Chocolatey is a machine-level, command-line package manager and installer for software on Microsoft Windows. It uses the NuGet packaging infrastructure and Windows PowerShell to simplify the process of downloading and installing software.
The name is an extension on a pun of NuGet (from "nougat") "because everyone loves Chocolatey nougat".
The choco command is used to start the Chocolatey command-line package manager.
In April 2014, Microsoft debuted OneGet (renamed PackageManagement on March 20, 2015) alongside PowerShell 5. It is a free and open-source package-provider manager, which provides a way to integrate other package managers into PowerShell. OneGet was pre-configured to browse the Chocolatey repository.
This installation software article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.
What is Chocolatey?
Chocolatey by Chocolatey Software, Inc. is open-source Windows software in the package managers & updaters category. It ranks 1st by popularity among package managers & updaters in this catalogue. It is written in C#, XML, and shell script.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides MSI installers for 32-bit Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches. An MSI package is available for deployment with Group Policy, Intune or Configuration Manager.
Updates and version history
The current version is 2.7.4.0, released on August 19, 2026. The version history goes back to June 6, 2023: 17 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 5.3 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 386,227,176 times. The source code on GitHub (chocolatey/choco) has 11,550 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 8 of our languages. Similar programs include NuGet, uv and UniGetUI (formerly WingetUI) - Pre-Release.
Project description on GitHub: “Chocolatey - the package manager for Windows”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- MSI package for managed deployment
- Documented silent install
- Large user base
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- 32-bit only
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Chocolatey is an open-source package managers & updater tool for 32-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is Chocolatey 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:
F39EFEBDC012525A7057F573F136F63AF91A496EFDDD1DB4C7910D657A5AC407· 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 chocolatey/choco repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- Published packages10
- Licence declared9
- Security policy9
- Code review6
- No binaries in the repository1
- Pinned dependencies1
- Restricted token permissions0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- 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 17 versions ›17 versions over 3 years · about 5.3 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7.4.0Latest | August 19, 2026 | — | 32-bit MSI |
| 2.7.3.0 | June 11, 2026 | — | 32-bit MSI |
| 2.7.2.0 | May 12, 2026 | — | 32-bit MSI |
| 2.7.1.0 | April 1, 2026 | — | 32-bit MSI |
| 2.7.0.0 | March 19, 2026 | — | 32-bit MSI |
| 2.6.0.0 | December 1, 2025 | — | 32-bit MSI |
| 2.5.1.0 | September 4, 2025 | — | 32-bit MSI |
| 2.5.0.0 | July 9, 2025 | — | 32-bit MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Chocolatey.Chocolatey -echoco install chocolatey -ymsiexec /i chocolatey-2.7.4.0.msi /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {EB32B51C-3AD8-4007-AA53-74EC1A1B84D5} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Chocolatey Software, Inc.
- Category
- Package managers & updaters
- Licence
- Apache v2
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/chocolatey/choco
- Written in
- C#, XML, and shell script
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 32-bit
- Installer
- MSI
- Version
- 2.7.4.0
- Released
- August 19, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- June 6, 2023
- Versions listed
- 17
- Updates / year
- 5.3
- Chocolatey downloads
- 386,227,176
- GitHub stars
- 11,550
- GitHub forks
- 964
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- Chocolatey.Chocolatey
- Chocolatey package
- chocolatey
- MSI product code
- {EB32B51C-3AD8-4007-AA53-74EC1A1B84D5}
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Chocolatey
See all ›-
Open source2.6M ↓ -
Open source183K ↓ -
Open source78.1K ↓ -
Conan Package Manager2.33.0An open source, decentralized C/C++ package manager, to automate building and sharing of packages.Open source257.3K ↓ -
Open source3.9K ↓ -
Open source9.8K ↓ -
Open source26.6K ↓ -
Open source15K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is Chocolatey free?
Yes. Chocolatey is open-source software under the Apache v2 licence.
Is Chocolatey 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 Chocolatey 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 Chocolatey be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Does Chocolatey run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Chocolatey?
The versions page lists all 17 versions with links to their official installer files, back to June 6, 2023.
What are alternatives to Chocolatey?
NuGet, uv, UniGetUI (formerly WingetUI) - Pre-Release, Conan Package Manager and UniGetUI. The alternatives page compares them.
