Istio is an open source service mesh that layers transparently onto existing distributed applications. Istio’s powerful features provide a uniform and more efficient way to secure, connect, and monitor services. Istio is the path to load balancing, service-to-service authentication, and monitoring – with few or no service code changes.
Publisher’s description
What is Istio?
Istio by Istio is open-source Windows software in the containers & devops category. It is written in Go.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 64-bit Windows. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 1.31.3, released on October 22, 2026. The version history goes back to April 4, 2023: 42 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 12 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (istio/istio) has 38,461 stars. Similar programs include istioctl, Helm and Pulumi.
Project description on GitHub: “Connect, secure, control, and observe services.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
- Frequent updates (about 12 a year)
- Large user base
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: Istio is an open-source containers & devop tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained.
Is Istio 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:
5B6CB8DE5AF48B7B2E31D5AB0CF9E0278D48197BE211689D57F72A1B3E6699EB· 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 istio/istio repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- Security policy10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Fuzzing10
- Licence declared10
- Code review5
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge5
- Pinned dependencies1
- 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 42 versions ›42 versions over 4 years · about 12 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.31.3Latest | October 22, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.31.2 | October 16, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.31.1 | September 21, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.31.0 | August 31, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.30.4 | August 27, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.30.3 | July 16, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.30.2 | June 24, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.30.1 | June 4, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
Release cycle and support
Version 1.31.3 belongs to the 1.31 release line, supported until February 28, 2027.
| Release line | Released | Support ends | Latest version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.31 | August 31, 2026 | February 28, 2027 | 1.31.3 | Supported |
| 1.30 | May 18, 2026 | December 31, 2026 | 1.30.7 | Supported |
| 1.29 | February 16, 2026 | October 15, 2026 | 1.29.10 | End of life |
| 1.28 | November 5, 2025 | July 1, 2026 | 1.28.10 | End of life |
| 1.27 | August 11, 2025 | April 7, 2026 | 1.27.9 | End of life |
| 1.26 | May 8, 2025 | December 22, 2025 | 1.26.8 | End of life |
| 1.25 | March 3, 2025 | September 30, 2025 | 1.25.5 | End of life |
| 1.24 | November 7, 2024 | June 24, 2025 | 1.24.6 | End of life |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Istio.Istio -eRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Istio
- Category
- Containers & DevOps
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/istio/istio
- Written in
- Go
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 1.31.3
- Released
- October 22, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- May 12, 2023
- Versions listed
- 42
- Updates / year
- 11.8
- GitHub stars
- 38,461
- GitHub forks
- 8,404
- Website
- istio.io
- winget ID
- Istio.Istio
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Istio
See all ›- istioctl1.31.2Configuration command line utility for service operators to debug and diagnose their Istio mesh.Open source23.6K ↓
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Docker Desktop4.97.0An application for macOS and Windows machines for the building and sharing of containerised applications.Proprietary2.2M ↓ -
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Kubernetes - Minikube - A Local Kubernetes Development Environment1.39.0minikube quickly sets up a local Kubernetes cluster on macOS, Linux, and Windows. We proudly focus on helping application developers and new Kubernetes users.Open source747.8K ↓ -
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Open source2.3M ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is Istio free?
Yes. Istio is open-source software under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Is Istio 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 Istio 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.
Does Istio 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 Istio?
The versions page lists all 42 versions with links to their official installer files, back to April 4, 2023.
Can I use Istio without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to Istio?
istioctl, Helm, Pulumi, Docker Desktop and Serverless Framework. The alternatives page compares them.
