Chez Scheme is a programming language, a dialect and implementation of the language Scheme which is a type of Lisp. It uses an incremental native-code compiler to produce native binary files for the x86 (IA-32, x86-64), PowerPC, SPARC, and AArch64 processor architectures.
The first version of Chez Scheme was developed by R. Kent Dybvig and completed in 1984. Some copies of the original version were distributed in 1985.
Cadence Research Systems developed Chez Scheme until the company was purchased by Cisco Systems in 2011. Cisco open-sourced Chez Scheme in 2016.
It has supported the R6RS standard since version 7.9.1. It is free and open-source software released under an Apache License, version 2.0. It was first released in 1985, by R. Kent Dybvig, originally licensed as proprietary software, and then released as open-source software on GitHub on 2016-05-13 with version 9.4.
What is Chez Scheme?
Chez Scheme by Cisco Systems, Inc. (developed by Cisco) is open-source Windows software. The first release dates back to 1985. It is written in Scheme. Besides Windows, it is available for GNU/Linux and BSD.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (WiX Burn) installers for 64-bit and 32-bit Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 10.4.1, released on May 12, 2026. The version history goes back to March 21, 2023: 7 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 2.2 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (cisco/ChezScheme) has 7,372 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 4 of our languages.
Project description on GitHub: “Chez Scheme ”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Also runs on GNU/Linux and BSD
- Large user base
- Mature project (since 1985)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Chez Scheme is an open-source Windows tool for 64-bit and 32-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is Chez Scheme 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:
81C869B0F6A88DFEB37CC3C55198F816B7D08E5740900FEF5E985F089476081D· 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
Recent versions
All 7 versions ›7 versions over 3 years · about 2.2 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.4.1Latest | May 12, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (WiX Burn)32-bit EXE (WiX Burn) |
| 10.4.0 | May 4, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (WiX Burn)32-bit EXE (WiX Burn) |
| 10.3.0 | October 29, 2025 | — | 32-bit EXE (WiX Burn)64-bit EXE (WiX Burn) |
| 10.2.0 | May 6, 2025 | — | 32-bit EXE (WiX Burn)64-bit EXE (WiX Burn) |
| 10.1.0 | November 14, 2024 | — | 32-bit EXE (WiX Burn)64-bit EXE (WiX Burn) |
| 10.0.0 | February 5, 2024 | — | 32-bit EXE |
| 9.5.8 | March 21, 2023 | — | 32-bit EXE (WiX Burn) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Cisco.ChezScheme -escoop install main/chezschemeChezScheme10.4.1.exe /quiet /norestartmsiexec /x {1C922091-4283-4E71-A7F5-502F96097E64} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install chezschemeInformation
- Publisher
- Cisco Systems, Inc.
- Developer
- Cisco and Cadence Research Systems
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/cisco/ChezScheme
- Written in
- Scheme
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, 32-bit
- Installer
- EXE (WiX Burn)
- Other platforms
- GNU/Linux, BSD
- Version
- 10.4.1
- Released
- May 12, 2026
- First release
- 1985
- Added to the catalogue
- March 21, 2023
- Versions listed
- 7
- Updates / year
- 2.2
- GitHub stars
- 7,372
- GitHub forks
- 1,033
- Website
- cisco.github.io
- winget ID
- Cisco.ChezScheme
- Scoop package
- main/chezscheme
- MSI product code
- {1c922091-4283-4e71-a7f5-502f96097e64}
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Chez Scheme free?
Yes. Chez Scheme is open-source software under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Is Chez Scheme 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 Chez Scheme 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 Chez Scheme be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Chez Scheme 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 Chez Scheme?
The versions page lists all 7 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 21, 2023.
