The hydrus network client is an application written for Anon and other internet-fluent media nerds who have large image/swf/webm collections.
It browses with tags instead of folders, a little like a booru on your desktop. Advanced users can share tags and files anonymously through custom servers that any user may run.
Everything is free and privacy is the first concern. Executable releases are available for Windows, Linux, and macOS.
The program is in python, so you can also run it straight from the source code.
Publisher’s description
What is Hydrus Network?
Hydrus Network by Hydrus Network is open-source Windows software in the system utilities category. It ranks 12th by popularity among system utilities in this catalogue. It is written in Python. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (Inno Setup) installers for 64-bit Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. It needs Windows 10 or newer. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is v665, released on March 25, 2026. The version history goes back to March 4, 2022: 160 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 39 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 136,416 times. The source code on GitHub (hydrusnetwork/hydrus) has 3,248 stars. Similar programs include AutoHotkey, Bazel and Simplenote.
Project description on GitHub: “A personal booru-style media tagger that can import files and tags from your hard drive and popular websites. Content can be shared with other users via user-run servers.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Frequent updates (about 39 a year)
- Also runs on Linux
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Hydrus Network is an open-source system utilitie tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Key features
- images - jpg, gif (including animated), png (including animated!), tiff, webp, bmp
- video - webm, mp4, mpeg, avi, mov, mkv, flv, wmv
- audio - mp3, flac, ogg, wma
- misc - swf, pdf, psd, zip, rar, 7z
- various imageboards, with a thread watcher
- the popular boorus
- gallery sites like deviant art, and pixiv
- tumblr and twitter
AppStream · Flathub
Is Hydrus Network 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:
5A9207608300F4CC13ADEE9520AF2AD13909CF7EC46F5DD93C17E6FFD5DD061B· 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
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the hydrusnetwork/hydrus repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- Published packages10
- Licence declared9
- No binaries in the repository7
- Pinned dependencies6
- Branch protection1
- Code review0
- Restricted token permissions0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Security policy0
- Fuzzing0
- Signed releases0
- Static code analysis0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 160 versions ›160 versions over 4 years · about 39 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| v665Latest | March 25, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| v660a | February 18, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| v659 | February 11, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| v658 | February 4, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| v657 | January 28, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| v654 | January 7, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| v653 | December 24, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| v652 | December 17, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id HydrusNetwork.HydrusNetwork -echoco install hydrus-network -yHydrus.Network.665.-.Windows.-.Installer.exe /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /SP-Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
flatpak install flathub io.github.hydrusnetwork.hydrusInformation
- Publisher
- Hydrus Network
- Category
- System utilities
- Licence
- WTFPL
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/hydrusnetwork/hydrus
- Written in
- Python
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10 (Windows 10+)
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (Inno Setup)
- Other platforms
- Linux
- Version
- v665
- Released
- March 25, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- March 4, 2022
- Versions listed
- 160
- Updates / year
- 39.4
- Chocolatey downloads
- 136,416
- GitHub stars
- 3,248
- GitHub forks
- 208
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- HydrusNetwork.HydrusNetwork
- Chocolatey package
- hydrus-network
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Hydrus Network free?
Yes. Hydrus Network is open-source software under the WTFPL licence.
Is Hydrus Network 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 Hydrus Network 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 Hydrus Network be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Which Windows versions does Hydrus Network support?
The installer requires Windows 10 or newer and is available for 64-bit.
Does Hydrus Network 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 Hydrus Network?
The versions page lists all 160 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 4, 2022.
What are alternatives to Hydrus Network?
AutoHotkey, Bazel, Simplenote, osquery and CopyQ. The alternatives page compares them.
