What is Positron?
- A next-generation data science IDE built by Posit PBC
- An extensible, polyglot tool for writing code and exploring data
- A familiar environment for reproducible authoring and publishing
Publisher’s description
What is Positron?
Positron is a proprietary science & math program for Windows from Posit Software, PBC. It is written in TypeScript.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit as EXE (Inno Setup). It can be installed for the current user only, without administrator rights. The installer supports unattended (silent) installation.
Updates and version history
The current version is 2026.10.2, released on October 26, 2026. 34 versions are listed since August 1, 2024, each with links to its own installer files. That is about 15 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (posit-dev/positron) has 4,309 stars. On Windows it registers 137 file types, including .java, .jsp, .txt, .md and .py. Similar programs include Stellarium, KiCad and JASP.
Project description on GitHub: “Positron, a next-generation data science IDE”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Documented silent install
- Installs without administrator rights
- Frequent updates (about 15 a year)
- Opens 137 file types
Cons
- Proprietary licence: check the terms and price
- No native ARM64 build
In short: Positron is a science & math tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is Positron safe to download?
- The file is served by cdn.posit.co, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
1213B0AC904A1FCB2709DF536DBC7BF8DBF448550C1CB6804C4A77FC68F484B7· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 34 versions ›34 versions over 2 years · about 15 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026.10.2Latest | October 26, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2026.10.1 | October 19, 2026 | 531.1 MB | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2026.10.0 | October 8, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2026.09.1 | September 4, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2026.09.0 | September 3, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2026.08.2 | August 21, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2026.08.1 | August 10, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2026.08.0 | August 6, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)ARM64 EXE (Inno Setup)ARM64 EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Posit.Positron -escoop install extras/positronPositron-2026.10.2-3-UserSetup-x64.exe /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /SP-Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask positronInformation
- Publisher
- Posit Software, PBC
- Category
- Science & maths
- Licence
- Elastic-2.0
- Price
- See the publisher’s site
- Source code
- github.com/posit-dev/positron
- Written in
- TypeScript
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (Inno Setup)
- Version
- 2026.10.2
- Released
- October 26, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- July 8, 2024
- Versions listed
- 34
- Updates / year
- 15.2
- GitHub stars
- 4,309
- GitHub forks
- 197
- Website
- positron.posit.co
- winget ID
- Posit.Positron
- Scoop package
- extras/positron
File types it opens (137)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Positron
See all ›-
Open source118K ↓ -
Open source126.7K ↓ -
Open source12.2K ↓ -
Qalculate!5.13.2A highly versatile desktop calculator, with support for units, physical constants, uncertainty propagation, symbolic calculations, etc.Open source50.3K ↓ -
Open source24.6K ↓ -
Open source17.7K ↓ - scilab2025.0.0Scilab is free and open source software for numerical computation providing a powerful computing environment for engineering and scientific applications.Open source28.6K ↓
-
Open source6.9K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is Positron free?
Positron is proprietary (closed-source) software (licence: Elastic-2.0). Whether it costs money depends on the edition: check the publisher’s site for prices and free tiers.
Is Positron safe to download?
The download comes from cdn.posit.co, 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 Positron 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 Positron be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Positron 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 Positron?
The versions page lists all 34 versions with links to their official installer files, back to August 1, 2024.
Can I use Positron without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to Positron?
Stellarium, KiCad, JASP, Qalculate! and OpenChrom. The alternatives page compares them.
