Cppcheck is a static code analysis tool for the C and C++ programming languages. It is a versatile tool that can check non-standard code. The creator and lead developer is Daniel Marjamäki.
Cppcheck is Open-core software, with its open-source core code under the GNU General Public License.
Cppcheck supports a wide variety of static checks that may not be covered by the compiler itself. These checks are static analysis checks that can be performed at a source code level. The program is directed towards static analysis checks that are rigorous, rather than heuristic in nature.
Some of the checks that are supported include:
As with many analysis programs, there are many unusual cases of programming idioms that may be acceptable in particular target cases or outside of the programmer's scope for source code correction. A study conducted in March 2009 identified several areas where false positives were found by Cppcheck, but did not specify the program version examined. Cppcheck has been identified for use in systems such as CERN’s 4DSOFT meta analysis package, for code verification in high energy particle detector readout devices, system monitoring software for radio telescopes as well as in error analysis of large projects, such as OpenOffice.org and the Debian archive.
What is Cppcheck?
Cppcheck by The Cppcheck team is open-source Windows software. The first release dates back to 2007. It is written in C++. Besides Windows, it is available for Unix-like operating system.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides MSI installers for 64-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 2.22.0, released on September 19, 2026. The version history goes back to March 30, 2021: 22 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 4 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 573,538 times. The source code on GitHub (cppcheck-opensource/cppcheck) has 6,786 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 8 of our languages.
Project description on GitHub: “static analysis of C/C++ code”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- MSI package for managed deployment
- Documented silent install
- Updated in the last two months
- Also runs on Unix-like operating system
- Large user base
- Mature project (since 2007)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Cppcheck is an open-source Windows tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is Cppcheck 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:
3929162BAB7E71D1B9B18708EC054FB0188BFC8EA1660979ED95837F5A9F547B· 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 22 versions ›22 versions over 5 years · about 4 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.22.0Latest | September 19, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.21.0 | June 4, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.20.0 | March 2, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.19.0 | December 21, 2025 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.18.0 | July 20, 2025 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.17.1 | February 26, 2025 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.16.0 | October 27, 2024 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.15.0 | August 31, 2024 | — | 64-bit MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Cppcheck.Cppcheck -echoco install cppcheck -ymsiexec /i cppcheck-2.22.0-x64-Setup.msi /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {B9BB529E-C446-4B39-B047-B6B4DB91B62F} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- The Cppcheck team
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/cppcheck-opensource/cppcheck
- Written in
- C++
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- MSI
- Other platforms
- Unix-like operating system
- Version
- 2.22.0
- Released
- September 19, 2026
- First release
- 2007
- Added to the catalogue
- March 30, 2021
- Versions listed
- 22
- Updates / year
- 4
- Chocolatey downloads
- 573,538
- GitHub stars
- 6,786
- GitHub forks
- 1,605
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- Cppcheck.Cppcheck
- Chocolatey package
- cppcheck
- MSI product code
- {B9BB529E-C446-4B39-B047-B6B4DB91B62F}
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cppcheck free?
Yes. Cppcheck is open-source software under the GPL-3.0 licence.
Is Cppcheck 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 Cppcheck 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 Cppcheck be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Does Cppcheck run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Cppcheck?
The versions page lists all 22 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 30, 2021.