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Tech riderRev. 4 Oct 2026

WinSW

Ch 205.5of 23 Startup Manager Software
  1. 1Runs onWindows
  2. 2CostsFree plan
  3. 3Startup delayYes
  4. 4Service controlYes
  5. 5Windows supportother
5 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: winsw.github.io, github.com
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The WinSW homepage

Overview

WinSW is ranked #20 of 23 in startup manager software on Specifiction. It runs on Windows. There is a free plan.

WinSW plans and pricing

All plans
WinSW Free Windows service wrapper · MIT licensed · binaries and source available github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Compared on startup manager software

Startup delay
Yeswinsw.github.io
Service control
Yeswinsw.github.io
Windows support
otherwinsw.github.io

Facts

Purpose
WinSW wraps and manages applications as Windows services.winsw.github.io · 4 Oct 2026
Executable support
The project describes WinSW as able to host any executable as a Windows service.winsw.github.io · 4 Oct 2026
Configuration
A required XML configuration file controls the behavior of the Windows service.winsw.github.io · 4 Oct 2026
Service commands
Its command line supports installing, uninstalling, starting, stopping, restarting, checking status, and refreshing services.winsw.github.io · 4 Oct 2026
Failure handling
Configuration can specify actions such as restarting the service or rebooting Windows after a process failure.winsw.github.io · 4 Oct 2026
Logging
WinSW can capture stdout and stderr, with append, reset, ignore, and log rotation modes.winsw.github.io · 4 Oct 2026
Download integration
The wrapper can download resources from URLs before launching the configured application, with options for authentication and proxies.winsw.github.io · 4 Oct 2026
Security controls
Service configuration supports service accounts and an SDDL security descriptor; the documentation warns that Basic credentials over HTTP are sent in clear text.winsw.github.io · 4 Oct 2026
Supported platform
WinSW is for Windows; its project manifesto says Unix systems should use their own daemon conventions.winsw.github.io · 4 Oct 2026
Runtime requirements
WinSW 3 runs on Windows with .NET Framework 4.6.1 or later, or via provided native 32-bit and 64-bit executables based on .NET 7.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Distribution
Binaries are available through GitHub Releases, with CI builds on Azure Pipelines and 2.x packages on NuGet and Maven.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
License
The WinSW software is licensed under the MIT license.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Security policy
The repository security page says the project has no SECURITY.md file and no published security advisories.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Project audience
The manifesto says WinSW can host any executable, whereas the Java Service Wrapper project it compares against can host only Java applications.winsw.github.io · 4 Oct 2026

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Where it ranks on Specifiction

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Sources