Why nevr-env?

We built nevr-env because existing solutions weren't solving the real problems developers face with environment variables.

The Real Problems

1. "It works on my machine"

New developer joins the team:

Day 1: Clone repo
Day 1: npm run dev
Day 1: "Missing DATABASE_URL"
Day 1: Slack: "Hey can someone send me the .env?"
Day 2: Still waiting...
Day 2: Gets partial .env, missing 3 variables
Day 3: Finally works

nevr-env solution: npx nevr-env vault pull → Working in 10 seconds.

2. Type Safety Theater

Most "type-safe" env solutions:

// Sure, it's "typed"...
const env = {
  DATABASE_URL: process.env.DATABASE_URL!, // trust me bro
  PORT: Number(process.env.PORT), // could be NaN
  DEBUG: process.env.DEBUG === "true", // "" is false? "1"?
};

nevr-env solution: Real validation with Zod/Valibot at startup:

const env = createEnv({
  server: {
    DATABASE_URL: z.string().url(),
    PORT: z.coerce.number().default(3000),
    DEBUG: z.coerce.boolean().default(false),
  },
});
// Crashes immediately if invalid, with helpful error

3. Copy-Paste Schemas

Every project:

• Copy Stripe schema from last project
• Copy Postgres schema from docs
• Copy OpenAI schema from tutorial
• Realize they're all slightly different
• Spend 30 mins debugging

nevr-env solution: Official plugins with battle-tested schemas:

import { createEnv, postgres, stripe } from "nevr-env";

const env = createEnv({
  plugins: [postgres(), stripe()],
});

4. Security Incidents

Junior dev adds to client bundle:

// components/Payment.tsx
const stripe = new Stripe(process.env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY); // 😱

nevr-env solution: Proxy throws error immediately:

// On client-side, this throws:
env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY;
// ❌ Error: Attempted to access server-side variable on client

5. .env.example Lies

Your .env.example:

DATABASE_URL=your-database-url-here
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_xxx
API_KEY=

Reality:

• What format is DATABASE_URL?
• Is STRIPE_SECRET_KEY required?
• What should API_KEY be?

nevr-env solution: Schema IS the documentation:

server: {
  DATABASE_URL: z.string().url().describe("PostgreSQL connection URL"),
  STRIPE_SECRET_KEY: z.string().startsWith("sk_"),
  API_KEY: z.string().min(32).optional(),
}

What Makes nevr-env Different

vs t3-env

Feature	t3-env	nevr-env
Type-safe validation	✅	✅
Server/client split	✅	✅
Standard Schema V1	✅	✅
Plugin system	❌	✅
Auto-discovery	❌	✅
CLI wizard	❌	✅
Encrypted vault	❌	✅
Dev wrapper	❌	✅

t3-env is great, but it's just validation. nevr-env is an environment lifecycle framework.

vs Doppler/Infisical

Feature	Doppler	nevr-env
Centralized secrets	✅ (their server)	✅ (your git)
Team sharing	✅	✅
Type safety	❌	✅
Free	❌ (free tier limits)	✅
Self-hosted	❌	✅ (it's just a file)
Offline	❌	✅
Vendor lock-in	✅	❌

vs dotenv-vault

Feature	dotenv-vault	nevr-env
Encrypted vault	✅	✅
Type safety	❌	✅
Schema validation	❌	✅
Plugin system	❌	✅
CLI wizard	❌	✅
Free	✅ (with limits)	✅ (unlimited)

The Philosophy

1. Local-First

Your secrets live in your repo (encrypted). No external service dependency.

2. Schema as Documentation

If it's not in the schema, it doesn't exist. No more .env.example.

3. Plugins > Boilerplate

Don't write Stripe validation for the 100th time. Use a plugin.

4. Developer Experience

Setup should be one command, not a 15-step guide.

5. Security by Default

Server secrets can't leak to client. Validation happens at startup.

Migration

Already using t3-env? See our Migration Guide.

Already using dotenv? Just add nevr-env on top:

// Before
import "dotenv/config";
const dbUrl = process.env.DATABASE_URL;

// After
import { env } from "./env";
const dbUrl = env.DATABASE_URL; // Now typed and validated