GNU Emacs is a text editor and suite of free software tools. Its development began in 1984 by GNU Project founder Richard Stallman, based on the Emacs editor developed for Unix operating systems. GNU Emacs has been a central component of the GNU project and a flagship project of the free software movement.
The program's tagline is "the extensible self-documenting text editor." Most functionality in GNU Emacs is implemented in user-accessible Emacs Lisp, allowing deep extensibility directly by users and through community-contributed packages. Its built-in features include a file browser and editor (Dired), an advanced calculator (Calc), an email client and news reader (Gnus), a Language Server Protocol integration, and the productivity system Org-mode. A large community of users have contributed extensions such as the Git interface Magit, the Vim emulation layer Evil, several search frameworks, the window manager EXWM, and tools for working with a wide range of programming languages.
What is GNU Emacs?
GNU Emacs is an open-source text editor program for Windows from GNU Project. It ranks 26th by popularity among text editors in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 1984. It is written in C and Emacs Lisp. Besides Windows, it is available for GNU/Linux, BSD, macOS, GNU/Hurd and Unix-like operating system.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit as EXE (NSIS). The main installer is 94.7 MB. Installation asks for administrator rights. The installer supports unattended (silent) installation.
Updates and version history
The current version is 31.1, released on August 24, 2026. 11 versions are listed since March 30, 2021, each with links to its own installer files. That is about 2 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 135,120 times. Wikipedia has an article about it in 22 of our languages. Similar programs include Notepad++, Atom and Neovim.
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Also runs on GNU/Linux, BSD and macOS
- Mature project (since 1984)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: GNU Emacs is an open-source text editor tool for 64-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Key features
- Content-sensitive editing modes, including syntax coloring, for a wide-range of file types
- Complete built-in documentation, including a tutorial for new users
- Full Unicode support for nearly all human languages and their scripts
- Highly customizable, using Emacs Lisp code or a graphical interface
- Includes a project planner, mail and news reader, debugger interface, calendar, and more
AppStream · Flathub
Screenshots
Is GNU Emacs safe to download?
- The file is served by ftp.gnu.org, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
077888B990468059EAFC77C2C4FE335DE4E88938CC131C818C61B1C4469B80C1· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link answered when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- 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 11 versions ›11 versions over 5 years · about 2 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31.1Latest | August 24, 2026 | 94.7 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 30.2 | August 14, 2025 | 78.5 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 30.1 | February 23, 2025 | 78.5 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 29.4 | July 5, 2024 | 73.0 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 29.3 | March 27, 2024 | 73.0 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 29.2 | January 24, 2024 | 72.9 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 29.1 | August 14, 2023 | 73.4 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 28.2 | October 9, 2022 | 48.5 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id GNU.Emacs -echoco install Emacs -yscoop install extras/emacsemacs-31.1-installer-UCRT64.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
flatpak install flathub org.gnu.emacsInformation
- Publisher
- GNU Project
- Category
- Text editors
- Licence
- GPL
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com
- Written in
- C and Emacs Lisp
- Content rating
- 18+
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- GNU/Linux, BSD, macOS, GNU/Hurd, Unix-like operating system
- Version
- 31.1
- Released
- August 24, 2026
- First release
- 1984
- Added to the catalogue
- March 30, 2021
- Versions listed
- 11
- Updates / year
- 2
- Chocolatey downloads
- 135,120
- Website
- gnu.org
- winget ID
- GNU.Emacs
- Chocolatey package
- Emacs
- Scoop package
- extras/emacs
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is GNU Emacs free?
Yes. GNU Emacs is open-source software under the GPL licence.
Is GNU Emacs safe to download?
The download comes from ftp.gnu.org, 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 GNU Emacs 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 GNU Emacs be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does GNU Emacs 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 GNU Emacs?
The versions page lists all 11 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 30, 2021.
What are alternatives to GNU Emacs?
Notepad++, Atom, Neovim, Geany and Helix. The alternatives page compares them.
