primesieve is a command-line program that generates primes using the sieve of Eratosthenes algorithm.
It can generate primes and prime k-tuplets (twin primes, prime triplets, ...) up to 2^64 and find the nth prime.
Publisher’s description
What is Primesieve?
Primesieve by Kim Walisch is open-source Windows software in the terminals & cli tools category. It is written in C++.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (Inno Setup) installers for 64-bit and ARM64 Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 12.16, released on September 28, 2026. The version history goes back to March 30, 2021: 23 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 4.2 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 3,499 times. The source code on GitHub (kimwalisch/primesieve) has 1,125 stars. Similar programs include PowerShell, Oh My Posh and QPDF.
Project description on GitHub: “🚀 Fast prime number generator”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- Documented silent install
- Updated in the last two months
Cons
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Primesieve is an open-source terminals & cli tool tool for 64-bit and ARM64 PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is Primesieve 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:
2B170DDD28F03026A6593B3772398BE0DA7B409E2B1561B559943C1EBBA10665· 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 kimwalisch/primesieve repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Licence declared10
- Code review0
- Restricted token permissions0
- Pinned dependencies0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Security policy0
- Fuzzing0
- Branch protection0
- 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 23 versions ›23 versions over 5 years · about 4.2 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.16Latest | September 28, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)ARM64 EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 12.15 | July 17, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)ARM64 EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 12.14 | May 8, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)ARM64 EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 12.13 | February 7, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 12.12 | January 26, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 12.11 | December 16, 2025 | — | ARM64 EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 12.9 | May 17, 2025 | — | ARM64 EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 12.8 | April 14, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)ARM64 EXE (Inno Setup) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Primesieve.Primesieve -echoco install primesieve -yscoop install main/primesievePrimesieve-12.16-win-x64.exe /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /SP-Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install primesieveInformation
- Publisher
- Kim Walisch
- Category
- Terminals & CLI tools
- Licence
- BSD 2-Clause
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/kimwalisch/primesieve
- Written in
- C++
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64
- Installer
- EXE (Inno Setup)
- Version
- 12.16
- Released
- September 28, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- March 30, 2021
- Versions listed
- 23
- Updates / year
- 4.2
- Chocolatey downloads
- 3,499
- GitHub stars
- 1,125
- GitHub forks
- 139
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- Primesieve.Primesieve
- Chocolatey package
- primesieve
- Scoop package
- main/primesieve
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Primesieve free?
Yes. Primesieve is open-source software under the BSD 2-Clause licence.
Is Primesieve 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 Primesieve 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 Primesieve be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Primesieve run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of Primesieve?
The versions page lists all 23 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 30, 2021.
What are alternatives to Primesieve?
PowerShell, Oh My Posh, QPDF, yq and Alacritty. The alternatives page compares them.