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Comparison guide

Dotenv vs Env-cmd

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Hero image for Dotenv vs Env-cmd

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

Env-cmd

16.2 KB gzipped

Most Popular

Dotenv

129.9M weekly downloads

Best Maintained

Dotenv

80/100 maintenance score

Highest Quality

Dotenv

50/100 quality score

Overall Pick

Dotenv

Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality

dotenv icon

dotenv

Extremely Popular

Version 17.4.2

0
79
Good

Loads environment variables from .env file

Weekly Downloads
129.9M
4%
Bundle (gzip)
30.3 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
80
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70
env-cmd icon

env-cmd

Very Popular

Version 11.0.0

0
67
Good

Executes a command using the environment variables in an env file

Weekly Downloads
1.6M
4%
Bundle (gzip)
16.2 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
40
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Dotenv and Env-cmd? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

Dotenv leads with 129.9M weekly downloads — roughly 78.8x more. Env-cmd has 1.6M weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Env-cmd has the smallest gzipped bundle at 16.2 KB. Dotenv comes in at 30.3 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Dotenv has an overall health score of 79/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Env-cmd has an overall health score of 67/100 (good), with strong security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose Dotenv if you value massive community and ecosystem, strong security track record. Choose Env-cmd if you value large community support, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Dotenv and Env-cmd are solid choices for JavaScript development. Dotenv has the edge in overall health score (79/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is dotenv better than env-cmd?
It depends on your needs. Dotenv has a health score of 79/100 while Env-cmd scores 67/100. Dotenv has more weekly downloads (129.9M), suggesting broader adoption. Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, dotenv or env-cmd?
Env-cmd has the smaller gzipped bundle at 16.2 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use dotenv vs env-cmd?
Based on npm download statistics, Dotenv has approximately 129.9M weekly downloads and Env-cmd has approximately 1.6M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, dotenv or env-cmd?
Dotenv currently has the higher overall health score at 79/100. Dotenv has a maintenance score of 80/100 and Env-cmd scores 40/100 on maintenance.

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