Alternatives

Comparing environment variable solutions for React Native.

---

Quick Comparison

Feature	react-native-config-ultimate	react-native-config	react-native-dotenv
New Architecture (TurboModules)	✅	❌	❌
Old Architecture (Bridge)	✅	✅	✅
React Native 0.73+	✅	⚠️ Partial	⚠️ Partial
React 18/19	✅	⚠️	⚠️
Web (Vite + RN Web)	✅	❌	✅
Active maintenance (2024+)	✅	⚠️ Slow	⚠️ Slow

---

Detailed Feature Matrix

JavaScript / TypeScript

Feature	config-ultimate	config	dotenv
Access values in JS	✅	✅	✅
Auto-generated TypeScript types	✅	❌ Manual	❌
Schema validation	✅	❌	❌
Hot reload (JS only)	✅ js_override	❌	✅

iOS Native

Feature	config-ultimate	config	dotenv
Objective-C access	✅	✅	❌
Swift access	✅	✅	❌
Info.plist variables	✅	✅	❌
Build Settings	✅	✅	❌

Android Native

Feature	config-ultimate	config	dotenv
Java/Kotlin access	✅	✅	❌
Gradle access	✅	✅	❌
String resources	✅	✅	❌
Manifest placeholders	✅	✅	❌

Advanced Features

Feature	config-ultimate	config	dotenv
YAML config files	✅	❌	❌
Per-platform values	✅	❌	❌
Multi-env file merging	✅	❌	❌
Variable expansion ($VAR)	✅	❌	❌
Hooks API	✅	❌	❌
Watch mode	✅	❌	❌
Monorepo support	✅	⚠️	⚠️
Web / React Native Web	✅	❌	✅

---

When to Use Each

Use react-native-config-ultimate when:

• ✅ You need New Architecture (TurboModules) support
• ✅ You want type-safe config with auto-generated types
• ✅ You have different values per platform (iOS vs Android vs Web)
• ✅ You use multiple environments (dev, staging, prod)
• ✅ You’re in a monorepo (pnpm, yarn workspaces, Nx)
• ✅ You need values in native code (Info.plist, AndroidManifest, Swift, Kotlin)

Use react-native-config when:

• You’re on an older React Native version (<0.68)
• You’re using Old Architecture and don’t plan to migrate
• You have a simple setup with no per-platform differences

Use react-native-dotenv when:

• You only need config values in JavaScript (not native code)
• You want Babel transform without build-time generation
• You’re building a web-only app

---

Migration

Coming from another library? See the Migration Guide for step-by-step instructions.

---

About This Library

react-native-config-ultimate is a community-maintained fork of react-native-ultimate-config by Max Komarychev.

What We Added

Feature	Description
New Architecture	Full TurboModules support (RN 0.68+)
Old Architecture	Continues to work with Bridge/NativeModules
React 18/19	Compatible with latest React versions
Web Support	Works with Vite + React Native Web
TypeScript	Improved types, auto-generated from env files
Security	CVE patches (SnakeYAML 1.19 → 1.33)
Bug Fixes	String escaping, validation, reliability
Active Maintenance	Regular updates, responsive to issues

The API is 100% compatible with the original library — it’s a drop-in replacement.

---

Decision Guide

Do you need native code access (Info.plist, BuildConfig)?
├── Yes → react-native-config-ultimate ✅
└── No
    └── Do you need New Architecture support?
        ├── Yes → react-native-config-ultimate ✅
        └── No
            └── Do you need per-platform values or YAML?
                ├── Yes → react-native-config-ultimate ✅
                └── No → react-native-dotenv (simpler setup)