A cat(1) clone with syntax highlighting and Git integration.
Publisher’s description
What is bat?
bat by David Peter is open-source Windows software in the terminals & cli tools category. It ranks 35th by popularity among terminals & cli tools in this catalogue. It is written in Rust.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit Windows. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 0.26.1, released on December 2, 2025. The version history goes back to March 25, 2023: 5 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 1.9 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 56,968 times. The source code on GitHub (sharkdp/bat) has 60,891 stars. Similar programs include PowerShell, Oh My Posh and QPDF.
Project description on GitHub: “A cat(1) clone with wings.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- Portable: runs without installation
- Large user base
In short: bat is an open-source terminals & cli tool tool for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit PCs.
Is bat 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:
0F729B4B6F5F28D395C641EACC2E9FF68D0096B85AA0EEC344AA62425144B69B· 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 sharkdp/bat repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- Code review10
- Security policy10
- No dangerous workflows10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Licence declared10
- Restricted token permissions0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Pinned dependencies0
- Fuzzing0
- 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 5 versions ›5 versions over 3 years · about 1.9 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.26.1Latest | December 2, 2025 | — | 32-bit ZIPARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 0.26.0 | October 19, 2025 | — | ARM64 ZIP32-bit ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 0.25.0 | January 7, 2025 | — | 32-bit ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 0.24.0 | October 11, 2023 | — | 32-bit ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 0.23.0 | March 25, 2023 | — | 64-bit ZIP32-bit ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id sharkdp.bat -echoco install Bat -yscoop install main/batRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install batInformation
- Publisher
- David Peter
- Category
- Terminals & CLI tools
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/sharkdp/bat
- Written in
- Rust
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64, 32-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 0.26.1
- Released
- December 2, 2025
- Added to the catalogue
- March 27, 2023
- Versions listed
- 5
- Updates / year
- 1.9
- Chocolatey downloads
- 56,968
- GitHub stars
- 60,891
- GitHub forks
- 4,483
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- sharkdp.bat
- Chocolatey package
- Bat
- Scoop package
- main/bat
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to bat
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Frequently asked questions
Is bat free?
Yes. bat is open-source software under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Is bat 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 bat 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.
Does bat run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of bat?
The versions page lists all 5 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 25, 2023.
Can I use bat without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to bat?
PowerShell, Oh My Posh, QPDF, lazygit and Alacritty. The alternatives page compares them.
