GNU Privacy Guard (GnuPG or GPG) is a free-software replacement for Symantec's cryptographic software suite PGP. The software is compliant with the now obsoleted RFC 4880, the IETF standards-track specification of OpenPGP. Modern versions of PGP are interoperable with GnuPG and other OpenPGP v4-compliant systems.
November 2023 saw two drafts aiming to update the 2007 OpenPGP v4 specification (RFC4880), ultimately resulting in the RFC 9580 standard in July 2024. The proposal from the GnuPG developers, which is called LibrePGP, was not taken up by the OpenPGP Working Group and future versions of GnuPG will not support the current version of OpenPGP.
GnuPG is part of the GNU Project and received major funding from the German government in 1999.
GnuPG is a hybrid-encryption software program because it uses a combination of conventional symmetric-key cryptography for speed, and public-key cryptography for ease of secure key exchange, typically by using the recipient's public key to encrypt a session key which is used only once. This mode of operation is part of the OpenPGP standard and has been part of PGP from its first version.
From the Wikipedia article “GNU Privacy Guard”, CC BY-SA 4.0
What is GNU Privacy Guard?
GNU Privacy Guard by The GnuPG Project (developed by GNU Project) is open-source Windows software in the encryption category. It ranks 3rd by popularity among encryption in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 1997. It is written in C. Besides Windows, it is available for GNU/Linux, BSD, macOS, Unix-like operating system and Debian.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit Windows. The main installer is 5.8 MB. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 2.5.24, released on September 23, 2026. The version history goes back to March 30, 2021: 30 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 5.5 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 186,055 times. Wikipedia has an article about it in 30 of our languages. Similar programs include Cryptomator, Keybase and i2pd.
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Updated in the last two months
- Small download (5.8 MB)
- Also runs on GNU/Linux, BSD and macOS
- Mature project (since 1997)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: GNU Privacy Guard is an open-source encryption tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is GNU Privacy Guard safe to download?
- The file is served by gnupg.org, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
EA6F9DEE2CCCD83287432625B8B399173805ADD81D27067FCAF019C0C4DA1AD8· 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 30 versions ›30 versions over 5 years · about 5.5 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5.24Latest | September 23, 2026 | 5.8 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.5.22 | August 31, 2026 | 5.8 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.5.21 | July 2, 2026 | 5.8 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.5.20 | May 13, 2026 | 5.8 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.5.19 | April 24, 2026 | 5.8 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.5.18 | February 24, 2026 | 5.7 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.5.17 | January 27, 2026 | 5.7 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.5.16 | December 30, 2025 | 5.7 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id GnuPG.GnuPG -echoco install gnupg -yscoop install main/gnupggnupg-w32-2.5.24_20260923.exe /SProgram files (.exe): dirmngr.exe, dirmngr_ldap.exe, gpg.exe, gpg-agent.exe, gpg-card.exe, gpg-check-pattern.exe, gpg-connect-agent.exe, gpg-preset-passphrase.exe, gpg-wks-client.exe, gpgconf.exe, gpgme-w32spawn.exe, gpgsm.exe, gpgtar.exe, gpgv.exe, keyboxd.exe, scdaemon.exe
Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- The GnuPG Project
- Developer
- GNU Project
- Category
- Encryption
- Licence
- GPLv3
- Price
- Free
- Written in
- C
- Interface languages
- multiple languages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- GNU/Linux, BSD, macOS, Unix-like operating system, Debian
- Version
- 2.5.24
- Released
- September 23, 2026
- First release
- 1997
- Added to the catalogue
- March 30, 2021
- Versions listed
- 30
- Updates / year
- 5.5
- Chocolatey downloads
- 186,055
- Website
- gnupg.org
- winget ID
- GnuPG.GnuPG
- Chocolatey package
- gnupg
- Scoop package
- main/gnupg
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is GNU Privacy Guard free?
Yes. GNU Privacy Guard is open-source software under the GPLv3 licence.
Is GNU Privacy Guard safe to download?
The download comes from gnupg.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 Privacy Guard 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 Privacy Guard be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does GNU Privacy Guard 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 Privacy Guard?
The versions page lists all 30 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 30, 2021.
What are alternatives to GNU Privacy Guard?
Cryptomator, Keybase, i2pd, KopiaUI and Proton Pass. The alternatives page compares them.
