WinGet

ApplicationMicrosoft Corporation

Also called windows package manager, app installer winget

Microsoft CorporationSystem

The App Installer command line. The process is winget.exe. Settings > Apps uses it on current Windows. It is not Chocolatey.

What you need to know

WinGet is Microsoft's CLI. Chocolatey is a different, older manager.

WinGet ships with App Installer. Run winget.exe from a prompt. Settings > Apps uses it on current Windows. Chocolatey is choco.exe from chocolatey.org. Scoop is another third-party manager.

What is it?: Microsoft's package-manager CLI
Same as Chocolatey?: No. choco.exe is a different manager
Where does it live?: App Installer. Settings > Apps uses it

Feex says

If the command is winget, I would stay on Microsoft's client. I would not mix that line with choco install unless you meant Chocolatey. The Store window is optional.

What is WinGet?

winget.exe is the Windows Package Manager client. App Installer is the Store package that provides it. choco.exe is Chocolatey Software's older community manager.

If you have never used it

If a guide says "winget install", WinGet is Microsoft's package manager. It ships with App Installer on current Windows. Open a prompt and run winget. Settings > Apps uses it for some installs. It is not Chocolatey (choco.exe), not Scoop, and not the Store window.

What is it used for?

Search and install from the winget source

winget search and winget install. Chocolatey uses choco install and a different community repo.

Upgrade packages Settings > Apps can also see

winget upgrade --all is a CLI habit. The Store UI is a different window.

Export and import lists

winget export is Microsoft's list format. A packages.config file is Chocolatey, not this.

Who is it for?

People following a Microsoft install one-liner
Anyone whose Settings > Apps install used the package manager
Users deciding between winget, Chocolatey, and Scoop

Current status

WinGet (2020) is a current package manager from Microsoft Corporation. The vendor still points Windows users at https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/package-manager/winget/.

How old is it?

WinGet preview arrived in 2020. Chocolatey started in 2011. Scoop in 2013. On current Windows 11, App Installer often already has winget.exe. A Windows 7 PC will not have this in-box.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

App Installer / winget stable

Preview

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	Windows 10 1809+ with App Installer, per Microsoft. Current Windows 11 usually already has it
RAM	Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more.

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows the installer it launches
Network demand: Downloads packages

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
winget.exe	Package manager CLI
WindowsPackageManagerServer.exe	Package manager service host on some builds

Startup components

winget.exe is a CLI. It should not sit in Startup. The package manager service can run when Windows needs it.

File locations

Common WinGet locations
Typical install	C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\winget.exe

File formats

YAML manifests in the community repo. Export JSON/text lists

Common problems

winget is not recognized

Install or update App Installer from the Store, or use the GitHub bundle Microsoft documents. Chocolatey will not add winget.exe.

A package id does not match Chocolatey's id

winget search uses Microsoft's catalog. choco search is another world.

Getting unstuck

where.exe winget. If it is missing, update App Installer from the Store

That is the Microsoft client. chocolatey.org is the other manager if you wanted choco.

winget source list if installs fail

A broken source is a WinGet config. Scoop buckets are a different tool.

Do not replace winget.exe from a random zip

Use Microsoft Learn or the Store App Installer. Ninite is a one-shot builder, not a repair.

Alternatives

Chocolatey for the older community repo. Scoop for user-folder tools. Microsoft Store for a GUI. Ninite for a one-time bundle.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	learn.microsoft.com/windows/package-manager/winget/ Official installer or vendor page
Help	learn.microsoft.com/windows/package-manager/ Vendor support
Official site	learn.microsoft.com/windows/package-manager/winget/ Start here, not a random exe host

Related hardware

Any current Windows 10 or 11 PC that has App Installer. Network matters more than RAM.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

WinGet official site · Vendor product page
WinGet help · Vendor support
WinGet GitHub · CLI source and releases
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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