Go (often referred to as Golang) is a high-level, general-purpose programming language that is statically typed and compiled. Originally designed in 2007 by Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson, Go was publicly announced in November 2009, and is developed by Google and community contributors. Go has a simple syntax similar to C++, as well as garbage collection, structural typing, CSP-style concurrency, and a broad standard library.
Go was designed at Google in 2007 to improve programming productivity in an era of multicore, networked machines and large codebases. The designers wanted to address criticisms of other languages in use at Google, but keep their useful characteristics:
Its designers were primarily motivated by their shared dislike of C++.
Go was publicly announced in November 2009, and version 1.0 was released in March 2012. Go is widely used in production at Google and in many other organizations and open-source projects.
From the Wikipedia article “Go (programming language)”, CC BY-SA 4.0
What is Go Programming Language?
Go Programming Language by https://go.dev (developed by Google) is open-source Windows software in the languages & sdks category. It ranks 1st by popularity among languages & sdks in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2009. It is written in Go. Besides Windows, it is available for DragonFly BSD, FreeBSD, Linux, macOS and NetBSD.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides MSI installers for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit Windows. The main installer is 63.9 MB. 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 1.27.0, released on August 19, 2026. The version history goes back to August 16, 2021: 113 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 23 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 2,108,890 times. The source code on GitHub (golang/go) has 139,403 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 47 of our languages. On Windows it registers 1 file type, including .go. Similar programs include LLVM, Deno and CMake.
Project description on GitHub: “The Go programming language”
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 23 a year)
- Also runs on DragonFly BSD, FreeBSD and Linux
- Large user base
Cons
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Go Programming Language is an open-source languages & sdk tool for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is Go Programming Language safe to download?
- The file is served by go.dev, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
728E9318C061B95082BCF167BAB8B6C6E0D91A045F89F403B3285FA39F0C455B· 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
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the golang/go repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- Security policy10
- Code review10
- Licence declared10
- Fuzzing10
- Pinned dependencies4
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Static code analysis0
- No binaries in the repository0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 113 versions ›113 versions over 5 years · about 23 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.27.0Latest | August 19, 2026 | 63.9 MB | 64-bit MSIARM64 MSI32-bit MSI |
| 1.26.7 | August 19, 2026 | 60.2 MB | ARM64 MSI64-bit MSI32-bit MSI |
| 1.26.6 | August 13, 2026 | 60.2 MB | 64-bit MSI32-bit MSIARM64 MSI |
| 1.26.5 | July 7, 2026 | 60.2 MB | 64-bit MSI32-bit MSIARM64 MSI |
| 1.26.4 | June 2, 2026 | 60.0 MB | ARM64 MSI64-bit MSI32-bit MSI |
| 1.26.3 | May 7, 2026 | 60.0 MB | 32-bit MSIARM64 MSI64-bit MSI |
| 1.26.2 | April 7, 2026 | 59.9 MB | ARM64 MSI32-bit MSI64-bit MSI |
| 1.26.1 | March 5, 2026 | 59.9 MB | 64-bit MSI32-bit MSIARM64 MSI |
Release cycle and support
Version 1.27.0 belongs to the 1.27 release line, still supported, with no end date announced.
| Release line | Released | Support ends | Latest version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.27 | August 19, 2026 | not announced | 1.27.3 | Supported |
| 1.26 | February 10, 2026 | not announced | 1.26.10 | Supported |
| 1.25 | August 12, 2025 | August 19, 2026 | 1.25.14 | End of life |
| 1.24 | February 11, 2025 | February 10, 2026 | 1.24.13 | End of life |
| 1.23 | August 13, 2024 | August 12, 2025 | 1.23.12 | End of life |
| 1.22 | February 6, 2024 | February 11, 2025 | 1.22.12 | End of life |
| 1.21 | August 8, 2023 | August 13, 2024 | 1.21.13 | End of life |
| 1.20 | February 1, 2023 | February 6, 2024 | 1.20.14 | End of life |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id GoLang.Go -echoco install golang -ymsiexec /i go1.27.0.windows-amd64.msi /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {649B7E21-BFFC-4209-925C-5736BBF28E54} /qn /norestartProgram files (.exe): go.exe, gofmt.exe
Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- https://go.dev
- Developer
- Google and Rob Pike
- Category
- Languages & SDKs
- Licence
- BSD-3-Clause
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/golang/go
- Written in
- Go
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64, 32-bit
- Installer
- MSI
- Other platforms
- DragonFly BSD, FreeBSD, Linux, macOS, NetBSD, OpenBSD
- Version
- 1.27.0
- Released
- August 19, 2026
- First release
- 2009
- Added to the catalogue
- August 21, 2021
- Versions listed
- 113
- Updates / year
- 22.6
- Chocolatey downloads
- 2,108,890
- GitHub stars
- 139,403
- GitHub forks
- 22,337
- Website
- go.dev
- winget ID
- GoLang.Go
- Chocolatey package
- golang
- MSI product code
- {649B7E21-BFFC-4209-925C-5736BBF28E54}
File types it opens (1)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Go Programming Language free?
Yes. Go Programming Language is open-source software under the BSD-3-Clause licence.
Is Go Programming Language safe to download?
The download comes from go.dev, 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 Go Programming Language 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 Go Programming Language be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Does Go Programming Language run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of Go Programming Language?
The versions page lists all 113 versions with links to their official installer files, back to August 16, 2021.
What are alternatives to Go Programming Language?
LLVM, Deno, CMake, Yarn and sbt. The alternatives page compares them.
