Processing is a graphics library and integrated development environment (IDE) built for the electronic arts, new media art, and visual design communities with the purpose of teaching non-programmers the fundamentals of computer programming in a visual context. It is free and open-source software released under a GNU General Public License (GPL) and a GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL).
Processing uses the Java programming language, with added simplifications such as added classes and aliased mathematical functions and operations. It also provides a graphical user interface to simplify the compiling and executing stage.
The Processing language and IDE are the precursor to other projects including Arduino and Wiring.
The project was begun in 2001 by Casey Reas and Ben Fry, both formerly of the Aesthetics and Computation Group at the MIT Media Lab. In 2012, they founded the Processing Foundation along with Daniel Shiffman, who joined as a third project lead. Johanna Hedva joined the Foundation in 2014 as Director of Advocacy.
What is Processing?
Processing is an open-source ides & code editor program for Windows from Processing Foundation. It ranks 16th by popularity among ides & code editors in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2001. It is written in Java. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux and macOS.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit as MSI. Installation asks for administrator rights. The installer supports unattended (silent) installation. An MSI package is available for deployment with Group Policy, Intune or Configuration Manager.
Updates and version history
The current version is 4.5.7, released on September 24, 2026. 2 versions are listed since July 20, 2026, each with links to its own installer files.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 79,176 times. The source code on GitHub (processing/processing4) has 518 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 26 of our languages. Similar programs include RStudio, Apache NetBeans and OpenCode.
Project description on GitHub: “Source code for Processing, the software sketchbook and Java-based programming language for students, artists, designers, educators, hobbyists, and creative coders. Includes the core library, and editor (PDE)”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- MSI package for managed deployment
- Documented silent install
- Updated in the last two months
- Also runs on Linux and macOS
- Mature project (since 2001)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Processing is an open-source ides & code editor tool for 64-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is Processing 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:
27F88EDEDAD83EDB04AE04F7FF1C32E02552104B18B439384AC378D2DA28467A· 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 2 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5.7Latest | September 24, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 4.5.6 | July 20, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id ProcessingFoundation.Processing -echoco install Processing -yscoop install extras/processingmsiexec /i processing-4.5.7-windows-x64.msi /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {3A052074-38B0-4452-B201-D39EC765FE39} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask processingInformation
- Publisher
- Processing Foundation
- Category
- IDEs & code editors
- Licence
- GPL-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/processing/processing4
- Written in
- Java
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- MSI
- Other platforms
- Linux, macOS
- Version
- 4.5.7
- Released
- September 24, 2026
- First release
- 2001
- Added to the catalogue
- August 19, 2026
- Versions listed
- 2
- Chocolatey downloads
- 79,176
- GitHub stars
- 518
- GitHub forks
- 189
- Website
- processing.org
- winget ID
- ProcessingFoundation.Processing
- Chocolatey package
- Processing
- Scoop package
- extras/processing
- MSI product code
- {3A052074-38B0-4452-B201-D39EC765FE39}
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Processing free?
Yes. Processing is open-source software under the GPL-2.0 licence.
Is Processing 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 Processing 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 Processing be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Does Processing 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 Processing?
The versions page lists all 2 versions with links to their official installer files, back to July 20, 2026.
What are alternatives to Processing?
RStudio, Apache NetBeans, OpenCode, Node.js (LTS) and Thonny. The alternatives page compares them.
