If you've ever spent an afternoon clicking through installer wizards after a fresh Windows install, you've felt the problem winget is built to solve. It's Microsoft's official command-line package manager — a single tool that can install, update, and uninstall thousands of Windows apps with one command.
Think of it as the Windows answer to apt on Ubuntu or brew on macOS.
TL;DR
- Winget = Windows Package Manager
- Built into Windows 11 and modern Windows 10 (via App Installer)
- Free, open source, maintained by Microsoft + the community
- Catalog has 10,000+ apps and growing daily
- Install anything with:
winget install --id <Publisher.AppName>
Where does winget come from?
Winget shipped its first preview in May 2020 and reached version 1.0 in May 2021. It's the official replacement for the patchwork of installers, EXE bundles, and store apps that have dominated Windows software distribution for decades. Microsoft maintains the source code on GitHub, and the package catalog lives at microsoft/winget-pkgs.
The catalog is the interesting part: anyone can submit a manifest (a YAML file describing the app, version, installer URL, and silent-install flags). Microsoft moderators review and merge. As of 2026 there are 10,000+ manifests covering everything from VS Code to obscure CLI tools.
How does winget actually work?
When you run winget install --id Microsoft.VisualStudioCode:
- winget reads the local catalog index (synced from
microsoft/winget-pkgs) - Finds the manifest for
Microsoft.VisualStudioCode - Picks the matching installer (architecture, locale, latest version by default)
- Downloads the installer directly from the publisher's own URL (not Microsoft's)
- Runs it in silent mode
The download comes straight from the vendor. Microsoft doesn't re-host installers; it just maintains the index. That means you're getting the same binary you'd get from the publisher's website, just delivered through a unified CLI.
Do I already have winget?
Probably yes. To check, open PowerShell and run:
winget --version
If you see something like v1.10.x, you're good. If you get "not recognized", you need the App Installer from the Microsoft Store. On Windows 11 it's pre-installed. On Windows 10 (1809+) it ships with App Installer.
What can you do with winget?
The core verbs cover everything most people need:
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
winget search <name> |
Find packages by keyword |
winget install <id> |
Install one app |
winget upgrade --all |
Update everything installed via winget |
winget uninstall <id> |
Remove an app |
winget list |
Show what's installed |
winget export / winget import |
Save and restore your app list as JSON |
The export / import pair is the killer feature for setting up new machines. You can save your current setup to a .json file and replay it on any other Windows box.
Why is this a big deal?
Three reasons:
1. Reproducible setups. A new laptop goes from blank to ready in 15 minutes instead of a half-day. Same goes for VMs, dev environments, and CI runners.
2. No more "Next, Next, Finish". Silent installs run in the background. You don't click through wizards or hunt for "decline this toolbar" checkboxes.
3. Upgrades that actually happen. winget upgrade --all patches everything in one shot. Most Windows users never update half their apps because each one nags individually; winget centralises that.
Where winget.tech fits in
The official CLI is great once you know what to install. The hard part is discovery: browsing 10,000 packages from a terminal is painful. That's why we built winget.tech — a web UI for the catalog.
You can browse all apps, search by tag, pick from curated bundles, and generate an install script you paste into Terminal. No CLI memorisation required.
What's next?
Now that you know what winget is, here's where to go:
- Try it: Browse the catalog → — see what's available
- Compare: winget vs Chocolatey vs Scoop → — which package manager is right for you?
- Reference: Winget commands cheatsheet → — every command you'll actually use
- Setup: How to install Windows apps with winget → — step-by-step for beginners
If you're setting up a new machine right now, jump to Bundles — we've pre-built install lists for developers, gamers, designers, and more.