CMake is a free, cross-platform, software development tool for building applications via compiler-independent instructions. It also can automate testing, packaging and installation. It runs on a variety of platforms and supports many programming languages.
As a meta-build tool, CMake configures native build tools which in turn build the codebase. CMake generates configuration files for other build tools based on CMake-specific configuration files. The other tools are responsible for more directly building, using the generated files. A single set of CMake-specific configuration files can be used to build a codebase using the native build tools of multiple platforms.
Notable native build tools supported by CMake include: Make, Qt Creator, Ninja, Android Studio, Xcode, and Visual Studio.
CMake is distributed as free and open-source software under a permissive BSD-3-Clause license.
What is CMake?
CMake by Kitware is open-source Windows software in the languages & sdks category. It ranks 4th by popularity among languages & sdks in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2000. It is written in C++ and C. Besides Windows, it is available for Unix-like operating system.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides MSI and Portable installers for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit Windows. 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 4.4.4, released on October 2, 2026. The version history goes back to March 30, 2021: 92 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 17 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 3,696,767 times. The source code on GitHub (Kitware/CMake) has 8,131 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 18 of our languages. Similar programs include Go Programming Language, LLVM and Deno.
Project description on GitHub: “Mirror of CMake upstream repository”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- MSI package for managed deployment
- Documented silent install
- Frequent updates (about 17 a year)
- Also runs on Unix-like operating system
- Large user base
In short: CMake is an open-source languages & sdk tool for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is CMake 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:
F7AAC962E8EEA82C0A1C603BB11EE3514806A43A35147D5B1E9D69926FFD7D7E· 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 92 versions ›92 versions over 6 years · about 17 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.4.4Latest | October 2, 2026 | — | 32-bit ZIP32-bit MSI64-bit MSIARM64 MSI |
| 4.4.3 | August 25, 2026 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit MSI32-bit ZIPARM64 MSI |
| 4.4.2 | July 28, 2026 | — | ARM64 ZIPARM64 MSI64-bit ZIP32-bit MSI |
| 4.4.1 | July 28, 2026 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit MSI32-bit ZIPARM64 MSI |
| 4.4.0 | July 9, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIPARM64 MSI32-bit MSI32-bit ZIP |
| 4.3.4 | June 17, 2026 | — | 32-bit MSIARM64 MSI64-bit MSI |
| 4.3.3 | May 21, 2026 | — | 32-bit MSI64-bit MSIARM64 MSI |
| 4.3.2 | April 21, 2026 | — | 32-bit MSIARM64 MSI64-bit MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Kitware.CMake -echoco install cmake.install -yscoop install main/cmakemsiexec /i cmake-4.4.4-windows-x86_64.msi /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {0DEA00BE-9AC0-4348-839D-8EFDCCBD3205} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask cmake-appbrew install cmakeInformation
- Publisher
- Kitware
- Category
- Languages & SDKs
- Licence
- BSD-3-Clause
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/Kitware/CMake
- Written in
- C++ and C
- Interface languages
- English
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64, 32-bit
- Installer
- MSI, Portable
- Other platforms
- Unix-like operating system
- Version
- 4.4.4
- Released
- October 2, 2026
- First release
- 2000
- Added to the catalogue
- March 30, 2021
- Versions listed
- 92
- Updates / year
- 16.7
- Chocolatey downloads
- 3,696,767
- GitHub stars
- 8,131
- GitHub forks
- 2,712
- Website
- cmake.org
- winget ID
- Kitware.CMake
- Chocolatey package
- cmake.install
- Scoop package
- main/cmake
- MSI product code
- {0DEA00BE-9AC0-4348-839D-8EFDCCBD3205}
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is CMake free?
Yes. CMake is open-source software under the BSD-3-Clause licence.
Is CMake 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 CMake 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 CMake be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Does CMake run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of CMake?
The versions page lists all 92 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 30, 2021.
What are alternatives to CMake?
Go Programming Language, LLVM, Deno, Yarn and Ccache. The alternatives page compares them.
