WinGet

Spec sheet

Purpose

WinGet is a command-line tool for discovering, installing, upgrading, removing, and configuring applications on Windows.Read 12 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Intended users

Microsoft describes WinGet use by developers to manage applications and by software publishers to distribute packages.Read 12 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Free plan

YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Security

Submitted manifests are automatically validated for policy compliance and whether the package is known to be malicious, and may also receive manual review.Read 12 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Availability

WinGet is included in App Installer, which is delivered and updated through Microsoft Store on Windows desktop editions and through updates on Windows Server 2025.Read 12 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Dependency resolution

YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Distribution

On Windows desktop, WinGet is included in App Installer, which is delivered and updated through Microsoft Store.Read 11 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Enterprise management

Microsoft documents using WinGet with Group Policy settings for organizations managing security across work machines.Read 12 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Install and upgrade

Users can install one or multiple applications with a command, and `winget upgrade --all` attempts to upgrade installed applications that have updates available.Read 12 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Installer formats

WinGet supports EXE, ZIP, INNO, NULLSOFT, MSI, WIX, APPX, MSIX, BURN, PORTABLE, and FONT installer types.Read 11 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Notable limit

WinGet cannot identify whether a newer version exists for some applications that do not provide a version, so upgrading them requires including unknown versions.Read 12 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Package contribution

Publishers and community members can submit YAML package manifests to the open-source WinGet repository on GitHub for consideration.Read 12 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Package formats

EXE,ZIP,INNO,NULLSOFT,MSI,WIX,APPX,MSIX,BURN,PORTABLE,FONTRead 22 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Package management

Its commands include search, install, upgrade, uninstall, export, import, configure, download, and repair.Read 11 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Package sources

Default sources include the Microsoft Store catalog, the WinGet Community Repository, and the community font repository.Read 12 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Platforms and requirement

WinGet is available on Windows 11, modern Windows 10 versions, and Windows Server 2025; the client requires Windows 10 version 1809 or later.Read 11 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

PowerShell

The Microsoft.WinGet.Client PowerShell module is available from the PowerShell Gallery.Read 11 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Private registry auth

YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Publisher submissions

Publishers and community members can submit YAML package manifests through the open-source repository on GitHub for consideration in the WinGet catalog.Read 11 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Repeatable setup

WinGet Configuration files combine device setup and project onboarding instructions into a single repeatable command.Read 12 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Repository review

Submitted manifests are automatically validated and evaluated for safety, may also be manually reviewed, and Microsoft reserves the right to refuse a submission.Read 11 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Sources

The documented default sources are the Microsoft Store catalog, the WinGet Community Repository for applications, and the community repository for fonts.Read 11 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Store connection security

WinGet uses certificate pinning when connecting to the Microsoft Store source, and an enterprise policy can bypass that certificate validation.Read 12 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Store download requirement

Downloading a Microsoft Store packaged app or its license file requires Microsoft Entra ID authentication.Read 12 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Support and troubleshooting

Microsoft directs users to the WinGet client repository for known issues and troubleshooting recommendations.Read 12 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Supported platforms

Windows 10 version 1809 or later,Windows 11,Windows Server 2025Read 22 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Supported systems

WinGet is supported on Windows 10 version 1809 or later, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2025.Read 12 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Telemetry setting

WinGet settings include an option to prevent the program from writing telemetry events.Read 11 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Troubleshooting

WinGet provides logs to help diagnose issues, with troubleshooting and logging guidance linked from its documentation.Read 11 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Where Specifiction places it

• App Installation#17 of 246.9
• Package Managers#79 of 937.3
• Software Update Tools#25 of 296.9