Ninja is a small build system with a focus on speed. It differs from other build systems in two major respects:
it is designed to have its input files generated by a higher-level build system,
and it is designed to run builds as fast as possible.
Publisher’s description
What is ninja?
ninja is an open-source program for Windows from ninja-build. It is written in C++.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit and ARM64 as Portable. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 1.13.2, released on November 20, 2025. 5 versions are listed since August 30, 2022, each with links to its own installer files. That is about 1.6 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 5,666,967 times. The source code on GitHub (ninja-build/ninja) has 13,316 stars.
Project description on GitHub: “a small build system with a focus on speed”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- Portable: runs without installation
- Large user base
In short: ninja is an open-source Windows tool for 64-bit and ARM64 PCs.
Is ninja 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:
07FC8261B42B20E71D1720B39068C2E14FFCEE6396B76FB7A795FB460B78DC65· 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 ninja-build/ninja repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- No dangerous workflows10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Actively maintained10
- Fuzzing10
- Licence declared10
- Code review8
- Restricted token permissions0
- Pinned dependencies0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Security policy0
- Signed releases0
- Branch protection0
- 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 5 versions ›5 versions over 3 years · about 1.6 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.13.2Latest | November 20, 2025 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 1.13.1 | July 10, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIPARM64 ZIP |
| 1.12.1 | May 11, 2024 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 1.12.0 | April 11, 2024 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.11.1 | August 30, 2022 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Ninja-build.Ninja -echoco install ninja -yscoop install main/ninjaRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install ninjaInformation
- Publisher
- ninja-build
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/ninja-build/ninja
- Written in
- C++
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 1.13.2
- Released
- November 20, 2025
- Added to the catalogue
- February 9, 2023
- Versions listed
- 5
- Updates / year
- 1.6
- Chocolatey downloads
- 5,666,967
- GitHub stars
- 13,316
- GitHub forks
- 1,850
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- Ninja-build.Ninja
- Chocolatey package
- ninja
- Scoop package
- main/ninja
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Frequently asked questions
Is ninja free?
Yes. ninja is open-source software under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Is ninja 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 ninja 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 ninja run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of ninja?
The versions page lists all 5 versions with links to their official installer files, back to August 30, 2022.
Can I use ninja without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.