Windows Package Manager

Last updated
Windows Package Manager
Developer(s) Microsoft
Initial release13 May 2020;5 years ago (13 May 2020)
Stable release
1.9.25200 [1]   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg / 12 November 2024;8 months ago (12 November 2024)
Preview release
1.9.2151-preview [2]   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg / 7 August 2024;11 months ago (7 August 2024)
Repository github.com/microsoft/winget-cli
Written inC++, [3] [4] XML, [3] C, [3] C#, [3] Python, [3] Extensible Application Markup Language, [3] CMake, [3] Ada, [3] shell script, [3] Perl, [3] Pascal, [3] XSLT, [3] Autoconf, [3] HTML, [3] PowerShell, [3] DIGITAL Command Language, [3] JavaScript, [3] make, [3] assembly language [3]   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Operating system Windows 10, Windows Server 2025, or later
Platform x86, x86-64, ARM32, ARM64
Size ~23 MB
Available in Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian
Type package manager, installation  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
License MIT License [5]   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Website learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/package-manager/

The Windows Package Manager (also known as winget) is a free and open-source package manager designed by Microsoft for Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2025. [6] It consists of a command-line utility and a set of services for installing applications. [7] [8] Independent software vendors can use it as a distribution channel for their software packages.

Contents

History

Windows Package Manager was first announced at the Microsoft Build developer conference in May 2020. [9] [8]

Before deciding to develop Windows Package Manager, the team behind it explored Chocolatey, Scoop, Ninite, AppGet, Npackd and the PowerShell-based OneGet. [8] After the announcement of winget, the developer of AppGet, Keivan Beigi, claimed that Microsoft interviewed him in December 2019 under the pretense of employment and acquiring AppGet. [10] After talking with Beigi, Microsoft allegedly ceased communication with him until confirming one day before the launch of winget that they would not be hiring him. Beigi was dismayed at Microsoft's lack of attribution of AppGet. The release of winget led Beigi to announce that AppGet would be discontinued in August 2020. [10] [11] [12] Microsoft responded with a blog post crediting a number of winget's features to AppGet. [13] [14] [15]

Microsoft released version 1.0 of Windows Package Manager on May 27, 2021. The Microsoft Community Repository included over 1,400 packages at that date. [16] By May 2025 it had reached 9,000 packages.

Overview

The winget tool supports installers based on EXE, MSIX, and MSI. [17] The public Windows Package Manager Community repository hosts manifest files for supported applications in YAML format. [18] In September 2020, Microsoft added the ability to install applications from the Microsoft Store and a command auto-completion feature. [19]

To reduce the likelihood of non-Microsoft-approved software, including malicious software, making its way into the repository and onto the target machine, Windows Package Manager uses Microsoft SmartScreen, static analysis, SHA256 hash validation and other processes. [20] [21]

Various limitations apply to which packages that are added to the winget manifest repository. Among them as of 1.10 is that the software must support silent installations (unless it is a fully portable software), cannot be a .tar.gz, .7z, or .rar compressed folder, cannot wholly require hardwares (e.g. NVIDIA drivers), cannot be a self-extracting archive, and the software host cannot return HTTP 403 or time out when downloading through winget.

The winget client source code and the community manifest repository are licensed under MIT License and hosted on GitHub. [22] [18]

It does not offer ways to list every available app at once, nor does it support automatic package updates on timed schedules. Various third-party tools like Winstall and Winget-AutoUpdate respectively are designed to fill those gaps. Winget also does not support building from programs' source codes.

Commands [17]

NameDescription
configureConfigures the system into a desired state
exportExports a list of the installed applications
featuresShow status of experimental features
hashHash installer files
importInstall all the applications in a file
installInstall the given application
listDisplay installed applications
pinManage package upgrade pins
showShow information about the given application
searchSearch and show basic information of applications
settingsOpen winget configuration settings
sourceManage application sources
upgradeUpgrades the given application
uninstallUninstall the given application
validateValidate a manifest file

Examples

Search for and installs variable $PKG_ID:

wingetinstall--id=$PKG_ID-e

List all installed packages:

wingetlist

Update all packages:

wingetupgrade--all

Package ID examples

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Windows Package Manager 1.9.25200". GitHub. 12 November 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  2. ↑ "Release Windows Package Manager 1.9.2151-preview". GitHub. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "The winget-cli Open Source Project on Open Hub: Languages Page". Open Hub. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  4. ↑ . 6 July 2025 https://github.com/EvanLi/Github-Ranking/blob/master/Data/github-ranking-2025-07-06.csv.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ↑ "winget-cli/LICENSE at master". GitHub. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "Windows Server 2025: New features and improvements for the future". Firestorm ISP. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  7. ↑ Tom Warren (20 May 2020). "Microsoft's new Windows Package Manager is already better than the Windows Store". The Verge .
  8. 1 2 3 Windows Package Manager Preview | Windows Command Line
  9. ↑ Microsoft debuts Windows Package Manager for your dev environment | VentureBeat
  10. 1 2 Warren, Tom (28 May 2020). "Microsoft copied its new Windows Package Manager from rival AppGet, claims developer". The Verge . Vox Media . Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  11. ↑ Anderson, Tim (May 28, 2020). "Embrace and kill? AppGet dev claims Microsoft reeled him in with talk of help and a job – then released remarkably similar package manager". The Register . Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  12. ↑ Stewart, Ashley (May 28, 2020). "A developer says Microsoft led him on about a job and buying his tool before going silent and releasing its own very similar service. Now he wants an explanation and credit for his work". Business Insider . Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  13. ↑ Tung, Liam (June 1, 2020). "Windows 10: Microsoft now credits maker of package manager it 'copied' – but offers no apology". ZDNet . Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  14. ↑ Microsoft gives AppGet creator credit for Windows Package Manager - Neowin
  15. ↑ Warren, Tom (April 20, 2022). "Microsoft finally gives AppGet developer the credit he deserves". The Verge . Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  16. ↑ Anderson, Tim (May 27, 2021). "Microsoft releases command-line package manager for Windows (there are snags)". The Register . Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  17. 1 2 "Use the winget tool to install and manage applications". Microsoft.
  18. 1 2 GitHub - microsoft/winget-pkgs: The Microsoft community Windows Package Manager manifest repository
  19. ↑ Abrams, Lawrence (September 23, 2020). "Windows 10 Package Manager can now install Microsoft Store apps". Bleeping Computer . Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  20. ↑ Tung, Liam (May 21, 2020). "Microsoft's Windows Package Manager: This command-line tool can install all your apps". ZDNet . Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  21. ↑ How to Use Windows Package Manager - Petri
  22. ↑ "GitHub - microsoft/winget-cli: Windows Package Manager CLI (a.k.a. winget)". May 20, 2020 – via GitHub.
  23. ↑ "Winget PKG of Visual Studio Code" https://winget.run/pkg/Microsoft/VisualStudioCode
  24. ↑ "Winget PKG of Google Chrome" https://winget.run/pkg/Google/Chrome
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