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Hydra

A Python framework for managing configuration files in complex applications.

GitHub Download v1.3.8
Stars
10.7k
Forks
1k
Licence
MIT
Language
Python
Last update
4 days ago
Type
Library

What it is

Hydra is a Python framework for configuring complex applications. It is described as a way to elegantly configure apps that have many settings, so the settings can be organized and changed without rewriting code. The README is short on detail, so specifics of how configuration is written and loaded are best checked in the official documentation at hydra.cc.

  • Organize an application's settings into grouped configuration files
  • Switch between different configuration sets without editing the main code
  • Run an application with overridden settings from the command line

Great for

  • Python developers whose applications have many configuration options
  • Research teams that run experiments with varying settings and need them tracked
  • Developers who want to manage configuration separately from application code
  • Users of the existing Hydra 1.3 line who need a stable, documented version

Not ideal for

  • Projects with only a few settings, where a simple config file or argument parser is enough
  • Non-Python projects, since the package is published as hydra-core for Python
  • Users who need a version pinned to the 1.4 release candidate, which is not final yet
Step-by-step guide: how to use HydraInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

How to get it

  1. 1

    Install with a package manager

    You'll need: Python 3.10 through 3.14

    Install the latest published prerelease

    pip install --pre --upgrade hydra-core

    Install the legacy 1.3 version instead

    pip install --upgrade "hydra-core>=1.3,<1.4"
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Install the package with pip using one of the commands above.
    • Read the getting-started guide at https://hydra.cc/docs/intro/.
    • Create a configuration file and load it in your Python application.
    • Run your application and try overriding a setting from the command line.
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Read the Hydra Landscape page to find plugins, templates, and projects that extend Hydra.
    • Check NEWS.md for a summary of recent changes before upgrading.
    • Use the documentation for the version you install, since 1.3 and 1.4 differ.

Downloads

Source code (.zip)main branch · straight from GitHubRelease v1.3.8Release notes and sourceOfficial website & docshydra.cc/

Strengths

  • Widely starred and used, with 10.7k stars on GitHub
  • MIT licensed, so it can be used freely in commercial and personal projects
  • Documentation and a community chat, GitHub Discussions and StackOverflow are linked from the README

Trade-offs

  • The project is transitioning to a new GitHub organization and stewardship, which may affect future direction
  • Version 1.4 is still a release candidate, so users must choose between it and the legacy 1.3 line
  • The README is brief, so detailed usage must be learned from external documentation

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.