A hackable text editor for the 21st Century, free and open source.
Publisher’s description
What is Atom Beta?
Atom Beta by GitHub Inc. is open-source Windows software in the text editors category. It is written in JavaScript.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE installers for 64-bit and 32-bit Windows. It can be installed for the current user only, without administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 1.61.0-beta0, released on March 8, 2022. The version history goes back to July 10, 2021: 4 releases, all linked to the official files. The last update is more than a year old. The source repository has been archived, so further updates are unlikely.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (atom/atom) has 60,712 stars. On Windows it registers 4 file types, including .txt, .yaml, .cfg and .ini. Similar programs include Notepad++, Neovim and Geany.
Project description on GitHub: “:atom: The hackable text editor”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Installs without administrator rights
- Large user base
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- No update for more than a year
- Source repository archived
In short: Atom Beta is an open-source text editor tool for 64-bit and 32-bit PCs. Updates have slowed down. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is Atom Beta safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
DCD57617D42FB7A74C756E414D49CC093BC74D7907DA48BD4E5C02B79B9DA727· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the atom/atom repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- No binaries in the repository10
- Licence declared10
- Code review5
- Actively maintained0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Pinned dependencies0
- Fuzzing0
- Security policy0
- Signed releases0
- Static code analysis0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 4 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.61.0-beta0Latest | March 8, 2022 | — | 32-bit EXE64-bit EXE |
| 1.60.0-beta0 | February 8, 2022 | — | 64-bit EXE32-bit EXE |
| 1.59.0-beta0 | October 3, 2021 | — | 32-bit EXE64-bit EXE |
| 1.58.0-beta0 | July 10, 2021 | — | 32-bit EXE64-bit EXE |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id GitHub.Atom.Beta -eAtomSetup-x64.exe /silentRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- GitHub Inc.
- Category
- Text editors
- Licence
- MIT License
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/atom/atom
- Written in
- JavaScript
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, 32-bit
- Installer
- EXE
- Version
- 1.61.0-beta0
- Released
- March 8, 2022
- Added to the catalogue
- July 10, 2021
- Versions listed
- 4
- GitHub stars
- 60,712
- GitHub forks
- 17,156
- Website
- atom.io
- winget ID
- GitHub.Atom.Beta
File types it opens (4)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Atom Beta
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Frequently asked questions
Is Atom Beta free?
Yes. Atom Beta is open-source software under the MIT License licence.
Is Atom Beta safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Atom Beta with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Atom Beta be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Atom Beta run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit and 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Atom Beta?
The versions page lists all 4 versions with links to their official installer files, back to July 10, 2021.
Can I use Atom Beta without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to Atom Beta?
Notepad++, Neovim, Geany, WordPress.com and MarkText. The alternatives page compares them.
