modern configuration patterns—the dormant status since 2021 means new issues are unlikely to be addressed.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.6.1 or later.
- Settings module must be specified via --settings command-line argument or SIMPLE_SETTINGS environment variable before importing settings.
- Low install friction with no runtime dependencies.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license (permissive) imposes no significant restrictions on use, modification, or redistribution in commercial or private projects.
last release 2021-12-30 (1688 days) · last repo commit 2024-08-17 · 218 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 262,440 downloads/mo, #8,374 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
from simple_settings import settings
# Run with: python app.py --settings=project_settings
# Or set: export SIMPLE_SETTINGS=project_settings
print(settings.FOO)- Whether the package still works reliably with Python 3.10+ given the dormant maintenance status since 2021.
- Current state of optional dependencies (yaml, toml extras) and their compatibility with modern versions.
- Whether dynamic settings backend (redis) integration is actively maintained.
What it is and what it does
simple-settings is a lightweight configuration management tool inspired by Django's settings system but designed for any Python project. It reads settings from a Python module you specify and exposes them as properties of the settings object, allowing you to access configuration values throughout your application. You specify which settings module to load either via the --settings command-line argument or the SIMPLE_SETTINGS environment variable, and the package handles the rest.
The package supports multiple configuration file formats—Python modules, YAML, JSON, TOML, and CFG files—and can load settings from environment variables as well. It includes features like runtime configuration changes via the configure() method, loading multiple settings modules in sequence (with later ones overriding earlier values), and optional logging configuration. Special settings like OVERRIDE_BY_ENV and REQUIRED_SETTINGS let you control how settings are loaded and validated.
Use it for
- Manage development, staging, and production settings by switching between different settings modules at runtime without code changes.
- Load sensitive configuration (API tokens, database credentials) from environment variables while keeping defaults in version-controlled settings files.
- Configure logging centrally using Python's dictConfig format and have simple-settings apply it automatically on startup.
- Support multiple configuration file formats in a single project, mixing Python modules with YAML or JSON for different settings layers.
- Validate that required settings are present before the application starts, preventing runtime errors from missing configuration.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, for stable projects with straightforward configuration needs and no requirement for active maintenance.
The package is mature, has no dependencies, and works reliably for its intended purpose. However, avoid it if you need ongoing support for new Python versions, active bug fixes, or integration with modern configuration patterns—the dormant status since 2021 means new issues are unlikely to be addressed.
Install
simple-settings on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with no runtime dependencies. Maintenance is dormant—last release was 2021-12-30, over 1688 days ago, though the repository remains active with a recent commit on 2024-08-17. Suitable for stable, self-contained use cases but unlikely to receive updates for new Python versions or emerging patterns.
Requires Python 3.6.1 or later. Settings module must be specified via --settings command-line argument or SIMPLE_SETTINGS environment variable before importing settings.
License in practice
MIT license (permissive) imposes no significant restrictions on use, modification, or redistribution in commercial or private projects.
Quickstart
from simple_settings import settings
# Run with: python app.py --settings=project_settings
# Or set: export SIMPLE_SETTINGS=project_settings
print(settings.FOO)Verify before relying
- Whether the package still works reliably with Python 3.10+ given the dormant maintenance status since 2021.
- Current state of optional dependencies (yaml, toml extras) and their compatibility with modern versions.
- Whether dynamic settings backend (redis) integration is actively maintained.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.6.1,<4.0 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Dormant 1,688 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 262,440 / month, #8,374 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Intended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9 |
Evidence: simple_settings-1.2.0-py3-none-any.whl
Tags
Let your AI agent find packages like this
Example. Real query, live index.
You found this page by searching. An agent finds it by wishing: SkillFed indexes 14,416 PyPI packages by what they can do, searchable in plain language.
wish › “settings management configuration”
- simple-settingsLoads and manages application settings from Python modules,…
- pydantic-settingsLoads and validates application settings from environment variables,…
- dynaconfDynaconf manages application configuration across multiple file…
Give your agent the search over MCP, or paste the wish link into any chat.
More Software Development packages
Provides backported and experimental type hints for Python 3.9+, allowing use of newer typing features on older Python versions and enabling early experimentation with type system PEPs before they enter the standard library.
NumPy provides an N-dimensional array object and a comprehensive suite of mathematical, linear algebra, Fourier transform, and random number functions for scientific computing in Python.
FastAPI is a Python web framework for building REST APIs using type hints, with automatic request validation, serialization, and interactive API documentation.
Provides a way to document function parameters, class attributes, return types, and variables inline using Python's `Annotated` type hint syntax instead of traditional docstrings.
Typer builds command-line applications from Python functions using type hints, automatically generating help text, argument parsing, and shell completion.
Install it if you are building CLIs in Python.
Distlib provides low-level packaging utilities for building, distributing, and managing Python software—including metadata handling, version specifiers, wheel support, script installation, and dependency resolution.
See also bestconfig · yacs · dynaconf · pyaml-env · dynamic-yaml · yacman · pytest-variables · application-properties · jsonargparse · parse-errors