Transparently compress active games and programs using Windows 10/11 APIs.
Publisher’s description
What is CompactGUI?
CompactGUI is an open-source pc game program for Windows from IridiumIO. It ranks 23rd by popularity among pc games in this catalogue. It is written in Visual Basic .NET.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit and ARM64 as Portable. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is v4.0.0-beta.12, released on September 21, 2026. 14 versions are listed since March 13, 2024, each with links to its own installer files. That is about 5.5 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 12,965 times. The source code on GitHub (IridiumIO/CompactGUI) has 9,068 stars. Similar programs include RetroArch, OpenTTD and Steam.
Project description on GitHub: “Reduce the space taken up by games and programs on disk by using native Windows APIs”
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
- Updated in the last two months
- Large user base
In short: CompactGUI is an open-source pc game tool for 64-bit and ARM64 PCs. It is actively maintained.
Is CompactGUI 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:
7E03EF59FBD8638EF96AC911B77518BC03E20903ACFA21BE17C31CA6E2BCDF33· 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 14 versions ›14 versions over 3 years · about 5.5 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| v4.0.0-beta.12Latest | September 21, 2026 | — | ARM64 Portable64-bit Portable |
| v4.0.0-beta.11 | September 13, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| v4.0.0-beta.10 | September 1, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| v4.0.0-beta.9 | August 26, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| v4.0.0-beta.8 | August 25, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| v4.0.0-beta.7 | April 15, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| v4.0.0-beta.6 | July 16, 2025 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 3.8.0 | February 24, 2025 | — | 64-bit Portable |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id IridiumIO.CompactGUI -echoco install compactgui -yscoop install extras/compactguiRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- IridiumIO
- Category
- PC games
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/IridiumIO/CompactGUI
- Written in
- Visual Basic .NET
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- v4.0.0-beta.12
- Released
- September 21, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- March 13, 2024
- Versions listed
- 14
- Updates / year
- 5.5
- Chocolatey downloads
- 12,965
- GitHub stars
- 9,068
- GitHub forks
- 349
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- IridiumIO.CompactGUI
- Chocolatey package
- compactgui
- Scoop package
- extras/compactgui
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is CompactGUI free?
Yes. CompactGUI is open-source software under the GPL-3.0 licence.
Is CompactGUI 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 CompactGUI 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 CompactGUI run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of CompactGUI?
The versions page lists all 14 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 13, 2024.
Can I use CompactGUI without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to CompactGUI?
RetroArch, OpenTTD, Steam, PPSSPP and Celestia. The alternatives page compares them.
