An extension for to augment existing shells with a new feature that can load and unload environment variables depending on the current directory.
Publisher’s description
What is direnv?
direnv by Jonas Chevalier is open-source Windows software in the terminals & cli tools category. It is written in Go.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit Windows. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 2.38.2, released on October 10, 2026. The version history goes back to November 24, 2022: 10 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 2.6 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 14 times. The source code on GitHub (direnv/direnv) has 15,512 stars. Similar programs include PowerShell, Oh My Posh and fzf.
Project description on GitHub: “unclutter your .profile”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- Portable: runs without installation
- Updated in the last two months
- Large user base
In short: direnv is an open-source terminals & cli tool tool for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit PCs.
Is direnv safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
62A6A16A3473B8E03C2CDC4E2099655BD4284F6DA92122B96D78CDCE724D4064· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the direnv/direnv repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Licence declared10
- Static code analysis10
- Code review4
- Branch protection3
- No dangerous workflows0
- Restricted token permissions0
- Pinned dependencies0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Security policy0
- Fuzzing0
- Signed releases0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 10 versions ›10 versions over 4 years · about 2.6 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.38.2Latest | October 10, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable32-bit PortableARM64 Portable |
| 2.38.1 | October 6, 2026 | — | ARM64 Portable32-bit Portable64-bit Portable |
| 2.37.1 | July 20, 2025 | — | 32-bit Portable64-bit PortableARM64 Portable |
| 2.37.0 | July 2, 2025 | — | 64-bit Portable32-bit PortableARM64 Portable |
| 2.36.0 | April 11, 2025 | — | 64-bit Portable32-bit Portable |
| 2.35.0 | October 7, 2024 | — | 64-bit Portable32-bit Portable |
| 2.34.0 | March 1, 2024 | — | 32-bit Portable64-bit Portable |
| 2.33.0 | November 30, 2023 | — | 64-bit Portable32-bit Portable |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id direnv.direnv -echoco install direnv -yscoop install main/direnvProgram files (.exe): direnv.exe
Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install direnvInformation
- Publisher
- Jonas Chevalier
- Category
- Terminals & CLI tools
- Licence
- MIT
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/direnv/direnv
- Written in
- Go
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64, 32-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 2.38.2
- Released
- October 10, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- May 8, 2023
- Versions listed
- 10
- Updates / year
- 2.6
- Chocolatey downloads
- 14
- GitHub stars
- 15,512
- GitHub forks
- 858
- Website
- direnv.net
- winget ID
- direnv.direnv
- Chocolatey package
- direnv
- Scoop package
- main/direnv
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to direnv
See all ›-
PowerShell7.6.9.0PowerShell is a cross-platform task automation solution made up of a command-line shell, a scripting language, and a configuration management framework. PowerShell runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS.Open source689.6K ↓ -
Open source820.8K ↓ -
Open source290.1K ↓ -
Open source127.8K ↓ -
QPDF12.4.2QPDF is a command-line tool and C++ library that performs content-preserving transformations on PDF files.Open source2.1M ↓ -
Alacritty0.17.0Alacritty is a free and open-source GPU accelerated terminal emulator focused on performance and simplicity.Open source75.9K ↓ -
Open source1.5M ↓ -
Open source832.7K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is direnv free?
Yes. direnv is open-source software under the MIT licence.
Is direnv safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install direnv with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Does direnv run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of direnv?
The versions page lists all 10 versions with links to their official installer files, back to November 24, 2022.
Can I use direnv without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to direnv?
PowerShell, Oh My Posh, fzf, starship and QPDF. The alternatives page compares them.
