Pkl — pronounced Pickle — is an embeddable configuration language which provides rich support for data templating and validation. It can be used from the command line, integrated in a build pipeline, or embedded in a program. Pkl scales from small to large, simple to complex, ad-hoc to repetitive configuration tasks.
Publisher’s description
What is Pkl?
Pkl is an open-source languages & sdk program for Windows from Apple. It is written in Java.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit as Portable. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 0.32.2, released on October 21, 2026. 17 versions are listed since August 6, 2024, each with links to its own installer files. That is about 7.7 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 50 times. The source code on GitHub (apple/pkl) has 11,548 stars. Similar programs include Go Programming Language, LLVM and Deno.
Project description on GitHub: “A configuration as code language with rich validation and tooling.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
- Frequent updates (about 7.7 a year)
- Large user base
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: Pkl is an open-source languages & sdk tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained.
Is Pkl 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:
AC3C55C2E43C20964DC5FAF51E47BF73A90150DFE1874AA37753651753EDF201· 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
Recent versions
All 17 versions ›17 versions over 2 years · about 7.7 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.32.2Latest | October 21, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 0.32.1 | July 23, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 0.32.0 | July 8, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 0.31.1 | March 26, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 0.31.0 | February 26, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 0.30.2 | December 15, 2025 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 0.30.1 | December 3, 2025 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 0.30.0 | November 3, 2025 | — | 64-bit Portable |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Apple.Pkl -echoco install pkl -yProgram files (.exe): pkl.exe
Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install pklInformation
- Publisher
- Apple
- Category
- Languages & SDKs
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/apple/pkl
- Written in
- Java
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 0.32.2
- Released
- October 21, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- September 9, 2024
- Versions listed
- 17
- Updates / year
- 7.7
- Chocolatey downloads
- 50
- GitHub stars
- 11,548
- GitHub forks
- 413
- Website
- pkl-lang.org
- winget ID
- Apple.Pkl
- Chocolatey package
- pkl
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Pkl
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Frequently asked questions
Is Pkl free?
Yes. Pkl is open-source software under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Is Pkl 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 Pkl 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 Pkl 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 Pkl?
The versions page lists all 17 versions with links to their official installer files, back to August 6, 2024.
Can I use Pkl without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to Pkl?
Go Programming Language, LLVM, Deno, CMake and Yarn. The alternatives page compares them.
